Baseball struggles in midweek games
April 4, 2008
There was cause for discomfort for the MU baseball team Wednesday night. The team came into the night on a three-game losing streak. In the middle of the seventh inning Wednesday, the team was clinging to a 3-2 lead against Division II Lincoln University.
“Nothing that we do seems to be working,” coach Tim Jamieson said. “You’re just uncomfortable until you get some runs across the board.”
The Tigers scored one run in the seventh inning, then exploded for a six-run eighth inning to take a 10-2 win over the Blue Tigers.
“All of a sudden we started getting some pitches to hit and our line drives started to find holes,” Jamieson said.
The week hadn’t been going well for the team. After losing Saturday and Sunday at Texas Tech, the team lost at home on Tuesday, dropping a 5-3 game to Western Illinois.
Sophomore Greg Folgia started Tuesday for MU (21-6, 4-2 Big 12) and surrendered five runs in 3.1 innings pitched. Only three of the runs were earned, as the Tigers had three errors in the game.
“I guess I didn’t feel right,” Folgia said. “I didn’t feel comfortable, but I was fighting through it. I was leaving pitches up, not hitting spots, they were just hanging and staying up.”
After Folgia’s exit, junior Ryan Gargano came in for relief and pitched 5.2 scoreless innings.
“He shut them down and gave us a chance to get some runs,” Folgia said.
Folgia’s struggles did not extend to the plate. Between Tuesday and Wednesday he was 3-6 at the plate and drew four walks.
“Being in the leadoff position I try and get to two strikes and fight away to let everybody see some pitches,” Folgia said. “That’s my goal, usually, every time I bat is to see more pitches.”
The team also struggled with fielding errors. Before Tuesday, it had 21 errors in 25 games. But the Tigers had three errors in each of the midweek games.
“The middle of our infield is playing good,” Jamieson said. “The catchers are doing good, the infielders are doing good, that’s where the majority of plays are being made. So, I feel confident with our defense.”
Jamieson used the Lincoln game as an opportunity to get work for a lot of pitchers, using seven. Freshman Kelly Fick got the start, pitching three scoreless innings and being the pitcher of record in the win. Fick said he focused on generating more ground balls.
“I had been struggling the last few outings and was looking to get comfortable out there again,” Fick said.
With only a few exceptions, the team plays non-conference games during the week and conference games on the weekends.
“Our season is going to be dictated by what we do on the weekends,” Jamieson said. “And (Tuesday), as much as you’d like to win, is not going to have any effect on our season.”
The team has a three-game home series on tap this weekend with Oklahoma State, who is 18-8 overall and 4-5 in the Big 12.
“It feels like they swing for the fences,” Folgia said of the Cowboys. “In batting practice, they’re hitting balls out. I don’t know how their team is this year, but I’m sure they’ll try to get us with the bats.”
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