The Rocket

Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Nate Daymut SRU sophomore Josh Smith prepares for the pitch in the doubleheader constest against the Bald Eagles Tuesday. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Nate Daymut SRU redshirt junior pitcher Chris Squeglia pitched four innings and gave up five runs in game two loss against Lock Haven at Jack Critchfield Park. [Click to enlarge]

In the last two weeks, Punxsutawney Phil's promise of an early spring seems to be looking more foolish by the minute, with the weather only getting colder.

But fortunately for the Rock baseball team, their bats only seem to be getting hotter.

Entering the week, the Rock was ranked No. 27 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II poll.

The Rock (19-9 overall, 5-3 PSAC West) is in the middle of its hottest offensive stretch of the year, which has seen the team jump into a tie for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division lead before falling back into third with a loss in the second game of a doubleheader with Lock Haven University (8-18 overall, 2-6 PSAC West) on Tuesday.

The team is averaging 11.5 runs per game over that span, in which it took two games from Gannon (Pa.) University and three of four from Lock Haven. It also scored double-digit runs in five straight before the 7-3 loss Tuesday.

But head coach Jeff Messer isn't satisfied. Not yet.

"Weak pitching. It was a matter of weak pitching," Messer said. "I think our hitters are getting more comfortable as they get more at-bats. But I think it was a combination of maybe not as strong pitching as well as us swinging the bats better."

Prior to that stretch, the Rock also split two doubleheaders with California (Pa.) University, which now sits atop the PSAC-West with Shippensburg University.

Messer said the quality of pitching his team faced in the California four-game series was more representative of the pitching talent in the rest of the conference.

"The level of pitching in the Gannon games, the beginning Lock Haven games, was not at the level we saw against California," Messer said.

"The best pitcher we've seen since the California series was the (Lock Haven pitcher) who beat us (Tuesday). We are going to see four pitchers of that caliber against IUP."

At the center of the Rock's offensive outburst was redshirt sophomore outfielder Scott Bender, who has platooned in right field this season with junior Travis Trimbur. Senior Ryan Dillon was slated to start the season in right, but broke his hand while sliding into first base during a game on the team's spring break trip to Florida.

Bender's coming out party came in the doubleheader sweep of Gannon. On the day, Bender went 6-for-7 with three doubles, a triple, four RBIs, three runs scored and two stolen bases. His efforts also earned him PSAC-West Player of the Week Honors.

He said that while he was satisfied with his performance, he's even more satisfied that it helped the team to two victories.

"I've always been kind of a slow starter," said Bender, who's fifth on the team in batting with a .356 average. "But it just means that I'm helping out the team, which is the most important thing.

"I've been seeing the ball well lately, and coach has kind of been moving us all around, but I've been feeling and hitting pretty well."

Freshman Jake Oswalt, who's seen limited playing time this spring despite leading the team in hitting (.444), also helped the Rock bats come alive of late with his 3-for-3, four-RBI performance in game one against Lock Haven.

"I've been getting good pitches to hit when I'm in there, and I've been trying to get myself in hitters' counts," said Oswalt, who also scored three runs in that game. "I'm seeing the ball well in batting practice, and it has just carried over pretty well to the games for me.

"I think it's about just getting used to playing a normal schedule again instead of a bunch of rainouts. It's about just being able to get out to the ballpark and making things happen."

Oswalt also said he thinks he's satisfied with whatever role Messer gives him.

"When I get in there, I know I have to step up and do whatever it takes to help us win," Oswalt said. "If I get in the lineup, fine, if not, I'm fine with it, too."

In game one against Lock Haven, the most up-and-down game of the 2007 Rock season so far, not much went right for either team.

Strong winds and snow squalls didn't help, with the teams combining to make six errors (four by senior Rock shortstop Phil Butch) in eight innings. Four batters were hit by pitches and six wild pitches were also thrown.

The Rock eventually pulled away in the top of the eighth, plating seven runs, to win 15-8 in the wild affair.

Junior reliever Craig Misiewicz picked up the win, which he said was one of his most challenging to earn because of the weather.

"There's only been one other game I've pitched in when it was actually snowing during the game," said Misiewicz, who allowed just one hit in 2.2 innings pitched. "I'd be lying if I said I was enjoying myself out there. When coach first told me to go warm up, my biggest concern was am I going to be able to get my arm loose fast enough.

"And you can make all the excuses you want about errors, but it's just one of those games, on both sides, that balls kick around a little bit. My job was just to get in there and hold them down until our bats could help us out, which they did."

But the Rock pitching performance that stood out above the rest, however, was that of freshman left-hander Rich Hocanson, who stole the show in the second of four games with Lock Haven.

Hocanson was just one out away from a no-hitter before a pinch-hit double broke it up in the bottom of the seventh.

He finished the game, however, allowing two hits and two runs over seven innings of work.

Messer said the 5-1 stretch has been nice, but now he just needs the hot bats to coincide with strong outings by his starting pitchers to bring it all together.

"We're 19-9, but we wish were 25-3," he said. "We're only one game out of first place. And this weekend is very, very important for us. It's important that we have a good series against IUP and let the other things take care of themselves."

California (Pa.) and Shippensburg square off for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday. The Rock takes on Indiana University of Pennsylvania on those same days.

"I'm not comfortable with splitting with Clarion, Lock Haven or IUP," Messer said. "If we're going to make a run at a championship, we need to be taking at least three games in a series with them."

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