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Printer-Friendly ModeCards off to strong start
Baseball team begins 10-2 but loses Marsden to elbow injury
March 20, 2006 —
Walt Head believed it was important for his young team to do well on their spring trip in order to build some momentum heading into their competitive GLIAC season schedule.
Mission accomplished.
The Cardinals stand 10-2 thus far after their spring trip to Ft. Myers, Florida and a trip to Kentucky State this past week. But despite the impressive record, Head sees areas for improvement and expresses caution when analyzing early season success.
"(Being) 10-2 excites me," Head says, "but I know that unless we come out and do something in the league, it doesn't make a lot of difference.
Something else that excited Head was his team's come-from-behind win in the season's opening game when the Cards scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat St. Anselm College 7-6. Sophomore outfielder Brandon Fanion served as the catalyst for the Cardinals stagnant offense when he began the ninth with a walk.
Four walks, two hits, a hit batter, and an error later, Fanion returned to the plate and smacked a two-run single up the middle to give the Cards their first win of the season.
Following the thrilling comeback win, the Cards would grab seven more wins in Florida, including four against the University of Charleston. The team dismantled the Golden Eagles on the spring trip, outscoring them 39-8 over the four contests.
A 4-2 loss to Regis University and a 20-2 drubbing at the hands of Florida Gulf Coast served as the only blemishes on the Cardinals spring record.
After returning home for a few days, the team headed to Kentucky State and picked up two more victories, taking their record to 10-2 by outscoring the Thorobreds 24-1 in the doubleheader.
Despite the offensive clout the team has displayed early on, Head says it is the pitching that has led to the team's early season success.
The Cards pitching staff has compiled an impressive 2.97 ERA and has held opposing batters to just a .238 average. Leading the way thus far is junior Scott Schlaff, who has gone 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings of work. Schlaff, a Second Team All-GLIAC performer a year ago, has fanned 25 batters against only four walks.
Sophomore Scott Roy, another Second Team All-GLIAC player from a year ago, has also been impressive early on, compiling a 2-0 record with a 2.50 ERA.
The Cards bullpen has also been solid early on, led by junior Ben Esparza. Esparza, an Arthur Hill graduate, has been stellar thus far, picking up a win and a save in four relief appearances.
Despite Head's concerns that the offense may struggle this season, the team has hit well, outperforming early expectations. Unfortunately, though, an early injury has already taken an experienced bat out of the Cardinals lineup.
Senior Dale Marsden fractured his elbow in the last game in Florida against the University of North Dakota and is most likely out for the remainder of the season.
At the time of the injury, Marsden was a key component of the team's offense, batting .514 with three doubles, two triples, two home runs and 10 RBIs.
"Losing Dale is going to hurt us somewhere down the road," Head said.
One player who could help fill the offensive void left by Marsden's injury could be Fanion. After a stellar freshman season, Fanion has returned to form. In starting all 12 games, he has compiled a .357 average and scored nine runs with 12 driven in.
In addition, junior Chris Hanna has provided some potent offense, showing a combination of power and speed. A second baseman his first two seasons, Hanna moved to the outfield and has responded with two home runs and seven stolen bases in just six starts.
The Cards return to action Wednesday when they travel to Alma before kicking off league play with doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday at Hillsdale.