Spring training brings a sense of hope for baseball teams everywhere. Players believe this will be the breakout season, the year they claim the trophy.
It has been three years since the Ball State University baseball team won the Mid-American Conference Tournament and played in the NCAA Regionals. Senior second baseman Nate Fields was a member of that team and thinks he can return to regionals again.
"We have a really strong team this year," Fields said. "I tell everybody that we have more skill and better team chemistry than the '06 year when we won the championship."
Six Cardinals were a part of that team and have spent two years building back up to that year when they went 38-22.
For the 2009 team to reach its goal and improve on last season's 28-25 record it will rely on an experienced outfield and weekend pitching rotation. Left fielder Kory Benbow and right fielder Ryan Chenoweth return after starting a combined 65 games in the outfield last year. Jeremy Hazelbaker, who made 28 starts at second base last season, will anchor center field.
Coach Greg Beals said he thought Hazelbaker's speed fit better in the outfield than at second base.
"It wasn't the best fit for him," Beals said. "His speed is his number one tool. That speed gets to play a little more out in the space of center field."
Hazelbaker will also assume the leadoff role that was left empty when shortstop Dean Anna was drafted and signed with the San Diego Padres last summer. Hazelbaker batted .244 and scored 24 runs last year.
On the mound, senior Brenden Stines will be the No. 1 starter, followed by junior Brad Piatt and sophomore Kolbrin Vitek. Stines has been a part of the Cardinals' weekend rotation since he transferred to Ball State from the College of Charleston after his freshman year. Stines posted a 3-3 record with a 7.95 ERA in 2008.
Vitek returns to his role as Sunday starter in addition to playing third base on days when he isn't pitching. The First-Team Freshman All-American was 6-1 with a 5.65 ERA while leading the team with 69 strikeouts.
Vitek said he enjoys pitching at the end of the weekend series.
"I am really looking forward to that," Vitek said. "Maybe it's a tied series, getting that pressure and getting that win for us so we can win the series."
The pitching staff will have a familiar target behind the plate where junior Zach Dygert returns for his third season as Ball State's primary catcher. Dygert was named second team All-MAC after hitting .293 with 13 home runs and 38 RBI last season.
Vitek and Fields are joined in the infield by sophomore shortstop T.J. Baumet, who moves from third base, and freshman first baseman Ian Nielsen. Despite new faces at every infield position, Fields said he is confident the new combinations have gelled.
"We already have a pretty good chemistry," Fields said. "I think we just need to put everything together being smooth and working as a team to make outs and be able to compete."
Vitek said he is confident the infield will make plays for him when he is pitching.
"I think it'll be a very good infield," Vitek said. "When you get those ground balls you want them to make the plays and turn double plays for you."
The Cardinals will also have to replace closer Kyle Heyne, who was drafted by the Padres and holds the program record for career saves. Junior college transfer Morgan Coombs has been tapped to finish games this season, supported mostly by left-handers Aaron Hammons and Tom Mueller. Beals said Coombs closed his freshman year at Lincoln Trail College and during the summer.
Ball State will visit three teams ranked in the preseason National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll. The University of Louisville is the highest ranked at No. 11, and the University of Missouri and the University of Michigan are ranked No. 20 and No. 30, respectively. The Cardinals will also play host to MAC favorite Kent State University and Big Ten favorite Indiana University.
"I think playing against top competition, all that does is make you better," Beals said. "We hope that the fire of that competition polishes us up, and doesn't burn us up."
Ball State opens its season with an easier competition when it travels to Furman University in Greenville, S.C., for a three-game series opening Friday.
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