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Week one of the preseason concluded today with five innings, as the pitching staff continued to show dominance over the position players, who are still struggling behind the plate. The hitters had only six hits spread across the course of the scrimmage, with no one recording multiple hits. Alonzo Alverez laid claim to the only extra-base hit, a solo HR that cleared the fence in right-center in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The HR by Alverez came in response to the two runs put on the board in the top half of the inning, resulting from a pair of errors. The only other scoring came in the 5th inning, also due to a pair of errors. In summation, the pitching is progressing as it should, but the hitting and fielding have a ways to go before the regular season begins in less than three weeks.
TJ Coats and Sebastian Santos-Olson started today’s session, each throwing three innings and both sporting high marks in the pitching chart. Sebastian, a talented freshman, has had a standout season so far. On the other hand, TJ is feeling grateful to be out of Nebraska at this time of year, and he’s been showcasing impressive skills on the mound throughout the fall and into the spring preseason.
Things intensified quickly for TJ when Jake Ogden launched a powerful line drive double down the third base line on the very first pitch. Vance Sheahan followed up with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt that advanced Jake to third base. Just when it seemed like TJ might escape the inning unscathed, he struck out Jackson Hugus. Unfortunately for him, Mason Greenhouse came through with an RBI single, bringing the first run of the game across the plate.
TJ managed to sail through the 2nd inning and started the 3rd with two quick outs before walking Brandon DeGoti. That’s when things started to unravel. Michael Torres got hit by a pitch, and during an attempted pick-off, both runners advanced a base due to an error by the catcher. Dylan Dubovik then hit a single with runners on 2nd and 3rd, scoring one run, and as the center fielder fumbled the ball, the second run came in as well. It’s frustrating to see those errors creeping back in—something we hoped had been left in the past.
Sebastian displayed impressive skills during the first two innings, facing the minimum number of batters in the first and notching three strikeouts in the second. He had to dig deep in the second after allowing an opening walk and a one-out single. In the third inning, he continued to shine, racking up another three strikeouts, although he faced a setback when Alonso Alverez led off the inning with a home run that cleared the right-center fence. As a left-handed pitcher, his future looks very promising as he progresses in his freshman year.
Erick Peralta and Brixton Lofgren are next in the rotation. Erick appeared to find his rhythm last week during an unofficial scrimmage but quickly lost control in his second inning, struggling to find the strike zone. The defense also didn’t do him any favors. Max Galvin started the inning with what should have been a routine flyout to left field; however, instead of Mason Greenhouse calling off the left side of the infield, the ball dropped between the three fielders. Max ended up on second base as a result, and Erick lost command of his pitches, walking Gabriel Milano. With runners on the corners, the errors continued as Daniel mishandled a grounder, leading to another costly error and an unearned run. While Erick faced difficulties, Brixton, in his second appearance of the weekend, confidently retired the three batters he faced
Lonzo Drummond made his second appearance of the weekend. His star continues to shine as he quickly achieved three groundouts and walked one batter, Jake Ogden, before being thrown out while attempting to steal second base.Ryan Bilka, in storybook closer fashion, ended the first week of the spring preseason, striking out two of the three who came to the plate.
Offensively, the team continues to struggle, recording only six hits, while the defense has been error-prone, making costly mistakes. They have three weeks remaining to improve. Luckily, the early part of the schedule is favorable, with their first major challenge not scheduled until late February against Florida. While games against UCF and FAU may not be easy, the upcoming matches against Lehigh and Lafayette should help them find their footing, with Indiana State serving as an appetizer. As this was just the first week after a two-month break, I’ll give the offense a pass, but they need to ramp up their focus, reducing careless plays on defense and increasing effectiveness at the plate.
No word on next week’s schedule. Definitely Friday-Sunday, with Wednesday as midweek. Will advise times when received.
