Back for more: CMU baseball ready to make next step
It was the final game of the season — one last chance to advance and keep the season alive.
The Central Michigan baseball team was the No. 1 seed and Kent State was the No. 2 seed. It was the Mid-American Conference championship game.
Senior ace Jesse Hernandez had an uncharacteristic start, allowing three earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings and the Chippewas were down 5-0.
But the team, just like it had done all season, found life.
A three-run rally in the eighth inning gave the team hope, but in the ninth, with a man left on base, the season came to an end.
The Chippewas had won the 2010 regular season MAC championship but was left with a sour taste in their mouth.
This season the team is soul searching. And after a shaky 9-12 overall start, the Chippewas are preparing to make another run.
“Each team has to find their own identity no matter what you did the year before,” said head coach Steve Jaksa. “We lost the pitcher of the year (Hernandez) — Friday starters don’t just roll off of tables.”
CMU lost a plethora of key elements from last year’s team, including Hernandez who signed with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Other notables who left include catcher Dale Cornstubble, drafted by the Kansas City Royals, third basemen James Teas, centerfielder Billy Anderson and middle infielder Ricky Clark.
When you lose that kind of star power, it is not easy to fill voids.
Junior Trent Howard has made his way to becoming the ace this season, sporting a 1-3 record with a 3.00 earned run average.
Junior William Arnold has stepped into the catcher slot and made strides in his progression on both the offensive and defensive side of the plate. Junior Sam Russell has seen a lot of action in center field this season and sophomore Jordan Dean has filled the middle infield alongside senior and former basketball standout Robbie Harman.
“Those middle guys (Dean and Harman) are now working together and it is like a marriage,” Jaksa said. “We have seen growth in there as the season has progressed and I think it will get better.”
One of the bigger surprises on the year has been junior Tyler Hall, who has stepped in as the leadoff hitter and has been solid at third base.
A combination of junior Scott Phillion, junior Andrew Thomas and senior Matt Faiman will fill in the outfield positions. Sophomore Jordan Adams will usually be the designated hitter, but is currently on the disabled list with an injury and his return is uncertain.
The Chippewas pitching staff is going to have to be one of the strong points in order for the team to succeed.
“We have had some ups and downs this year and we just want to see good signs from here on out,” said sophomore left-hander Dietrich Enns. “We know our offense will come around — I have just as much faith in them as I do our staff.”
Senior Bryce Morrow and junior Zach Cooper will find themselves pitching in the weekend rotation. Senior Jake Sabol and junior Ryan Longstreth will also be called upon from time to time to start on the mound. With conference play starting today the Chippewas have to find themselves, and they must do it fast.
This team has the coach, the talent and the patience to realize their abilities. The only task left to hurdle is the mental aspect of the game.
“That one-on-one between the pitcher and hitter is the beauty of this game. You can’t run from that, everyone knows how you did,” Jaksa said. “Constantly dealing with that throughout an entire season becomes mentally important.”
