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After an uninspiring opening day to the unofficial start of the preseason, we were treated to 7 innings of baseball. Eight pitchers stretched their arms, wiping away the two-month lull of inactivity. The pitching looked like it hadn’t missed a beat, while the bats started making good contact with the ball. Twelve hits were pounded out, three for extra bases, one of which was high off the scoreboard, punctuating the U dead center. Two players with multiple hits, Vance Sheahan and Cian Copeland, led the way. Vance reached base all three times at the plate, reaching first base in the second inning on an E5. While the hitters started seeing the ball better, it didn’t take away from the strong mound performance, with 19 strikeouts. As the batters get more repetitions at the plate and get their timing right, I expect the double-digit strikeouts from the past two days to go down remarkably.
From a pitching perspective, the first team established a strong presence, limiting the opposing batters’ opportunities and minimizing runs. Six of the eight pitchers threw two innings each, except AJ Ciscar, who started the scrimmage, and Patrick Bradley-Cooney, who finished it. AJ, expected to be the Friday starter, faced only the first three batters, concluding his day. Patrick, whose background includes being a closer at Campbell, is still adjusting after missing the fall preseason. Unlike AJ, he will gradually work his way into the top tier of our pitching staff. He, along with Ryan Bilka, is a key candidate for the team’s closer role.
Tate DeRias encountered a rough start compared to AJ, who smoothly pitched his one inning. The trouble began with a one-out double and a walk. He responded by striking out the next two batters, keeping the game scoreless. In the second inning, Tate resumed with two more strikeouts. However, his momentum was broken when teammate Dylan Dubovik, the team’s two-way player, delivered a pitch that struck the inside of the U and shook up the scoreboard. A walk and a final strikeout marked the end of his outing. Tate is expected to start on Saturday. While his four strikeouts are encouraging, the double and home run are concerns.
TJ Coats and Rob Evans are the next pitchers up. Rob is vying for the final weekend spot. Challenging him is Jake Dorn, who struck out four in seven batters faced yesterday. It’s still early to finalize the starting rotation, but we’ll be monitoring these players closely. Rob gave up an unearned run in the second inning on an E5, and Brylan West missed an inning-ending double play, allowing Sheahan to score from third after reaching on an earlier error. TJ pitched two scoreless innings. As a junior from Nebraska, TJ should be added to the watch list.
TJ Coats and Rob Evans are the next pitchers up. Rob is vying for the final weekend spot. Challenging him is Jake Dorn, who struck out four in seven batters faced yesterday. It’s still early to finalize the starting rotation, but we’ll be monitoring these players closely. Rob gave up an unearned run in the second inning on an E5, and Brylan West missed an inning-ending double play, allowing Sheahan to score from third after reaching on an earlier error. TJ pitched two scoreless innings. As a junior from Nebraska, TJ should be added to the watch list.
The final two pitchers, Ryan Bilka and Patrick Bradley-Cooney, are undoubtedly our primary options to seal the game. Both demonstrated sharpness: Ryan faced three batters in the sixth inning, recording three strikeouts, and added another in the seventh. Patrick, in his season debut, struck out three of the four batters he faced, allowing only a two-out double to Derek Williams.
The bats emerged from their semi-freeze after the two-month layoff, showing improvement in their hitting compared to yesterday. However, their strikeout total remains entirely unacceptable, with nineteen Ks hardly something to be proud of. Having two batters with multiple hits marks progress from the previous day, and with more plate appearances, the hitters are expected to start making more contact again. On paper, this should be an excellent hitting team, capable of posting substantial numbers. We have a couple of weeks to fine-tune the timing and get back on track.
This marks the end of the unofficial preseason. Next week, coaches and players will come together as the official season begins. They are scheduled to play on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with a possible game on Wednesday. I will update you on the specific days and times as soon as I receive that information.
