Baseball uses exhibition game to gauge young talent
For the first time since May, the Central Michigan baseball team returned to Theunissen Stadium Friday.
In a 12-inning exhibition game, CMU beat the Ontario Blue Jays, an 18-under travel team, 13-8, kicking off its fall baseball schedule.
The game provided both teams a chance to look at some young faces and a lineup heading into the fall.
“This is our first chance to see some guys we haven’t seen before,” said sophomore infielder Jordan Dean. “Everyone was out here trying to get some swings down and see some pitches.”
Dean scored three of the Chippewas 13 runs in the game and also had two runs batted in.
The Chippewas scored four runs in the first two innings of the game, but were held scoreless until the eighth inning when the bats came alive once again.
A five-run eighth inning extended their lead as junior shortstop Tyler Hall added a double and a triple of his own, giving the Chippewas a 13-3 lead heading into the final inning of play.
The Blue Jays would go on to score five runs of their own in a comeback bid that fell short.
“I thought our guys played hard today,” said head coach Steve Jaksa. “That’s what you have to do when you play — you have to play hard and that’s good to see when you’re trying to put a team together.”
Junior left-hander Trent Howard pitched the first three innings in the game and allowed one earned run while striking out five batters. Junior right-hander Zach Cooper relieved him, pitching 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball.
Jaksa said he was pleased with the overall performance of the pitching staff.
All five of the Blue Jays runs in the 12th inning came off junior pitcher Harvey Martin, who came in to try and close the game. The outing was Martin’s first action in more than a year after missing all of last season due to injury.
Martin got a lot of ground balls but some bad bounces created a rough first outing back. Sophomore pitcher and Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year last year Dietrich Enns also saw action in the game pitching, one inning and allowing one run. Enns was a first team all-MAC selection last year as well as a freshman all-american selection.
Junior first baseman Nate Theunissen, who was also a first team all-MAC selection, started the game at first base and will be expected to produce some big numbers for the Chippewas in 2010.
The Chippewas continue fall ball with their annual Fall World Series, an eight-game intrasquad scrimmage series, beginning Oct. 8 at Theunissen Stadium.
