Tuesday, April 1, 2008

The boys are back in town



Welcome back after a few days off. Due to popular demand, or maybe just my desire to keep writing, the blog will continue through the remainder of the season. Hey, I think it’s kind of funny but maybe that’s just me.

Anyways, we got back from Arizona Friday morning only to be welcomed by inclement weather than cancelled our weekend series against Hiram. The Spring trip came to a close with a tough loss to Castleton State that put us at 4-5 for the week. The week had a lot of positives and the team is looking to build some momentum for the upcoming conference schedule. We really hit the ball well, but you know, you’ve just got to catch the ball which ultimately demonized us throughout the week.

I don’t know what I’m going to do now that I can’t write about the Holiday Inn Breakfast and all of it’s amenities. Let me tell you, it was an exhilarating experience!

The week got off to a great start with the Indians winning their home opener in dramatic fashion. I think this is the Indians year; maybe we’re not cursed. Baseball wise, this week we finally got a chance to get outside and practice which was nice. It was pretty frustrating being cooped up inside all winter long. Tomorrow we begin the conference grind with a makeup a doubleheader vs. Hiram College. It is imperative for us to win both games tomorrow to start conference play on the right foot. Oberlin has never made the playoffs since the existence of the NCAC so it would be a huge honor to be the first to accomplish that feat.

As I write, our ace pitcher Jack Dunn is busy studying chemistry in the lounge of my quad in front of the TV. We are such a studious team, myself included (those of you who know me will probably get a laugh out of that, but hey, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express). P.S. Jack is pitching tomorrow and is in need of a massage, any takers?

That’s all for now but tune back in tomorrow to hear about the Hiram games. I’d like to take a second and wish my brother luck in his first high school game tomorrow so hopefully you get a chance to read this Kevin. Anyways, wish us luck and welcome back to baseball in Northeast Ohio.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Freshman Get No Love ...


Welcome back after a one day hiatus. I apologize for not writing yesterday but we had to get up very early and I was just too tired. To be short about the Colby game, we lost in a slugfest 14-10. Offensively, we were running on all cylinders with first years Shane Hisner and Ben Master having two and three hits respectively. In addition, Jeremy Simon continued to swing a hot bat as he had a few extra base hits of his own.

Before I begin today’s section, I’d like to single-out first-year second baseman Ryan Mouch (pictured). I checked my facebook about two minutes ago and there was a message from Ryan Mouch which read “what the heck bud??? no love for me in the blog???” I had to stop for a minute because I thought it was pretty funny. I’m sorry Ryan but I had to include this in the blog, but hey, here’s your shout out (you know I love you bud). On a more serious note though, Mouch has done a stellar job down here this week, stepping in as a freshman and taking over the second base job. He has played very solid defense and has been swinging a very hot bat as of late, so congratulations Ryan.

Yesterday we were set to face off against Middlebury and Elmhurst in two single nine inning games. Game one began on a bit of a sour note and I must admit was not one of our best showings of the year. We dropped the game to Middlebury 17-5 and looked like we were dragging a bit. Ultimately, we were demonized by poor defensive play and dug ourselves a deep hole that we just never managed to get out of.

Game two was a whole different story as we showed what kind of toughness we had and came out firing. Move over Brian Sipe and the 1980 Kardiac Kids because I’m ready to anoint us the Kardiac Kids of college baseball. I would love to make it to my 21st birthday but at this rate who knows what will happen if we keep playing nail biters like today’s game. Early in the game we jumped out to a 4-1 lead with RBI singles by myself and Phil Brua, also now known as the candy man. Phil loves candy! In addition, Ben Puterbaugh, Jeremy Simon, and P.J Carter anchored the middle of the order to help us build a commanding 8-4 lead going into the bottom of the 9th. First year Ben Kauder looked very poised on the hill as he went seven strong innings exiting with the lead. Kauder was aided by strong defense, namely three double plays that were turned beautifully by Pat Bourke at second base. Bourke, a first year, making his debut in the starting lineup played a great second base and also added his first college base hit with a single up to centerfield. Moving on, the game looked all but over, but I guess we just wanted to play more baseball. Before we knew it, the ball game was tied 8-8 with the bases loaded and two outs. If not for a great running catch with two outs by Zach Berman we would have lost in the 9th.

Normally I would never talk about myself, but I guess the 10th inning warrants giving myself a little credit. The story behind the 10th inning actually has a little humor as well. We ended up loading the bases with two outs to bring me to the plate with a tie ball game. However, I must be the most complacent person ever because I actually thought we were winning by one (I guess I‘m an idiot). I didn’t even feel any pressure; it’s probably a good thing. I feel behind quickly 0-2, and the guys in the dugout were thinking, “oh god, not another MIT” (that’s a reference to last year when I struck out looking with the bases loaded against MIT, thanks guys!). I ended up slapping an 0-2 curveball into leftfield to put us ahead 10-8 and we held on to win 10-9 in dramatic fashion. I think it was my first game winning hit in years so it felt pretty good.

Another important note is that today’s victory was Coach Lahetta’s 100th career victory. The victory puts us at 4-7 overall and 4-3 in Phoenix, but most importantly gives us some momentum going into the last two ball games of the road trip.

Tune back in tomorrow to hear about the University of Chicago game and maybe some stories about fantasy baseball, bagels, or fruit loops. Enjoy!

Monday, March 24, 2008

Went All the way to Zona for Fruit Loops ...

Welcome back for the day three of the blog. Of course, if you’ve been paying attention to the two previous entries, I’ll have to begin with a little fun fact. Once again, the team woke up and went down to enjoy some breakfast. You know, the fruit loops just might be the highlight of the trip! Did we come here to play baseball?

At about 10:00 we were on our way to Snedigar Sports Complex to face off with Knox College in a doubleheader.

In game one, we fell behind quickly 2-0 via a few first inning mishaps by our defense. However, the team responded well to the early deficit to eventually take a 4-2 lead that was never relinquished. First year Brandon Cantrill continued his torrid pace at the plate, coming up with a huge bases clearing double to put us ahead for good. On the hill, junior PJ Carter threw a spectacular game, constantly pounding the strike zone with a solid fastball and mixture of sharp curveballs and changeups. After taking a 4-2 lead, we really busted the game open in the fifth inning I believe, and held a commanding 9-3 advantage. Carter cruised through the rest of the ball game, throwing a complete game as we prevailed 9-5. It was our third win in a row and the team was playing great baseball.

The second game of a doubleheader is always the hardest game to win. I must admit we came out a bit flat and got into an early 5-0 hole that we could just never manage to dig ourselves out of. We ended up losing the game 10-2 which put a little damper on the day, but to still take one ball game when we didn’t have our best stuff is a positive. I’d like to congratulate first year Kyle Buzzard (Pictured) on his debut in the starting lineup. Kyle led the offense, going 2-3, as he looked very poised at the plate.

After the games I was completely exhausted and banged up. I think it might be time to get Victor Conte on speed dial and get my hands on some of the “cream” and the “clear”. Back to back doubleheaders take a toll on the body, but I’m having the time of my life so it’s all worth it.

I wish I could expound on some of the happenings during the day but I’m afraid some of our conversations might not exactly fit the PG mold. Maybe after the week we can sit down and do a Q & A like the MTV hit show “The Real World” does and those who really want to know everything can get the inside scoop. On a side note, thank god the Indians cut Aaron Fultz; he was horrible! It’s about time for the pre-game shower so I’m afraid it’s time for me to go. Wish us luck as take on Colby College in a single 9 inning game this afternoon. Tune back in tomorrow to hear about the Colby game and the rest of our day.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Off to a Hot Start ...

Welcome back for day two of the blog. I’ll preface everything by saying that unfortunately you all will not have to read about bagels and Ben Master brushing his teeth, although I found that quite funny to write about.

Anyways, today we woke up at about 9:00 and went downstairs for the Continental breakfast. The Holiday Inn Express has a pretty solid breakfast. I treated myself to a bowl of fruit loops, a cinnamon bun, and a glass of orange juice. The fruit loops were definitely the highlight of the meal; I don’t think I’ve had them for a few years. Again fantasy baseball reappeared when one of my best friends from home called me frantically asking who he should take with the number two overall pick in his draft. Com’n people, you’ve got to know that fantasy baseball is a big deal. Boys will be boys. He ended up picking Hanley Ramirez, a very quality selection. I’ll take this time to say hi David, and wish you the best of luck with your fantasy baseball season.

After breakfast, I came back up to the room and decided to take a shower. I always have to shower before games although that probably makes no sense to everyone. This is probably another one of my worthless rants, but the bathroom set-up is not very aesthetically pleasing. The toilet is definitely too close to the shower so it makes it very hard to get in and out. Those stupid architects and designers! However, I will give the Holiday Inn credit by saying that their shower head is nice.

At about 10:15 we headed out towards the fields. I was in Coach Lahetta’s van jamming out to my pre-game mix on my I-pod. Today’s tunes included the Rolling Stones, Counting Crows, and a mixture of hip-hop (Nappy Roots being the group that really did it for me). It was a nice and warm morning, definitely a huge plus as we just left the arctic tundra of Cleveland, Ohio.

The team went through the basic pre-game rituals (I.e took batting practice, ran, stretched, threw) and we were ready to play ball by 1:00. Today’s opponent was Lawrence University from Wisconsin. At this point in my playing career, I feel like an old decrepit man so I consumed my share of ibuprofen before the first pitch. For game number one, we had our ace Jack Dunn (pictured right) on the hill. This was a big statement game for both the team and Jack. Needless to say, Jack came out firing, striking out 13 guys I believe, before leaving after six strong innings, only surrendering one run. We won the game 9-2 and the team was in high spirits. We got great all around performances from everyone. Personally, I felt like I had a pretty good game going 2-for-3 with a triple so it was nice to get off to a hot start here in Phoenix. I also managed to break a metal bat in half which was a first for me. I guess I’ll have to lay off the weights. Freshman sensation Shane Hisner had a strong Oberlin College debut, going 2-4. I’ll tell you, the man can hit; I don’t know what’s in the water in Indiana but I think we could all use some (Shane’s from Indiana in case that wasn’t clear).

After a short break, game two was under way. I sat out this game so I fully devoted myself to my dugout chatter. I’ll make an important side note now, and elect myself chief dugout cheerleader. Our dugout is always upbeat with guys screaming various phrases and noises that I guess we just made up. I’ll give my buddy Ben Foster a cameo appearance in today‘s blog and say that Ben and I compliment each other very well when it comes to dugout chatter to say the very least. The quote of the day had to be “get those worms some helmets” which we scream every time the opposing pitcher throws a ball in the dirt. I get a kick out of all our nonsense in the dugout. It keeps the games fun and makes me laugh. I had as much fun today as I’ve had in a while.

Moving on, in game two your Yeomen jumped out to a early 5-0 lead in inning one only to be relinquished shortly thereafter when opponent Lawrence rallied for six runs of their own in the first two innings. After a few scoreless innings, we managed to knot it up at six and then took the lead for good in the following inning. Freshman Ben Kauder got the nod on the hill for us to begin the game. He was chased from the game in the second inning, giving way to another freshman Grady Campion. I’d like to point out that we had as many as seven freshmen in the game today which is a testament to the quality youth of this ball club. Campion held Lawrence He has really impressed me early in the season as he takes the ball with no fear and always goes right after the opponent. Anyways, we prevailed 16-7 in game number two with Campion recording his first career collegiate victory (congratulations Grady). Other top performers were once again Shane Hisner, with help from fellow first years Brandon Cantrill and Ben Puterbaugh. My roommate and good friend Jeremy Simon also added a few clutch hits, and some surprising speed on the base paths. I’d like to anoint Jeremy with the nickname “Pre” for the rest of the season in reference to onetime great Steve Prefontaine. In case you didn’t know, Jeremy is not very fast but somehow leads the team in stolen bases. I think he actually might think he’s pretty fast now, but we all got a kick out of watching him wheel around the bases this afternoon.
at bay for the remainder of the ball game, using an array of fastballs, curveballs, and changeups to keep them off balance.

Another important moment today was an at-bat by Zach Berman in game number two. Berman crushed a ball to deep right that hit off the very top of the fence. The joke around the team was that Coach Lahetta would quit the day Berman hit a homerun, so I guess he was inches away (Sorry Coach, but Berman almost did it). That would have been quite a story right?

On Thursday night I guaranteed a friend that we would win both games so I hope she gets a chance to read today’s blog. I decided to go public with the results of the bet, which are clearly in my favor. Hey, if Rasheed Wallace can make guarantees I figured I could too. The day was a huge success as we took both ball games in a fairly easy fashion. It was definitely a huge confidence booster for many individuals, and more importantly, the team itself.

Tomorrow we look to continue our winning ways as we face off with Knox College in a doubleheader beginning at noon. Again it’s getting pretty late, so I’m afraid it’s time for me to sign off but I’ll be back writing tomorrow. Until then, enjoy March Madness and wish us luck.


Saturday, March 22, 2008

Plane Ride & More ...


Welcome to my blog. I’m sure you are all eagerly awaiting to read about the complexities of my life along with that of the Oberlin College baseball team. Today we leave to commence our spring trip to Phoenix, Arizona.

As I write I’m currently on our flight to Phoenix, AZ where the team will play nine games this week. It’s pretty mind boggling that I am already in my junior year at Oberlin College. The start of each season is very thought provoking, even scary in a certain respect. This being my fifteenth year in organized baseball is hard to fathom, maybe even harder to swallow is the fact that it is my second to last. To recap my day, I woke up and did a little laundry, made a brief stop at the bank, and then came back and packed up all my gear. I was pretty excited all day as this trip has been highly anticipated by myself and the rest of the guys. Spring trips in retrospect are some of the best times I’ve had. I’ve been going somewhere for baseball during Spring Break since my sophomore year of high school.

At about 7:00 we finally arrived at the airport, all of us lugging our suitcases to the checkout counter. There was a sense of excitement among the guys, as we are just all eagerly awaiting our arrival in Phoenix. We all checked in and headed over to the security checkpoint. Of course, Eric Gibbs, one of my good buddies and current roommates packed his shaving cream and mouthwash in his carry on bag and was probably a few words away from being strip searched (I’m sorry Eric, but it was pretty funny). Anyways, I’m sure you are all on the edge of your seats reading about our escapades through airport security.

At this point in time I was really hungry and with a few hours to kill, Nick Monroe and I decided to head over to Great American Bagel. A fun fact for all is that Nick’s choice of bagel is cinnamon raisin, toasted with cream cheese. Just in case everyone was wondering what I got, I stayed pretty bland and got the traditional plain bagel with cream cheese. At this point in this blog entry half of you might think I’m out of my mind, which might not be a totally incorrect assumption. I figured that I’d spice it up a bit, and that meant recapping our bagel adventure; I mean who doesn’t love bagels

Anyways, enough about airport security and bagels, although I might include a short anthology about the later trip to the classic airport pizzeria Sbarro’s. At about 8:15 I met up with my dad, who is coincidentally on the same flight as the team. We moseyed on over to the gate, C11 to be exact (I know another piece of information that is imperative for all to know). With the inclement weather, the plane boarded about a half hour late so we just sat there and talked. It was also a pleasant surprise to sit next to a pretty cute girl at the gate, I must admit who looked an awful a lot like one of my ex-girlfriends.

Finally, we were able to board the plane, and I comfortably took my seat next to Coach Lahetta and Jeremy Simon. Unfortunately, being Cleveland, Ohio, home to in my opinion the worst weather in the world, we were stranded at the gate for about an hour because of the incoming snowstorm. That hour, I must admit was pretty eventful for my standards. I’ll take the time now to point out that I am pretty much a sports connoisseur. Moving on, the guys and I decided to reminisce about athletes along with a debate about who Shane Hisner should take with his fifth pick in this year’s fantasy baseball draft. In case anyone wanted to know, Shane picked Corey Hart, a sub par selection in my book. The highlight of the conversation had to be Tyrone Hill, the one time Cleveland Cavalier who couldn’t catch a pass with his life depended on it and who also takes the cake as one of the most interesting looking fellows I’ve ever seen to stay to politically correct.

After a fourty-five minute wait, the plane was finally de-iced and ready to take off. However, Ben Master, one of the more comical human beings I’ve ever met, deemed it necessary to brush his teeth literally two seconds after the flight attendant said to remain seated for take-off. For Ben’s sake, it’s a good thing there wasn’t an air marshal on the plane or we might all be stuck in the snow filled Cleveland today. I guess you have to commend the man, he likes to keep his teeth clean. Can you blame him?

To shorten the duration of the flight Jeremy Simon (our stud first baseman) and I decided to watch the movie Rudy. I always watch Rudy before every season but for some reason neglected to do so this year so it was definitely necessary to pop it in during the flight.

Now that you all have the minutes of the airport extravaganza and all the events leading up to boarding the plane, I think it’s time to expound upon the team itself. After two years in the program, the team finally looks poised to develop into a legitimate contender year in and year out. My freshman year I came into a team that to be quite frank, was not very good. My goal was to help turn Oberlin College baseball into a winner by the time I graduated. The team made great strides last year, finishing 17-23, but we established that we are here to play ball. Teams no longer just look over Oberlin College when they see us on the schedule.

This year we got off to a bit of a tough start in our opening weekend but I’m fully confident that the team is ready to bounce back. We have a very talented group of players, but a very young squad as well. Many freshman and sophomores are expected to perform right away so naturally there are some growing pains. Baseball is a very humbling game and I think some of the young guys received a little “welcome to college baseball” present last weekend. Last weekend was a learning experience for many of the guys. Whether it is life or baseball, nobody will ever give you anything, you have to take it. I think some of our young guys just expected to come in right away and be handed wins and that’s just not the case no matter what level of baseball you are playing. Despite coming up short in the four contests last weekend, I think we can draw a few positives from the experience. Anyways, this spring trip can not come at a better time. The guys are very eager to get back on the field and prove to people that last weekend was a fluke and that we are a very good team. Nobody expects us to win so it’s all about proving people wrong. I think this team has the persistence to break through and have a great year.

It’s about 2:00 AM right now and we have two games tomorrow so I’m afraid I’ll have to end my session for the day. Until then, wish us luck and tune back in tomorrow for some more exhilarating news about your Oberlin College Yeomen baseball squad.