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Sports
Getting a head start : Sports : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisGetting a head start
| Oswego baseball team faces nine opponents to better prepare for SPC start
| by Christine Bolin
| 3/22/2012
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The Oswego baseball team has nine games scheduled before Southwest Prairie Conference play begins.
This is a good thing for the Panthers, considering they are used to playing just a few games before diving into league action.
Earlier this week, Oswego's season opener against IMSA Monday was postponed due to rain. With the game rescheduled for Friday, the Panthers are faced with three games in the opening week of the season.
"The last couple of years, we've gone into conference play with just a few games, and you really don't know much about your team after three, four games," Oswego head coach Chris Neitzel said. "Already, we feel we are ahead of where we were in the past because we've learned some things watching the kids actually hit and pitch outside. I'm really hoping we get all nine games in, but we have to be patient."
Last year, Oswego experienced it share of struggles on the mound. This year, the Panthers have nine capable hurlers on the roster. Seniors Parker Meek and Nick Gerber and juniors Alex Milne and Nick Wernke will be regulars in the pitching rotation while junior Kelse Gengler, a varsity newcomer, might see time on the mound as well.
Meek is the top returning pitcher after finishing with a 4-6 record last year after some hard-luck losses. His ERA was under 4.0, and he only walked seven batters in 59 innings. Meek, who is entering his fourth varsity season, batted .350 last year.
Gerber had some success with a 4-2 record while Milne has gained varsity playing time off and on since his freshman season and Neitzel is looking forward to seeing the the hard-throwing lefty make an impact this year.
Wernke has not pitched a lot, but he's 6-foot-5 and also throws hard. He worked with a pitching coach in the off-season and is expected to have a breakthrough year with the Panthers.
"We have four kids who throw over 80 miles per hour. That's something we typically don't have," Neitzel said. "We are lucky to have one or two, but the key is those guys can throw strikes and develop other pitches. We told our pitchers the season is going to be on their shoulders. If they come through, I think we will be very good."
Hitting-wise, Neitzel expects Oswego to be competitive. Aside from Meek's bat, junior first baseman Chad Burdo hit .400 and Wernke hit around .500 in the last two weeks of the 2011 season. This will be both players' first full year on varsity.
Senior Brandon Lentz will play third base, senior Tim Wodzisz moves from second base to shortstop and sophomore Bryce Holm will be in left field.
Newcomers include junior catcher Jose Camacho, Neitzel's first-ever legitimate switch hitter, junior catcher/first baseman John Malatia and junior Rick Tormey at second base.
Last year, Oswego finished 16-16 overall and 9-12 in the Southwest Prairie Conference. Plainfield North has dominated league play the past three seasons, going 61-2 in conference action. The Tigers finished 21-0 last year and in 2009 in SPC play. The Panthers open up conference play April 3 at home against Plainfield North. Oswego has to wait until May 15 to face rival Oswego East.
"Our conference is extremely tough, and I don't expect that to be any different this year," Neitzel said. "Plainfield North is the team to beat. They've been nothing but dominant. Minooka is always good and Plainfield South is talented, so those are the top three teams. After that, anything goes. There is no weak link."
Oswego was scheduled to play Plano at home Wednesday, but results were not available at press time. The Panthers face Naperville North today, Thursday, at home at 4:30 p.m. They play their third consecutive home game Friday against IMSA at 4 p.m. before hosting Sandwich next Monday at 10 a.m.
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