Entry #18 - 3/2/04

It was a pretty good weekend for Buccaneer baseball. We won two out of three from Central Michigan and for the majority of the weekend I thought we played at a high level. Offensively, we are still having some missed opportunities, but we were much improved from last weekend. We hit .374 for the weekend and .413 with runners in scoring position. Maybe our guys are starting to figure out how important it is to drive in runs. Pitching was again solid as we got two dominant starts from Jeremy Hall and Tim Turner. Our bullpen was the surprise of the weekend as they only gave up three runs in eleven and a third innings.

In Game One after giving up one run in the first, Jeremy Hall settled down to blank the Chippewa’s through the sixth. We evened the score in the bottom of the first as Shane Byrne was hit by a pitch and then stole 2nd and 3rd and scored as the catcher’s throw sailed into left. Shane had a big weekend for us hitting.462, with 4 RBI’s and 5 stolen bases. We scored two more in the second as Greg Roberts hit his first homerun of the year to score Steven Douglas who had singled in front of him. In the 3rd we broke the game open as we put together seven straight hits with the first four hits being all doubles and the fifth one being Josiah Glafenhein’s first homer of the year. We added a few more runs late in the game to complete a 14 to 2 victory.

In Game Two the story was a little different as Central Michigan avenged the loss in Game One. Not much went the Bucs way as the pitcher from Central Michigan carved us up pretty good. He is only a red shirt freshman but this young man is going to do that to a lot of teams this year. He was a 12th round pick out of high school and pitched in the Cape Cod league last summer after sitting out last season. Our only highlight was Blake Church’s two run shot in the first which tied the score. That ball may still be going as it got out of the park in a hurry. It is very difficult in baseball to beat a good team twice in one day. I warned our players prior to the game the Central Michigan would come out ready to play and sure enough they did. We just had no answer for them. After the game our staff went to dinner and discussed how our club would react tomorrow. After winning five in a row I was concerned with how we would be mentally. It was going to be a challenge for our program to see how we would respond. Another tough night of sleep for old coach.

Game Three, the Rubber Match. We approached this game as a must win for our club. We felt it was important that we get out of the top of the first and go for the knockout blow early. And that is exactly what our players did. Matt Traylor and Andy Howdeshell both singled and scored in the first frame and in the second Greg Roberts, Richie Billings and Traylor scored again making it 5 to 0. Tim was really sharp on the hill today and in the seventh we put the series away by scoring five runs, with the final score being 13 – 3. Howdeshell, Church and Caleb Moore had big days at the plate, combining to go 8 for 13 with 8 RBI’s. C. Moore also added his fourth homer of the year.

So now we stand at an even 6 and 6 with nine games coming in the next eleven days. I feel good with the progress we are making as a ball club. Our practices have really been sharp and crisp over the last two weeks and our hitters have really worked overtime to try to find their groove. We have more players than ever before who are very serious when it comes to their hitting. When they step into the cage to get in some extra work, it is all business. When you start the season 0 and 5, obviously there is going to be some concern, but I’m proud of the way this group has responded. Hopefully we will keep improving.

Next on the table is the University of Kentucky. Another SEC school and they are on the rise. They have had a coaching change and it has created a lot of excitement for their program. They are 7 and 2 and they are playing very well. It is going to be a huge challenge for us to go to Lexington and win. I know our kids are excited about the opportunity. We will travel this afternoon and play Wednesday at 2:00pm, weather permitting. It seems like Lexington is always cold and wet, so hopefully Mother Nature will be kind to us.

I want to congratulate Hank and Kyla Kraft as they recently found out they are expecting their first child. Hank was a teammate of mine and I believe he still holds the record for career saves in the Southern Conference. Talk about someone who took pride in coming out of the pen. When “Hammer” entered the game the door was closed. The amazing thing about Hank was he was only five foot nothing, he threw in the mid eighties, but he had unbelievable command and the best changeup I have ever seen. I don’t ever remember him walking anyone. But what really made Hank special was his desire to compete and compete at a high level. Hank was a great athlete, and although he knew what his role was, he was always the first one off the bus and the first one on the field. He simply loved to play baseball. He was always trying to sneak in swings during BP or trying to take fungos at shortstop. I remember when we came to ETSU to play; Coach Port was concerned with the hill in right field. Hank was the first player off the bus trying to climb the hill and make circus catches. I remember Hank even got an at bat in Omaha. He was in to finish off Cal State Fullerton and ended up having to hit. Will Clark had just broke on to the scene with the Giants and was Hank’s favorite hitter at the time. So Hammer goes up to the plate and he stands in just like Will Clark. I mean identical. I think he ended up grounding out to first, but it would not have surprised me or any of his teammates if he would have hit a double down the line. I get so excited when I find out my friends are having children. It is simply the greatest experience and responsibility in anyone’s life. Hank and Kyla will be great parents and I wish them all the best.

Well it is time to board the bus. I will try to catch up on some paperwork and recruiting as we travel. Of course I will have to work while a movie is being played. I wonder what movies our guys have picked out this trip? I believe “Joe Dirt” was the highlight of our last trip. I can’t believe the academy missed on that one. On one trip I’m going to surprise them with a classic. Maybe the “The Sound of Music”, “Singing in the Rain” or “Casa Blanca”. I would probably be the only one awake for those. Until Next Time…

Coach Skole