Going into Saturday, UCLA's pitching staff hadn't allowed a run en route to a 4-0 start in 2011.
SJSU ended the Bruins pitching perfection with two runs in the fourth on a Craig Hertler two-run home run and dropped UCLA from the undefeated ranks with a 5-3 win.
The Spartans' senior outfielder belted the homer with two outs after catcher Michael DiRocco reached on a two-out, two-strike single to extend the inning and give Hertler the opportunity.
The home run was Hertler's only hit of the game, but sophomore Zach Jones was 3-for-3 on the day with a run scored while freshman second baseman Jake Valdez had his second straight two-hit game.
DiRocco finished 2-for-4 with an RBI out the the ninth spot in the lineup and caught for his former Ohlone college teammate Roberto Paddilla who started on the mound for SJSU. DiRocco's average stands at .474 after Saturday's performance.
Padilla stifled the Bruin bats in his first complete game of the season. The junior left-hander allowed three runs on five hits while walking four to improve his record to 2-0.
In two appearances this season, Padilla has allowed just 12 hits while posting an ERA of 2.42. His debut came out of the Spartan bullpen against Saint Mary's where he earned his first victory.
No UCLA hitter managed more than one hit against Padilla on Saturday in the Bruins first loss of 2011.
UCLA starting pitcher Trevor Bauer went 6 2/3 innings and took the loss, surrending four earned runs and one unearned run on eight hits.
The Spartans (5-0) and the No. 1 Bruins (4-1) will play the second game of the series Sunday at 12 noon.
The two teams still need to complete Friday's game which was rained out in the second inning with UCLA leading 1-0 and will do so in one of the two games shceduled for Sunday.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Rain suspends SJSU's first game at UCLA
One inning of play was completed Friday before the rain forced the umpires to suspend play with the score 1-0 in the Bruins favor.
The make-up game is scheduled to be played Saturday at 2 p.m. and there will be a nightcap pending the weather.
When play resumes, the Spartans will be batting in the top of the second inning after being retired on nine pitches in the first by UCLA starter Gerrit Cole.
Beau Ameral put the Bruins on top with a solo home run in the home half of the first inning.
The make-up game is scheduled to be played Saturday at 2 p.m. and there will be a nightcap pending the weather.
When play resumes, the Spartans will be batting in the top of the second inning after being retired on nine pitches in the first by UCLA starter Gerrit Cole.
Beau Ameral put the Bruins on top with a solo home run in the home half of the first inning.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
SJSU stays perfect by outlasting Albany in 17 inning affair
The longest game of head coach Sam Piraro’s 24-year tenure at SJSU showcased the Spartans erase a four-run defecit tobeat Albany 6-5 Wednesday night in 17 innings.
SJSU starting pitcher Sean Martin lasted only 3 1//3 innings in his season debut, forcing the bullpen to go the remaining 13 2/3 innings.
“Sean is a lot better than what he showed tonight,” Piraro said. “Albany
Piraro turned to freshman reliever D.J. Slaton after Drew Bradshaw entered the game but failed to record an out. Slaton struck out both the batters he faced in the inning to keep the deficit at four.
“D.J. kept us in the game both mentally and physically tonight,” Piraro said. “We weren’t scoring a lot of runs so if we go down by six or seven at that point it doesn’t look good.”
Sophomore third baseman Tyler Christian led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run to left field to put the Spartans on the board for the first time.
Still trailing 4-1 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning, SJSU rallied with a leadoff hit by freshman second baseman Jake Valdez who was making his first start of the year for the Spartans. The Spartans loaded the bases on a Tim Quiery single before Danny Stienstra singled in a run and Anthony Bona tied the game at four with a two-run single.
SJSU fell behind again in the top half of the eighth but tied the game in the bottom half on Christian’s second home run of the night.
“I was looking for a fastball,” Christian said. “Luckily, I got one belt-high and didn’t miss it.”
The game was tied 5-5 until the bottom of the 17th inning when SJSU started another rally, this time with two outs and no runners on base. With the bases clear, Christian walked and Valdez
“It’s all about mental toughness,” Gale said. “I just tried to stay within myself and not do too much. I think that’s why the game went so long because guys were trying too hard at the plate.”
The 17 inning game was Piraro’s longest game since becoming SJSU’s head coach and lasted five hours and twenty three minutes. SJSU next travels to play UCLA on Friday to begin a three game series over the weekend at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Spartans remain undefeated, improve to 3-0 with win over UC Davis
San Jose State 5 UC Davis 4
Strong starting pitching and timely hitting paced the Spartans to their third win in a row to open the 2011 season as SJSU (3-0) bested the Aggies of UC Davis (1-3) Tuesday 5-4.
The Spartans rode starter Esteban Guzman for the first five innings and held a 3-1 lead courtesy of RBIs by shortstop Zack Jones and first baseman Danny Stienstra before SJSU called to the bullpen in the sixth.
Guzman, a junior, finished five innings of work while allowing just one run while scattering five hits in his first start of the season.
Freshman reliever Johnny Molero was first out of the pen for SJSU and worked 1.1 innings before head coach Sam Piraro turned to reliever Jason Kafka with a runner on second and one out.
Kafka proceeded to throw a wild pitch and walked two batters to load the bases, but was able to strike out the Aggies’ Scott Heylman for the second out of the seventh.
The next Aggies’ hitter erased the Spartans’ comfortable 3-1 lead on a single swing of the bat as David Popkins belted a three-run triple to the alley in left field to clear the bases.
Popkins ended up standing on third as his seventh inning hit allowed UC Davis to recapture the lead for the first time since the third inning. UC Davis remained on top 4-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Spartans’ own late-inning fireworks erupted in the home half of inning seven, as senior center fielder Jason Martin legged out a ground ball with two outs to extend the inning and bring Tim Quiery to the plate.
Quiery followed suit with a hit of his own to plate the tying run and even the game at 4-4. However, the Spartans were unable to add insurance to their lead in the seventh , failing to score with the bases loaded and one out.
With the score tied in the eighth, sophomore third baseman Tyler Christian put the Spartans ahead to stay with an RBI-double that scored Stienstra and gave SJSU the lead back at 5-4. Stienstra was the lone Spartan with multiple hits and finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
With the lead going into the ninth inning, SJSU stuck with reliever Eric LaBaron preserve the Spartans’s first one-run victory of the season.
LaBaron (1-0) earned the win in relief, holding the Aggies scoreless over 2.1 innings of work and snuffing Davis
The Spartans return to the diamond tonight at home against Albany
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
2011 SJSU Pitching Preview
Last spring, SJSU head baseball coach Sam Piraro was desperately searching for ways to solidify a pitching staff that had been decimated by graduation and the draft.
"Our pitchers went through the school of ‘hard knocks' last season," Piraro said at Bay Area Media Day. "I told them that last year we got our degree; now let's go get our masters."
Unlike a year ago, the 2011 Spartans are fortunate to have a surplus of arms that will give Piraro confidence regardless of who is on the hill.
Blake McFarland, the Western Athletic Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year, enters the season as the ace of the staff after establishing himself throughout the conference with a standout 2010 campaign.
McFarland, a senior, posted a 7-4 record with a 3.62 ERA and three complete games in just less than 100 innings pitched last year. After transferring from Santa Barbara Community College, McFarland accomplished all this in his first year of Division-I baseball.
"The experience alone helped me a lot last year," McFarland said. "It was my first year playing at this level and I feel so much more comfortable going into this season knowing what to expect a little more."
McFarland will have another highly touted arm to join him in the Spartan rotation in 2011, as Junior College All-American Roberto Padilla turned down the MLB draft to pitch for SJSU this spring.
Padilla was taken in the 23rd round by the Arizona Diamondbacks but chose not to sign when his asking price was deemed too high by the team who drafted him. Arizona's frugality turned into a pleasant surprise for SJSU as Padilla was ticketed for the minor leagues.
The 6-foot-3-inch southpaw was exactly what Piraro was looking for to shore up the pitching woes that plagued SJSU last year and contributed to a 23-37 record.
"Roberto has tremendous stuff," Piraro said. "The ball moves a lot and if he ever fully masters his breaking pitch it will take him a long way."
McFarland and Padilla look to be a formidable 1-2 punch to head the Spartan rotation, but what has Piraro most excited about this year's team is the pitching depth that has been a trademark of his good teams in the past.
Juniors Sean Martin, Estaban Guzman and Andy Hennessey are all hurlers who Piraro is comfortable handing the ball to, giving him a great deal of flexibility that was nonexistent going into last season.
"All three of those guys showed periods last year where they could be very effective," Piraro said. "To their credit, they are much more confident this year."
Piraro flirted with the idea of putting the flame-throwing sophomore Zack Jones in the starting rotation, but believes the dual-threat talent helps the team the most when he comes out of the 'pen.
"Once you have established a lead, preserving it is very important to me," Piraro said. "Zack is a guy who gives me a great deal of confidence late in a game."
Jones has been clocked at a glove-popping 95 mph and helped the Spartans find some stability out of a shaky bullpen a year ago.
The most intriguing part of Jones' game is the fact that Piraro believes he is a better hitter than he is a pitcher.
"Scouts tend to be more curious of the pitching talents Zack possesses," Piraro said. "But his marketability goes way up with how versatile he is."
Piraro plans on using Jones at shortstop to get his bat in the lineup but is also able to bring him into the game to pitch if needed to close out a game.
In 2010, Jones was also in his first year of Division-I baseball like teammate Blake McFarland and made an equally impressive adjustment coming out of high school.
"I feel like I have matured and was able to see the competition," Jones said. "It was an adjustment year that has given me a lot of confidence."
While Jones will likely be called on to close out games, the Spartans bullpen has a bevy of arms whom Piraro sees as a strength that was lacking a year ago.
Senior John Austin has increased his velocity by more than 5 mph since this time last season and will be counted on out of the 'pen. Senior Eric LeBaron, freshman D.J. Slaton and sophomore David Wayne Russo will also help SJSU in relief.
The old adage in baseball claims that good pitching beats good hitting just about every time. With a formidable rotation and depth in the 'pen, SJSU is hoping the adage holds true.
"Our pitchers went through the school of ‘hard knocks' last season," Piraro said at Bay Area Media Day. "I told them that last year we got our degree; now let's go get our masters."
Unlike a year ago, the 2011 Spartans are fortunate to have a surplus of arms that will give Piraro confidence regardless of who is on the hill.
Blake McFarland, the Western Athletic Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year, enters the season as the ace of the staff after establishing himself throughout the conference with a standout 2010 campaign.
McFarland, a senior, posted a 7-4 record with a 3.62 ERA and three complete games in just less than 100 innings pitched last year. After transferring from Santa Barbara Community College, McFarland accomplished all this in his first year of Division-I baseball.
"The experience alone helped me a lot last year," McFarland said. "It was my first year playing at this level and I feel so much more comfortable going into this season knowing what to expect a little more."
McFarland will have another highly touted arm to join him in the Spartan rotation in 2011, as Junior College All-American Roberto Padilla turned down the MLB draft to pitch for SJSU this spring.
Padilla was taken in the 23rd round by the Arizona Diamondbacks but chose not to sign when his asking price was deemed too high by the team who drafted him. Arizona's frugality turned into a pleasant surprise for SJSU as Padilla was ticketed for the minor leagues.
The 6-foot-3-inch southpaw was exactly what Piraro was looking for to shore up the pitching woes that plagued SJSU last year and contributed to a 23-37 record.
"Roberto has tremendous stuff," Piraro said. "The ball moves a lot and if he ever fully masters his breaking pitch it will take him a long way."
McFarland and Padilla look to be a formidable 1-2 punch to head the Spartan rotation, but what has Piraro most excited about this year's team is the pitching depth that has been a trademark of his good teams in the past.
Juniors Sean Martin, Estaban Guzman and Andy Hennessey are all hurlers who Piraro is comfortable handing the ball to, giving him a great deal of flexibility that was nonexistent going into last season.
"All three of those guys showed periods last year where they could be very effective," Piraro said. "To their credit, they are much more confident this year."
Piraro flirted with the idea of putting the flame-throwing sophomore Zack Jones in the starting rotation, but believes the dual-threat talent helps the team the most when he comes out of the 'pen.
"Once you have established a lead, preserving it is very important to me," Piraro said. "Zack is a guy who gives me a great deal of confidence late in a game."
Jones has been clocked at a glove-popping 95 mph and helped the Spartans find some stability out of a shaky bullpen a year ago.
The most intriguing part of Jones' game is the fact that Piraro believes he is a better hitter than he is a pitcher.
"Scouts tend to be more curious of the pitching talents Zack possesses," Piraro said. "But his marketability goes way up with how versatile he is."
Piraro plans on using Jones at shortstop to get his bat in the lineup but is also able to bring him into the game to pitch if needed to close out a game.
In 2010, Jones was also in his first year of Division-I baseball like teammate Blake McFarland and made an equally impressive adjustment coming out of high school.
"I feel like I have matured and was able to see the competition," Jones said. "It was an adjustment year that has given me a lot of confidence."
While Jones will likely be called on to close out games, the Spartans bullpen has a bevy of arms whom Piraro sees as a strength that was lacking a year ago.
Senior John Austin has increased his velocity by more than 5 mph since this time last season and will be counted on out of the 'pen. Senior Eric LeBaron, freshman D.J. Slaton and sophomore David Wayne Russo will also help SJSU in relief.
The old adage in baseball claims that good pitching beats good hitting just about every time. With a formidable rotation and depth in the 'pen, SJSU is hoping the adage holds true.
Spartans start season 2-0
Sunday, Feburary 20, 2011
SJSU 5 Saint Mary's 1
After having their season opener postponed due to rain, the Spartans (1-0) opened the season on Sunday with a 5-1 victory over the visiting Saint Mary's Gaels (0-1).
Preseason WAC Pitcher of the Year Blake McFarland had a strong start to his senior campaign, lasting 4.2 innings and allowing just one run on an RBI single in the fourth by Saint Mary's Brendan Kalfus.
Roberto Padilla made his Spartan debut in relief, holding the Gaels scoreless in 4.1 innings of work while striking out six.
Padilla earned the win out of the pen for his first Division I victory after transfering from nearby Ohlone College last year.
Cather Michael DiRocco, also a Ohlone product, led the Spartans at the plate with a 2-3 day and two RBIs.
The offense was also fueled by Nick Borg's RBI single and 2-4 day while Craig Hertler added an RBI of his own on a fifth inning double.
Monday, Feburary 21, 2011
SJSU 2 Saint Mary's 0
Nick Borg's solo home run proved to be all the Spartans needed Monday as they defeated Saint Mary's 2-0 in Moraga, Calif.
The Spartans (2-0) have allowed just one run in 18 innings of play with Saint Mary's (0-2) during their two-game stint.
Starter Andy Hennessey threw 4.2 innings of scoreless ball before reliever John Austin came in from the pen with two out in the fifth inning to get SJSU out of a jam and earn his first win of the year.
Hennessey ran into trouble early in the first inning with runners at first and third and no one out, but was helped out when catcher Michael DiRocco threw out a runner at second. With one out, SJSU outfielder Tim Quiery hosed a runner trying to score from third on a fly-ball off the bat of Troy Channing for an inning ending double-play.
Sophomore Zack Jones also made an impressive debut on the hill, striking out four of the six batters his faced in route to his first save of the season.
Jones consistenly registered on the gun at 95 mph but topped out at 98 at one point in the game.
Offensively the Spartans were once again led by DiRocco who had two hits for the second day in a row. Borg finished 2-4 with the lone home run of the ballgame and is hitting .500 for the young season.
The Spartans return to the diamond tonight against UC Davis at Municipal Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
SJSU 5 Saint Mary's 1
After having their season opener postponed due to rain, the Spartans (1-0) opened the season on Sunday with a 5-1 victory over the visiting Saint Mary's Gaels (0-1).
Preseason WAC Pitcher of the Year Blake McFarland had a strong start to his senior campaign, lasting 4.2 innings and allowing just one run on an RBI single in the fourth by Saint Mary's Brendan Kalfus.
Roberto Padilla made his Spartan debut in relief, holding the Gaels scoreless in 4.1 innings of work while striking out six.
Padilla earned the win out of the pen for his first Division I victory after transfering from nearby Ohlone College last year.
Cather Michael DiRocco, also a Ohlone product, led the Spartans at the plate with a 2-3 day and two RBIs.
The offense was also fueled by Nick Borg's RBI single and 2-4 day while Craig Hertler added an RBI of his own on a fifth inning double.
Monday, Feburary 21, 2011
SJSU 2 Saint Mary's 0
Nick Borg's solo home run proved to be all the Spartans needed Monday as they defeated Saint Mary's 2-0 in Moraga, Calif.
The Spartans (2-0) have allowed just one run in 18 innings of play with Saint Mary's (0-2) during their two-game stint.
Starter Andy Hennessey threw 4.2 innings of scoreless ball before reliever John Austin came in from the pen with two out in the fifth inning to get SJSU out of a jam and earn his first win of the year.
Hennessey ran into trouble early in the first inning with runners at first and third and no one out, but was helped out when catcher Michael DiRocco threw out a runner at second. With one out, SJSU outfielder Tim Quiery hosed a runner trying to score from third on a fly-ball off the bat of Troy Channing for an inning ending double-play.
Sophomore Zack Jones also made an impressive debut on the hill, striking out four of the six batters his faced in route to his first save of the season.
Jones consistenly registered on the gun at 95 mph but topped out at 98 at one point in the game.
Offensively the Spartans were once again led by DiRocco who had two hits for the second day in a row. Borg finished 2-4 with the lone home run of the ballgame and is hitting .500 for the young season.
The Spartans return to the diamond tonight against UC Davis at Municipal Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Projected SJSU Rotation, Bullpen, Lineup and Bench.
2011 Projected Rotation:
1. (JR) Blake McFarland RHP
(Preseason WAC pitcher of the year has improved from a year ago according to coach Piraro)
2. (JR) Roberto Padilla LHP
(Junior college All-American southpaw turned down the MLB draft to deal for the Spartans)
3. (JR) Andy Hennessey/ (JR) Sean Martin RHP / (JR) Estaban Guzman
(All three arms have shown marked improvement since last season and are vying for final rotation spot. Hennessey has the early edge)
Bullpen:
1. (SO) Zack Jones (Dual-threat star brings mid 90’s out of the pen to compliment contributions with the bat)
2. (SR) John Austin (Velocity has gone up a glove-popping 4 to 5 mph since last season)
3. (SR) Eric LeBaron (Looks better this year than any year before in the program, according to coach Piraro.)
4. (FR) D.J. Slaton (Newcomer has impressed early and will get opportunities to pitch)
5. (SO) Drew Bradshaw (Finished last year with a solid 4.00 ERA in 16 appearances; against the old aluminum)
6. (SO) David Wayne Russo (Returns for sophomore season looking to establish a role out of the pen.)
7. (FR) Johnny Melero LHP (Southpaw from Mitty has impressed Piraro after being a long shot going into the fall. )
2011 Projected Lineup
CF Jason Martin (SR) (4-year starter has hit better than .300 in each season with SJSU)
LF Tim Quiery (SO) (Ended last year with a .344 batting average as a freshman)
SS Zack Jones (SO) / (Piraro must find a way to utilize Jones’ versatile talent)
RF Kerry Jenkins (SR) (JC transfer from Chabot hit four homeruns a year ago and added 24 RBI.)
DH Craig Hertler (SR) (Hit .322 in 09’ but saw average drop to .217 in 2010.)
1B Danny Stienstra (SR) / (Hit .337 as a sophomore on the 41-win SJSU team in 2009; average slipped to .265 in 2010)
C Michael Di Rocco (JR) (Transfer from nearby Ohlone college will start immediately but needs to stay healthy.)
3B Tyler Christian (SO) (Trying to establish himself as a starter in 2011; Natov will keep the competition interesting.)
2B Michael Reiling (JR) (Versatile infielder can play anywhere and is a reliable contact hitter.)
Off the bench:
1B Matt Carroll (FR) (6-foot-6 inch first basemen has most “pure power” on team.)
IF Nick Borg (SR) (Can play multiple infield positions and will likely start when Jones is scheduled to pitch.)
OF Tommy Gale (SR) (Hit .294 in 68 at-bats in 2009; can play anywhere in the outfield)
OF Andrew Rodriguez (SO) (Speedy outfielder will be a small ball instrument of Piraro’s.)
C/1B Anthony Bona (JR) (Will be counted on to keep DiRocco fresh and contribute with the stick off the bench.)
3B Caleb Natov (FR) (Newcomer has impressed Piraro and will get chances to prove himself; hit .450 as a HS senior)
C Trevin Craig (FR) (Freshman gives Piraro much needed depth at catcher position.)
San Jose State Baseball Preview: Offense
In 2009, the Spartan baseball team ended a historic season that witnessed a 41 win season, a 9-0 start and the highest team batting average (.339) in school history.
The NCAA tournament committee was not impressed come selection day.
SJSU was left at home despite its 41-20 overall record and Western Athletic Conference championship just a year after Fresno State had won the national title out of the WAC.
Only 13 teams in the field of 64 that qualified for the 2009 tournament had more wins than the Spartan’s 41. Fifty-one of the teams that were included in the bracket had less wins than the absent Spartans.
Utah qualified that year with a 26-29 record after an automatic bid and Baylor’s 29-24 mark was apparently enough to deserve the nod over the Spartans.
“I’m a believer that any experience is good for you,” head coach Sam Piraro said. “Adversity doesn’t knock us out of the box; we learn something from going through it.”
A driving force behind the 41 win season was the relentless offensive assault that shattered the school’s record for team batting average set in 1993.
The old mark of .319 set in 1993 was eclipsed by the 09’ Spartans by 20 percentage points and featured a lineup crowded with gaudy batting averages.
While most of the pitching that contributed to the WAC championship season has departed, there are still a number of bats on the 2011 roster who were instrumental to the success of the 09’ team.
“I have had about seven or eight no brainer NCAA tournament teams in my years here,” Piraro said. “After Fresno’s championship season, their coach (Mike Batesole) called me and told me that our group in 2009 was just as good if not better than the team’s Fresno State had knocked out of the tournament the year before.”
Perennial baseball powerhouses like Long Beach State, Rice, North Carolina, and finally Georgia all fell to the Bulldogs of Fresno State during their improbable 2008 tournament run.
“Mike isn’t a guy that blows smoke either,” Piraro said. “He wasn’t joking when he said that.”
Cinderella stories weren’t enough to garner the WAC an addition bid in 2009, as Fresno State was granted a birth to the tournament despite having nine fewer wins than SJSU.
“When Fresno State won it all it showed that our conference isn’t as weak as other people think it is,” current centerfielder Jason Martin said. “It kind of hurt not getting selected the next year, I really didn’t understand why.”
Martin returns with that same chip on his shoulder that festered last year during a season in which the Spartans finished with just 23 wins.
“Last year we learned a lot of hard lessons and we were rebuilding,” Martin said. “Our pitching this year will be a lot stronger and our bats are starting to wake up.”
Martin enters his senior year as the catalyst and table setter of Piraro’s lineup. His .373 batting average led the team a season ago, marking the third straight year that Martin has hit .300 or better while wearing the blue and gold.
Martin’s success in the leadoff spot has translated into several SJSU school records and is he is quickly approaching more milestones.
54 times Martin has been hit by a pitch as a member of the Spartans; bruises that have earned him the top spot in school history in that category. Martin is also third in runs scored (148) and fifth in school history with 225 hits.
Sophomore Zack Jones will solidify the middle of the order after showing as a freshman that he is not only a weapon on the mound.
“The ball sounds really different off of his bat,” Piraro said at Bay Area Media Day. “It’s like a cannon shot.”
Jones finished 2010 at the plate with a .310 batting average, four homeruns and a .529 slugging percentage. His dual-threat ability earned him the 2010 WAC Freshman of the year and notoriety from major league scouts.
Joining Martin and Jones in the lineup will be fellow seniors Kerry Jenkins and Danny Stienstra who were both contributors with the stick last year.
Jenkins enters the season as one of two returning Spartans with more than three homeruns a year ago, and will be sandwiched somewhere in the middle of the lineup to utilize his power.
Jenkins blasted four homeruns and finished with 24 Runs Batted In for the year in 2010 in only 111 at-bats. Now that he has found a place to play every day in the outfield, look for his productivity to go up with increased opportunities.
Stienstra was a large part of the 41 win team two years ago as he hit .337 as a sophomore playing primarily first base. His average declined a year ago as Stienstra managed to hit just .265 to follow up his sophomore campaign. A bounce back year for Stienstra will give Piraro another tough out in his lineup.
Added protection in the lineup from comes from senior Craig Hertler and sophomore outfielder Tim Quiery. Quiery hit .344 a year ago in 157 at-bats while Hertler is a versatile defensively player who hit .322 in 2009.
A pair of impressive freshman also brings new life to the 2011 lineup, as Matt Carroll and Caleb Natov have both looked good at the plate and are youngsters Piraro is excited about.
“Carroll probably has the most pure power on the team,” Piraro said. “He gives me the option of going with an all offensive lineup if I choose to.”
Junior college transfer Michael DiRocco will do the majority of the catching duties this season but depth is an issue at the position for Piraro.
“I think catcher is kind of like the quarterback position in football,” Piraro said at Bay Area Media Day. “You’re only as good as your backup.”
Junior Anthony Bona and freshman Trevin Craig are the only other catchers listed on the Spartans’ roster going into the season.
“Behind DiRocco, we are inexperienced,” Piraro said. “I am going to have to speed up the learning curve of the other guys and keep him (DiRocco) healthy.”
Infielders Tyler Christian and Michael Reiling round out the lineup and are both looking to find their role with increased playing time in 2011.
“Were still competing for positions in the infield,” Piaro said.”
Reiling had 12 RBI a year ago and hit .615 with a runner at third and less than two outs. Christian finished with two homeruns a year ago, primarily as a pinch-hitter.
Piraro’s returns experience and talent up and down the lineup in 2011 to compliment the crop of promising freshman.
Unlike last year, the bats won’t have to do all the work as the Spartans have a formidable rotation and deep bullpen that will take the pressure off of the lineup.
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