2008 Woodie Awards
Baseball looks to get over the hump in '07
By Caleb Pardick
Rocket Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: Sports
After an up-and-down 2006 season that ended in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference semifinal loss to Kutztown and a 34-22 final record, head baseball coach Jeff Messer thinks that his 2007 squad needs to have three things happen to end up with a PSAC crown and an NCAA Division II postseason berth.
"In the PSAC, first, you have to play good baseball, secondly, you've got to avoid injuries, and third, you've got to be a little lucky," said Messer, who's entering his 20th season as the Rock's skipper. "We're playing so many games in such a short period of time, and there are going to be bumps in the road. It's just how you come back from them."
Messer's team, which now sits at 4-0 after a recent four-game sweep of Tiffin, returns just three regular starters from last year's squad (shortstop Phil Butch, third baseman Billy Herman and right fielder Ryan Dillon) that missed the NCAA Division II Regional Playoffs.
One of those lost starters is third baseman Todd Schickling, who led or tied for the team lead in games played, batting average, at-bats, hits, runs batted in and total bases.
But Messer said the departure of Schickling aside, the depth of this year's team has allowed him to sleep easier at night.
"We feel very confident with the depth we have this year, both pitching-wise and offensively," Messer said. "We can compete with everybody, but we have to just stay focused.
"Our downfall last year was at California, where we went into the weekend pretty much tied for first place, and we lose that first game, a heartbreaker, and then we got down on ourselves," Messer said. "And because of that, we didn't play up to our potential the next three games. We hit a bump in the road and emotionally, it was too much for us."
Also returning is senior right-handed starting pitcher Derek Blyzwick, who went 4-2 with a 2.86 earned-run average in 2006. Blyzwick struck out 56 batters in 56.2 innings pitched.
"Overall, seeing the pitchers we have, anyone can step in," Blyzwick said. "And the thing this year we have is more relievers, which means we have more arms we can count on. Last year, we counted on four or five arms on a 12-man staff."
"In the PSAC, first, you have to play good baseball, secondly, you've got to avoid injuries, and third, you've got to be a little lucky," said Messer, who's entering his 20th season as the Rock's skipper. "We're playing so many games in such a short period of time, and there are going to be bumps in the road. It's just how you come back from them."
Messer's team, which now sits at 4-0 after a recent four-game sweep of Tiffin, returns just three regular starters from last year's squad (shortstop Phil Butch, third baseman Billy Herman and right fielder Ryan Dillon) that missed the NCAA Division II Regional Playoffs.
One of those lost starters is third baseman Todd Schickling, who led or tied for the team lead in games played, batting average, at-bats, hits, runs batted in and total bases.
But Messer said the departure of Schickling aside, the depth of this year's team has allowed him to sleep easier at night.
"We feel very confident with the depth we have this year, both pitching-wise and offensively," Messer said. "We can compete with everybody, but we have to just stay focused.
"Our downfall last year was at California, where we went into the weekend pretty much tied for first place, and we lose that first game, a heartbreaker, and then we got down on ourselves," Messer said. "And because of that, we didn't play up to our potential the next three games. We hit a bump in the road and emotionally, it was too much for us."
Also returning is senior right-handed starting pitcher Derek Blyzwick, who went 4-2 with a 2.86 earned-run average in 2006. Blyzwick struck out 56 batters in 56.2 innings pitched.
"Overall, seeing the pitchers we have, anyone can step in," Blyzwick said. "And the thing this year we have is more relievers, which means we have more arms we can count on. Last year, we counted on four or five arms on a 12-man staff."
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