2007 Baseball Preview

The 2007 Bloomsburg University baseball team has high hopes after last season when they made a late run and narrowly missed the conference playoffs. After a slow start to the 2006 season, the Huskies rallied to win six of their final seven games but fell just one game shy of a playoff berth.

The Huskies have made several improvements in order to get themselves over the hump. "Our infield defense was an issue for us last year." said Collins. "We've recruited several new players and will have a new look infield this season. We also are more athletic this year. We have versatile guys who can play several positions and steal some bases."

CATCHER

Vinnie James will return behind the dish after moving to second base last season because of an arm injury. James, a .312 career hitter, had another solid season for the Huskies, batting .311 in 37 games.

Backing up James will be Rich Letts and Nick Lerch. "Rich can really catch and throw," added Collins. "Defensively he can really shut down the running game." Lerch was an infielder last season but will convert to a catcher this season. "Lerch is a good athlete who can also do a great job as a DH," said Collins. "He has shown steady improvement at the plate."

FIRST BASE

Kevin Ward had a great freshman year hitting .326 and leading the team with six home runs. Ward continued to get better as the year went on and was productive in the league. He will be expected to start at first base this season.

SECOND BASE

Preston Hitchock and Tony Donofry both had excellent fall seasons and will each see time at second base. Hitchcock, a sophomore transfer from Lock Haven, is a productive offensive player who has some juice in his bat and can steal bases. Donofry, a freshman, will provide some depth and can play the left side of the infield as well.

SHORTSTOP

Matt Allen, a junior transfer from Clarion, will see the majority of time at shortstop. Allen is a proven collegiate player and will be expected to anchor the infield for the Huskies this season.

Freshman Donaven Rodriguez will also see time at shortstop. "Donaven is an extremely athletic player who is capable of playing short, second, and third and will battle for time at these positions," said Collins.

THIRD BASE

At third base freshmen Paul Eckley and Zach Silver will battle for playing time. "Both are fantastic defensively and will really help out the pitching staff with their gloves," added Collins. "Both of them will have an opportunity to play."

OUTFIELD

Senior Matt Robinson will be in left field once again this season. Robinson, who was named team MVP last season, was among the team leaders in almost every offensive category last season.

Senior Andy Bucher will be in back right field this season. "Bucher is a great leader through his work ethic and we are expecting a great year from him," said Collins.

In center field, a number of players will compete for time. Freshman Chris Tressler, junior transfer David Miller and sophomore Kevin Plott will each share time in the outfield.

PITCHING

The Huskies will have a number of upper classmen returning to the rotation this season. Seniors Casey Markey, David Rute, Robinson and junior Dustin Johnson will all be key members of the rotation this season.

"Casey's had a lot of success throughout his career," noted Collins. "He's excited to come back and show everyone what type of pitcher he can be."

Johnson had a solid 2006 season, leading the team with four victories and throwing seven complete games. "Dustin might be the hardest working guy in the program," said Collins. "He has worked hard during the off-season to improve his velocity."

"Rute pitched well for us last season and has the ability to be an effective conference starter again this year,"added Collins.

Robinson, who stepped into the rotation because of injuries last season, will also be looked upon to get outs. "He's extraordinarily competitive," added Collins. "He's just unflappable on the mound and knows how to handle difficult situations."

Sophomore Michael Griggs, who came on strong at the end of last season will also be part of the starting rotation. Griggs ended the season with 21 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

Freshman Grant Kernaghan will also be in the mix. Kernaghan had a strong fall season and will get an opportunity to start early on.

In the bullpen, sophomore Paul Culbertson and freshmen Jonathan Derkits and Brian Siegfried will also be key members.

Left handed pitcher Chris Carter will be looked to get the left handed batters out and Tressler will also see time out of the bullpen in addition to playing the outfield.

Seth Pauling is a big righty who will also be looked upon to get outs and provide innings out of the pen.

OVERALL

"Last year was a great learning experience for our players," noted Collins. "We really tested them early with the quality of our schedule. We have quite a few returning players who understand that you have to fight through adversity in order to be successful."

Last season the Huskies had a very difficult non-conference schedule playing some of the top teams in the nation, including top-ranked Georgia College and State University as well as USC-Aiken and Lander University. This season will be no different as the Huskies will play top collegiate programs such as Carson-Newman and Tusculum College. Coach Collins hopes the difficult schedule will once again make them better prepared for their conference games.

"We've had a great off-season," said Collins. "We made a great effort in the weight room and the off-season conditioning. There's great unity in the locker room and everyone's excited about what lies ahead. I'm looking forward to the season and I think we definitely have the make-up and the talent to compete for a conference championship."