I have to apologize for the last blog entry for the weekend wrap up- Iwas thinking about it for a bit this morning and it was really lacking some pop…..It’s got to pop or no one is going to want to read it.  So my mission for the weekend preview is to try to spice things up a bit, get a bit more opinionated and try to make this thing fun.   With that being said i am going to do the normal Seriers of the Week, and then try to focus more on the conference races this week.

Series of the Week

#6 Emporia State Hornets at #3 Central Missouri State Mules

     As of writing this (Wednesday night) the Mules are in sole possession of first place and off to their best start in the programs storied history at 13-1 overall and 8-0 in MIAA play.  The Hornets meanwhile, aren’t off to a bad start either, posting a 10-3 overall record and a 7-1 MIAA mark.  This matchup is goiong to good for several reasons:  1.) Empopria State is coming off their best season in program history and were picked to be a national contender.  2.)  Off to their best start ever, the Mules have finally produced a team that is strong enough to be compared to Dave Van Horns 1995 club that one it all and the prominenece they enjoyed in the first part of the past decade- which also produced National Championship.

    Emporia State has enjoyed some early season success, but at this point I am a little more dissapointed then anything.  I mean, the only decent teams they have played are Wayne State (NE) and Central Oklahoma, which they dropped both games to.  Okay, I will give them credit for taking 3-of-4 from a decent Fort Hays State club, but nothing really stands out to me at this point.Although the Hornets have some solid numbers there are a few that reall stand out as eye sores on the ole state page.  They certainlly aren’t slugging like last year with just 10 home runs in 13 games, but the biggest number that stands out is a 2-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio that the lineup has produced.  Catcher David Albritton (.392, 2, 19) leads the team in mist offensive categories, and get some nice backup from Sr. Marc Albers (.3871, 2, 11) and Jr. Kevin Wempe (..348, 1, 15).    One thing the Hornets have done really well is steal bases, as they are 25-for-28 as a team- being led by Jeremy Francis (..324, 0, 8, 5 sb’s) and Kenny Burkhead (..279, 0, 7, 5 sb,s).  As a former cold weather player (in HS and JUCO) I know that it is very, very difficlt to feel comfortable at the plpate and producewhen the weather is so crappy early in the season- so I do expect the offensive numbers to heat up as the weather does.  The Hornet arms have stung opponenets thus far, and will likely be looked upon this weekend to to silence a pretty potent Mules lilneup.  Sr.’s Ben Graham (2-0  1.59) and Colby Killian (2-1  2.00) have had some very good starts- and Jr. Jake Hosey  (1-0  2.77) has been good in his 3 starts as well.  All three lead a staff that has struck out 83 batters against 23 walks, while holding opposing batters to a .247 average.  If the starting pitching can continue to be consistent the Hornets will have a chance of taking 1 game, but I don’t see them winning this series.

    On the flip side the Mules numbers aren’t too much better then Emporia State’s on the offensive side, and they too have yet to play but one opponent that seems to be decent in Ouachita Baptist (who the split a two-game series with).  Tyler Ruch (.400, 3, 20) and Chance Tuttle (.388, 1, 11) are the top two hitters thus far, but Nick DiBiasse (.319, 3, 13) and Jon Wegener (.288, 3, 12) have shown they can driv the ball out of the park, giving the Mules a long ball advantage in the series, but pitching is the real strength of this Mules team.  Matt Curtis (3-0  1.06), Brooks Martin (4-0  1.52),  Ryan Allen (3-0  3.86) and Mitch Stubenhofer (1-0  0.68) have all gotten off to great starts- and Alex Kent (2-0  1.12) has pitched like his second cousin is Clark Kent.  All the aforementioned have been key in helping the Mules attain their team era of 2.35.  So what gives?  It’s an interesting series because neither team has been really tested and played an opponent as good as they will be facing this weekend.  I am going to give the edge to the Mules, simply because traveling and staying in a hotel is a real pain.  Mules take the series at home 2 games to 1.

    There aren’t really any big conference series in the Sunshine State Conference this weekend,  but the #1 Mocs of Florida Southern will travel up to Valdosta to play a tough series against the Statesmen of Valdosta State.  The Statesmen have been hot over the past few weeks, winning series against Tampa and visiting Shippensburg and 11 of their last 13 games.  Brandon Decker (.453,  7, 34) and Clayton Cain (.429, 6, 25) have paced the Valdosta bats and Ryan Danbury (.382, 1, 10, 14-for-14 in sb’s) has been a real weapon when he gets on base.  Brett Kennedy (4-2  3.38) has had a a few rough outings, but has also had some pretty good ones, as his 3 complete games will attest.  Jeremy Forbus (3-0  1.80) and Tanner Fudge (1-1  2.41) have also been very, very good when they get the ball.  Is this enough for the Statesmen to win a series against Floridas other division II powerhouse? 

    For the Mocs this will be their first trip out of the state of Florida and ony their second road trip thus far this season.  Wade Kirkland (.438, 5, 26), Trae Gore (.371, 6, 22) and Kelvin Clark (.383, 6, 22) have been all over this blog all season- and for good reason.  Fellow teammates Terrell Pryor (3-0  2.88), Max Russell (4-0  3.30) and Eddie Sipple (4-0  4.25) have also been names that have appeared here more then bugs bunny on the ballfield.  The key for Valdosta is to try to get the lead early and hold down the potent ocs bats.  The reason?  should the Mocs have the lead late Daniel Tillman (1-0  1.80) has been downright dominating when he and his 95 mph heater get the chance.  My prediction?  You heard it here first, Valdosta continues to roll with a 2 games to 1 series win over Florida Southern.

   In RMAC the Metro State Roadrunners and the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys are both 4-1 and sit atop the Mountain Division standings

Well it is finally here. We are 10-3 on the year and open up conference play this weekend at home against a South Alabama squad that is 9-6. As a coach you look at a season in three parts. Non-conference, conference, and then the postseason are how I like to break it up. It is obviously important to finish in the Top 3 in the conference and receive a regional bid.

Our goal this past weekend was to sweep IPFW and get to 10 wins by Sunday, and we were able to accomplish that. The pitching staff did a nice job as our guys gave quality starts each game. The hitters were outstanding on Friday, opening the game up early for our starter.

Tuesday night we played Stephen F. Austin University, which is in a similar situation as us, as they are much improved from a year ago. We weren’t a very good club on Tuesday. We didn’t pitch as well as I would have liked, we struggled defensively, and we only managed two hits on the night. We had a chance to blow it open early in the game with a 2-0 lead, the bases loaded and 1 out on the board, but we couldn’t do it.

The game always has a way to humble kids and coaches. Their kid really struggled early and then settled down to pitch very well. Hopefully our guys learned that you need to put people away when given the opportunity. Of course, that isn’t going to happen every game.

I hope to see all of you at the park this weekend. The weather is supposed to be beautiful and for those of you who come to the games and sit in the new deck over the rocks, we appreciate you!!!! 

We have returned to PA after going 2-6 on our spring trip and are now 4-8 overall.

The spring trip included a three game series at North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina.  Doubleheaders at Limestone College, SC, and Brevard, NC.  And a single nine inning game at Lenoir Rhyne in Hickory, NC.

PSAC action is scheduled to begin this weekend.  IUP vs Lock Haven is weather pending as the forecast for rain is 70-90 % each day this weekend.

WIN with CLASS !

Jeff Ditch
IUP Baseball
www.winwithclass.com

For most people Spring Break is a time to get away from school, relax with your friends or family and mentally prepare yourself for the final two months of school before the summer. For the UT baseball team it is a time to play baseball. A lot of baseball.

Our break started last Friday with our conference opener against Eckerd College. After a 9-8 nailbiter of a win we were ready for two more on Saturday. The first game turned out to be a slugfest as we totaled 37 runs(a UT record) and cruised to victory. Although we gave up a 4-0 lead in the last inning of game three we were able to sweep the series in extra innings and start conference with a solid 3-0 record.

The following week is currently the busiest week on our schedule. We played two games on Monday, with each game being against a different team. The early game was played against Seton Hill and the night contest against Bentley. Two wins and we were ready to take on Saint Joseph’s College on Tuesday.

A big win Tuesday and another solid performance Wednesday against Grand Valley State put us at 4-0 on the week so far with confidence heading into another conference series against Nova Southeastern. The Sharks took two from us last year leaving us with a bad taste in our mouths. Revenge will be in order to complete a very successful week heading into the heart of our conference play.

Check back in next week for some news on this weekend and what lies ahead in the upcoming days.

Hello everyone,

To continue where I left off, our team grinded out some tough games in Memphis, including a four-run comeback in the 9^th inning to defeat Memphis 9-8. After all was said and done, PITT baseball had earned the Armed Services Classic tournament win. Congratulations to the team, and Joe Leonard for winning tournament MVP. Our next travel circuit included a four-game tournament at Coastal Carolina, followed immediately by four games in Florida. Although we started out the tournament 2-0 by defeating Albany 18-4 and Ball State 8-5 on Friday, arm injuries and overall fatigued plagued the rest of the tournament, and PITT dropped its final two games against #8 Coastal Carolina, 9-6 and Toledo, 11-7. We currently have two days off in order to rest, recoup and enjoy the Florida sunshine.

And now for the shout outs:

First shout out goes to redshirt freshman Ray Black for finally coming off the Injured Reserve list and making his first career college baseball trip. It didn’t take long for Ray to fit in with the guys, making jokes and coming up with creative new batting practice and walk-out songs on the bus. He also wins the award for most creative pick-up line at the beach, sporting a Night at The Roxbury tribute with “What’s up what’s up.” 

My next shout out goes to senior catcher Cory Brownsten for having the best beach body and most creative swimsuit. When the time was right, Cory ripped off his traditional board shorts and daringly donned the bright blue Speedo commonly worn during the champions challenge at the beginning of the year. The women in the area fell helplessly to his charm as he proudly paraded up and down the beach, and a few even stopped him to take a picture.

Final shout out goes to PITT equipment manager Chris Dountas for providing me with a new bat prior to the Florida trip. Unfortunately, the bat broke after mashing an infield single to the second baseman. Looks like I’ll be visiting the equipment storage room again real soon.

Next up for the Panthers are four games in Florida, matching up against Florida Atlantic and Fordham for a three-game set.  Hopefully, we can continue to play the brand of baseball we’ve been working on and go on a winning streak. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys the warmer weather, and that all the snow finally melts so that baseball season can take full swing.