| PING!BASEBALL SPOTLIGHT TEAM
Central MIchigan Chippewas
Mid American Conference |
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The Chippewas are used to success, and with
14 letter winners returning from a team that won 35 games
(21 of those in the Mid-American Conference) last year, the
2008 season looked to be promising.  But
when you are a university in Michigan and don’t get
to play on your home field until six weeks after a hairy rodent
is awakened by some dope in a bow tie and top hat to check
and see if it see its shadow, things don't always go according
to schedule. For the Chippewas, this meant starting the season
by playing their first 15 games on the road (16, if you count
the game against Notre Dame that was suspended in the 6th
inning due to winter conditions). Of those 15 games, CMU managed
to only win four, and lost eight of their first nine. But,
the Chippewas are MAC warriors, and have historically come
alive against conference opponents.
Led by coach Steve Jaska (a 1979 graduate
of CMU), the Chippewas have enjoyed two MAC West Division
titles (2004, 2006) hand have been picked by the league’s
head coaches to do it again this year. Coming into this season,
Jaska had 135 wins in his first four seasons at the helm of
CMU. Jaska was a pitcher at CMU, and compiled a 12-4 record
with a career ERA of 2.76. Perhaps Coach Jaska should consider
taking the mound himself, as his team attempts to work through
some struggles on the mound.
 The
main three in the starting rotation are putting in solid work.
Steve Teno (3-3), Eric Lawrence (1-2), and 2007 All-MAC Second
Team selection Dan Taylor (33 K’s in 39.1 innings pitched)
have the experience to lead the pitching staff through a busy
spring. However, the set-up and relief has not been consistent,
with the exception of sophomore RHP Jesse Hernandez. Hernandez
has gone 2-3, with an ERA hovering around 1.15 and has tallied
the team's only save. A continued consistent performance by
Bryce Morrow will help solidify the bullpen. So far Morrow
has been solid with a 3.12 ERA in 17.1 innings.
When it comes to overall leadership of the
Chippewas on the field, there is no question that the responsibility
falls on Tyler Stovall, who was selected to the 2008 Louisville
Slugger Pre-Season 3rd Team. The senior from Cincinnati, OH
was the 2007 MAC Player of the Year and a 2nd Team Collegiate
Baseball All-American selection. To earn these titles, all
he did was lead the entire Mid-American Conference in batting
average (.391), hits (88), RBI’s (59), and runs (50),
and have the second most steals (20). This season, once again
among the CMU leaders in batting average, hits, RBI, triples
and stolen bases. But, Tyler isn’t just all brawn. Stovall
earned 2nd Team Academic All-American honors last year, and
has a 3.84 GPA in personal financial planning (which may come
in handy after this year’s MLB draft).
 Shortstop
Jeff Helps, a senior out of Wyoming, Ont., was recently named
the West Division MAC Player of the Week, after a stretch
in which he hit .636 in four games, scoring seven times, five
stolen bases in five attempts, and was hit by three pitches.
Helps must give opposing pitchers a mean snarl at the plate,
because he has been hit seven times this season so far, and
was hit a school record 17 times last season (way to take
one for the team, Jeff!).
Also hot on the bats for the Chippewas is
Sean Hoorelbeke, a senior from Hartland, Michigan. Sean leads
the MAC with 8 HR team in home runs and is pacing the Chippewas
in homeruns, slugging percentage, runs scored, and total bases.
His performance so far this season is helping to take the
load off of Stovall.
With the MAC season now in full bloom, the
Chippewas look to make their familiar conference run, and
return to their usual place atop the conference. I wonder
how Coach Jaska’s curve ball looks these days. Never
mind the tricks, coach. Throw ‘em the heater!
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