2008 Woodie Awards
SHIPPS AHOY: Rock baseball prepares for pivotal four-game series against Shippensburg this weekend
By Caleb Pardick
Rocket Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: Sports
Messer's evaluation of the PSAC playoffs has been particularly applicable in the last two playoffs. A No. 1 seed from either division hasn't won a title since 2004. California (Pa.), last year's PSAC-West champion, was the first to be knocked out of the tournament.
Senior shortstop and co-captain Phil Butch said getting back to the basics will be crucial for the Rock on Friday and Saturday against Shippensburg,
"It's all about pitching and defense for us at this point," Butch said. "We just have to make routine plays. Our bats finally came around when the weather got nicer, and I think they'll be there. Getting three or four this weekend would be huge for us."
The Rock rode some hot hitting to the sweep of West Liberty State, pounding out 31 hits in the two games, with 21 of those coming in a 13-5 game one win.
A late-inning flurry of runs led to the 8-6 win in game two. At the heart of the offensive onslaught for the Rock again was junior outfielder M.J. Parsons, who went four-for-four with six RBIs in game one.
"We were really serious coming in to those two games because they're regional games that could affect our standing at the end of the year," said Parsons, who leads the team's regulars in batting with a .388 average and all Rock batters with 29 RBI.
Junior first baseman Dan Hudeck, who has also been swinging a hot bat for the Rock of late, is 14-for-24 with 10 RBIs in the last six games.
"We knew going into (the West Liberty State games) that it was a regional game and that we needed to play it as if it wasn't a non-conference game," Hudeck said. "Of course we want to win every game, but this weekend, the absolute worst we want to do is split. But we feel like if we play the way we're capable of, we could take all four from Shippensburg.
"As a team, we're realizing the potential we have in our strengths and using them to our advantage, and its great because with us now coming together more and more, we know that if we keep it up, we'll go a long way."
Just how far that is will depend largely, Messer said, on this weekend's games.
"Right now, all we're planning on is doing our job against Shippensburg so that we're in the tournament," Messer said. "We just have to win one game, but they're a very good team, so that's not a given at all. We have to go out and take care of business, not just for the conference, but for possible regional playoff implications as well."
Senior shortstop and co-captain Phil Butch said getting back to the basics will be crucial for the Rock on Friday and Saturday against Shippensburg,
"It's all about pitching and defense for us at this point," Butch said. "We just have to make routine plays. Our bats finally came around when the weather got nicer, and I think they'll be there. Getting three or four this weekend would be huge for us."
The Rock rode some hot hitting to the sweep of West Liberty State, pounding out 31 hits in the two games, with 21 of those coming in a 13-5 game one win.
A late-inning flurry of runs led to the 8-6 win in game two. At the heart of the offensive onslaught for the Rock again was junior outfielder M.J. Parsons, who went four-for-four with six RBIs in game one.
"We were really serious coming in to those two games because they're regional games that could affect our standing at the end of the year," said Parsons, who leads the team's regulars in batting with a .388 average and all Rock batters with 29 RBI.
Junior first baseman Dan Hudeck, who has also been swinging a hot bat for the Rock of late, is 14-for-24 with 10 RBIs in the last six games.
"We knew going into (the West Liberty State games) that it was a regional game and that we needed to play it as if it wasn't a non-conference game," Hudeck said. "Of course we want to win every game, but this weekend, the absolute worst we want to do is split. But we feel like if we play the way we're capable of, we could take all four from Shippensburg.
"As a team, we're realizing the potential we have in our strengths and using them to our advantage, and its great because with us now coming together more and more, we know that if we keep it up, we'll go a long way."
Just how far that is will depend largely, Messer said, on this weekend's games.
"Right now, all we're planning on is doing our job against Shippensburg so that we're in the tournament," Messer said. "We just have to win one game, but they're a very good team, so that's not a given at all. We have to go out and take care of business, not just for the conference, but for possible regional playoff implications as well."
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