Meridians Baseball

The American Baseball Coaches Association announced last week that junior pitcher Tyler Fugate garnered a second-team 2010 All-Mideast Region pick.   Fugate was one of five selected overall from The College of Wooster, whose season ended with a 34-9 mark and as NCAC champions for the second season in a row and 13th time overall.

Clim starts the scoring off right away with one of his 3 hits on the night, eventually stealing 3rd and scoring on a double play.   We only get 2 more in the 3rd and 2 in the 4th before crossing 3 times in the 5th and 4 in the 6th to open it up.   Key 2-out, 2 RBI single by Couture in the 4th inning to get us even at 5 before we spread the margin more comfortably and finish it at 12-5.

Blain gets the Win in relief shutting down the Bears' scoring for the last 3 innings.   He also does the bulk of the damage by pushing across our 1st run in the 1st along with 4 RBI and 2 runs of his own later.   Clim scores all 4 times, Lewis with 2 BBs and a run, Parkhurst with 2 RBI, Reese lines two doubles on the night, Couture with 2 hits-2 RBI-2 SB and Ryan Williams makes his '10 debut with 2 knocks and 2 runs.

Meridians only get 7 to the yard despite an extra day's notice with call-offs and no-shows.   We stay in it behind Wilder on the hill, but the Tile team eventually break it open wider towards the end.  We pick up one of theirs to fill one of the holes, but only score one on the night.   Reese solid behind the dish and the first recorded 5-4-5-6 double play goes into the book.   Thanks to all who made extra effort to not only get there, but also making calls to try and get subs.   Big Jack even speeds over from his Indy game that afternoon.

Joining Matthew Johnson (NCAC Player of the Year) with first-team all-conference status were five teammates – senior outfielder Stu Beath, junior pitcher Tyler Fugate, senior first baseman Matt Groezinger, junior pitcher Justin McDowell, and junior shortstop Greg Van Horn.

Fugate has been one of the league’s most effective hurlers.   In fact, the right-hander who has six starts and 10 appearances out of the bullpen holds an NCAC-low 2.43 ERA.   He’s gone 6-1 with five saves, ranking second in the conference in both of those categories, while his 64 strikeouts are tied for second and 59.1 innings pitched rate sixth-best.   Over Fugate’s last seven appearances (28.2 innings), his numbers include a 3-0 record, three saves, a 0.94 ERA and 38 strikeouts.

~Senior outfielder Chris Wood received honorable mention~  Wood, another newcomer to the All-NCAC Team, earned the Scots’ starting position in center and stayed there for 36 of their 41 games.   The speedy Wood has played flawless defense (1.000 fielding pct. over 55 chances), while also being a pleasant surprise at the plate with a .328 average – sixth-highest on the squad.   Always a threat to run, he has 12 stolen bases, ranking 10th in the league in that category while also tallying 19 runs scored, four doubles, and 23 RBI.

Wooster, with a 34-7 overall record, is currently preparing for regional play as it earned the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Div. III Baseball Championships by winning the NCAC championship.   The NCAA will announce the regional brackets and seedings late Sunday, with play set to begin on Wednesday, May 19.

Without a schedule yet and not really sure who we were playing (turned out it was the Bears), the Meridians get back to some things they were used to doing last season.   This time it was original Meridian Jimmy Rack who lasers a missile out of the yard to left on the first pitch he sees.   Blain joins the party by clearing the trees in right a few innings later to secure the 7-4 Opening Day win.

Blain gets the Win with Brad Wilder making his Meridians debut and picking up the 3 inning Save.   RJ scores our first run and 2 on the day while moving two runners closer to pay dirt on a sacrifice for Kraus & B. Williams RBIs.   Both Clim & Rack go 2-2 with a BB each (2 runs for Rack including his home run).   Wilder also adds a towering 2B during his debut.   Ehrhardt handles all pop-ups - even the one he doesn't really want, but says he does...