Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Baseball Fall Season Notebook
10/10/2003 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
Oct. 10, 2003
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University baseball team recently wrapped up its four-week, fall camp at Abe Martin Field. Take a look at this year's fall notebook.
Report Card
SIU head coach Dan Callahan gave this year's fall camp a B+. "We tried to cover as much as we could in four weeks and I thought we accomplished that," said Callahan. "For the most part I was happy, but obviously there are some areas we need to continue working on."
Newcomers Adjust
One of the goals Callahan had this fall was to help his newcomers adjust to the program. Whether you're fresh out of high school or a junior college transfer, the transition to NCAA Division I baseball is not always easy, but for this talented group, things went pretty smooth.
"I thought we did a decent job of acclimating our six new guys to the system," quoted Callahan. "The five recruits we brought in all proved over the course of the fall that they're worthy of a chance to contribute."
According to Callahan, right-handed pitchers Jason Chavez (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) and Ryan Davis (Tacoma, Wash.) did a good job of proving right away they fit in. Although not overpowering, Davis showed he was one of the most difficult pitchers to hit during fall intrasquad play.
Meanwhile, pitcher/outfielder Grant Gerrard (Castle Rock, Colo.) and outfielder Kevin Koski (Schaumburg, Ill.) had good falls offensively, and both add a great deal of speed to the club.
Behind the plate, Rush Olson (McLean, Ill.) and walk-on Justin Kaskadden (Lakemoor, Ill.) were able to get plenty of defensive work, as well as become familiar with the Saluki pitchers.
Question Marks
As the fall progressed, Callahan was able to get a grasp on who may fill the gaps left by two-time, first-team all-MVC catcher Toby Barnett, first-team all-MVC pitcher Jake Alley and second-team all-MVC outfielder Sal Frisella.
Although those roles are undetermined at this time, Brendan Lutz (Ingleside, Ill.) appears to be the front-runner for the job behind the plate.
Pitching wise, Callahan said, "As far as trying to determine who a true number one is, there are several candidates, including Bryan Rueger (Mt. Vernon, Ind.) who showed he might be able to move up to that spot. Also, there were times Marshall Tucker (St. Louis, Mo.) proved he was our most effective pitcher."
With the return of Cory Newman (Ottawa, Ill.) and Matt Brewer (Springfield, Ill.), along with the addition of Koski and Gerrard, Callahan didn't seem too concerned with his outfield, but did say first base is a position he wants more offensive production from this year.
Josh Markle (Longmont, Colo.), Nathan Emrick (Griggsville, Ill.), Erik Alvarez (Miami, Fla.) and Carl Heuer (Belleville, Ill.) were mentioned as possible candidates for that spot.
Middle Men Magic
Junior shortstop P.J. Finigan (Springfield, Ill.) and senior second baseman Greg Andrews (Peoria, Ill.) proved to be one of the top double play tandems in the Missouri Valley Conference last year. Finigan and Andrews led the Saluki defense to a school record 72 DPs in 2003.
Let's not forget...
The dazzling double play efforts of Finigan and Andrews, along with a pitching staff which garnered numerous ground balls, propelled SIU to the top of NCAA Division I baseball statistics last season. The Salukis, who led the nation in double plays per game (1.31), posted 72 twin killings which tied with Miami (Fla.), Southern Mississippi and CWS semi-finalist Cal State Fullerton for the highest number of DPs. Knowing that, you can assume continuing that trend of success was a major focus of this year's camp.
Showtime at Second
Senior second baseman Andrews enters his final year as a Saluki this season. A second-team all-MVC and MVC all-tournament pick a year ago, Andrews hit .302 with a team-leading 13 doubles in 54 starts. He also ranked second in runs scored (43), home runs (8) and RBI (36).
"Greg is so used to the system and has adapted year in and year out," quoted Callahan. "This was an unusual fall for him simply because his class schedule did not permit him to be at practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, that's not a concern of mine because I know he'll return to regular game form when the season starts."
Infield Intimidation
Callahan appeared to be very excited about his infield which returns every starter from a year ago. Nathan Boldt (Mt. Vernon, Ill.) returns at third base, Andrews (2B) and Finigan (SS) return up the middle and Markle returns at first. With that kind of lineup, you can look for solid defense from the Salukis this spring.
Hello Newman
Senior center fielder Newman returned to the Saluki outfield after being granted a medical redshirt last season. His remarkable comeback began last summer in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .231 with 24 hits, a double, a home run and eight RBI for the Harwich Mariners. Not bad numbers for a guy who missed all but eight games due to injury a year ago.
"I think Cory will be one of the top center fielders if not the top center fielder in the Valley this season," said Callahan.
Outfield "Arm"y
Sparked by the return of Newman, Matt Brewer, Emrick and Nick Baughman (Bloomington, Ill.), along with newcomers Koski and Gerrard, the Saluki outfield showed plenty of arm strength this fall.
"After what I saw from our outfield this fall, I don't think there's any better throwing outfield in the league," said Callahan.
On the Bump
In addition to Rueger, Tucker, Chavez and Davis, several other pitchers threw quality innings for the Salukis. Tyler Norrick (Festus, Mo.), Adam Snyder (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Josh Joiner (Jonesboro, Ill.), Eric Haberer (Bloomington, Ill.) and Finigan also had success on the mound during the fall campaign.
Coming Soon
SIU, who finished second in the MVC Tournament last year, opens its 2004 season with a three-game series at Florida Atlantic, Feb. 13-15. First pitch of the series is Friday at 7 p.m.
