This past weekend was definitely something to talk about. We had to travel four hours to North Manchester, Indiana for a three game series. This was a very important series for us because we were in second place in our conference going into these games. If we played bad, then our chances of making the conference tournament would be slim. Manchester always has a descent team, so we knew we had to play well. We went into the series shorthanded on pitching, so we knew we had to hit the ball and put runs up on the board.
The first game was completely offensive. We pounded out 25 hits and 15 runs. It seemed like everyone was hot at the plate. Even though we scored 15, it was still a very close game. They started to make a comeback in the final inning, but we were able to shut them down. We ended the game winning 15-13. It's always important to win the first game because every team throws their ace.
The double header on Saturday was crazy. We maintained the lead in the first game the whole time and came out with our second victory of the series, winning 8-3. There really is not much to talk about for the second game of the twin-bill. It was all Manchester because they kicked our butts. I think they had like eight or nine home runs in the game, with two of them being grand slams. It was like watching home run derby. Long story short, we lost 28-8. It was like looking at a football score. It's nearly impossible to come back from 20 runs down, but at least we won the series 2-1. This improved our overall record to 23-12 overall and 13-5 in the conference.
We found out that after this series, we clinched a spot in the conference tournament. This is a huge relief for us because that is every team's goal going into the season. You must make the tournament if you have any desires to make it to the regionals or college world series. We have a conference game tomorrow versus Hanover and a final three game series this weekend against Anderson. As long as we do fairly good, we will get a high ranking in the tournament, probably a 2 seed. We won't be able to win it unless Franklin completely bombs the rest of the season, which is not likely to happen. All we an do is play our game and see where the chips fall.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
1st Place
This past weekend the team did their thing. We swept Defiance just as I had suspected we would, though it did not look like that was going to happen in the first game. They took a 9-0 lead in the first inning. I was dumbfounded, but knew we would hit the ball, which we did. We chipped away the whole game, never giving up and escaped with a victory 11-10. Since it started to rain, we were not able to complete the second game on Friday but postponed it to Saturday.
Saturday was a better day. They did not take the lead once in either game and our offense pounded out hit after hit. We won the first game 10-4 and the second game 16-10. Though we definitely gave up more runs than we would usually like, we were still able to win and that's all that matters. We are now in first place in the HCAC with a 11-4 record and 18-9 overall.
We are suppose to have 5 non-conference games this week, so our schedule is booked. We play Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at UC. The weather is suppose to be nice so come out and catch a game.
Saturday was a better day. They did not take the lead once in either game and our offense pounded out hit after hit. We won the first game 10-4 and the second game 16-10. Though we definitely gave up more runs than we would usually like, we were still able to win and that's all that matters. We are now in first place in the HCAC with a 11-4 record and 18-9 overall.
We are suppose to have 5 non-conference games this week, so our schedule is booked. We play Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at UC. The weather is suppose to be nice so come out and catch a game.
Another One Bites The Dust
We took on Transylvania Tuesday night in a very cold day. Despite snow coming down, we got the game in. If you remember earlier in the season they beat us in an ugly game. This game was quite the contrary. We braved the elements and went out there and did our thing. Their lead of 1-0 was the only lead they would have the whole game. We hit the ball well as a team. From top to bottom, everyone hit. It was good to see this. We had another good pitching performance and the defense was stellar. We finished the game with a score of 7-1, thus propelling us higher into the conference rankings. We are now 15-9 overall with an 8-4 record in conference.
This weekend we take on the last place team in the conference, Defiance. We need to sweep this team, plain and simple. We can not afford to lose any games to a weak opponent. Winning these three games could really help our conference standings, which is critical since conference play is almost over.
This weekend we take on the last place team in the conference, Defiance. We need to sweep this team, plain and simple. We can not afford to lose any games to a weak opponent. Winning these three games could really help our conference standings, which is critical since conference play is almost over.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Great Weekend
Playing the number one team in the conference is always a challenge, no matter what sport you play. As for baseball, Rose Hulman was definitely the powerhouse coming into this past weekend. They had pitching, hitting, and defense. They were just a well-rounded baseball team. However, as the weekend came to an end, I have to say that we opened up a few eyes in the conference and proved that Rose may not be as dominant as people project them.
We played a single game Friday where we faced their ace pitcher. He threw well and kept us on our toes the whole game. We just could not get things going offensively and it didn't help with them blasting two home runs in the very first inning of play. They took an early lead and added a run here an there throughout the game. We were able to get on the board in the 7th with a 2-run bomb, but that was all we could muster up. The final score was 8-2.
As we entered the double header Saturday, we knew we had to win both games. Since we could not sweep them, we had to take two of three, especially if we wanted to continue our hopes of making the conference tournament. As long as we won the series, then I would be satisfied, especially to a team that has only lost one conference game. Our bats were on fire for the first game Saturday. We were first to score and maintained the lead the whole game. We had a big 4th inning, scoring 6 runs on 5 hits. Also, our pitching was great. To hold that team to just one run is quite a feat. The final was 9-1. The second game of the double header was not a big run producer but more of a pitchers dual. Our pitching kept us in the game because we couldn't get that two out hit to score some runs. They maintained a 1-0 lead for most of the game. We were able to tie it up on a past ball. We took the lead in the 7th with a clutch hit, making the score 2-1. Luckily for us, we were able to keep the lead for the rest of the game and finished with our second victory of the day. It was the first time this season Rose lost a series. Everyone contributed to these two victories and it was definitely a good feeling. We improved our record to 14-9, with a 7-4 mark in conference play.
We played a single game Friday where we faced their ace pitcher. He threw well and kept us on our toes the whole game. We just could not get things going offensively and it didn't help with them blasting two home runs in the very first inning of play. They took an early lead and added a run here an there throughout the game. We were able to get on the board in the 7th with a 2-run bomb, but that was all we could muster up. The final score was 8-2.
As we entered the double header Saturday, we knew we had to win both games. Since we could not sweep them, we had to take two of three, especially if we wanted to continue our hopes of making the conference tournament. As long as we won the series, then I would be satisfied, especially to a team that has only lost one conference game. Our bats were on fire for the first game Saturday. We were first to score and maintained the lead the whole game. We had a big 4th inning, scoring 6 runs on 5 hits. Also, our pitching was great. To hold that team to just one run is quite a feat. The final was 9-1. The second game of the double header was not a big run producer but more of a pitchers dual. Our pitching kept us in the game because we couldn't get that two out hit to score some runs. They maintained a 1-0 lead for most of the game. We were able to tie it up on a past ball. We took the lead in the 7th with a clutch hit, making the score 2-1. Luckily for us, we were able to keep the lead for the rest of the game and finished with our second victory of the day. It was the first time this season Rose lost a series. Everyone contributed to these two victories and it was definitely a good feeling. We improved our record to 14-9, with a 7-4 mark in conference play.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Four In A Row
This past Tuesday, we played Hanover College. It was another cool, rainy day. Again, this was a must win game, especially since they are struggling a bit. You can't afford to lose to these types of teams, especially since they are in our conference. These types of games can really come back and haunt you later on in the season if you fail to take them serious.
We started at somewhat of a slow start even though we scored in the very first inning, which we could contribute to three first inning errors by their defense. When a team makes mistakes like that, you have to capitalize, and we did. We scored a run here and there throughout the game and eventually came out with a victory, 5-1. We are now 12-8 overall and 5-3 in the conference.
This weekend we have a huge weekend series against Rose Hulman. They are currently first in the HCAC with a record of 7-1. I believe they are 16-4 overall and ranked 24th nationally. We must bring our "A" game this weekend because these are going to be tough games. If we play like we know how we'll be good. I think that this weekend will really be the determining factor as to how good of a team we have.
We started at somewhat of a slow start even though we scored in the very first inning, which we could contribute to three first inning errors by their defense. When a team makes mistakes like that, you have to capitalize, and we did. We scored a run here and there throughout the game and eventually came out with a victory, 5-1. We are now 12-8 overall and 5-3 in the conference.
This weekend we have a huge weekend series against Rose Hulman. They are currently first in the HCAC with a record of 7-1. I believe they are 16-4 overall and ranked 24th nationally. We must bring our "A" game this weekend because these are going to be tough games. If we play like we know how we'll be good. I think that this weekend will really be the determining factor as to how good of a team we have.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Fresh New Start
This past weekend was a very important one, especially in regards to our overall and league records. We had a big three game series up in Bluffton, who was 3-1 in the HCAC. We entered the weekend 8-8 with a 1-3 record in our conference. We looked at these games as ones that could either make or break us. It's hard to dig yourself out of a hole with the strength of the conference. We knew what we had to do--we had to sweep them.
We played a double header on Friday because there was a chance of bad weather up there on Saturday, so we didn't know if we were even going to get our Saturday game in. The last thing we wanted to do was stay up Bluffton another day because there is absolutely nothing to do up there except stare at cows. Anyway, Friday was a huge day. It was about 60 degrees and a great night for a game. In the first game, we only scored runs in the 1st and 6th innings. Luckily, it was enough to come out with a victory. The second game was better. We put runs up on the board and our defense was stellar. The pitching did well too. We won this game as well. It was clutch winning both these games because now we had the momentum and confidence going into our Saturday game.
Saturday was a cold, dreary, and windy day for a game. It only got up to 40 degrees which was quite a change from the day before. Despite that fact, we continued with our success. Bluffton made a run late in the game but never took the lead. A thing that I noticed was that not once did Bluffton have the lead during any of the three games. This is something to be proud of as a team. It means we all did our job. We now have a 11-8 record and are 4-3 in the HCAC. We accomplished our goal by sweeping them, which was good to see.
Tomorrow we have another HCAC game against Hanover out at Midland. This too is a must win. As long as we play smart baseball, we should have no concerns.
We played a double header on Friday because there was a chance of bad weather up there on Saturday, so we didn't know if we were even going to get our Saturday game in. The last thing we wanted to do was stay up Bluffton another day because there is absolutely nothing to do up there except stare at cows. Anyway, Friday was a huge day. It was about 60 degrees and a great night for a game. In the first game, we only scored runs in the 1st and 6th innings. Luckily, it was enough to come out with a victory. The second game was better. We put runs up on the board and our defense was stellar. The pitching did well too. We won this game as well. It was clutch winning both these games because now we had the momentum and confidence going into our Saturday game.
Saturday was a cold, dreary, and windy day for a game. It only got up to 40 degrees which was quite a change from the day before. Despite that fact, we continued with our success. Bluffton made a run late in the game but never took the lead. A thing that I noticed was that not once did Bluffton have the lead during any of the three games. This is something to be proud of as a team. It means we all did our job. We now have a 11-8 record and are 4-3 in the HCAC. We accomplished our goal by sweeping them, which was good to see.
Tomorrow we have another HCAC game against Hanover out at Midland. This too is a must win. As long as we play smart baseball, we should have no concerns.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Franklin Series
I don't think there is a word in the human language that could describe how the Franklin series went. Franklin was our first conference home opener at UC and I can say that if you didn't come to the games to watch, you didn't miss too much.
As you know, we play three game series against conference opponents, minus Transy and Hanover. Anyway, we played Franklin Friday evening in a single nine inning game. If there was a highlight in this series, then this is the night it occurred. They jumped to a commanding lead through the game, crushing balls right and left. They were definitely a good offensive team, however their defense was shaky. We were down by seven going into the fifth inning. We had an 8-run fifth inning to retake the lead. It was amazing. Everything seemed to go right for us. They would boot a ball and we would capitalize on it. I'm sure Franklin's five errors in the game helped us out tremendously as well. Anyway, we ended up winning the first game, improving our conference record to 1-1.
Our double header Saturday against them was just plain ugly. They scored 10 runs in the first two innings. They were hitting piss ropes. I think I got whip lash from watching the balls fly by my head, but that's what happens when you see waist high fast balls at this level. Teams make you pay for those mistakes. Anyway, we got blown out of the water 14-3. The second game was a little bit better, but not by much. I mean they took an early lead again and we fought back. However, we came up short, losing 10-9. They had six errors that game and we still lost. They scored over 30 runs in three games against us and had close to 14 errors in the series!! It was like watching something out of the Twilight Zone. You couldn't believe what was happening.
Now our conference record in 1-3. We play a non-conference opponent Wednesday, which is Wilmington. They usually have a pretty good team so it should be interesting. We will see just how bad we want to avenge our losses thus far.
As you know, we play three game series against conference opponents, minus Transy and Hanover. Anyway, we played Franklin Friday evening in a single nine inning game. If there was a highlight in this series, then this is the night it occurred. They jumped to a commanding lead through the game, crushing balls right and left. They were definitely a good offensive team, however their defense was shaky. We were down by seven going into the fifth inning. We had an 8-run fifth inning to retake the lead. It was amazing. Everything seemed to go right for us. They would boot a ball and we would capitalize on it. I'm sure Franklin's five errors in the game helped us out tremendously as well. Anyway, we ended up winning the first game, improving our conference record to 1-1.
Our double header Saturday against them was just plain ugly. They scored 10 runs in the first two innings. They were hitting piss ropes. I think I got whip lash from watching the balls fly by my head, but that's what happens when you see waist high fast balls at this level. Teams make you pay for those mistakes. Anyway, we got blown out of the water 14-3. The second game was a little bit better, but not by much. I mean they took an early lead again and we fought back. However, we came up short, losing 10-9. They had six errors that game and we still lost. They scored over 30 runs in three games against us and had close to 14 errors in the series!! It was like watching something out of the Twilight Zone. You couldn't believe what was happening.
Now our conference record in 1-3. We play a non-conference opponent Wednesday, which is Wilmington. They usually have a pretty good team so it should be interesting. We will see just how bad we want to avenge our losses thus far.
Conference Play
We opened up our conference play with an away game to Transylvania...we had a heck of a time getting there with all the vampire bats flying around. Despite that, it was a perfect evening for a ball game. Transy was 0-1 in conference play coming into this game so we knew they were hungry for a victory. I wish I could have said the same thing for us.
The game started out with them scoring the first runs. A couple run deficit then turned into a huge deficit after we gave up two home runs. I believe that one of the home runs is still up in the air and has failed to reach the ground. It was a shot. What I like about our team is that we never give up, no matter what the score seems to be. We chip away inning by inning. Before you know it, we are right back in the ball game, as in this case. We cut the deficit to just three runs but couldn't get over the hump we needed to be victorious. Anyway, as you can probably assume, we ended up losing our conference opener 10-7. It was a tough one to swallow. The good thing about baseball though is that there is always another game to correct your mistakes. We started off crummy last year in the conference but still ended up winning it. It's still early and I have to say that we will be alright.
The game started out with them scoring the first runs. A couple run deficit then turned into a huge deficit after we gave up two home runs. I believe that one of the home runs is still up in the air and has failed to reach the ground. It was a shot. What I like about our team is that we never give up, no matter what the score seems to be. We chip away inning by inning. Before you know it, we are right back in the ball game, as in this case. We cut the deficit to just three runs but couldn't get over the hump we needed to be victorious. Anyway, as you can probably assume, we ended up losing our conference opener 10-7. It was a tough one to swallow. The good thing about baseball though is that there is always another game to correct your mistakes. We started off crummy last year in the conference but still ended up winning it. It's still early and I have to say that we will be alright.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Two of Three
The final three games down in Florida went fast. First, our double header against Albion College went just how we wanted it to go. After our tough loss to Mount Union, we needed something good to happen, and that is just what we received. Albion was not the best college team around, but nonetheless they are a college team, and any team can win on any given day. Our bats started hot in the first game and never cooled down. In the first game we jumped out to a 4-2 lead. Then our lead lengthened to 7-2 after the sixth inning. We had a total of 14 hits in the game. The pitching was very good too, allowing only 2 runs. The final score was 7-2.
The second game was better than the first, both offensively and with our pitching. After the first inning, we were up 3-0. We had a huge fifth inning, scoring six runs. We added two more runs in the sixth inning as well. Our pitching recorded a shut out, making the final score 11-0.
In our final game at Florida, we played Suffolk University. Unfortunately, we couldn't leave Florida on a win. We just couldn't get things to click during this game. Hitting, pitching...nothing came together. It was just one of those games where there really is not too much to talk about. We lost 7-4. The good news is, is that we start conference play on Tuesday against Transylvania. These are the games that really count and it is an opportunity for us to start off well in our conference.
The second game was better than the first, both offensively and with our pitching. After the first inning, we were up 3-0. We had a huge fifth inning, scoring six runs. We added two more runs in the sixth inning as well. Our pitching recorded a shut out, making the final score 11-0.
In our final game at Florida, we played Suffolk University. Unfortunately, we couldn't leave Florida on a win. We just couldn't get things to click during this game. Hitting, pitching...nothing came together. It was just one of those games where there really is not too much to talk about. We lost 7-4. The good news is, is that we start conference play on Tuesday against Transylvania. These are the games that really count and it is an opportunity for us to start off well in our conference.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Mount vs. Mount
Today in Florida was not particularly a good one. We had a single game against Mount Union, which is the perennial powerhouse that always seems to win the NCAA D3 national championship in football. Their baseball team is good too, but not to those standards. This is our second year in a row playing this team in Florida and I have to say that we are pretty evenly matched. It was a hot one today, but it sure beats the hell out of playing in the snow up in crap hole Cincinnati.
Anyway, we drew first blood, scoring the first two runs of the ball game. Everything seemed to be going smoothly but that soon changed. They had a big inning, taking the lead. We battled back and got a run here and there. They had another big inning scoring four runs. Like yesterday, we counter-attacked with a huge inning, regaining the lead. But the next inning they retook the lead. It seemed to keep going back and forth with lead change after lead change. They had a one run lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning and we had our 3,4,and 5 hitters coming up. You couldn't ask for anything more. However, we couldn't get that run we needed to tie up the ball game. Mount Union took the victory with a score of 10-9. One run ball games are always a tough one to swallow. The good thing about baseball is that there is always tomorrow. Our record is now 5-3 with three more games down Florida.
Tomorrow we have another off day. We may have to practice, but it all depends on what our coach wants to do. Thursday is another big day because we have a double-header against Albion College. I don't know much about this team because I have never heard of them. Hopefully we come out on top with two victories. I'll be sure to post the final results after Thursday.
Anyway, we drew first blood, scoring the first two runs of the ball game. Everything seemed to be going smoothly but that soon changed. They had a big inning, taking the lead. We battled back and got a run here and there. They had another big inning scoring four runs. Like yesterday, we counter-attacked with a huge inning, regaining the lead. But the next inning they retook the lead. It seemed to keep going back and forth with lead change after lead change. They had a one run lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning and we had our 3,4,and 5 hitters coming up. You couldn't ask for anything more. However, we couldn't get that run we needed to tie up the ball game. Mount Union took the victory with a score of 10-9. One run ball games are always a tough one to swallow. The good thing about baseball is that there is always tomorrow. Our record is now 5-3 with three more games down Florida.
Tomorrow we have another off day. We may have to practice, but it all depends on what our coach wants to do. Thursday is another big day because we have a double-header against Albion College. I don't know much about this team because I have never heard of them. Hopefully we come out on top with two victories. I'll be sure to post the final results after Thursday.
Clean Sweep
Yesterday was a huge turnaround for the baseball team. It was like a completely different team then Saturday. Wittenburg was a good team and we definitely needed both wins to even out our record in Florida. We played two seven inning games that seemed to go on forever. It was definitely a long day, but very enjoyable.
Our first game we jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. They made it somewhat close towards the end of the game but they were never able to take the lead. We had some key hits that definitely propelled us to a victory. The final score was 6-4.
The second game was alot longer than the first. We jumped out to an early lead again but made some errors midway through the game that really cost us. Wittenburg took advantage of this and scored several unearned runs. They took a huge lead in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run. By the end of the inning they were up by five with a score of 9-4. In the top of the sixth, we strung together six consecutive hits, which added up to a huge inning. We finished the inning scoring seven runs and putting us up by two, 11-9. We showed great determination by not folding and giving up. We held them in the bottom of the sixth and failed to do anything in the top if the seventh. They scored one run in the bottom of the seventh and that was it. We held them for our second victory of the day, winning 11-10.
Our first game we jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. They made it somewhat close towards the end of the game but they were never able to take the lead. We had some key hits that definitely propelled us to a victory. The final score was 6-4.
The second game was alot longer than the first. We jumped out to an early lead again but made some errors midway through the game that really cost us. Wittenburg took advantage of this and scored several unearned runs. They took a huge lead in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run. By the end of the inning they were up by five with a score of 9-4. In the top of the sixth, we strung together six consecutive hits, which added up to a huge inning. We finished the inning scoring seven runs and putting us up by two, 11-9. We showed great determination by not folding and giving up. We held them in the bottom of the sixth and failed to do anything in the top if the seventh. They scored one run in the bottom of the seventh and that was it. We held them for our second victory of the day, winning 11-10.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Rocky Start
Today was not a good day for the College of Mount St. Joseph baseball team. We played two very good teams on a beautiful Florida day. Heidelberg was a team that could hit, probably one of the main reasons they are ranked so high nationally. However, we did not help our cause at all, only scoring two runs. We could not get anything going on offensively whatsoever. We'd get a hit here and there but nothing consecutively. Our defense made some mental and physical errors as well. You can't do things like that at this level, and we saw what happens when you do. The final score was 14-2, not the outcome we were looking for.
Our next game against Ohio Wesleyan was no different. They were not as good as Heidelberg but we played just as bad as the first game--mental errors, physical errors, and inconsistent hitting. We never acquired a lead in any of the two games, and in this game we lost 6-1. Only scoring three runs in two games against teams like these are not going to cut it.
Today was a sloppy day, plain and simple. It is definitely not the way we wanted to open up our spring break. Tomorrow we play a double-header against Wittenberg. Hopefully we change things around and come out with a couple victories.
Our next game against Ohio Wesleyan was no different. They were not as good as Heidelberg but we played just as bad as the first game--mental errors, physical errors, and inconsistent hitting. We never acquired a lead in any of the two games, and in this game we lost 6-1. Only scoring three runs in two games against teams like these are not going to cut it.
Today was a sloppy day, plain and simple. It is definitely not the way we wanted to open up our spring break. Tomorrow we play a double-header against Wittenberg. Hopefully we change things around and come out with a couple victories.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Doin' Work
This past Tuesday, the baseball team was originally scheduled to play a double-header against Alice Lloyd College. The trip to their field is a long one, close to five hours. However, our games against them got cancelled, but the day wasn't over. We were notified that instead of playing them, we were going to play the University of the Cumberlands, located in Cumberland, Kentucky. Like the other two teams we played this year, they were a member of the NAIA. They were an extremely good team, ranked #20 nationally with a very good record. We knew this would be our toughest game thus far. In case no one knows, teams that are members of NAIA are allowed to offer athletic scholarships unlike NCAA D3. We made the three hour bus ride to their home field for another cold game.
They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, making it the earliest we have been down. We slowly battled back tying the game up at two. Yet again, our pitching and defense was very good and kept us in the game. We made all the routine plays, finishing a game without any errors. In order to beat a team like this, you must make all the plays. You can't give them extra outs because they will take advantage of it and make you pay. Midway though the game we took the lead 3-2. They quickly tied the game at three and I knew we were in for a very close game. In the seventh inning we scored a crucial run thus taking the lead 4-3. We held them for the final two innings and finished with another victory, improving our record 3-0. This was a huge win for our team and really boosted our confidence.
Right now I am in Winter Haven, Florida, enjoying the extremely warm weather. Tomorrow we take on the #4 team in the country, which is Heidelberg. After that game we play Ohio Wesleyan in a nightcap. These are two very good teams, and we will definitely see what we are made of. They will probably be two of the toughest teams we may play all season and hopefully we come out on top.
They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, making it the earliest we have been down. We slowly battled back tying the game up at two. Yet again, our pitching and defense was very good and kept us in the game. We made all the routine plays, finishing a game without any errors. In order to beat a team like this, you must make all the plays. You can't give them extra outs because they will take advantage of it and make you pay. Midway though the game we took the lead 3-2. They quickly tied the game at three and I knew we were in for a very close game. In the seventh inning we scored a crucial run thus taking the lead 4-3. We held them for the final two innings and finished with another victory, improving our record 3-0. This was a huge win for our team and really boosted our confidence.
Right now I am in Winter Haven, Florida, enjoying the extremely warm weather. Tomorrow we take on the #4 team in the country, which is Heidelberg. After that game we play Ohio Wesleyan in a nightcap. These are two very good teams, and we will definitely see what we are made of. They will probably be two of the toughest teams we may play all season and hopefully we come out on top.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Cold Start, Perfect Finish
As you know, yesterday was our season opener against Marian (IN) College. The weather didn't seem to think it was baseball season because it was absolutely freezing out, literally. Cloudy skies, cold temps, and windy conditions did not make it feel like a day of baseball. With highs in the low 30's, and gusty winds making it even colder, it did not take long for parts of our body to go numb. However, we braved the elements and did what we do best--win games.
We had a bit of a slow start offensively in the game, but we soon turned that around. Our pitching did a very good job along with our defense, allowing only one error. We ended up winning 5-2 against a team that beat us last year. I was very impressed with the team's morale and their ability to keep their heads in the game. There's nothing like starting off the season with a victory.
Today was our second game. We had to travel to Louisville to take on Spaulding University, another NAIA team. Again, the elements did not want to cooperate. But we had to deal with it. At least the sun was out so I guess I can't complain too much. Our offense got us an early lead and our pitching staff maintained that lead for most of the game. They took the lead on us in the 6th inning by a run. But in the 7th we answered with three runs of our own, putting us up by two. We added an additional run late in the game and our pitching staff remained sharp, along with the defense. The final score was 7-4 in favor of the good guys. We are 2-0 heading into a double-header Tuesday against Alice Lloyd.
We had a bit of a slow start offensively in the game, but we soon turned that around. Our pitching did a very good job along with our defense, allowing only one error. We ended up winning 5-2 against a team that beat us last year. I was very impressed with the team's morale and their ability to keep their heads in the game. There's nothing like starting off the season with a victory.
Today was our second game. We had to travel to Louisville to take on Spaulding University, another NAIA team. Again, the elements did not want to cooperate. But we had to deal with it. At least the sun was out so I guess I can't complain too much. Our offense got us an early lead and our pitching staff maintained that lead for most of the game. They took the lead on us in the 6th inning by a run. But in the 7th we answered with three runs of our own, putting us up by two. We added an additional run late in the game and our pitching staff remained sharp, along with the defense. The final score was 7-4 in favor of the good guys. We are 2-0 heading into a double-header Tuesday against Alice Lloyd.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Florida Schedule
After taking a peek at the teams we are playing down Florida, I have to say that it is not going to be an easy road. We are definitely going to have to earn each victory because the teams we are playing are not going to roll over and hand us the ball game. As I stated in my previous post, we are starting off with Heidelberg and Ohio Wesleyan, two very tough opponents. Heidelberg is currently ranked 8th in the country.
After our Saturday double header, we go back to Winter Haven for a double header Sunday where we play Wittenberg. The next day we will have a much needed off day. Four games in two days really does take a toll on you physically. On Tuesday, we play a single game against Mount Union. Last year we split a double header with them, so this should be a good game. The next day, Wednesday, we play a double header against Albion College who's from Michigan. We get our second day off Thursday where we will probably have a practice or something, so we may not be totally "off", but we'll see. Friday, which will be our last day down there, we will play Suffolk University, a team from Boston, Massachusetts.
The majority of our games down there are teams in our region, so it is important that we do good because is could be the determining factor in our postseason. If we do good against teams in our region this year and happen to not win our conference, then we have the possibility of getting an at-large bid in the regionals. But that would be a last-option sort of thing. If we do good in our conference, which I know we will, then we won't have to worry about it.
After our Saturday double header, we go back to Winter Haven for a double header Sunday where we play Wittenberg. The next day we will have a much needed off day. Four games in two days really does take a toll on you physically. On Tuesday, we play a single game against Mount Union. Last year we split a double header with them, so this should be a good game. The next day, Wednesday, we play a double header against Albion College who's from Michigan. We get our second day off Thursday where we will probably have a practice or something, so we may not be totally "off", but we'll see. Friday, which will be our last day down there, we will play Suffolk University, a team from Boston, Massachusetts.
The majority of our games down there are teams in our region, so it is important that we do good because is could be the determining factor in our postseason. If we do good against teams in our region this year and happen to not win our conference, then we have the possibility of getting an at-large bid in the regionals. But that would be a last-option sort of thing. If we do good in our conference, which I know we will, then we won't have to worry about it.
Florida Trip
A week from tomorrow, we are heading down Florida for our annual spring break trip. This is something that players look forward to year-round. To get out of this city and to some place warm, especially in early March to play baseball, is a highlight of our year. It doesn't get any better than playing baseball under the Florida sun. However, we have a little glitch in our plans. Usually, we take a flight to whatever city we are staying at in Florida. This year, because the economy is so bad, we are taking a charter bus. This did not go over too well with the majority of the team and there are still players who are a bit upset--which is totally understandable. No one wants to be cooped up on a bus for 20 hours, especially since we are driving straight through. Now don't get me wrong, we are stopping for food and things along those lines, but we are not going to a hotel until we reach our destination, which is going to be Port Charlotte. Once we get there, I have a feeling that alot of the stress from the ride will diminish.
The plan is to leave Thursday night around 11 pm. The reason we are departing so late is that some guys have night class, which they will be unable to miss. I guess we will reach Port Charlotte sometime Friday late-afternoon or early-evening. We will then play a double-header Saturday against two top teams in the country--Heidelberg and Ohio Wesleyan. After these games, we will leave Port Charlotte and head to Winter Haven where we will be staying for the rest of the week, playing an additional six games to wrap up the trip. Despite the bus ride, players are already getting real anxious to head down there--including myself.
Finally Outside
Today was a good day to practice baseball. The weather was warm and the sun was out, making it a very pleasant day for an outdoor practice. Unfortunately, we are still unable to use our practice field down River Road, so we did drills on the football field. We even got to do some long tossing today, which is great. Tossing in the gym day in and day out can get pretty repetitive. Plus, you are limited with space, so throwing long distances is out of the question. It felt good to let the wing air out and loosen up some of the rust.
Outfielders even got to see some actual fly balls off the bat, versus throwing fly balls to each other in the gym--not exactly a game like situation. After that, we got to work on relays from third, second, and to home. This is another important thing to accomplish because we are unable to do this indoors. We were a bit shaky at first but ended real well, which is definitely a positive.
When the outfielders were done, it was time for infield. We did our drills, then took some ground balls. After this, we got to take a whole infield as a team. When we completed a good round of infield, we worked on pop-ups in the infield and practicing on who had priority. This may sounds like a grade school thing, but you even see mishaps in the pros, so it's important to practice this every once in awhile. We ended practice with a good session of hitting in the old gym. Coach was a lenient today because we didn't have to do any conditioning. Trust me, none of the guys complained either.
Outfielders even got to see some actual fly balls off the bat, versus throwing fly balls to each other in the gym--not exactly a game like situation. After that, we got to work on relays from third, second, and to home. This is another important thing to accomplish because we are unable to do this indoors. We were a bit shaky at first but ended real well, which is definitely a positive.
When the outfielders were done, it was time for infield. We did our drills, then took some ground balls. After this, we got to take a whole infield as a team. When we completed a good round of infield, we worked on pop-ups in the infield and practicing on who had priority. This may sounds like a grade school thing, but you even see mishaps in the pros, so it's important to practice this every once in awhile. We ended practice with a good session of hitting in the old gym. Coach was a lenient today because we didn't have to do any conditioning. Trust me, none of the guys complained either.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Last Saturday Practice
This past Saturday was the team's last Saturday morning practice of the season. It is the last time hitters will see live pitching and the last time pitchers will pitch to hitters until our official game. I have to sat that all things went well too. We started off practice with our usual warm up then tossed. Once we got our arms loose, we headed to the old gym where we had both portable mounds set up inside the cages. Usually what happens is that when the infields hit, the outfielders will do drills and vice versa. This eliminates the old gym getting all crowded because it's tough to have all the hitters standing around swinging bats. This also eliminates the possibility of someone getting hit while someone swings. I've seen it happen and it's is not something you want to see.
Since we have a large amount of pitchers, they were broken up into three groups. Each group had four pitchers and each pitcher pitched four innings. An inning consisted of 15 pitches. So a pitcher could face 15 batters in an inning if they all swung at the first pitch, or they could face like 2 or 3. It's all up to how the batter did. Once each pitcher got their four inning in, the next group of pitchers would come in. We did this until every pitcher pitched. As you could imagine, this takes a lot of time, hence the reason Saturday practices can go up to four hours. but it gets the batters alot of at-bats and alot of practice. So it all works out.
Since we have a large amount of pitchers, they were broken up into three groups. Each group had four pitchers and each pitcher pitched four innings. An inning consisted of 15 pitches. So a pitcher could face 15 batters in an inning if they all swung at the first pitch, or they could face like 2 or 3. It's all up to how the batter did. Once each pitcher got their four inning in, the next group of pitchers would come in. We did this until every pitcher pitched. As you could imagine, this takes a lot of time, hence the reason Saturday practices can go up to four hours. but it gets the batters alot of at-bats and alot of practice. So it all works out.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
So Long, Sabo
It has been brought to the team's attention that Chris Sabo, our new infield coach, will no longer be coaching us. I do not know how this came about but I can say that I am a little disappointed. I was really looking forward to learning things from a former professional baseball player. You could imagine the amounts of knowledge that he has that he could have passed down to us. It really could have been beneficial to us, and I'm sure would have made us a better ball team. But things happen and life goes on. I'm sure he has his reasons and I wish him the best. I didn't even get a chance to get his autograph. All things set aside, we have 13 days till we start and we are all looking forward to opening day.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Roid-Riguez
I would like to get off topic just a little bit and talk about the MLB. It has come to my attention that yet another one of Major League's Baseball premiere athletes has been tested positive for steroids. That lucky individual is Alex Rodriguez, third baseman for the New York Yankees. Tests have proven that he failed a mandatory drug test, which tested him positive for an illegal substance.
With an interview with Peter Gammons, A-Rod admitted to using performance enhancing drugs from the 2001-2003 seasons. The name of the drug taken was not mentioned, but is known to be illegal. Rodriguez admitted to being, young, stupid, and very naive when using the drugs and took all responsibility for his actions. He added that he should have asked the proper questions before using the drug. However, he didn't and for that he is very regretful. When asked by Gammons why he told Katie Couric during a CBS interview that he didn't take steroids, Rodriguez replied that he couldn't even be honest with himself, so how could he be honest with her and CBS.
I feel that this is the best thing Rodriguez could have done. He needed to tell the truth, take responsibility for his actions, and then move on. His image will be forever tarnished and his chances of making it into the Hall of Fame may be minimal. Steroid use is definitely a black cloud over the MLB and I hope it gets better. At the very bottom of my blog page, you will find the interview A-Rod had with Gammons.
With an interview with Peter Gammons, A-Rod admitted to using performance enhancing drugs from the 2001-2003 seasons. The name of the drug taken was not mentioned, but is known to be illegal. Rodriguez admitted to being, young, stupid, and very naive when using the drugs and took all responsibility for his actions. He added that he should have asked the proper questions before using the drug. However, he didn't and for that he is very regretful. When asked by Gammons why he told Katie Couric during a CBS interview that he didn't take steroids, Rodriguez replied that he couldn't even be honest with himself, so how could he be honest with her and CBS.
I feel that this is the best thing Rodriguez could have done. He needed to tell the truth, take responsibility for his actions, and then move on. His image will be forever tarnished and his chances of making it into the Hall of Fame may be minimal. Steroid use is definitely a black cloud over the MLB and I hope it gets better. At the very bottom of my blog page, you will find the interview A-Rod had with Gammons.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Preseason Polls?? What A Joke
The preseason polls just came out for baseball and we were picked to finish fourth in the HCAC. Franklin was picked first, Rose-Hulman second, and Transylvania third. Anderson was fifth followed by Manchester, Bluffton, Hanover, and Defiance.
I personally feel that preseason polls are a joke. How can you pick teams to finish in a certain place when they have not even played yet. A phrase used many times in baseball is that any team can be beat on any given day. This is very true. Now I'm not salty because we were picked fourth because I know what we are capable of and I guess we just need to prove people wrong, just like we did last year. We were picked to finish second last year and ended up winning the conference, so it goes to show that anything can happen.
The only polls and statistics that should be taken into consideration are the postseason polls. After everything is all said and done, then we can look at who finished in what place.
I personally feel that preseason polls are a joke. How can you pick teams to finish in a certain place when they have not even played yet. A phrase used many times in baseball is that any team can be beat on any given day. This is very true. Now I'm not salty because we were picked fourth because I know what we are capable of and I guess we just need to prove people wrong, just like we did last year. We were picked to finish second last year and ended up winning the conference, so it goes to show that anything can happen.
The only polls and statistics that should be taken into consideration are the postseason polls. After everything is all said and done, then we can look at who finished in what place.
The Time is Near
This past Saturday we had a very productive practice. It was the first time the pitchers pitched live against hitters and it was the first time since the fall that hitters have seen some sort of live pitching. As a hitter, I can honestly say that it takes some time to get use to seeing live pitching again, especially since it's been months since we have seen any sort of action. Luckily it doesn't take much time to get your "eye" back. Overall, I have to say that everyone did well. the hitters, though a bit rusty, didn't hit the ball too bad for the first day. The pitchers looked pretty good too. Though our pitching staff is young, I hope they do well this year.
Some people may be wondering how we could see live pitching, especially since there was a half of foot of snow on the ground. The truth is we were all crammed in the small gym in the Harrington Center in the netted batting cages. Unfortunately this is all we have to work with but I suppose it is better than nothing. It doesn't help that the weather doesn't cooperate either. However, it could always be worse.
Believe it or not, our opening day is right around the corner--only 19 days. We still have alot of things to do in a short period of time, so you can imagine that we will be very busy the next couple of weeks.
Some people may be wondering how we could see live pitching, especially since there was a half of foot of snow on the ground. The truth is we were all crammed in the small gym in the Harrington Center in the netted batting cages. Unfortunately this is all we have to work with but I suppose it is better than nothing. It doesn't help that the weather doesn't cooperate either. However, it could always be worse.
Believe it or not, our opening day is right around the corner--only 19 days. We still have alot of things to do in a short period of time, so you can imagine that we will be very busy the next couple of weeks.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Little Taste of '08
Once again, the weather prevailed today. All classes were cancelled along with our practice for the second day in a row. Since there's not too much to talk about at the present moment in regards to MSJ baseball, I am posting a few photos from last years season. The majority of the pictures were taken during our spring break trip to Florida, hence the reason why there are some palm trees in the background. I'll try to keep this blog undated with any recent photos from the upcoming season. Hope you enjoy!!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Snow Day
Yesterday was our first official practice and I have to say that things went well. It got us back in the mood and anxious for today's practice---well almost. The only bad thing about baseball season starting in January is that we are at the mercy of mother nature. It can snow at any time. We don't live in the South and we're not fortunate enough to have warm weather year round. But what can we do? We just have to deal with it. Now don't get me wrong, I do like the snow, especially when we get off school. But when it snows, it just doesn't feel like baseball season. It fools the senses. Anyway, practice today was cancelled and will resume tomorrow...hopefully. I guess we'll see what happens.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Day 1
Tomorrow marks the first official practice for the MSJ baseball team, which makes the 2009 season underway. We are all anxious to get out there and finally start playing. Everyone has all the pent up energy from being cooped up all winter and is finally ready to release it. With the first practice comes the first day of team conditioning. Hopefully everyone has prepared themselves wisely in the off season because conditioning can be rough. This marks the start of what will hopefully be a very promising season.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Diamond Cutters
With spring slowly approaching, that only means one thing--baseball season is just around the corner. There's nothing like the smell and feel of being around a ball diamond and witnessing America's past time. Luckily for me, I get to play this amazing sport at the college level for the College of Mount St. Joseph.
For the past three years, MSJ has made it to their conference tournament, winning it twice and going on to the regionals. I was fortuanate enough to experience going to the regionals my freshman year and winning the conference my sophomore year. It is definitely quite an experience and something I will never forget. Receiving that conference championship ring is something we are all very proud of. Hopefully the upcoming 2009 season, which officially starts on February 28th, will prove to be no different.
I am currently a Junior at MSJ and play 3rd base. Last year, our defense was a bit shaky, making 100 errors in 42 games. This was unacceptable and something needed to be done, especially since we did not have an "official" infield coach. We found out Monday during our team meeting that we are adding an addition to our coaching staff that has had many years of experience in baseball, including playing at the professional level. This addition is Chris Sabo, who will be our new infield coach. Sabo was most remembered for playing 3rd base for the Cincinnati Reds. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1988 and helped the Reds to a World Series Championship in 1990. He was also a three time National League All-Star selection in 1988, 1990, and 1991. I am really looking forward to see what he has to offer because I am sure that he is full of knowledge that could really help our team out.
Our first game this season is at home against Marian College on February 28th. We are playing the majority of our home games at the University of Cincinnati which is much more convenient than driving all the way out to Midland which is in Amelia. Hopefully this will get more people to come out to our games since it is closer and because UC has one of the best baseball fields in the country. This season is already proving to to be exciting and I hope we can bring the school and the fans an unforgettable season.
For the past three years, MSJ has made it to their conference tournament, winning it twice and going on to the regionals. I was fortuanate enough to experience going to the regionals my freshman year and winning the conference my sophomore year. It is definitely quite an experience and something I will never forget. Receiving that conference championship ring is something we are all very proud of. Hopefully the upcoming 2009 season, which officially starts on February 28th, will prove to be no different.
I am currently a Junior at MSJ and play 3rd base. Last year, our defense was a bit shaky, making 100 errors in 42 games. This was unacceptable and something needed to be done, especially since we did not have an "official" infield coach. We found out Monday during our team meeting that we are adding an addition to our coaching staff that has had many years of experience in baseball, including playing at the professional level. This addition is Chris Sabo, who will be our new infield coach. Sabo was most remembered for playing 3rd base for the Cincinnati Reds. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1988 and helped the Reds to a World Series Championship in 1990. He was also a three time National League All-Star selection in 1988, 1990, and 1991. I am really looking forward to see what he has to offer because I am sure that he is full of knowledge that could really help our team out.
Our first game this season is at home against Marian College on February 28th. We are playing the majority of our home games at the University of Cincinnati which is much more convenient than driving all the way out to Midland which is in Amelia. Hopefully this will get more people to come out to our games since it is closer and because UC has one of the best baseball fields in the country. This season is already proving to to be exciting and I hope we can bring the school and the fans an unforgettable season.
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