Baseball Readies for Penn State
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 8, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - SCOUTING PENN STATE - Penn State enters the series with a 17-9 record, 3-1 in the Big Ten. In their first conference series, the Nittany Lions took three out of four games against Indiana.
Offensively, PSU is led by designated hitter Joe Puliafico, who is currently batting .370. Dan Beers leads the Lions with seven home runs and 25 RBI. On the basepaths, Michael Campo is among the Big Ten leaders with 15 stolen bases in 17 attempts.
Dan McCall and Dan Goebeler give Penn State a strong one-two punch on the mound. McCall owns a 3.15 ERA and a 2-2 record while Goebeler is 3-3 with a 4.57 ERA. Out of the bullpen, Andy Wagner has two saves, a 4-1 record and a 3.00 ERA.
THE COACHES - Head coach Ted Mahan (Michigan '77) is in his fourth year at the helm of the Michigan State baseball squad. During his tenure he has amassed a record of 78-109, 26-62 in the Big Ten. With two more victories, Mahan will become the fifth winningest head coach, passing Chester Brewer (79-61-1). Mahan led teams are 1-3 vs. Penn State.
Joe Hindelang is in his ninth year as the head coach of the Penn State baseball program. Under his direction, the Nittany Lions have won at least 28 games during the last three seasons. During that same stretch, Penn State has had a winning conference record each year, including a 19-8 mark in 1996, earning Hindelang Big Ten Coach-of-the-Year honors. Overall, this is his 22nd year of coaching, having posted a record of 438-406-3, 220-206-2 at Penn State.
IOWA RECAP - The Spartans split a four game series with the Hawkeyes last weekend in MSU's Big Ten home opener. Game one saw Michigan State come from behind to win 5-4 with two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Joe Kalczynski singled in Carlos Fernandez to win the game. The second game of the series was very similar as the Spartans scored five seventh-inning runs to earn a 12-11 victory. This time, Tom Hartley drove in the winning run with a bases loaded walk. Once again, Fernandez was the final Spartan to cross home plate. Michigan State did not fare as well in the last two contests, losing 15-5 and 10-1.
ONE RUN MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE - Through 26 games Michigan State has amassed a record of 7-1 in one run games. This includes five wins for the Spartans in their last at bat. In Coach Mahan's three previous seasons the squad had a record of 13-32 in one run contests.
HOME SWEET HOME - After opening the season with 19 of its first 20 games on the road, Michigan State is in the middle of a 12 game home stand. This year, the team has amassed a 5-2 record at Kobs Field.
JOE KAL EARNS PRESEASON KUDOS - Junior catcher Joe Kalczynski was selected to Baseball America's preseason All-Big Ten team. The 6-4, 200-pound catcher was fourth on the 1998 squad with a .296 batting average. Behind the plate, he threw out 23 of 43 would-be basestealers. He was also selected as a member of the GTE Academic All-America District team.
Kalczynski is wasting little time living up to the expectations in '99. He leads the team with 26 RBI, while batting .330. He is tied for second in hits (29), fifth in runs (15) and has thrown out 15 of 33 baserunners.
Baseball America is not the only publication to recognize Kalczynski's prowess. Collegiate Baseball has tabbed him as a Big Ten Player to Watch, along with center fielder Mike Wagner and left-handed pitcher Gary Zsigo.
Y-E-N-S SPELLS RELIEF - Senior pitcher Chris Yens finished the 1998 season with seven saves, tied for second most in school history. Yens, a third-team All-Big Ten selection also led the Spartans with 20 appearances and a 2.77 ERA. Opponents hit a meager .184 off the Spartan closer. This year he has collected two saves and one win in relief.
WAG THE DOG - At many times during the '98 season it appeared as if Mike Wagner was single-handedly propelling the Spartans to victory. In his first year at MSU, the senior center fielder made an immediate impact, leading the team in runs (40), hits (61), triples (3), home runs (9), RBI (37) and stolen bases (12). Not surprisingly, Wagner was named Michigan State's offensive player of the year.
Wags is once again an offensive force in '99. He leads the team in stolen bases (8) and runs (23) and is tied for the team lead in home runs (4).
MR. ON BASE - Carlos Fernandez is more than filling his role at the top of the Spartan lineup. Splitting time behind the leadoff and number two holes in the batting order, Fernandez has been hitting .322 with a team leading 24 walks. This gives him an on-base percentage of .466. Fernandez has reached base at least once in all 26 Spartan games.
PEEZO ON FIRE - Spartan junior Mike Pisani had his nine game hitting streak snapped in Friday's game with Iowa but he continues to swing a hot bat, hitting safely in 21 of his last 23 games. He currently owns a .380 batting average and leads the team in hits (38). He has also shown some pop in his bat, producing seven doubles and three home runs.
GESWEIN DOIN' FINE - Freshman Kyle Geswein is providing a big bat in the middle of the Spartan lineup. After a slow start, Geswein has put together a .278 average with one home run and 15 RBI. A 1998 draftee of the New York Yankees, Geswein has also helped the Spartan pitching staff, throwing six scoreless innings in three appearances while striking out seven.
WATCHIN' WATCHOWSKI - After being inserted into the Spartan lineup during the Ball State series, freshman Don Watchowski has provided a spark in the batting order. In his 14 games, Watchowski is hitting .439 with four doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI. His break out game came in the home-opener against Eastern Michigan when he went 5-5 with 3 RBI. In the series finale with Illinois he was 3-5 with 4 RBI, including his first collegiate home run.
HOT HITTING HARTLEY - Senior co-captain Tom Hartley got off to a slow start this season, but has been swinging a hot bat recently. He is now batting .314 and is tied for the team lead in home runs (4) while standing second with 17 RBI.
NEW FACES - The 1999 Michigan State lineup will feature some new faces in key positions. Both infield corners will be manned by first year players. Kyle Geswein, a 1998 draftee of the New York Yankees, will handle the duties at first base. Across the diamond, redshirt freshman Troy Bergman and true freshman Don Watchowski will compete for playing time at the hot corner. Behind the plate, Matt Haynes will serve as Joe Kalczynski's backup and Chris McCuiston will provide depth in the outfield. On the mound, Pat Gill, Dan Horvath, Jon Huizinga, Mike Salling and Domanick Squires will look to give the team depth out of the bullpen.
AGENT MULDERS DISAPPEARANCE - Mark Mulder, a 1998 third-team All-American and two-time All-Big Ten selection, was the number two pick in the 1998 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the Oakland A's. In October he signed with the A's and became the first drafted baseball player to receive a $3.2 million signing bonus. In just two years as a Spartan, Mulder stands eighth on the career strikeout list (169) after posting a single season record 113 strikeouts in '98. Mulder is expected to begin the season with the AA Midland RockHounds.
YOUNG GUNS - With the departure of Mulder and Brian Murphy, the fortunes of the Michigan State baseball squad will hinge on the performances of an inexperienced pitching staff. The M&M boys finished their careers with 66 starts. Entering the 1999 season, the 13 member Spartan staff had a combined 34 starts.
Career Stats for Spartan Starters Name G/GS CG W L ERA SV IP H R ER BB SO Gary Zsigo 21/17 1 6 6 6.70 0 95.1 140 82 71 29 82 Josh Axelson 22/6 0 0 3 9.58 1 37.2 51 45 40 25 32 Scott Brandell 26/6 0 3 3 4.91 0 66.0 82 44 36 18 48 John Steiger 18/13 0 3 6 7.32 0 62.2 89 56 51 31 59
COUNTDOWN T0 1800 - No, the Michigan State baseball team is not 200 years behind every one else. In a year where so many people are counting down to the next millenium, the Spartans are hoping to collect their 1800th win as a program. In 112 years of competition, MSU has a record of 1782-1394-28. To reach number 1,800 they will need 31 wins this season, the most since 1993 (31-23).
THE ORIGINAL LEAD-OFF MEN - Michigan Agricultural College's 1884 baseball squad is credited with playing in the school's first ever intercollegiate competition (a 20-9 win over Olivet).
UPCOMING CAREER MILESTONESTED MAHAN, Head Coach Has 80 Wins 78
CARLOS FERNANDEZ, 2B, Sr.Has 450 Putouts 420 125 Hits 103 75 Runs 71 50 RBI 42
TOM HARTLEY, OF, Sr. Has 150 Hits 129 100 Runs 82 75 RBI 73 30 Doubles 25
MIKE WAGNER, OF, Sr. Has 100 Hits 83 75 Runs 63 75 RBI 50 25 Stolen Bases 20 20 Doubles 16 15 Home Runs 13
CHRIS YENS, P, Sr. Has 50 Games 40 15 Saves 10
JOE ALBAUGH, OF, Jr. Has 100 Hits 74 50 RBI 38 50 Runs 46 20 Doubles 17
TED DEMETRAL, SS, Jr. Has 300 Assists 288 100 Hits 99 75 Runs 54 50 RBI 36
JOE KALCZYNSKI, C, Jr. Has 600 Putouts 587 100 Hits 86 75 RBI 59 50 Runs 43
MIKE PISANI, OF, Jr. Has 150 Hits 133 75 Runs 72 75 RBI 55
GARY ZSIGO, P/DH, Jr. Has 100 Strikeouts 82 100 Innings Pitched 95.1 10 Wins 6
KIMYA MASSEY, P, Jr. Has 100 Innings Pitched 91.1 75 Strikeouts 62
JOHN STEIGER, P, So. Has 75 Strikeouts 59
SCOTT BRANDELL, P, So. Has 50 Strikeouts 48
