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St. Cloud State University
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Sports
Baseball hopes to start fresh
By Ryan Atkins
Published:
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Eleven games into the season and the SCSU baseball team stands 3-8, hoping to make a dent in the North Central Conference.
SCSU was unable to avenge the season's first two losses to Morningside College (Iowa) after being snowed out of back-to-back double headers this past weekend.
Co-captain Chase Nelson was disappointed about the games being postponed and the lost opportunity to defeat Morningside.
"We lost to them twice. We've beaten them in the past. I know we could have beat them this time," Nelson said. "Now, we have less games to prepare for the conference season."
Denny Lorsung returns for his 27th season as head coach to lead SCSU. Throughout his tenure, Lorsung has managed a 511-497-3 record.
Following the cancellation of the games against Morningside, the Huskies have 13 days off before they face Southwest Minnesota State next Tuesday in St. Cloud.
SCSU struggled in their first few games, losing their opening two games to Morningside 3-0 and 5-7. The Huskies then lost their next three games. Two of those losses were to Mesa State and one to Metro State.
SCSU finally got their first victory of the season against Metro State in the second game of a double-header, winning a thrilling barn burner 14-13.
The victory sparked a three-game winning streak with two victories against Colorado State-Pueblo.
SCSU countered the three-game winning streak with a three-game losing skid. Two of the losses came against Colorado State-Pueblo, 13-10 and 17-6 and another came against the University of Minnesota at the Metrodome, 6-0.
Junior co-captain Nate Swan believes the biggest difference between the 2005 Huskies and last year's team is the amount of confidence in the players.
"We can come back in games when we are down. Nobody gives up. We keep battling every inning," he said.
One of the biggest problems the Huskies have had this year is preventing their opponents from scoring. The Huskies earned run average is 9.68 compared to 5.30 by their opponents. The run differential between the Huskies and opponents is 99-63.
Matt Means, Jerry Liebherr and Swan have the three SCSU pitching victories this season.
Swan believes the pitchers need to focus on throwing strikes while avoiding walks and hitting the batter.
"The biggest thing is walks and hitting the batter. That's how everything gets started. I think the pitchers get too picky sometimes and try to hit the corner instead of throwing strikes and letting us make a play," Swan said.
The Huskies have stayed competitive offensively, batting .305 for the season.
SCSU has received an added pop to the lineup with first-year first basemen Luke Klitzke.
Klitzke leads the Huskies with a .436 batting average, including 17 hits, eight runs, and one home run.
Junior catcher Travis Thompson is second on the team with a .432 average, 16 hits and eight runs. In 15 at-bats, David Carlson has managed a .400 average with five runs on six hits.
Nelson believes the Huskies will be all right offensively now that Thompson has emerged as a clutch hitter.
"Travis Thompson has always been good, but in past years he's struggled," Nelson said.
Those struggles include a career .248 batting average during his first two seasons.
Swan continues to hit the ball well, just as he has done in his first two seasons when he hit .317 and .373 in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Currently, Swan is hitting .341 with 14 hits. Swan is also tied with John Nemec for the team lead in runs batted in with seven.
Despite the slow start, Nelson believes that the Huskies are determined to keep working and improving so they can possibly end the season by earning a spot in the conference tournament.
"We want to make the conference tournament. No one on the team has been there. We also would like to make the regional tournament, but we'll have to win our conference to get there," Nelson said. "We have the confidence and the attitude to win. Last year, we lost a couple of games, then we got swept and maybe win one. It didn't seem like anyone really cared."
To earn a spot in the conference tournament, SCSU will need to finish fourth out of seven teams in the NCC.
Nelson believes with the experience they have, SCSU has the ability to earn a playoff spot.
"We have a lot more experience this year. Everybody has the winning attitude right now. It just seems like the step we need," Nelson said.
Some of the experience Nelson is referring to is the 18 juniors and sophomores that return this season. SCSU does have eight first-year players entering the program that keeps the team youthful.
Swan said the familiarity between the juniors and sophomores with the three returning seniors has a profound impact on the the team's confidence.
"(The familiarity) is huge with really no freshmen except Klitzke playing. (The team is) way more confident as you get more experience," Swan said.
2005 Schedule
Home games in bold
Mar. 29 SWMSU 1 p.m.
Mar. 30 Lincoln 11 p.m.
Apr. 2 Minnesota-Crookston 1 p.m.
Apr. 3 Minnesota-Crookston 1 p.m.
Apr. 5 Bemidji State 1 p.m.
Apr. 6 Winona State 1 p.m.
Apr. 9 Nebraska-Omaha 12 p.m.
Apr. 10 Nebraska-Omaha 12 p.m.
Apr. 16 AC 1 p.m.
Apr. 17 AC 1 p.m.
Apr. 18 St. John's 3:30 p.m.
Apr. 19 Bemidji State 1 p.m.
Apr. 21 St. John's 6 p.m.
Apr. 22 MSU-Mankato 2 p.m.
Apr. 24 MSU-Mankato 2 p.m.
Apr. 30 UMD 2 p.m.
May 1 UMD 2 p.m.
May 4 C-SP 3 p.m.
May 6 UND 3 p.m.
May 7 UND1 p.m.
All home games played at Dick Putz Field at Municipal Athletic Complex.
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