Logo
Logo
Logo
Twitter   Facebook
2008 Successes Pave Way For Optimism Within Falcons' Hardball
Posted: 2/13/2009
More Baseball news
Junior Sheldon Witmer provides the 2009 Falcons with both an all-conference hitting and pitching threat.

Grantham, PA — Say this much about second-year Messiah baseball head coach Bryan Engle:

He certainly knows how to set a high standard of excellence.

Messiah will open up its 2009 season this weekend, taking the field for the first time since completing a 28-18 record in 2008, qualifying for NCAA Regional competition for the third time in six years while setting 20 team records in the process. The club’s 28 wins tied a program-best mark, while the Falcons look to move on following the graduation of ’08 First Team All-American Craig Mease — owner of nine single-season records set last year.

With a 2009 schedule boasting 13 teams that tallied 20 or more wins in 2008 — including six conference champions, five NCAA Regional squads and two NCAA Division III World Series participants — Engle said he is looking forward to his second year at the helm.

“We talk about this a lot, and I truly believe it, but no individual is irreplaceable,” Engle said. “Someone is always going to be wearing that uniform, someone is always going to be ready to step in and play, and that’s what’s exciting. This program is bigger than any one person, and every year takes a new shape and form. The guys are understanding what we’re all about as a coaching staff, and they’re becoming more accustomed to what we’re teaching.

“Last year we had a good year,” he continued. “There’s no reason to think we can’t have a great year — in our own terms — this season.”

Seven seniors depart from Engle’s 2008 squad, led by the aforementioned Mease, who’s First Team All-American award was the highest honor ever attained by a Messiah baseball player. First Team All-MAC Commonwealth Conference designated hitter Ben Jordan complemented Mease’s League Player of the Year honor, while pitcher Dan Kern (second team all-conference) also completed his career last spring, rounding out the list of outgoing seniors who received post-season honors.

Those facts still don’t deter Engle from a sense of optimism, however, as the second-year skipper said an extremely challenging early schedule will help the team’s overall pursuits. Messiah’s first eight opponents finished last year with a combined 232-114 record (.671 winning percentage), with 2008 National Runner-Up Johns Hopkins University among them.

“Looking at the schedule we play, we’ve talked a lot about how we should define success,” Engle said. “It can’t just be in wins and losses, but rather in how you play, what types of opportunities you create for yourself and the overall level you play at. If you worry about focusing on those things, the results will take care of themselves. We can’t be numbers-focused, especially early. I think our schedule will help us down the stretch both in both conference and hopefully post-season play.”

Pitching

Over 200 of Messiah’s 364 and 1/3 innings pitched in 2008 were thrown by players other than those on the Falcons’ 2009 roster, providing Engle somewhat of a question mark in regards to this year’s rotation. Junior Sheldon Witmer (6-2, 4.73 ERA) and sophomore Travis Thome (4-4, .499 ERA) both return with experience, though no other returning hurler saw more than five and two-thirds innings of work. Seventeen of Messiah’s 28 pitching wins have departed, led by Kern’s team-leading 7-3 mark.

“There’s no doubt that great teams have to have very good pitching,” said Engle, who was the 2003 MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year at Messiah. “I think we have an offense that’s going to really hit this year, but ultimately how far you go is directly relational to your pitching staff. We’ve got some young guys that are a bit unknown right now, but hopefully we’ll be able to build a solid rotation.”

Witmer and Thome look to lead those efforts, as Witmer led the team with 51 strikeouts last season, finishing second behind Kern in wins (six), games started (11) and innings pitched (70.1). A second-team all-conference selection as a pitcher, Witmer was at his best towards the end of the season. The right-hander was on the winning side of a 15-4 decision over arch-rival, Elizabethtown College in the MAC Commonwealth playoffs and held defending national champion Kean University to two runs and four hits through eight strong innings in the NCAA Regionals.

Thome, meanwhile, showed fortitude in nine starts as a freshman, striking out 40 batters while tossing 61 and 1/3 innings — numbers behind only Kern’s and Witmer’s. The sturdy right-hander walked just 16 of 241 batters faced, the club’s best ratio behind only Kern.

“Sheldon and Travis will be our horses,” Engle said. “Both pitched in the conference playoffs and regional’s, and both are experienced pitchers. We’re going to need the two of them leading our rotation, no question.”

Engle said that sophomore Eric Spring should see more time on the mound after battling mononucleosis for much of last year, while junior Elliot Thomas provides a hard-throwing right handed option. A slew of younger players are highlighted by freshman Zach Adams and sophomore Josh Hershberger, the latter of which transferred from league rival Elizabethtown College, deciding not to play for the Blue Jays in 2008. Junior Derek Sipe also joins the club after focusing solely on playing soccer for Messiah for his first two years, an addition that Engle said will help as well.

“Our pitching staff is one that will develop more and more confidence as the season progresses,” said Engle. “As guys settle into their roles and know how to best help this year’s team, I believe we’ll see each individual blossom when opportunities arise.”

Infield

A pair of long-time staples are gone, as the Falcons must find a way to replace Mease at shortstop and 2008 grad Kyle Stuckey at first base — players who suited up nearly every time out. Junior and 2008 Rawlings First Team Mid-Atlantic Region Gold Glove recipient Adam Ranck should pick up most of that slack at third base, as the hot corner posted a .944 fielding percentage while committing just eight errors.

“Adam Ranck is the anchor of our infield,” Engle said. “He’s simply as good as they come.”

Ranck hit .307 in a team-leading 179 at-bats last year, posting 55 hits — second only to Mease’s 70. His 35 RBI were third on the team.

Junior Jon Shenk returns to patrol second base, as the soft-spoken player was called on midway through the 2008 campaign, responding with a fury: Shenk hit .349 while registering 15 hits in just 13 starts, finishing with just three errors en route to a .966 fielding percentage.

“I’m really excited to see Jon in an extended starting role,” Engle said. “He’s great defensively and has some of the quickest hands I’ve ever seen in the middle-infield. Jon also came on to hit well for average last year. He saw a limited role last year, compared to his freshman year, and it would have been easy for him to mentally check out. Instead he continued to work hard and stay committed, and played extremely well for us when we really needed him in the latter portion of the season.”

A talented catcher tandem will further solidify things, as senior Ben Kirk and junior Alex Lentz are both expected to see action. Kirk was a second-team all-conference performer in 2008, appearing in 42 contests while hitting .291 on 39 base knocks including nine doubles, two triples and four home runs. He drew 24 walks — the second-most on the team behind Mease — while driving in 25 runs and scoring 30 himself. His six stolen bases were a team high, while defensively Kirk set team and conference highs in runners picked off (eight) and runners caught stealing (11).

Lentz, meanwhile, hit .263 in 14 games played, drawing 10 walks while belting out five hits in just 19 at bats.

“We’ve got two very good catchers,” Engle said. “Kirk will again be our go-to guy. He’s got a great arm and is very capable offensively. Alex is a tremendous receiver, as he can block the plate and frame the ball very well. We feel very comfortable being able to go with both guys, which is a luxury.”

Engle said the shortstop position will likely be filled by freshman John Brubaker, while a pool of three candidates will compete for the job at first base.

“John is a hard-nosed player who is very baseball savvy,” Engle said of his projected shortstop. “He played for his dad in high school, and I’d definitely consider him a prototypical coach’s son and a gamer. First base may be handled by committee, at least early. We’ve got three guys competing. Sometimes that is not all bad.”

Outfield

Messiah’s most experienced positions may very well lie in its outfielders, as three regulars return to patrol the grass. Senior Johnny Ebersole (left field), junior Jordan Zimmerman (center) and Witmer (right) all bring volumes of speed and experience, with Witmer being a first-team all-conference selection as a field player.

“I feel very good about our outfielders,” Engle said. “All three guys have looked very good in the gym with their swings thus far. I feel very good about all three of them defensively as well. They are leaders, they’re good offensively and they’re good defensively.”

Witmer paced the group offensively last season, batting .366 on the year while registering five home runs and six doubles. His .542 slugging percentage was the second-best mark on the squad.

Zimmerman, meanwhile, started all 46 games in center, batting .282 on 50 hits — the third-highest mark on the team. Zimmerman’s speed was apparent in his 10 doubles (second-most on the squad), while his 28 runs scored, 27 RBI and 13 walks were all fifth-best marks for 2008.

Ebersole got most of his fielding work when Witmer was pitching, as the scrappy player served as the team’s designated hitter on occasion as well. He slugged 16 hits in 56 at-bats (a .286 average), pounding out four doubles and a homer.

Engle said that it remains to-be-determined who will fill Witmer’s outfield position when he is on the mound.

“We talked about it at the close of last year, and we’ve discussed it again recently, but we want it to be more of a surprise when Messiah is not competing at the NCAA Regional level than when we are,” Engle said. “A good base was set last year from a foundational standpoint. The guys have worked very hard in the off-season. It’s important that we continue to build and push the envelope for the types of successes we want to have.”

Messiah will open its 2009 season Saturday at Mary Washington University. The Falcons will compete in a double-header against the Eagles, with the first pitch slated for 12 p.m.