We went down to Long Island on Saturday and swept St. Joseph’s College in what was definitely one of the colder doubleheaders I’ve played in. It could have been worse though, because it was sunny and dry out all day long. We took advantage of strong pitching performances from our top pitchers, Matt O’Leary and Dan Tracy who improved to 3-0 and 4-0 respectively. Both pitchers went the distance in the win, pitching all seven innings, but I think if you were to ask them, they would admit to not being as sharp as they usually are. I only say this because you can take the positive away from the game that even when Matt and Dan do not throw their best games, we are still very capable of getting a sweep on that day. We’re currently riding a 15-game winning streak after dropping that first game of the season and every single player on the team has been contributing. Our versatility of being able to send out multiple lineups on any given day really makes for a tough team to pitch against.
Donny Coolidge ended his season-long hitting streak in the second game on Saturday. He’s been a great cleanup hitter all year long. Something that the stats don’t show all the time is a player’s production with two outs and/or a man in scoring position. Donny has excelled in both of those categories, getting hits in the most crucial situations.
The team mentality remains the same even after our success. We still feel like we need to prove something to ourselves when it comes time to play the SUNYAC games. The out of conference games are always nice to win, but those 12 games we play in conference are by far the most important ones on our schedule. The other ones don’t mean a thing and we keep telling ourselves that we need to stay hungry. The coaching staff won’t let us get complacent and I think it’s good that we’re reminded to never settle for what we’ve already done, but drive towards what we want to get done – a SUNYAC Championship.
#17 - Matt Burns
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Offense, Pitching Building Confidence
Our trip to Florida was very successful, winning all nine collegiate games, and playing well against the Minnesota Twins Rookie Team, which consists of all first year professionals. As far as the regularly scheduled games are concerned, we hit the ball extremely well. I think that because our hitting was somewhat of a concern after leaving Myrtle Beach, it’s a big confidence builder that we came down here and did as well at the plate as we have.
The first game we played against Scranton was a fairly sloppy one. We made four errors on defense, which is unacceptable. Getting the win though was important to start the trip off on a good note. The next day, we swept Bethel, who is a very good hitting team. We played real well both games and since that was probably the best team we played on the trip, it was good to get those two wins early in the week. It was especially nice to win the first game so close after having to come back from an early 4-0 hole. The next day, we picked up two more wins against Lakeland. In the first game it took a little too long to start hitting. The score does not show how poorly we hit because we scored a lot of runs at the end of the game. We got two great pitching performances though from our staff.
We shut down the next day for our day off and it was a good day to get some rest to prepare for the back end of our trip. Thursday, we played against the Twins team where we let the game slip away in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly. We also had a JV game against SUNY Fredonia, where we got to see what a lot of the guys who don't get a lot of chances to play to see what they can do in game situations. There were definitely some bright spots in that game as well as this entire week.
We’re fortunate bringing our winning streak to 13 games, which is a school record. We wrapped up the trip with sweeps of Minnesota-Morris and Millikin. Our offense continued to roll and the pitching has been solid.
#17 = Matt Burns
The first game we played against Scranton was a fairly sloppy one. We made four errors on defense, which is unacceptable. Getting the win though was important to start the trip off on a good note. The next day, we swept Bethel, who is a very good hitting team. We played real well both games and since that was probably the best team we played on the trip, it was good to get those two wins early in the week. It was especially nice to win the first game so close after having to come back from an early 4-0 hole. The next day, we picked up two more wins against Lakeland. In the first game it took a little too long to start hitting. The score does not show how poorly we hit because we scored a lot of runs at the end of the game. We got two great pitching performances though from our staff.
We shut down the next day for our day off and it was a good day to get some rest to prepare for the back end of our trip. Thursday, we played against the Twins team where we let the game slip away in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly. We also had a JV game against SUNY Fredonia, where we got to see what a lot of the guys who don't get a lot of chances to play to see what they can do in game situations. There were definitely some bright spots in that game as well as this entire week.
We’re fortunate bringing our winning streak to 13 games, which is a school record. We wrapped up the trip with sweeps of Minnesota-Morris and Millikin. Our offense continued to roll and the pitching has been solid.
#17 = Matt Burns
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Reflecting on The Ripken Experience
We’re back in Plattsburgh following our Myrtle Beach trip, the first of two preseason trips down South. Coming back 4-1 feels good, but we definitely regret letting that first game slip away from us. After getting to 2-1, we swept the final day’s games winning 3-2 over Wilkes and 8-4 over Penn State Abington. Dan Tracy threw a gem in the first game, striking out 11 over 7 innings of work. It was the pitching performance we needed at the time, and one we wanted to see from Dan before heading to Fort Myers. Getting the two outings that we did from him and Matt O’Leary really builds our confidence knowing we can send out our top two pitchers against anyone and have a great chance of winning the game.
One of the highlights and surprises of the trip was getting the type of performance from Anthony Presto, a junior transfer from Orange County Community College. Playing in right field and leading off for all five games, he was a great table setter for us and played great defense. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the range he has out in right, and that allows our pitchers to throw to contact rather than trying to strike everyone out. We might have the quickest outfield in our conference, or at least very close to it. Between Presto, Andrew Gooch, and Danny Roeser, there are not a lot of fly balls that are going to drop in the outfield.
We knew going into our season that we would rely heavily on our pitching and defense, and Tory Bouyea and Pat Shaughnessy playing up the middle was a huge contribution to our success. Having played on the same teams since high school, they always know how each other works. Being strong up the middle throughout the entire defense (catcher, second base, shortstop, centerfield) will always lead to success, and I think we’re better at that this year than many years past. Our hitting has yet to take shape from top to bottom, and once we start rolling at the plate, we’re going to be a very dangerous team to play against.
#17 = Matt Burns
One of the highlights and surprises of the trip was getting the type of performance from Anthony Presto, a junior transfer from Orange County Community College. Playing in right field and leading off for all five games, he was a great table setter for us and played great defense. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the range he has out in right, and that allows our pitchers to throw to contact rather than trying to strike everyone out. We might have the quickest outfield in our conference, or at least very close to it. Between Presto, Andrew Gooch, and Danny Roeser, there are not a lot of fly balls that are going to drop in the outfield.
We knew going into our season that we would rely heavily on our pitching and defense, and Tory Bouyea and Pat Shaughnessy playing up the middle was a huge contribution to our success. Having played on the same teams since high school, they always know how each other works. Being strong up the middle throughout the entire defense (catcher, second base, shortstop, centerfield) will always lead to success, and I think we’re better at that this year than many years past. Our hitting has yet to take shape from top to bottom, and once we start rolling at the plate, we’re going to be a very dangerous team to play against.
#17 = Matt Burns
Coolidge SUNYAC Player of the Week
Junior 3B Donny Coolidge was named the SUNYAC Player of the Week following his performance at the Ripken Experience.
Donny batted .429 with a .719 slugging percentage. He collected at least one hit in all five games, including a pair of three-hit games.
Congratulations Donny!
In five games, Donny collected
Donny batted .429 with a .719 slugging percentage. He collected at least one hit in all five games, including a pair of three-hit games.
Congratulations Donny!
In five games, Donny collected
Friday, March 5, 2010
Reflecting on Season Opener
The first game is done and over with and I think everyone is ready to move on. We came out really flat and it showed right from the first batter when we made an error on an inflield fly ball. (Pitcher) Corey Johnston started the game and didn’t throw too bad. We just could not hit at all. The game ended 6-1 and I think a lot of guys would have been fine with giving up just 6 runs if you asked us before the game. Anthony Presto and Andrew Baio paced us with 3 hits each and really tried to set the table for us. Brian Burns and Marc Plante both threw well out of the bullpen and kept the game close. The bottom line is we did not convert when we had the chances. Whether it was hitting with runners on base, runners in scoring position, or with 2 outs, we just didn’t get the job done. It’s safe to say that everyone’s embarrassed with our effort and performance, but (Friday’s) a new day and we just have to forget about this game. We’re going to go out and try to sweep both games and get to 2-1.
#17 = Matt Burns
#17 = Matt Burns
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Cardinals En Route to the Palmetto State
We’re on our way down to Myrtle Beach right now, riding down on the coach bus all the way from Plattsburgh. Right now, we’re right near Trenton, NJ, so we still have a long way to go. It’s not bad though, between the movies and either reading or just hanging out with the guys on the team, the time moves by a little faster than you would think. It’s actually a pretty good time for the team because we’re hanging out on the same bus for about 18 hours, so you kind of get to joke around with everyone. I like to think it helps build team chemistry, which this team already has plenty of. I’ve said it before, but this team is the closest knit group I’ve been on at Plattsburgh, so these rides are actually more fun than it is a hassle.
When we wake up in the morning and get into South Carolina, we’ll start to get ready for our practice session at the complex. We get one of the fields for a couple of hours for practice, and then we’ll head back to the hotel to relax before our game later that night. When you’re one of the few older guys on a young team, you look for other guys to step up and make sure our practices and these road trips run smoothly. Crockett Pack is our only three-year junior, and he is one of those players. He comes to practice every day works as hard as he can, and you can see that his attitude rubs off on everyone else. Crockett is one of those players that does whatever helps our team to win, no matter what the situation is. He’s played a lot as a freshman and sophomore, switching positions from second base to the outfield, and making the adjustment better than most people have. In order for our team to succeed this year, we need him to play often and play well.
(Sports Information Director's Note: The team left campus via charter bus around 3 p.m. Wednesday and have since arrived at their destination. This post was made after their Thursday morning practice in preparation for the season opener later in the evening.)
When we wake up in the morning and get into South Carolina, we’ll start to get ready for our practice session at the complex. We get one of the fields for a couple of hours for practice, and then we’ll head back to the hotel to relax before our game later that night. When you’re one of the few older guys on a young team, you look for other guys to step up and make sure our practices and these road trips run smoothly. Crockett Pack is our only three-year junior, and he is one of those players. He comes to practice every day works as hard as he can, and you can see that his attitude rubs off on everyone else. Crockett is one of those players that does whatever helps our team to win, no matter what the situation is. He’s played a lot as a freshman and sophomore, switching positions from second base to the outfield, and making the adjustment better than most people have. In order for our team to succeed this year, we need him to play often and play well.
(Sports Information Director's Note: The team left campus via charter bus around 3 p.m. Wednesday and have since arrived at their destination. This post was made after their Thursday morning practice in preparation for the season opener later in the evening.)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Cardinals Headed South for Season Openers
It has been a while since the last blog, but our practices have not changed much. We are still working on all of the little things each and every day to make sure we are ready for the beginning of games. Our defense looks very solid right now, our pitching has been taking shape as the pitch counts have increased, and our hitting is coming along as well. With just a couple of days left before we play our first game, I’m going to preview the games we’ll play down in Myrtle Beach this weekend.
The first game is on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. against Manchester College (21-18 last season) from Indiana, who we also play the next evening at 6:30 as well. We played them last year in Myrtle Beach, and won 15-4, to close out our trip. Manchester lost a few of their top hitters from last year, including Matty Miller (.435 avg., 12 home runs, 50 RBI) and Corey Oetting (.344 avg., 14 home runs, 58 RBI). However they bring back a lot of production as well, with Ty Foster being their most prominent hitter (.396 avg., 11 home runs, 50 RBI). They only seem to have lost one real contributor from their pitching staff, Colin Denihan (3 wins, 10 starts). Curtis Mallery and Brett Smalley will probably be their #1 and #2 pitchers (5-6, 29 combined starts).
The next afternoon, we play Penn State Berks (22-23-1 last season), who won their conference tournament in 2009. Last year, we played them in a very close game, a 4-0 win, and we expect it to be close again. They return a first team all-conference and NEAC Pitcher of the Year in Brad Swavely (6-2, 6.02 ERA), and their second team all-conference and leading hitter in production in Seth Shultz (.340 avg., 6 home runs, 53 RBI).
On Saturday, we have our last two games, starting with Wilkes College from Pennsylvania. They will probably be our toughest test in Myrtle Beach once again. They finished 29-12 last season, including a 1-1 record against us in South Carolina. They lost the two of their top three hitters in Andrew Garofoli and Geoff Miller (10 home runs and 77 RBI combined). They also lost their ace on their pitching staff in Brad Swavely, but return a lot of their roster on both sides.
The last game of the trip is against Penn State Abington, who also loses their top hitter in Michael Angelo (.430 avg., 31 runs, 8-8 stolen bases). Abington is a team who struggled to field the ball well defensively last season, with a team fielding percentage of .913. We have to make sure we put the ball in play and see what happens when we play them. They are also very aggressive on the bases, so when we’re on defense, we need to make sure we stay awake and be ready for them to steal, hit and run, or try to take the extra base.
#17=Matt Burns
The first game is on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. against Manchester College (21-18 last season) from Indiana, who we also play the next evening at 6:30 as well. We played them last year in Myrtle Beach, and won 15-4, to close out our trip. Manchester lost a few of their top hitters from last year, including Matty Miller (.435 avg., 12 home runs, 50 RBI) and Corey Oetting (.344 avg., 14 home runs, 58 RBI). However they bring back a lot of production as well, with Ty Foster being their most prominent hitter (.396 avg., 11 home runs, 50 RBI). They only seem to have lost one real contributor from their pitching staff, Colin Denihan (3 wins, 10 starts). Curtis Mallery and Brett Smalley will probably be their #1 and #2 pitchers (5-6, 29 combined starts).
The next afternoon, we play Penn State Berks (22-23-1 last season), who won their conference tournament in 2009. Last year, we played them in a very close game, a 4-0 win, and we expect it to be close again. They return a first team all-conference and NEAC Pitcher of the Year in Brad Swavely (6-2, 6.02 ERA), and their second team all-conference and leading hitter in production in Seth Shultz (.340 avg., 6 home runs, 53 RBI).
On Saturday, we have our last two games, starting with Wilkes College from Pennsylvania. They will probably be our toughest test in Myrtle Beach once again. They finished 29-12 last season, including a 1-1 record against us in South Carolina. They lost the two of their top three hitters in Andrew Garofoli and Geoff Miller (10 home runs and 77 RBI combined). They also lost their ace on their pitching staff in Brad Swavely, but return a lot of their roster on both sides.
The last game of the trip is against Penn State Abington, who also loses their top hitter in Michael Angelo (.430 avg., 31 runs, 8-8 stolen bases). Abington is a team who struggled to field the ball well defensively last season, with a team fielding percentage of .913. We have to make sure we put the ball in play and see what happens when we play them. They are also very aggressive on the bases, so when we’re on defense, we need to make sure we stay awake and be ready for them to steal, hit and run, or try to take the extra base.
#17=Matt Burns
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
