Entry #76 - 2/19/10

Opening Day

It is difficult to name all the emotions that were going through my mind and body on Thursday evening. Getting to sleep was not easy, as I was extremely anxious for our season to get underway on Friday. We left for Charleston on Thursday after lunch and had a nice trip on the bus. The drive just seemed to get better and better every mile we traveled, as the temperature rose and green grass appeared. We had not had many days above forty degrees in the last month and we hadn’t seen grass in quite some time due to the snow on the ground. Our ballclub had yet to practice on grass or dirt of any kind so obviously I was anxious for our practice that evening. After we checked into the hotel, we got dressed and headed to the field for a practice.

That evening we practiced at College Park, which is The Citadel’s practice facility. College Park is an old historical ball park, which just happened to be where I played every home game during my four years at The Citadel. Every time I step into that facility, many memories storm into my head. We had an exhilarating workout and actually got a lot accomplished in a short period of time. Our players were excited to be on a field and although it was our first time on dirt this preseason, I felt like we were mentally ready to play. Practicing indoors for an extended period of time can really take a toll on your ball club, so it was just nice to be outside to practice.

Due to our reduced practice time on the field this pre-season, I was interested to see how quickly our guys would adjust to the speed of the game. This lack of preparation was what was making it difficult to fall asleep. We were going to be tested this weekend by three very good ball clubs and I wasn’t sure how we would handle the heat. And on Friday night, heat was what we were going to get in the form of Citadel ace, Asher Wojociechowski. Asher was a pre-season All American and is being tabbed as an early draft pick next June. This was not a matchup that looked very favorable on paper.

On Friday we countered with an ace of our own in Chas Byrne. Both of these guys locked horns and were lighting up the radar guns. We jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the third, on an RBI hit by Bo Reeder. But in the bottom of the third we couldn’t make a couple of routine plays with two outs and The Citadel scored three. They would eventually tack on one more run and our offense was held in check as the game ended in a 4-1 defeat.

The Citadel pitched and played extremely well on defense and made it very difficult on us to get anything going on offense. They are very tough to beat as they don’t make a lot of mistakes. Although there were numerous things I saw us do during the game that we needed to address immediately. There were also a lot of positives.

2/20/10

The last thing I told our guys that night was that we need to be an improved team tomorrow in all areas of the game. But my major point of emphasis was to make sure they understood that even though we’ve been limited in practice opportunities, now that the season has started, results are being recorded. If we want to get on the right path which leads towards accomplishing our goals, then winning must be important. The limited number of times we have practiced can’t be an excuse for not winning this particular game. It is going to be a big challenge, but we have to fight to find a way to overcome our shortcomings and get a win. I actually slept well on Friday feeling good about our player’s eagerness to improve.

Kansas State has a very good ball club and Coach Brad Hill has done tremendous things there in a short period of time. They are a very well coached team and our staff knew that today was going to be a great challenge for our young ball club. Our scouting report on them was that they were really going to try to put pressure on your defense. And that is exactly what they did early in the game as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning as we gave up three, 2 strike hits in the first to dig ourselves a hole.

This was going to be a good test for our ball club. I am always concerned with how my team reacts to the ebb and flow of the game. In college baseball there are always numerous lead changes and so many momentum swings that you have to really control how you respond to things. Our guys did a great job with this as Paul Hoilman got us on the board with a big two run, opposite field blast in the 3rd inning. Kansas State would take the lead again but our offense was not to be denied as we pounded out 18 hits on our way to victory. Paul had another big double and freshman Kerry Doane was outstanding with four hits. Chas Byrne, Derek Trent and Derek Niesman all had big contributions offensively. Once again our pitching was solid and we were able to get a nice win against a very good ball club.

2/21/10

Our staff was pleased with the way our club responded and now we were excited about the opportunity to be able to go home with a 2-1 record. Delaware was our next opponent and boy did they scare me. Watching them play the two previous days, one thing I learned was that they could hit. They had lost two heart breakers to Kansas State and The Citadel in the 8th and 9th innings respectively, so I knew they would come out with a lot of intensity.

They jumped on us in a hurry and took a 5-0 lead. Here we go again. It is not a good feeling to get behind so early, but I give our guys credit for staying poised and sticking to their approach. It was a tight game that went back and forth, but we finally broke through in the 9th for a great team victory. Bo Reeder gave up a five spot in the 2nd inning, but also threw five scoreless to keep us in the game. Scott McNally was masterful out of the bullpen and gave us a huge spark. Scott had a great weekend and showed great command and great competitiveness on the mound. We had to use a lot of different players today and our depth was tested. In the end it came down to a big at-bat from Skyler Barnett to get us the win. I am always talking to our guys on the bench to be ready when you number is called. When you are not in the lineup, it can be difficult, to stay in the game mentally. Skyler hadn’t played in the previous two games, but showed what kind of kid and teammate he is, as he came through in the 9th to drive in the winning run.

So as we head back to Johnson City (after a two hour bus delay), I felt like I learned a lot about our club this weekend. For having very little practice time, I was pleased to be coming home with a 2-1 record, but I also know there are so many areas where we need improvement. It is a little depressing knowing that it is still cold back home and our chances for practicing outside do not look very promising. We have a four game series versus Saint Peter’s this weekend and it will be up to Mother Nature whether or not we get the games in. Looking at the forecast right now, it doesn’t look to be very good weather for baseball. But we will do our best to get these games in as we desperately need to play. As we head back up Interstate 26 to Johnson City, and I peer out the window, I am reminded of the quote, “Bad weather always looks worse through a window.” That is so true.

Until Next Time…

TS

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