Around the Horn with Rob Childress

Notes from "Around the Horn" - Week Three

* Disappointed that the team finished the week 3-1 instead of 4-0. Every year, the goal is to be 56-0 and when you look back at it, this team was fortunate to finish the week at 3-1. With as many opportunities this team was given to win on Tuesday against SFA, it should not have been such a close game. The lack of a big hit on Saturday is what really hurt, but to come out and play well on Sunday was a good feeling.

* Yesterday, the game started with more of the same; Holy Cross coming out hot. In the second inning, the team gave up two runs and it would have been easy to start feeling sorry for themselves, but they came right back and put up five runs of their own. If it wasn’t for a couple of base running mistakes, they could have put up seven, eight or even nine runs that inning. Holy Cross played as well as they could play. Their pitchers walked 22 guys and when they got themselves into jams, they usually were able to find their way out.

* Rafael Pineda had an excellent performance on the mound. It’s hard to follow up what he did last weekend, and he may never have another start like last week, but to go out like he did yesterday, give up an early home run and then come back and get himself together for a good start was good to see. He went seven complete innings, threw a lot of strikes and struck out eight batters. He is proud for Pineda and the team as a whole that they have been consistent with a number three starter thus far.

* The young players are doing a good job so far of filling the holes they had coming off of last year’s run. His biggest question and concern was behind the plate and all three players have done a good job back there so far. Mitchell Nau got his first start yesterday and did as good a job as he could have done, not just behind the plate but with the bat as well. Blake Allemand got a chance to play and laid down a nice bunt that turned into a hit. Chance Bolcerek did a nice job of capitalizing on his opportunities as well. Any team that is going to do anything is going to count on newcomers and for this team, those newcomers have done a good job so far.

* The new guys are learning to never quit in practice and to always push themselves to get better because they could be in the game at a moment’s notice. Mitchell Nau had a great fall and hasn’t felt the greatest about his swing the past couple of weeks, but Coach Sawyers worked with him and he obviously was feeling pretty good yesterday. Blake Allemand had been nursing a little bit of a sore back, but he’s a guy whose energy level of the field makes everyone around him better. When he is on the field, he plays with a big motor and a chip on his shoulder, and for him to get out there and play like he is capable of playing was fun to watch.

* Jason Freeman has done a good job of coming in as a middle reliever. Corey Ray and Gandy Stubblefield have also done a good job of coming in for the team. Daniel Mengden has as good of an arm as anybody on the staff and as much power as anyone on the staff. He got himself into a little bit of a bind on Friday, but he was able to keep it tied. He wasn’t concerned as much about the hit that scored two runs that he gave up, but the 0-2 hit batter is what really got to him. He’s a guy who will get back out on the horse and there is no doubt that he will do a good job. Those guys are all going to be impact pitchers for the team throughout the course of the season.

* Really thought Michael Wacha struggled against UIC. It wasn’t so much from a results standpoint, but if he didn’t have that overpowering fastball, it may have been a little bit different story. This past Friday against Holy Cross was as good as he has seen him pitch in a long time. He commanded all four pitches at anytime and any count. His pitches were down in the zone and his delivery was solid from start to finish. He could have easily gone back out for the eighth inning, but the team is trying to continue to develop their bullpen. It was very impressive and he will have a stiffer challenge this weekend against Michigan State. When you’re the Friday guy, you can count on the offense to score between three and five runs, but you have to be better than their guy.

* It’s a lot of fun to coach guys humble guys like Michael Wacha and Ross Stripling. They’re both very self-motivated and have come a long way since their high school days. They have developed into great young men and great young pitchers as well.

* Hopefully the weather will cooperate for the five games at home this week. It’s going to be a challenge for the team when you start talking about 45 innings of baseball from a pitching standpoint. Some guys who haven’t got a lot of opportunities yet will probably get a chance this week. Northwestern State played a midweek series in Fayetteville, Arkansas and played them tough twice. They have very good pitching and a closer that is a left-hander and can throw in the mid 90’s. They are going to come here riled up and ready to get a win and the team needs to be ready for that. Jake Boss has done a great job of reviving the Michigan State baseball program and they are picked to be at the top or to win the Big 10 this year. The team will have their hands full and it should seem like a conference series this weekend.

* Probably will make a decision about the mid-week rotation sometime today. There are four guys they are focused on in Jason Freeman, Corey Ray, Gandy Stubblefield and Derrick Hadley. All four of those guys will pitch in this mid-week series at some point, but two of those four will end up getting the starts.