Summit action begins
Jon Oakley
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: Sports
The Leathernecks baseball team opens conference play this weekend, facing off in a four game set with Oakland.
The 'Necks (3-13) hosted four games with the Golden Grizzlies (7-13) last season and Oakland took three of four.
Scouting Oakland
The Golden Grizzlies are 2-0 at home and have put up 22 runs in two home games. Oakland has shown an explosive offense through this point in the season and the Grizzlies haven't been shut out in a single game.
Oakland is on a two-game slide, falling to Michigan and Western Michigan this week.
The dangerous Grizzlies offense is headed by senior outfielder Justin Wilson. The lefty leads Oakland in home runs (6), runs batted in (22), doubles (6) and walks (11), but also leads the team in strikeouts (14). Wilson sports the team's third highest batting average, 0.329, and has only made one error in the field.
The Grizzlies pitching staff has given out 100 free passes this year to Western's 86, and has given up five runs or more in 17 of its 20 games this season.
Issues for the 'Necks
Western has struggled with defense in its infield up to this point in the season and head coach Stan Hyman said he is rearranging his infield heading to Oakland. The high-risk move gives the new infield arrangement only a week to practice together and no in-game time to work as a group.
"We haven't been able to go out and practice on our field the last two days, so we are going to have to just go out there and make plays," Hyman said.
The Leathernecks still only have two proven starting pitchers on their staff heading into conference play. The team is 16 games into the season and most of the bullpen pitchers still haven't seen relevant game experience, compounding the problems in the starting rotation.
Hyman's game plan
"Offensively, Oakland is going to score runs," Hyman said. "We just have to slow them down. I think (junior starters John) Sneegas and (Eric) Eden will do a good job doing that on Saturday. On Saturday we can play some small ball try to execute some hit and runs some straight steals.
The 'Necks (3-13) hosted four games with the Golden Grizzlies (7-13) last season and Oakland took three of four.
Scouting Oakland
The Golden Grizzlies are 2-0 at home and have put up 22 runs in two home games. Oakland has shown an explosive offense through this point in the season and the Grizzlies haven't been shut out in a single game.
Oakland is on a two-game slide, falling to Michigan and Western Michigan this week.
The dangerous Grizzlies offense is headed by senior outfielder Justin Wilson. The lefty leads Oakland in home runs (6), runs batted in (22), doubles (6) and walks (11), but also leads the team in strikeouts (14). Wilson sports the team's third highest batting average, 0.329, and has only made one error in the field.
The Grizzlies pitching staff has given out 100 free passes this year to Western's 86, and has given up five runs or more in 17 of its 20 games this season.
Issues for the 'Necks
Western has struggled with defense in its infield up to this point in the season and head coach Stan Hyman said he is rearranging his infield heading to Oakland. The high-risk move gives the new infield arrangement only a week to practice together and no in-game time to work as a group.
"We haven't been able to go out and practice on our field the last two days, so we are going to have to just go out there and make plays," Hyman said.
The Leathernecks still only have two proven starting pitchers on their staff heading into conference play. The team is 16 games into the season and most of the bullpen pitchers still haven't seen relevant game experience, compounding the problems in the starting rotation.
Hyman's game plan
"Offensively, Oakland is going to score runs," Hyman said. "We just have to slow them down. I think (junior starters John) Sneegas and (Eric) Eden will do a good job doing that on Saturday. On Saturday we can play some small ball try to execute some hit and runs some straight steals.
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