Baseball Preview, Part 1: Cleveland State

Feb. 12, 2008

SOMETHING TO PROVE

The one term that Cleveland State head baseball coach Kevin Kocks continues to use as he leads the Vikings into the 2008 season is unproven. And when one takes a look at the roster, it is easy to understand why.

After guiding the Vikings to a 14-44 record in his first season at the helm last year, Kock's brought in a total of 26 new players to begin laying a new foundation for the CSU baseball program.

"Our mission is to change the program's image and we will once again do that this season," Kocks said. "I preach two things in the program, to win a championship and earn a degree. It's what I do everyday and we have the student-athletes who can make this possible. I am excited about this year and we are looking forward to some great things."

Infield
The CSU infield will have a completely different look this season as all four positions will most likely have new starters.

There will, however, be a familiar face up the middle as senior Bobby Cash will move from shortstop to second base. Last season, Cash hit .272 with a team-leading 36 runs and 63 hits, including nine doubles, one home run and 25 runs batted in.

"Bobby is a headsy player and he'll be more comfortable at second base," Kocks said. "He is a line drive hitter and is really consistent with the bat."

Senior Alex Kerins, a transfer from Spalding, is a great athlete who knows Kock's system from his days at Spalding and will also vie for time at second base.

"We'll probably put the more consistent guy out there," Kocks said. "But whoever is not in the field can DH for us. The more experience we can get on the field, the better off we will be."

Kocks also expects a battle at shortstop with the top two candidates being junior Brad Buell, a transfer from Kalamazoo Valley C.C., and redshirt freshman Tom Carter.

"Brad gives us some speed and quickness that we haven't had in the past, but he is extremely versatile and can play the outfield if we want to get Tommy in there," Kocks said. "Tommy is very deceptive with his speed and quickness. He is very agile and covers a lot of ground."

At the hot corner, junior David Hurd, a transfer from Lakeland C.C., has the inside track on the starting job.

"David is a steady player who can hit from gap-to-gap," Kocks said. "If he brings daily focus, he can be a nice player for us."

Junior Matt Madrid gives the Vikings more depth at third base after he started 57 games, primarily at second base, last season. Madrid batted .242 and led the team with six homers and 28 RBI last season.

Juniors John Brown and Jon Foco will battle for time at first base, with senior Theo Hudson also figuring into the mix.

Brown was with the program last season, but did not play, while Foco led Jackson C.C. to a pair of regional appearances.

"John came into the program as a catcher, so he is still learning how to play first base," Kocks said. "And Jon Foco gives us a left-handed bat so we can platoon him at first base."

Catcher
After starting 56 of 58 games last season, senior Josh Geric returns to anchor the Vikings behind the plate. As a junior, Geric batted .232 with 10 doubles, two homers and 21 runs batted in and handled a CSU pitching staff which was among the tops in the Horizon League.

"Josh is a very special young man," Kocks said. "Every college coach in America would like to have 30 guys who practice and play as hard as him. He has a great understanding of our defensive and pitching systems."

Senior Sam Clyde and freshmen Josh Lowe and Keith Brooks could spare Geric behind the plate if he needs a day off.

Clyde appeared in 14 games last season and drove in three runs, while Lowe and Brooks were both accomplished players in high school.

Lowe earned four letters in baseball at Perkins High and was a first team all-conference pick. Brooks, who prepped at North Olmsted High, was a two-time all-conference selection.

"Josh Lowe is the leading candidate as the backup catcher, but Sam brings a lot of knowledge," Kocks said.

Outfield
Kocks is blessed with plenty of outfielders on the roster, but his toughest task will be figuring out who the top four outfielders will be come opening day.

Senior Kyle Bischof, a transfer from Spalding, is the leading candidate to start in leftfield. In three seasons at Spalding, Bischof hit .359 with 20 home runs.

"Kyle can really swing the bat and has the ability to drive the ball to all three fields," Kocks said. "He has been a very productive hitter during his career and we expect more of the same this season."

Junior Nate Radtke, who started 24 of the 34 games he appeared in last season, is likely to back-up Bischof. Radtke hit .259 with two homers and 13 RBI last season.

The Vikings have a big question mark in centerfield as they must replace John Westra who tallied 12 doubles and 23 RBI last season. However, Kocks has a number of players he can call upon to fill the void.

Included in the group are Buell when he is not playing shortstop, freshman Adam Heideman and junior Roger Prettyman, Jr. Heideman was a three-year letterwinner at Stow High, earning all-league honors as a senior.

"Adam doesn't play like a freshman," Kocks said. "He is a reckless player who goes all out at all times.

"Roger gives us a little more speed, but he has to prove that he can hit consistently for us."

Freshman Travis Miller has an early lead for the starting spot in rightfield. A graduate of Toronto High, Miller was a two-time first team All-State selection and the conference Player of the Year in 2006.

"Travis is a big part of our future and he needs to play for us this season," Kocks said.

Freshman Kirk Salinski and junior Wallace Richardson are the prime candidates to also see action in right field. Salinski was a three-time first team all-conference selection at Sandusky Perkins High, while leading the Pirates to three league and district titles.

The wild card in the outfield mix could be fifth-year graduate student Dustin Mills, a versatile athlete who can play all three outfield positions. He holds single-season records for hits and runs scored at Pitt-Greensburg where he earned three letters.

Starting Pitching
One of the biggest tasks facing Kocks this season will be to put together the best pitching staff possible. However, with so many question marks surrounding the staff, Kocks has his work cut out for him.

"We have plenty of arms with a lot of talent, but we are very unproven as a staff," Kocks said. "We know Josh (Hungerman) is going to be our leading arm, but after that, we really don't know."

Hungerman, a junior southpaw, is the top returning pitcher from last season. He went just 2-9, but finished third in the league with a 3.82 earned run average. Hungerman, who made 13 starts last season, also fanned 61 batters in 77.2 innings of work.

"I know Josh is going to get outs and win some ballgames for us," Kocks said. "He is very tough and aggressive as a pitcher and will be our No. 1 starter this season."

Junior Brian Long, a righty, and junior lefty Sam Suitca appear to have the inside edge on the final two weekend rotation spots.

Long made 13 appearances last season with nine starts and went 0-6, while Suitca joins the Viking program after spending the last two seasons at Cuyahoga Community College. He was an all-conference selection last season.

"Brian straightened some things out and really got hot toward the end of last season," Kocks said. "We really need him to be more consistent for us."

Senior Vasili Pahoulis and juniors Jeremy Hartman and Dylan Henry give CSU depth on the mound and will likely start a majority of the Vikings mid-week contests.

Pahoulis moves to the center of the diamond after spending his first three years in the outfield, while Hartman and Dylan combined for 10 starts, 28 appearances and 76.2 innings of action last season.

"We really need Dylan to step up for us this season and grow as a college pitcher," Kocks said. "Jeremy didn't compete in the fall, so he is behind."

Relief Pitching
Kocks may have the most depth and experience in the bullpen with four upperclassmen and four freshman slated to handle the duties.

Leading the way are a pair of transfers in senior Chris Bauman and junior Drew Fronczek. The duo will form the nuclues of CSU's middle relief and also give Kocks a pair of closers. Bauman has a history with Kocks as he pitched three years at Spalding.

"Chris can really throw the ball and we brought him here to get guys out in close ballgames," Kocks said.

Fronczek arrives at CSU after spending the last two years at Lakeland C.C. where he helped the Lakers to a pair of conference titles and regional berths. He was an all-conference honoree in 2005 and 2006.

Junior lefty Jonathan Sprowls and sophomore Kyle McGuire will also vie for time as middle relievers.

Four freshmen will provide Kocks added depth in the bullpen and give them a chance to gain experience for the future.

The group includes righties Nate Blankemeyer and Josh Raggi and southpaws Solomon Haberkost and Anthony Sambula. All four freshman could also spot start for the Vikings during mid-week games.

"The four freshmen are the future of the Viking pitching staff," Kocks said. "They will get some valuable time on the mound this year and as they mature, they will provide us with a deep pitching staff in years to come."

Blankemeyer was a two-time all-conference pick at New Albany High, while Raggi earned four letters and helped lead Walsh Jesuit High to state titles in 2004 and 2006.
Haberkost was a pitcher at Buckeye High, leading the Bucks to four conference titles. Sambula was a two-time all-conference pick at West Geauga High, capturing the league strikeout crown as a senior.

The Schedule
With early spring weather always a question mark in Cleveland, the Vikings will once again find themselves on the road early and often as CSU is scheduled to play its first 17 games on the road before the home opener on March 22 versus Case Western. However, Kocks will not use the travel schedule as an excuse.

"Almost every program in the country has to deal with weather issues and temperatures," Kocks said.

CSU opens its season with a three-game trip at 2007 College World Series participant Louisville. After trips to Charlotte and Cincinnati, the Vikings head to Morehead State before games in Evansville, Ind. (Mar. 14-16) against Evansville, Central Michigan and North Dakota State.

The Vikings open league play with a three-game series (Mar. 28-29) at Horizon League newcomer, Valparaiso.

A majority of April and May will be spent in Cleveland, as the Vikings play 18 of their final 33 games at home, including a season-most seven straight between April 19-26.

CSU will also get a break on travel for the Horizon League Tournament as it will be contested from May 21-24 at Youngstown State. The winner of the tournament will receive the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Championship.

"We have a lot of quality teams on our schedule," Kocks said. "We are going to find out early in the season what our strengths and weaknesses are. That will give us a chance to make some adjustments as we grow throughout the year. Because everybody knows its not about how you start, it's about how you finish."

Story provided by CSU Office of Sports Information