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Tiger teams headed in opposite directions
2/12/2009
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
Both teams have perfect records.
For the Tiger softball team, that's a good thing.
For the Tiger baseball team, not so much.
The Fort Hays State University softball team is off to a 4-0 start under first-year coach Julie LeMaire. Meanwhile, the Fort Hays baseball team, 0-6 on the season, looks for its first victory in Friday's home opener at Larks Park.
Fort Hays will play host to Colorado School of Mines at 3 p.m. in the opener of a four-game series.
Senior left-hander Eric Gilliland, 0-2 with a 2.00 earned-run average, is the probable starter Friday. In Saturday's 1 p.m. doubleheader, the probable starters are junior left-hander Matt Augustine (0-1, 10.50) and senior right-hander Brian Thompson (0-1, 15.19). In Sunday's noon series finale, senior right-hander Kent Williamson will get his first start.
The Tigers have a team ERA of 8.74.
Better starting pitching is one area the club needs to improve on, Fort Hays coach Rick Sabath said. Sabath said infield defense also needs to get better, as well as overall consistency.
"Typical baseball funk," Sabath said. "When you're hitting, you're not pitching; when you're pitching, you're not hitting."
That consistency Sabath seeks was thrown for a loop even before the first pitch of the season. Junior third baseman Clayton Karst was lost for the season with a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, and junior Sean Caggiano, penciled in to start at shortstop, also hurt his shoulder and might be out for the year.
Sabath had to move senior Alex Harvey from left field to third base, shift senior Brett Becker to shortstop and put junior Tyler Robbins at second base. Sabath had hoped to use Becker as the designated hitter and in a part-time role in the field, to protect his hamstrings; they bothered him last year.
"We have to overcome it," Sabath said. "We have to figure out a way to make it work."
Everything's been working so far for LeMaire. The Tigers look to keep it going this weekend, when they head to Texas today to play six games in three days.
The Tigers have been hitting .310 as a team through the first four games, one of the keys to the fast start.
"We're really working hard on the offensive side," LeMaire said. "We're trying to hit every day.
"It really was paying off when we got to the plate last weekend," she added.
LeMaire said a player can always work on her hitting.
"Hitting is contagious," she said. "I don't think you can hit too much.
"Even when we're doing well, we'll concentrate on hitting," she added.
The pitching has been solid, too, in the early going. But the Tigers' pitching depth suffered a blow when it was learned junior right-hander Jessica Hamilton's injury to her throwing hand was more serious than originally thought. Hamilton likely is out for the season with a broken bone in her wrist. Her absence also hurts the Tigers defensively; she was counted on to start at first base when not pitching.
With Hamilton out, freshman Sara Webber will start at first base, and sophomore right-hander Erin Kinsey will be the third pitcher. Kinsey might get a few innings this weekend, but LeMaire will rely on junior right-hander Adrian Mohr (2-0, 5.78) and sophomore left-hander Kayla Rupa (2-0, 1.50) to get the bulk of the work.
"Those two complement each other nicely," LeMaire said.
The Tigers will get a better idea about how good they are this weekend.
"It will be an interesting week for us," LeMaire said."We're playing against teams that can also hit the ball a ton.
"We've got some good competition, for sure. We think we're in good position to play as well as we did this weekend," she added.
The Tigers' home opener -- their only games in Hays this month -- is Tuesday at 2 p.m. against Bethany College at Tiger Stadium. Otherwise, it's on the road again all month.
"For me, it's like it's game day, no matter where it's at," LeMaire said.
One of the hot hitters on the opening road trip was senior shortstop Alex Eaton, who played a part-time role last year. Eaton had seven RBIs in a game over the weekend, tying the program record since statistics were kept starting in 1999.
"Alex is that kind of kid you want 10 of as a coach," LeMaire said. "She's out to prove something from last year.
"That's the reason you coach, to see those kids succeed," she added.
Just like the Tiger squad as a whole so far this season.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| BB | 03/17 | Missouri S&T | W 2-1 (10) |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 6-1 |
| SB | 03/17 | Bethany | W 8-1 |
| BB | 03/16 | Misosuri S&T | L 13-4 |
| MB | 03/14 | Central Missouri | L 80-73 |
| BB | 3/13 | NW Missouri | W 13-10 |
| BB | 03/13 | NW Missouri | W 4-3 |
| MB | 03/13 | Central Oklahoma | W 80-64 |
| SB | 03/08 | Fort Lewis | W 5-4 |
| BB | 03/07 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 13-7 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 16-4 |
| BB | 03/06 | No. 9 Emporia State | W 3-0 |
| MB | 03/05 | Emporia State | L 65-61 |
| BB | 03/05 | No. 9 Emporia State | L 10-3 |
| WB | 03/04 | No. 15 Emporia | L 72-66 |
| WB | 02/28 | No. 12 Emporia State | L 87-80 |
| MB | 02/28 | Emporia State | W 94-47 |
| SB | 02/28 | Quincy | L 6-0 |
| SB | 02/27 | Mo Southern | W 9-3 |
| SB | 02/27 | Missouri S&T | L 8-3 |