Baseball Prepares For Weekend Home Opener
3/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Spartan Baseball Notes
TOP STORY: MSU is coming off a sweep at Eastern Michigan, in which the Spartans won 14-2 and 8-2. State has now won six of its last seven games, including two wins to open the conference schedule at Illinois last weekend. The Spartans have played all 20 of their games on the road this season and will now play a five-game homestand before going to Minnesota next weekend.
Note of the Weekend: .400 CLUB: State currently has three players, all sophomores, hitting over .400 this season, including Bob Malek, Brady Burrill and Brett Wattles. Malek is hitting .474 and is leading the team in hits (36), doubles (12), RBI (23), total bases (54), slugging percentage (.711) and on-base percentage (.533). Burrill has started a total 10 games for MSU at both catcher and first base and is hitting .432 with 13 RBI. Wattles is hitting .407 and has started all 20 games in right field and leads the team in runs scored (27), triples (2) and stolen bases (10).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SCOUTING REPORT
Purdue is 7-14 on the season and has a 1-2 conference record. They are coming off a 15-4 punishing of Valparaiso. Nick McIntyre is leading the Boilers in hits with 26 and is second on the team in batting average .347. Nate Sicler is leading the team in RBI with 16 and total bases with 45. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WE'LL TAKE TWO: MSU is 4-0 in doubleheaders this season, winning all eight games. Not only have the Spartans won all the twinbills they have played in 2001, but they have won them big, out-scoring opponents by a total of 81-36.
CONFERENCE BESTS: Brett Wattles and Bob Malek are currently one and two in the conference in batting average. Malek is leading the conference in batting average with a .474 and also leads the conference in hits with 36 and doubles with 12. He is third in RBI with 23. Malek also has a .533 on-base percentage which is good for second in the conference. Wattles is hitting .407 and is third in on-base percentage with a .500.
CLOSING THE DOOR: Closers Domanick Squires and Bryan Gale have been dominant for the Spartans this season in relief roles. Squires, a junior, has two saves in a conference-leading eight appearances and a 1.80 ERA. Gale, a freshman, also has two saves and a record of 2-0. He has a slim 1.13 ERA and has struck-out 15 batters while opponents are batting just .154 against him.
