2008 Woodie Awards
'Necks ride big win into Summit opener
Jon Oakley
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Sports
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The four-game home series against the Golden Grizzlies (2-11) begins with a game on Friday at 3 p.m. It is followed by a doubleheader on Saturday with the noon game only scheduled for seven innings and the second game starting directly after and going a full nine. The series finale is set for Sunday at noon.
The Leathernecks (6-14) enter the series in what seems to be a season turnaround, picking up five straight wins after starting 1-14, all on the strength of dominant starting pitching.
The hot-hitting Golden Grizzlies have nine batters hitting above .250 and six above .300 but have been victims to several game cancellations and postponements, keeping them from consistently taking the field.
"Oakland has always been known as a club that will flat out swing it, and I don't expect that to change since their hitting coach was elevated to the head coach," said coach Stan Hyman. "We will not shut down Oakland's offense, we can only hope to slow it down, and I think our starting pitching will do that."
The marathon series will set Western's pitching depth against Oakland's hot bats and will give fans a good taste of what Summit League competition will offer this season.
"I think it's not a great match-up for us because we match up best against teams that have solid pitching and defense and are not great offensively," Hyman said. "So it is going to be a challenge. I think our pitching staff is up for it. What we are going to have to do is put runs on the board."
Western could get going offensively this weekend facing the Oakland staff that combines for a 8.97 earned run average and has only played two live games since March 19.
The extremely well-rested Golden Grizzlies lost each of their last two games and have to look back almost a full month to their last win on March 9. Hyman said the lack of a good scouting report would affect how he approaches the series.
"I think we are going to have to see them firsthand and see what they struggle with," Hyman said. "(Pitching coach Tom Radz) is very good at picking out the weaknesses in an offense. I think we are just going to have to look at the match-ups as the series progresses. Game 1 will tell a lot."
Summit play seems to be starting at just the right time for the Leathernecks, meeting a team that has struggled just as they, themselves are coming together.
"I stick to what I've said before - it's not how you start, its how you finish," Hyman said. "I think a lot of our losses we have learned from, and that's important, and I don't see us making any of the mistakes that we made early on. We are doing all the right things and if someone is going to beat us right now they are going to have to beat us. We aren't going to hand the ballgame to a team."
The first pitch of Summit play starts Friday at 3 p.m. from Alfred D. Boyer Stadium.
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