2008 Woodie Awards
Baseball team struggles out of the gate
Erik Johnson
Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: Sports
The Southwest Baptist baseball
team is off to a rough start
this season as they currently sit
4-12 on the year and 2-6 in the
MIAA. As with any team not
doing well, the reasons for the
sub-par start are numerous.
The Bearcats are an extremely
young team with only three
seniors on their roster. SBU
has played a difficult schedule
to date and experienced injuries
to a couple of their best players.
However, there is one area
in particular that seems to be
a reason of concern for Head
Coach Sam Berg and his staff
and that area is pitching. To
date, the Bearcats are giving
up just below 10 runs per game
(9.75) and have one starting
pitcher with an earned-run
average below six (senior James
Ledford). Coming out of the
bullpen, Berg has received consistent
production from junior
Bobby McMillin who has three
saves and a 1.42 ERA but has
pitched just over six innings so
far this year.
Granted, these numbers are a
bit skewed because of a rough
opening series with an Arkansas
Tech team who had already
played numerous games and
two games where the Bearcats
combined to give up 45 runs.
It is also worth noting that
all 156 runs that the 'Cats have
given up this year do not fall on
the pitchers alone. Through 16
games, SBU has committed 37
errors, which have accounted
for 52 runs scored by their opponents.
Despite their early-season
struggles, fortunes have looked
better recently for the Bearcats
as they have performed better
defensively since the beginning
of MIAA play. In the last
two games of their series with
Northwest Missouri State,
SBU split with NWMSU and
gave up only six runs combined
despite not getting a start from
their ace Ledford.
In the loss, junior Ray Kelly
threw a great game, going
seven innings and striking out
seven while only allowing four
hits, one walk and two earned
runs.
In the win, sophomore Eric
Wallace battled his control
through six innings but kept
the Bearcats in the game by
only yielding three runs despite
walking five.
If the Bearcats hope to claw
their way up in the MIAA standings,
it is obvious that they will
need more strong outings like
the games recently thrown by
Kelly and Wallace.
team is off to a rough start
this season as they currently sit
4-12 on the year and 2-6 in the
MIAA. As with any team not
doing well, the reasons for the
sub-par start are numerous.
The Bearcats are an extremely
young team with only three
seniors on their roster. SBU
has played a difficult schedule
to date and experienced injuries
to a couple of their best players.
However, there is one area
in particular that seems to be
a reason of concern for Head
Coach Sam Berg and his staff
and that area is pitching. To
date, the Bearcats are giving
up just below 10 runs per game
(9.75) and have one starting
pitcher with an earned-run
average below six (senior James
Ledford). Coming out of the
bullpen, Berg has received consistent
production from junior
Bobby McMillin who has three
saves and a 1.42 ERA but has
pitched just over six innings so
far this year.
Granted, these numbers are a
bit skewed because of a rough
opening series with an Arkansas
Tech team who had already
played numerous games and
two games where the Bearcats
combined to give up 45 runs.
It is also worth noting that
all 156 runs that the 'Cats have
given up this year do not fall on
the pitchers alone. Through 16
games, SBU has committed 37
errors, which have accounted
for 52 runs scored by their opponents.
Despite their early-season
struggles, fortunes have looked
better recently for the Bearcats
as they have performed better
defensively since the beginning
of MIAA play. In the last
two games of their series with
Northwest Missouri State,
SBU split with NWMSU and
gave up only six runs combined
despite not getting a start from
their ace Ledford.
In the loss, junior Ray Kelly
threw a great game, going
seven innings and striking out
seven while only allowing four
hits, one walk and two earned
runs.
In the win, sophomore Eric
Wallace battled his control
through six innings but kept
the Bearcats in the game by
only yielding three runs despite
walking five.
If the Bearcats hope to claw
their way up in the MIAA standings,
it is obvious that they will
need more strong outings like
the games recently thrown by
Kelly and Wallace.
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