2008 Woodie Awards
TWO TO GO: SRU baseball team wins first two games of PSAC playoffs as hunt for title continues
By Caleb Pardick
Rocket Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 5/4/07 Section: Sports
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But it was a display of patience that vaulted the 2007 Rock baseball team into the third round of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Association Championship tournament.
The Rock (33-13) patiently waited out the California (Pa.) pitchers in Thursday's 8-2 win, drawing eight walks from three different pitchers. Playing the waiting game paid off in the fifth and seventh innings in particular, where two walks in each of those innings contributed to seven runs.
Rock Head Coach Jeff Messer said the team's plate approach wasn't the result of anything he told his players.
"It just kind of happened that their pitchers had some control problems and we were very patient at the plate," said Messer, whose team now sits just two wins from a PSAC championship. "In our minds, a walk's as good as a hit, and we just waited them out."
The Rock, which has won 11 of its last 12 games and took three of four games last weekend against Shippensburg to earn the West Division's No. 2 seed, pounded out nine hits in the second-round win. The team trailed by one after the top of the fourth. But the Rock bats came alive in the home half, scoring four runs on five hits to take a lead that it would not relinquish.
At the heart of the Rock attack against California were freshman second baseman Billy Messer (Jeff's son) and junior first baseman Dan Hudeck, who each went two-for-four, and driving in two.
Hudeck said the team's play of late is what he's expected all along.
"Our spirits are up right now," said Hudeck, who leads the team on the season with 34 RBIs. "We're playing the kind of baseball we know we can play. And if we keep it up, we're going to be able to go places."
He also said the team's patience at the plate has enabled both him and the team to play to their potential.
"For me, ever since I got in a groove a few weeks ago, I've just felt so much more relaxed," Hudeck said. "It's been nice to be able to relax and know I can just produce the way I can."
Freshman southpaw Rich Hocanson turned in a strong performance as well, scattering six hits and allowing just two runs in six innings of work to pick up his fifth win of the season.
Hocanson, who defeated PSAC West Division No. 1 seed California (34-14) back on March 30, said his ability to spot his pitches proved pivotal in Thursday's win.
"I was able to locate my pitches and hit my spots really well," Hocanson said. "I tried to mix up my pitches a little bit better than normal."
Playing a key role in the Rock's win against California and its win over West Chester in first-round play on Wednesday was junior reliever Craig Misiewicz. He has allowed no hits in five innings of work while fanning three.
"Coming into these games, we were still unsure of whether we were even going to get a regional (playoff) bid," said Misiewicz, who made his team-high 13th appearance of the year on Thursday.
"Everybody wants to do their part because they realize that this tournament is big for us. And having it here, I think it's kind of lit a fire under our ass."
Wednesday's opening-round win against PSAC East No. 2 seed West Chester was highlighted by a four-for-five, four-RBI performance by senior shortstop Phil Butch.
The Rock pulled away in the bottom of the seventh with a six-run outburst.
The Rock's No. 1 starter, senior righty Derek Blyzwick, earned the win despite not having his best performance of the year, allowing four runs and nine hits in six innings pitched.
Blyzwick and Hocanson now share the team lead for wins on the season with five each.
West Chester was bounced from the tournament when it fell to Shippensburg on Thursday by a 3-2 score.
The Rock was anticipating playing the East division's No. 1 seed, Kutztown, which is also ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division II National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll. But in an upset, Kutztown now sits at 45-4 after losing to East Stroudsburg last night by a score of 9-5.
Redshirt freshman Chris Squeglia will take the hill for the Rock in search of his third win of the year, a decision Messer said he is confident with.
"We've had two good starts so far and have only used one reliever," Messer said. "All we can do is keep going with that and see where it takes us."
And with the way his team has been playing in the last few weeks, Messer said he's ready for the next challenge, no matter who it may be against.
The Rock will play at 7 p.m. tonight against the winner of Kutztown and California (Pa.), who will play at noon.
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