Vikings Travel To VCU
    CSU Will Play Three Games At VCU This Weekend
    Head coach Kevin Kocks

    Head coach Kevin Kocks

    March 4, 2010

    Contact: Renee Adam

    Complete Release in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

    AROUND THE HORN: The Cleveland State baseball team will take on the VCU Rams in a three game series this weekend at The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia. The two teams will open the series with a 3:00 p.m. contest on Friday (March 5), followed by a 4:00 p.m. game on Saturday (March 6) and they will close the series on Sunday (March 7) with a 1:00 p.m. match up. The Vikings (1-5) enter the series after posting a 1-2 record against Tennessee Tech, with the 7-2 win on Friday (Feb. 26) marking the first of the season, while the Rams (4-3) are coming off a four game series against Fairfield, which they split, 2-2, with their wins coming as 7-6 and 3-2 decisions.

    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 (2.13 ERA, 12 SO) and Coty Bates (2.77 ERA, 15 SO) and sophomore Nate Blankemeyer. The trio of Jimmy Cowhy (0-1), Joey Gradney (0-1) and Nate Dick (0-1) 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 (.308, 2 2B, 3 RBI) has centerfield locked down for the Vikings this season, with 2009 all-newcomer honoree Ryan Franks (.261, 1 2B, 8 RBI) set in leftfield, and Vince Marquard and Miller (.125, 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 and Kyle Shaffer (.423, 3 2B, 2 3B, 12 RBI) all being able to fill the role. The duties up the middle will be split between the duo of junior Tom Carter (.105, 2 RBI) and sophomore Jason Haditsch, with 2009 all-newcomer honoree Tyler Wynn (.174, 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 4 - CSU 7, Tennessee Tech 2 (Feb. 26):
    The Vikings drove in three runs in the top of the first inning, including a Bob Suitca homer, to take a 3-0 lead and never looked back as they put their first win of the season in the books. CSU went on to score three more runs in the top of the fifth, before TTU was able to answer with the first of two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Anthony Sambula pitched 8 2/3 innings, striking out a season high 10 batters.

    Game 5 - Tennessee Tech 10, CSU 8 (Feb. 27):
    TTU was able to get on the board early, taking a 2-0 lead going into the top of the second inning, but the Vikings responded with three runs in the second and five in the fourth to take an 8-2 lead after four innings. The lead would only last for three more innings, as the Golden Eagles came back to score eight runs over the seventh and eighth innings to take a 10-8 come from behind victory.

    Game 6 - Tennessee Tech 21, CSU 3 (Feb. 28):
    TTU scored 21 runs off of 21 hits to take a commanding 21-3 lead after the seventh inning. Alex Johnson, Kyle Shaffer, Ryan Franks and Jason Haditsch were the only Vikings to record hits during the game.

    SAMBULA FINDS HIS ZONE: Junior left hander, Anthony Sambula notched his first win of the season at Tennessee Tech, getting the 7-2 victory on Friday (Feb. 26). Sambula worked 8 2/3 innings, striking out a season high 10 batters and allowed two runs on just eight hits. The win marks the seventh of his career, the most by any current Viking pitcher. February 26 also marks the earliest in the season that Sambula has recorded his first win, 2009 (April 4) and 2008 (March 30).

    TWO-FOR-ONE: Through six games, the Vikings have been able to turn a league high 10 double plays, including two games with three a piece. The only game CSU has not recorded a double play in was against Tennessee Tech last Sunday (Feb. 27). Under head coach Kevin Kocks this is the first season that his ball club has been able to notch 10 in the first six games, 2009 (4), 2008 (9) and 2007 (5).

    SCORING MACHINE: Senior Kyle Shaffer is certainly doing his part to drive in runs this season, leading the Vikings and the league with 12 RBI over the first two weeks of play. He had a team high five RBI in the 10-8 loss at Tennessee Tech last Saturday (Feb. 27), and is just two short of tying his career record for RBI in a season (14).

    YOU BETTER COVER SECOND: Sophomore Alex Johnson has a perfect four-for-four record in stolen bases this season, which leads the team and the league. He has been dangerous in both of the first two series, recording a pair against UNCG and two at TTU. As a freshman he was second on the team with 11 stolen bases out of 17 attempts during 2009.

    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 and one against Tennessee Tech in which they led in the top of the seventh. CSU let up a 6-0 lead (Feb. 20) and a 9-2 lead (Feb. 21) against UNCG, and an 8-2 lead at TTU last Saturday (Feb. 27). 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.

    THE BIG 3-0: The Vikings and head coach Kevin Kocks have set a goal for the squad of posting 30 wins during the 2010 season. The Vikings put their first win of the season up at Tennessee Tech (Feb. 26) and have 53 games left this season to complete their goal. 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 20 days away!

    NEXT UP: The Vikings will travel to Washington, D.C. to face the George Washington Colonials in a three game series starting on Friday (March 12) at 2:30 p.m. The two teams will also compete on Saturday (March 13) at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday (March 14) at 12:00 noon.