Full Notes (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF) (HTML)
April 22, 2009 - Coming off a marathon 15-inning win against non-conference opponent Lincoln (Mo.) on Wednesday, the Truman baseball team will hit the road for the final time in MIAA play this weekend for a four-game set with the Washburn (Kan.) Ichabods.
The two teams will spread the four games out over three days, with a single game on Friday afternoon, a doubleheader on Saturday, followed by the series finale on Sunday.
This is the second straight year that Truman has traveled to Washburn for its season series. WU took three of four last year - also on the final weekend of April - in Topeka.
MEET THE SKIPPERS:
Dan Davis is in his third season as the leader of the Bulldog program after having previously served as the pitching coach of the Division I University of Northern Iowa Panthers. He has a 27-117 (.188) career head coaching record in three seasons - all at Truman.
Davis is assisted by Sean Zaborowski, Patrick Delaney and Mike O’Haver. He is 3-5 against Washburn for his career.
Steve Anson is the head coach of the Ichabods, and he is 732-663 (.525) in his 30th season at Washburn.
SCOUTING THE ICHABODS:
The Washburn Ichabods (18-24, 11-17 MIAA) welcome Truman to Topeka after splitting a pair of doubleheaders with Pittsburg State last weekend in Pittsburg, Kan., before falling 12-9 to Rockhurst on Tuesday night in Kansas City.
Sitting 7th in the MIAA, Washburn has played to a 12-15 record at its home park - Falley Field - and will play its final games of the season there this weekend.
Most of the offensive production comes from senior DH Brett Sorensen and sophomore SS Dane Simoneau, who own .348 and .314 batting averages respectively. The duo account for seven of the team’s 17 homeruns and more than 35% of the Ichabod’s RBIs.
On the mound, Curtis Hamilton serves as the team’s rotation ace, having compiled a 5-1 record in 10 starts with a 3.19 ERA. Truman can also expect to see junior RHP Dustin Holthaus (2-2, 14 app/4 starts, 2.96 ERA), senior RHP Andrew Miller (2-4, 3.74 ERA, 8 starts) and junior RHP Danny Cook (3-4, 5.52 ERA, 8 starts) as part of the WU rotation this weekend.
Holthaus is tied for the team high in appearances with junior southpaw Daren Parker (0-2, 4.58, 14 app), while junior Eldon Little (10 app, 7.27 ERA), a fellow lefty, has three of Washburn’s four saves on the season.
LIVE STATS TO BE AVAILABLE:
The WU Sports Information Department will have live stats available for the weekend series through their Web site.
WU’s Athletics Web site is: http://www.wusports.com. A link will be provided on the Truman baseball schedule page.
TWO -FOR-ONE SPECIAL - TUESDAY ONLY!:
A chance to get away from afternoon doubleheaders at home for a single day ended up not happening on Tuesday afternoon as the Bulldogs and Lincoln battled for 15 innings at the Truman Baseball Park.
The game will go into the Bulldog record books, however, as the extra-inning contest marked the longest game in program history – passing the previous-long set in March of 1993 against Washburn. That day’s game went a mere 13 innings.
To accomplish the feat though, Truman had to bounce back from a 10-1 hole through four and a half innings and rely on 10.2 scoreless innings to end the game from three members of its bullpen. Tyler Stefan, Michael Staihr and Jake Smith - the game’s eventual pitcher of record - gave up just five hits from the sixth inning on and struck out 11 Blue Tigers to allow the offense to climb back into the game.
In all, 534 pitches were thrown between 14 different pitchers, and the game concluded more than four and a half hours after it began.
BULLDOGS APPROACHING TEAM RECORDS:
Truman and Mother Nature have gotten along well enough this year to likely soar past the previous record for games played in a season. With 47 games already in the book and 10 more on the slate, the previous high of 51, set back in the 2000 season, looks to be ready to move down a spot on the all-time chart.
With more games come more numbers, as the squad will set new program-highs in put-outs and assists during Friday’s game at Washburn. Also likely to fall this season are total runs, hits, doubles, RBIs and total bases at the plate and strikeouts on the mound.
Despite playing more games, Truman has walked just 142 batters on the season - more than 90 below the program single-season high – and will challenge the all-time fielding percentage mark of .959 (currently at .954)
UP NEXT:
The Bulldogs will head to Quincy (Ill.) for a doubleheader next Tuesday before wrapping up the season with four games at home against Missouri Western.