Tigers baseball expects to dig deep in 2007
John Strawn
Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: Sports
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Coming off a 5-3 spring break, the Wittenberg Tigers baseball team has begun preparing for success in the 2007 season. Head coach Jay Lewis said he looks forward to working with a deeper team and the combination of veteran talent and rising stars from the underclass.
The 2006 season ended with an overall record of 23-16 and a 10-6 mark in the West division of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). The campaign ended in the first round of the NCAC tournament to the College of Wooster, who would eventually win the tournament.
Returning only three seniors and five juniors, the Wittenberg team will rely on underclassmen more than last year. Notable offensive losses to graduation include the Cal Ripken-esque K.R. Schlievert, who played 152 straight games and served as a dependable middle infielder, and Brian Hampp, who batted .333 in 2006 and led the team in RBIs. Steve Less and Jason Holmberg are two key losses from the pitching roster. Less owned the rotation's lowest ERA, coming in at an outstanding 1.99, and also led the team in complete games with six. Holmberg was the team's most solid starter, with an 8-0 record for the season, holding opposing batters to a .244 batting average. Solid outfielder Matt Berry, who hit .259 for the season and had a .968 fielding percentage, was also lost to graduation.
Despite the losses, Lewis said he is excited for the upcoming season because of increased depth from the plate.
"I think we are going to be deeper one through nine than we were last year," Lewis said. "Behind our four starters on the weekend and a couple starters during the week, we are five or six deep in the bullpen."
During the upcoming season, look for a combination of veteran upperclassmen continuing to perform as well as the freshmen class stepping in to add some new elements to the team. Look for pitchers Joel Assenheimer, Bobby Ciucki, and Darin Murnaw to take the mound. They join seniors Tyler McClain and Trey Richardson, both of whom Lewis expects to anchor the pitching staff. Junior Eric Hartfelder, sophomores Chris Green and Josh Fiebiger, and freshmen Tim Antil, Kory Winter, and Chris Dorka round out the pitching staff.
The 2006 season ended with an overall record of 23-16 and a 10-6 mark in the West division of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). The campaign ended in the first round of the NCAC tournament to the College of Wooster, who would eventually win the tournament.
Returning only three seniors and five juniors, the Wittenberg team will rely on underclassmen more than last year. Notable offensive losses to graduation include the Cal Ripken-esque K.R. Schlievert, who played 152 straight games and served as a dependable middle infielder, and Brian Hampp, who batted .333 in 2006 and led the team in RBIs. Steve Less and Jason Holmberg are two key losses from the pitching roster. Less owned the rotation's lowest ERA, coming in at an outstanding 1.99, and also led the team in complete games with six. Holmberg was the team's most solid starter, with an 8-0 record for the season, holding opposing batters to a .244 batting average. Solid outfielder Matt Berry, who hit .259 for the season and had a .968 fielding percentage, was also lost to graduation.
Despite the losses, Lewis said he is excited for the upcoming season because of increased depth from the plate.
"I think we are going to be deeper one through nine than we were last year," Lewis said. "Behind our four starters on the weekend and a couple starters during the week, we are five or six deep in the bullpen."
During the upcoming season, look for a combination of veteran upperclassmen continuing to perform as well as the freshmen class stepping in to add some new elements to the team. Look for pitchers Joel Assenheimer, Bobby Ciucki, and Darin Murnaw to take the mound. They join seniors Tyler McClain and Trey Richardson, both of whom Lewis expects to anchor the pitching staff. Junior Eric Hartfelder, sophomores Chris Green and Josh Fiebiger, and freshmen Tim Antil, Kory Winter, and Chris Dorka round out the pitching staff.
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