Baseball Preview, Part 1: Cleveland State
Feb. 9, 2007
2007 Horizon League Preview in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Although head coach Kevin Kocks is in his first year at CSU, he will be working with an experienced group that has a lot of collegiate baseball experience. The Vikings return 24 letterwinners, including eight of nine starters and a plethora of pitchers, from last year's squad. With another year of experience, Cleveland State will under Kocks attempt to improve in every phase of the game.
"We have some players that realize that being mediocre is not acceptable." Kocks said. "We have found some of our core guys that can help win some ballgames."
InfieldThe infield may be the team's strongest all-around unit. Four starters return in addition to one junior college transfer. CSU also has plenty of depth, with several viable options coming off the bench.
Headlining the group is junior shortstop Bobby Cash. Cash a member of both the Horizon League's All-Newcomer team and the All-Tournament team in 2005, is coming off a year in which he hit .250 and drove in 11 runs.
"Bobby is a player I want to build around," Kocks said. "He emulates the type of player I like. He has guts and is tough and aggressive."
Senior Rich Ranells will be the likely starter at third base after finishing third on the team with a .290 average with 54 hits. Ranells has shown he can hit for power, with three home runs among his 11 extra-base hits, and has developed as one of the team's leaders in the clubhouse.
"We're looking for Rich to be a leader based on his action," Kocks said. "If Rich can execute our offensive system, he can be a part of our foundation this year."
Playing time at first base is up for grabs. Power-hitting sophomore Ryan Baechel, who was a projected starter in the fall, will redshirt this season. He clubbed a team-leading six home runs with 20 RBI in 2006.
Sophomore Michael Babin and junior Theo Hudson are options at first base. Hudson and Babin add a lot of flexibility because they both hit left-handed while Babin is also a pitcher who was named to the Horizon League all-newcomer team last year.
Providing depth in the middle infield will be junior Nate Radtke and sophomore Matt Madrid along with freshman Tom Carter. Radtke saw limited action at the plate last year, while Madrid did not register a plate appearance. They will play mostly at second base while Carter will see time if the Vikings fall victim to injuries. Otherwise, Carter will redshirt this season.
The starting spot at second base is likely up for grabs, but transfer David Hurd appears to be the front-runner. Hurd transferred to CSU from Lakeland Junior College and Kocks is hoping he will make a huge impact.
"David is a solid collegiate player," Kocks said. "He can play multiple positions in the infield, but ideally, we'd like him to play second base."
The Vikings have several players that can contribute at the corner infield spots, including sophomore Dylan Henry and junior Carlos Laboy, who each saw limited action last year.
CatcherJunior Josh Geric will be the starter behind the plate after posting solid offensive numbers in 2006. Geric batter .262 will 11 RBI last year, but it's on defense where he makes his mark. Geric committed just five errors last year and ended the season with a .979 fielding percentage. He is a wall behind the plate, allowing just two passed balls, and he knows how to handle a pitching staff.
"Josh is an all-around player," Kocks said. "He can catch, block, throw and hit. But we need him to think the game as he sees it."
The Vikings will carry two other catchers on the roster, junior Sam Clyde and redshirt freshman Sean Athey. Clyde saw action in 18 games, including nine starts, last season, while Athey will be used in several different spots, including as a utility outfielder.
"Sam is a very smart player and is going to be a factor this season," Kocks said. "Josh can't catch 56 games and stay healthy, so at some point we'll need Sam to catch."
OutfieldLike the infield, the CSU outfield contains talented veterans that will be counted on for production on the field and leadership in the clubhouse. Kocks has some flexibility here, as several players will shift around in the three outfield spots.
The outfield corps is led by senior John Westra. Westra captured Horizon League all-newcomer team status last year after transferring from Glen Oaks Community College, batting .296 with 11 extra-base hits and 22 RBI and scoring a team-best 26 runs. Westra is likely to start in left field, but will see time in center as well.
"As a senior, John is one of our key players," Kocks said. "He is our most consistent outfielder and is one of our leaders."
Junior Vasili Pahoulis will likely start in center field, but can be used at all three outfield positions. Pahoulis, who hit .274 in 2006 and led the team in doubles with 12, is an important piece to the outfield puzzle with both his bat and his glove.
"Vasili is the type of player that can play above his ability," Kocks said. "He can really reach his full potential if he executes all of the fundamentals."
Senior Marc Sikora returns to man right field, but Kocks may pursue several options during the season. When Sikora or Pahoulis aren't in right, he may go with the speedy Wallace Richardson, who can come off the bench and pay either right or center.
"Marc can be a major factor in the outfield if he makes some adjustments," Kocks said. "He can run, hit, field and throw very well. We just need him to lay it our on the line every day."
The Vikings have several players that can fill in outfield spots, while also either coming off the bench or starting in the DH position. In addition to Richardson, the top outfield reserve options are junior Jeff Schellhammer and senior Brandon Hewitt. Schellhammer has shown flashes of being a capable power hitter, while Hewitt adds depth in left field in addition to his abilities on the mound.
Starting PitchingOne of Kocks' major tasks will be to find a way to improve the team's starting pitching. The rotation took its lumps last year, but fortunately, CSU has some quality arms that have collegiate experience after going through a learning process last year.
Senior Stephen Procner will start the season as the squad's ace. A talented left-hander who possesses a fastball in the mid- to upper-80s and good command of his slider and curve, Procner appears to be who the Vikings want on the mound in big situations.
"Procner is a very tough and aggressive pitcher who has command of four different pitches in any situation," Kocks said. "He fits perfectly into our pitching system and will be our No. 1."
Following him in the rotation will likely be a mix of six players battling for time on the mound, four of whom are left-handed hurlers.Hewitt, another lefty, will get his share of innings after tying for the team lead in wins last year. Used primarily as a reliever for the past two seasons, he has shown that he can handle a starting assignment when needed.
After making just two starts as a freshman in 2006, sophomore Jeremy Hartman appears to be a candidate to start a number of games this year. Hartman saw arguably the most success over the course of last season, going 2-3 in 17 appearances. The southpaw had the team's lowest ERA among players who pitched at least 15 innings (6.54) and boasted a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Sophomore right-hander Dylan Henry will see a lot of starts in the middle of the rotation. He can consistently hit the upper-80s with his fastball and has excellent control of his breaking and off-speed pitches.
Two more sophomores, lefty Josh Hungerman and right-hander Brian Long, will round out the rotation. Hungerman appears to be the team's fifth started with Long the Vikings's designated spot starter.
Hungerman tied for second on the team with nine starts last year and also made two relief appearances, while Long appeared in 17 contests.
Relief PitchingKocks may have the most flexibility of all in the bullpen, with five pitchers that will work most of the middle innings. He has a closer-by-committee philosophy that will allow the Vikings to keep their best arms of the mound in the most important spots.
CSU has two sophomore left-handers that will work predominately out of the bullpen in Michael Babin and Jonathan Sprowls. Those two are joined by three right-handers, seniors Jason Bartnicki and Pat McKitrick along with sophomore Kyle McGuire.
Babin, who can also play first base, is the most talented of the group and enjoyed the most success last year, being named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer team after posting a 4.91 ERA in seven appearances. He also drove in 15 runs at the plate.
McKitrick is the team's most experienced reliever, having worked in a team-high 20 games last year after transferring from Allegheny College in Maryland. McKitrick can throw in the mid-80s and has good control of off-speed and breaking pitches.
Kocks doesn't necessarily put one player at closer, instead, he will turn to one of his six starters to get the final three outs of close ballgames. This allows the Vikings to keep their best arms on the mound while also keeping his six starting pitchers sharp between starts.
Previously, the team's closer had been senior Gian Testa, who has 13 career saves, good for second on CSU's all-time list. Testa, in his fifth year on the team, underwent Tommy John surgery just 10 months ago and will likely seek a medical waiver for a sixth year of eligibility.
The ScheduleEarly spring weather in Cleveland isn't exactly paradise, and the Vikings have scheduled accordingly. While the season kicks off in mid-February, CSU will not play at home until the first week of April.
Cleveland State will play 22 games in 12 different cities before coming home to face Kent State on April 3. The season-opening road swing begins with the earliest opening day in nine years, beginning of Feb. 16 with a three-game set against West Virginia in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Vikings conclude February with a trip to South Carolina to play two games against Charleston Southern and one against College of Charleston.
Cleveland State will travel all over the midwest during March, making two different stops in Missouri along with a three-game series in Cincinnati. After single games at Kentucky and Notre Dame, CSU opens league play at Wright State on Mar. 23. The Vikings also have dates set at Akron and Kent State before concluding the month at Butler.
April and May are less strenuous travel-wise, as CSU will play 20 of its last 34 contests at home venues, with the majority of the contests against league foes. The Vikings conclude the season with nine straight home games from May 8-19.
For the 11th straight season, the Vikings will also have an opportunity to play a game at Jacobs Field, home of the Cleveland Indians. CSU will battle Duquesne under the lights on May 9 beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Vikings are 8-8 at the Jake since 1995 and hosted the Horizon League championship there in 2002.
The season concludes with the Horizon League Championship in Chicago from May 23-26 at UIC's Les Miller Field. The winner of the tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Season OutlookUnder Kocks and his staff, the team has hopes for immediate improvement and a winning philosophy.
On the field, Kocks will implement what he calls a "power/pressure" offense. The Vikings will be aggressive on the basepaths and will work to take advantage of opponent errors. And with active baserunners, CSU will strike by hitting with power.
On defense, Kocks simply wants the Vikings to make routine plays. The pitching staff will be designed to put the best arms on the mound at all times, with the belief that pitchers must have control, throw many pitches with movement and be deceptive.
A new and energized coaching staff may be just what the Vikings need to find their first winning season since 1989. That, mixed with an experienced group of players, can put CSU back in the Horizon League mix. But to do that, the program needs a new look.
"Our mission is to change the program's image," Kocks said. "We have some players that are committed to making the necessary changes."
Story provided by CSU Office of Sports Information
