Baseball Hosts Penn State Friday Night At Oldsmobile Park
5/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 16, 2003
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THIS WEEKEND IN SPARTAN BASEBALL:
TEAMS: Penn State (24-24, 15-13 BT) at Michigan State (19-32, 8-17 BT)
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
Friday, May 16 - Oldsmobile Park - 7 p.m. - "Take A Kid To A Game Night"
Saturday, May 17 (DH) - Kobs Field - 1 p.m. - Senior Day
Sunday, May 18 - Kobs Field - 1 p.m. - Tribute To Danny Litwhiler and Robin Roberts
EVENTFUL WEEKEND CAPS 2003 SEASON: Although the Spartans (19-32, 8-17 Big Ten) were mathematically eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament after last weekend's action, MSU will cap the regular season with an eventful home weekend against Penn State (24-24, 15-13 BT).
The first game of the series, set for Friday, May 16 at 7 p.m., is "Take A Kid To A Game" night at Oldsmobile Park. All children with a paying adult will receive free admission to the game, MSU's last at Olds Park in 2003.
The doubleheader scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. is Senior Day at Kobs Field. Between games, the six seniors of the 2003 class will be honored. In conjunction with Senior Day festivities, the Oldtimer's Baseball Association is presenting Youth Family Baseball Day, and all children ages eighth-grade and younger receive free admission if wearing a team T-shirt.
The highlight of the weekend will take place before Sunday's finale at 1 p.m. The Spartan baseball program will retire the first two numbers in program history - 1 and 36 - in a ceremony honoring MSU's all-time winningest coach, Danny Litwhiler, and Hall of Fame pitcher, Robin Roberts.
MSU enters the weekend ninth in the Big Ten after getting swept by Ohio State last weekend. The Spartans defeated Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant earlier in the week, 10-8. PSU is currently fifth in the league standings with a 15-13 mark.
TRULY A SPECIAL DAY: This Sunday, May 18, the MSU baseball program will retire the first two numbers in program history, No. 1 and No. 36.
It's only fitting that Danny Litwhiler will forever be associated with MSU baseball and the number one. Litwhiler is MSU's all-time winningest coach with 488 victories and has coached two of the school's three Big Ten Championship teams.
Litwhiler is truly a living legend in baseball for not only his coaching, but for all of his inventions and innovations he brought to the game. He will receive the program's highest honor, the Alumnus of the Year Award, tomorrow night (Monday, May 19) at the annual baseball banquet.
Roberts was a stellar two-sport star at Michigan State before cemeting his name in the record books as a Hall of Fame pitcher in the major leagues. He led the "Whiz Kids" of the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1950 World Series and started in five All-Star games. A 20-game winner for six consecutive seasons, Roberts pitched for a total of 19 seasons with four different teams. He was honored as the 2002 MSU Baseball Alumnus of the Year.
ANNUAL BASEBALL BANQUET SET FOR MAY 19: The MSU Bullpen Club will host the annual baseball banquet May 19 at the Michigan Athletic Club in East Lansing. Danny Litwhiler will be honored as the Alumnus of the Year, and Hall of Famer Robin Roberts will also be in attendance. To order a reservation, contact the baseball office at (517) 355-0259 or Bullpen Club President Eric Rosekrans at (517) 319-9209. Tickets are $40 each.
SENIOR DAY SKETCHES
CHARLIE BRAUN:
Charlie Braun is a four-year letterwinner that served as the team co-captain this season.
Braun is a versatile defensive player, as he played excellent defense at both shortstop and second base in his career at MSU.
The Grosse Pointe, Mich., native had a breakout year in 2002 as he was fourth in the Big Ten with a .394 batting average. He also scored 55 runs and collected 76 hits, which is good for sixth and eighth best in a MSU season, respectively. This season, Braun tied a career high with four hits and four runs, including a triple, in MSU's win over Iowa April 27.
Braun is a human biology major and is scheduled to graduate next year. He was selected to the Verizon Academic All-America District IV Univeristy Division Baseball Second Team for the second straight year earlier this May.
BRADY BURRILL:
Brady Burrill, a four-year letterwinner, served as the team co-captain this season while leading the team in batting.
Burrill batted over .300 every year in his career and became just the 23rd Spartan to bat .400 in a season with a .414 average in 2002. He was selected as a preseason All-American in 2003 by Collegiate Baseball and was named a Fab 50 senior by Baseball America. The Newhall, Calif., native was one of 30 finalists for the Johnny Bench Award, which is given to the nation's premier catcher.
Burrill, a 34th round selection by Seattle in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft, has also excelled defensively for the Spartans behind the plate with only eight errors his entire career.
Burill graduated with a business degree earlier this May.
PATRICK GILL:
Patrick Gill is a four-year letterwinner who has been with the program since the 1999 season.
Gill, a hard throwing right-hander, proved to be a dependable starting pitcher over the course of his career. He won a career-best six games in 16 appearances in 2002 and started nine games his senior season.
The Grandville, Mich., native posted career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched in 2003, and struck out a career-best seven against Iowa April 26. He also pitched the longest outing of his career in 2003, a 7 1/3 inning effort with six strikeouts against Indiana April 12.
Gill, an interdisciplinary studies major with emphasis in human resources, graduated earlier this May.
RYAN GOLEM:
Ryan Golem, a four-year letterwinner, was one of MSU's most improved pitchers during the 2003 season and emerged as the team's closer.
Golem posted career-bests in ERA, strikeouts and saves in his last season with the Green and White.
The intimidating 6-foot-7-inch right-hander picked up wins against Bowling Green and IPFW in 2003 while closing out victories vs. Indiana, Indiana Tech and Central Michigan. Golem struck out a season-high four batters at North Florida during the spring break trip. In addition to the two wins this season, Golem notched two victories in his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
Golem will graduate this August with a degree in business administration.
RANDY ORTIZ:
Randy Ortiz is a three year letterwinner who has been with the program since 2000 and has provided depth to the catching position.
Ortiz played in a career-high 15 games in 2002 and has been in the lineup over 10 times this season. An excellent defensive player, Ortiz has gone through his entire career without making an error in the field.
The Rochester Hills, Mich., native collected two hits with a walk in MSU's 15-3 win over Eastern Michigan on May 7 and a career-high three hits in MSU's 10-8 win over Central Michigan on May 14. Last season, he went 2-for-3 with two RBI at Charleston Southern.
Ortiz, an advertising major, will graduate later this year.
BRETT WATTLES:
Brett Wattles, a four-year letterwinner, started over 160 games in the outfield during his career while collecting over 150 hits and 85 RBI.
Wttles blasted a career-high seven homers in 2003 and ranks among the Top 10 in the conference in walks.
A steady defensive player his entire four years, Wattles anchored the outfield this season by playing centerfield for the first time in his career. He responded to the challenge with several diving catches while only making two errors.
Wattles had his best season at the plate in 2001, in which he was second on the team in runs (46), hits (57), total bases (83) and stolen bases (14), while hitting a career-best .278.
Wattles, an interdisciplinary studies major, will graduate later this year.
MSU-PENN STATE SERIES NOTES:
HEAD COACH: Joe Hindelang. Career record: 574-522-3 (26th year). Record at PSU: 356-323-2 (12th year).
* MSU lead the series, 19-15.
* First meeting: April 14, 1920 - Penn State 15, MSC 4
* Last meeting: May 19, 2002 - MSU 16, PSU 3
* 2002: MSU swept series, 4-0.
* Coach Mahan's record vs. Penn State: 8-10.
* MSU's last series win: 2002 (4-0)
* PSU's last series win: 2001 (4-0)
This Weekend's Probable Rotation:
Friday: MSU - RH Bryan Gale (6-6, 2.91 ERA, 89.2 IP, 51 K, OBA - .227) vs. PSU - RH Clayton Hamilton (2-3, 4.73 ERA, 59 IP, 39 K, OBA - .253)Sat. Gm. 1: MSU - RH Tim Day (3-7, 5.12 ERA, 77.1 IP, 43 K, OBA - .295) vs. PSU - RH Josh Palm (3-6, 5.27 ERA, 54.2 IP, 30 K, OBA -.304)Sat. Gm. 2: MSU - RH Jeff Gerbe (2-3, 5.84 ERA, 49.1 IP, 20 K, OBA - .328) vs. PSU - RH Aaron Tressler (2-4, 5.76 ERA, 54.2 IP, 33 K, OBA -.310)Sunday: MSU - RH Chris Toepper (0-3, 6.75 ERA, 29.1 IP, 10 K, OBA - .303) vs. PSU - RH Jared Hopewell (3-1, 4.15 ERA, 34.2 IP, 15 K, OBA - .293)
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN BRADY BURRILL OUT FOR SEASON: Senior catcher Brady Burrill had a spectacular career as a Spartan, but it ended on a sour note as he broke his left foot May 9 at Ohio State. He will miss the remainder of the season.
Burrill, who was named a preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball and a Fab 50 senior by Baseball America, lived up to the preseason hype in his last season with the Green and White by leading the team with a .381 batting average and a .461 on base percentage. The captain had also been near perfect in the field (.992 fielding percentage) and led the Big Ten with five pickoffs.
The Newhall, Calif., native ranks second in Big Ten play with a .392 batting average and ended his career with a career-best 13-game hitting streak.
Burrill was drafted in the 34th round by the Seattle Mariners in the 2002 MLB First-Year Player Draft and was one of 30 finalists for the 2003 Johnny Bench Award, which is given to the nation's top catcher.
BRYAN'S SONG: Junior Bryan Gale moved into a three-way tie for second on the all-time wins chart (23) at MSU with a seven-inning masterpiece against Illinois May 2. Gale retired the first 16 batters he faced and only allowed two hits in the outing. He faced the minimum 21 batters in his seven innings of work and was named a Big Ten Top Performer of the Week. Gale ranks fourth in the league with a 2.91 ERA, and opponents are only hitting .227 against him, which is third in the conference.
The right-hander began the year with a two-hit, seven-inning gem on opening day at Centenary, and also retired the last 10 batters he faced. For his efforts, Gale was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 25, marking the third time in his career he has won the honor. Gale followed that effort with a complete game win including seven strikeouts over No. 20 North Carolina on Feb. 28. Gale's career record is currently 23-11.
Gale, who threw an MSU season record 100 innings in 2002, is first in the Big Ten in 2003 with 89 2/3 innings and his 253 1/3 career innings rank fourth all-time at MSU. The Decatur, Mich., native is also fourth in MSU history with 182 strikeouts. He struck out a season-high eight in a four-hit complete game win vs. Northwestern April 6.
GULICK IS GRAND: Travis Gulick is having a specatular sophomore season at the plate, leading the team in 10 offensive categories. The sophomore leads the Big Ten in runs with 55 and is second in hits (71), total bases (122) and homers (11). Gulick's 55 runs are tied for sixth-best in a MSU single-season and his 122 total bases are 10th.
Gulick belted two homers, both over the Kobs Field scoreboard in left field, to go along with a triple and four RBI vs. Wayne State April 15. He also slammed two homers against Illinois May 3. In the home opener, he went 4-for-5 against IPFW April 2. Gulick, who started the first half of the season at second base, is now the starting right fielder. He hit .353 with six homers - including three grand slams - and 28 RBI during his rookie campaign.
Gulick started his season off with a bang at Centenary, collecting six hits, eight RBI and five runs scored. He also had a career-high five RBI in the second game of the series. The East Lansing native is also ending his season on a high note with five homers in 10 games in the month of May.
HEEERE'S SCOTTY: First baseman Scott Koerber has had one of the hottest bats in the Spartan lineup by going 8-for-17 with eight RBI in his last three games. Koerber collected four hits and four RBI in MSU's win over Central Michigan May 14.
Koerber was sorely missed from the lineup after he missed a month of action due to a broken right hand he suffered March 10. A solid defensive player, Koerber has only made two errors all season (.994 fielding percentage) and leads the team with 306 putouts.
The Harper Woods, Mich., native is fourth on the team with a .317 average and third with nine doubles.
SO FARAWAY, SO CLOSE: MSU is 13 games under .500, but has outplayed its opponents in many close games. The Spartans have better numbers than their opponents in batting average (.292-.291), hits (489-468) and home runs (34-23), and have only scored nine fewer runs. The difference is that MSU is only 2-12 in one-run games and 4-5 in two-run games. In addition, MSU is 16-8 when out-hitting their opponent, but only 2-23 when getting out-hit. And when MSU scores big, they usually win - the Green and White are 9-2 when scoring 10 or more runs.
BASEBALL AMERICA CAN'T BE WRONG: Shortstop Alan Cattrysse, who was selected as the preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year by Baseball America, increased his average by 30 points after hitting .438 (14-32) with nine runs during a recent career-best nine-game hitting streak from April 20-May 3. He went 3-for-3 against Michigan with two doubles on April 20 and collected five hits in his first collegiate series at Centenary. The Chatham, Ontario, product is tied for third on the team with nine doubles and has 16 RBI. Cattrysse has also made some fine plays in the field and leads the Big Ten with 144 assists, including a career-high nine vs. Michigan April 20.
POWER WATTAGE: Center fielder Brett Wattles blasted three homers in last weekend's series against Ohio State, establishing a new career high for homers in a season with seven. Wattles, who is playing center for the first time in his career, has showed excellent patience at the plate this season, leading the team 29 walks, which is also fourth in the Big Ten.
PEANUTS: Senior co-captain Charlie Braun, who batted a career-best .394 in 2002, is back in the starting lineup as the starting second baseman. Braun was the designated hitter the first month of the season, but one of his biggest contributions to the team is his defense. He has only made three errors this season in 116 chances. Braun tied his career high with four hits and four runs and also hit a triple in MSU's win over Iowa April 27.
ONE BRIGHT DAY: Sophomore pitcher Tim Day has given the Spartan rotation a dependable second starter with 77 1/3 innings pitched this season, which is tied for fifth in the Big Ten. The right-hander has come up on the short end of many close games, including an eight-strikeout complete game loss to Northwestern April 6. Day has only allowed 14 earned runs in his last 39 innings, but only has one Big Ten win to his record.
The right-hander finished the 2002 season with an 11-3 record, establishing a MSU single-season record for victories. Day, a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, ended the season with a 3.21 ERA and five complete games.
FORTUNATE SON: Left fielder Erik Morris, son of former major league star pitcher Jack Morris, has been the hottest Spartan hitter the second half of the season. Morris is batting over .400 in his last 21 games and is fifth in league play with a .375 average. He was named one of the Big Ten top performers of the week after batting .667 (8-for-12) with six RBI and a homer during the Iowa series. Morris has bolstered his average to .300 and is third on the team with 29 RBI. He is currently riding a career-best 14-game hitting streak.
SOLID AT THE HOT CORNER: Junior James Moreno has been a mainstay in the Spartan lineup by starting his third consecutive year at third base. Moreno is third on the team with six homers and second with 35 RBI while batting .298. Moreno went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a solo homer vs. Central Michigan May 14.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS X 2: Two Spartans - senior catcher Brady Burrill and sophomore pitcher Tim Day - were named preseason All-Americans by two different baseball publications. Burrill was named a third-team All-American by Louisville Slugger, as selected by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, while Day earned third-team accolades from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Burrill and Day are MSU's first preseason All-Americans since Mark Mulder in 1998.
BASEBALL AMERICA SPOTLIGHT SEVERAL SPARTANS: Baseball America, one of the most respected baseball publications in the country, spotlighted several Spartans in its annual college preview issue. Alan Cattrysse was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten, while sophomore hurler Tim Day also earned preseason conference honors. Also highlighted was senior preseason All-American Brady Burrill, who was named the top defensive catcher in the Big Ten and the catcher with the best arm. Burrill was also named one of the Fab 50 seniors in the nation.
