Vikings Head to Tennessee Tech for Three Games
    CSU Continues Early Season Road Schedule
    Coty Bates

    Coty Bates

    Feb. 23, 2010

    Contact: Renee Adam

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    AROUND THE HORN: The Cleveland State baseball team will travel to Cookeville, Tenn. for a weekend series against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. The Vikings will open the series with a 4:00 p.m. EST match up on Friday (Feb. 26), then play a 3:00 p.m. EST mid day game on Saturday (Feb. 27) and close the series with a 2:00 p.m. EST game on Sunday (Feb. 28). CSU enters the series with a record of 0-3 after dropping all three games at UNC-Greensboro last weekend, while TTU enters Friday's game coming off a 12-9 come from behind victory over Georgia Southern. This will mark the first meeting between the two teams and the fourth Ohio Valley Conference opponent for the Vikings in the past 10 years.

    2010 SEASON PREVIEW: Following a year in which Cleveland State recorded 21 victories, head coach Kevin Kocks believes that he has the right group of student-athletes to finish what he started three years ago when he first came to Cleveland. One of the deepest parts of the team will be the pitching rotation where Kocks has 12 available arms. Leading the charge on the mound will be juniors Anthony Sambula (2.25 ERA, 2 SO) and Coty Bates and sophomore Nate Blankemeyer. The trio of Jimmy Cowhy (0-1), Joey Gradney and Nate Dick (6.00 ERA, 2 SO) are knocking on the door to fill starting roles on the mound during weekend contests, with freshmen Brandon Cooper, Pat Shedlock and Dylan Schwegler coming out of the bullpen as relief pitchers and junior Travis Miller returning as the closer. Sophomore Alex Johnson (.167, 1 RBI) has centerfield locked down for the Vikings this season, with 2009 all-newcomer honoree Ryan Franks (.250, 1 2B, 5 RBI) set in leftfield, and Vince Marquard and Miller (.333, 1 2B) battling for time in rightfield. CSU enters the 2010 season with multiple options at all infield positions, starting at first base with a combination of Brent Casto, Josh Lowe (.167, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and Kyle Shaffer (.333, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI) all being able to fill the role. The duties up the middle will be split between the duo of junior Tom Carter (.167, 2 RBI) and sophomore Jason Haditsch, with 2009 all-newcomer honoree Tyler Wynn (.308, 2 2B, 1 RBI) as the mainstay at third base after spending last season as CSU's first baseman. Shaffer and Bob Suitca will split the duties behind the plate this season.

    Game 1 - UNC-Greensboro 8, CSU 4 (Feb. 19): The Vikings took an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second, but the Spartans scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, including an Ed Jayjack homer to come from behind and top CSU 8-4 in the first game of the season. Alex Johnson and Tom Carter both went two-for-four to lead the Vikings at the plate.

    Game 2 - UNC-Greensboro 7, CSU 6 (Feb. 20): The Vikings had a 6-0 lead in the top of the eighth inning, before UNCG answered back with four runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to top CSU 7-6. Ed Jayjack led the Spartans, going two-four-three, with two runs and one RBI. The Vikings were led by Ryan Franks, who went two-for-four with a home run, a double and five RBI. Coty Bates pitched a seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing just three hits in his Viking debut.

    Game 3 - UNC-Greensboro 10, CSU 9 (Feb. 21): CSU recorded a five-run fourth inning, including a Josh Lowe homer, to give the Vikings a 6-2 lead, but the Spartans answered with a six-run ninth inning with two outs, to earn a 10-9 victory. Bob Suitca notched his first homer in the first inning, going two-for-four with two RBI. Kyle Shaffer and Tyler Wynn both went two-for-four at the plate, while the trio of Shaffer, Wynn and Suitca scored six of the nine Viking runs.

    BATES STARTS WITH A BANG: In his first appearance as a Viking, junior Coty Bates pitched seven innings in Saturday's (Feb. 20) 7-6 loss to UNCG, striking out seven and allowing just three hits. It was far and away the best pitching performance by a CSU newcomer in the opening series over the past four seasons.

    ...AND LEADS THE LEAGUE: After the first weekend of action in the 2010 season, Coty Bates leads the Horizon League in batters struck out looking with five. Bates is the lone Viking to be represented in the category, with a trio of Wright State and Valparaiso pitchers trailing him in second place, with three.

    HITTING HOMERS: Three Vikings hit home runs over the first weekend of the 2010 season with Ryan Franks hitting his third career homer in Saturday's (Feb. 20) game and Bob Suitca (first career) and Josh Lowe (8) hitting homers on Sunday (Feb. 21). The three home runs leads the league, with UIC recording two over the first weekend and Valparaiso notching one.

    SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR: In the early going this season the Vikings have started quickly, but struggled to close games, dropping two games in which they had the lead going into the eighth inning at UNC-Greensboro. CSU let up a 6-0 lead on Saturday (Feb. 20) and a 9-2 lead on Sunday (Feb. 21). Last season the Vikings were 17-3 in games that they led after eight innings, and 0-26 when they were trailing after eight innings.

    SHAFFER STARTS SWINGING: Senior Kyle Shaffer got his final season off to a quick start, hitting .333 over the weekend (four-for-12) with a double, one triple, three runs and four RBI. He also continued his streak of stolen bases, with one in Friday's (Feb. 19) game, giving him 11 consecutive stolen bases without getting caught. He also had a .962 fielding percentage over the series, recording the second highest percentage on the team.

    THE BIG 3-0: The Vikings and head coach Kevin Kocks have set a goal for squad of posting 30 wins during the 2010 season. If they were to reach 30 wins it would be the highest win total in school history. The current record is 28, which was set by the 1982 squad.

    A NEW PLACE TO CALL HOME: After three seasons at the Pipe Yard Stadium, the Vikings will call All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio home for the first time this season. The state-of-the-art facility, which houses the Lake Erie Crushers, seats 5,000 and has artificial turf which will allow CSU to play more games despite the inclement weather. The Viking home opener is slated for March 24 against Eastern Michigan, just 30 days away.

    NEXT UP: The Vikings will travel to Richmond, Va. to take on VCU in a weekend series, starting on Friday (Mar. 5) at 3:00 p.m. The Vikings will then face the Rams on Saturday (Mar. 6) and Sunday (Mar. 7) at 1:00 p.m.