The Observer, March 23, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 21
Spartans knock Brandeis out of tie with Emory for UAA top spot
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The start of the season has brought mixed results to the Case baseball team. As of Wednesday, the team has a 3-5 record. However, the team's losses came at the hands of some very talented teams, including Otterbein College, which is currently ranked first in the country for Division III, according to USA Today's preseason poll.
"I am proud of how the guys have played to date," said first-year head coach Matt Englander. "We are not the deepest team, and I was pretty demanding of them during the preseason. They could easily have quit on me, but instead they've worked hard to improve themselves, and as a result we are going to find ourselves in a lot of winnable games this year."
The team opened the 2007 season with a doubleheader at Otterbein. Senior J.R. Doolos started for the Spartans in the opener and pitched five innings, allowing seven runs (three earned) on 10 hits, while notching four strikeouts. The team fared much better in the second half of the doubleheader. In an offensive slugfest, they defeated Otterbein 9-7. Facing off against Otterbein pitcher Doug Stevens, who has never lost a collegiate game, Doolos and junior third baseman Jamal Mahmud both had great days at the plate. Doolos had three hits in four at-bats with three runs batted in, and Mahmud went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a two-run double. The win went to junior Kevin Haley, who pitched two shutout innings. This was an excellent boost of confidence for the Spartans.
With a mere two games under its belt, the team took off for its spring break trip to Sanford, Florida, where the UAA baseball championship tournament has been held for the past 18 years. The Spartans started the week off with a 15-6 loss to Washington University. The Bears finished the week with an 11-1 record and are ranked in the top 30 by the American Baseball Coaches Association. Mahmud smacked another homer, but it was not enough to keep the game close.
Led by Doolos on the mound, the Spartans recovered quickly in their next game against Rochester, defeating the Yellow Jackets 4-1. Doolos pitched a one-run complete game for the team. He received all of his offensive support in the second inning. Seniors Kevin Sudnik and Dave Adams, along with juniors Mahmud and Haley, all had hits during the inning.
"I saw a lot of things that I liked down there," said Englander. "Dave [Adams] hit close to .500 for the week, and J.R. [Doolos] stepped up and pitched consistently well for us all week."
After dropping their next three games, the Spartans faced Brandeis in their last game of the week. While the Spartans had already been knocked out of contention for the top spot, Brandeis could have tied Emory for the championship with a victory. Doolos was on the mound again, and he threw another complete game. He also went 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBI. Overall, the Spartans had 21 hits in the game while holding the Judges to 11.
When asked about the teams overall biggest strengths and weaknesses, Englander did not single out any particular aspect.
"I don't think there is any single area of our play that we can be satisfied with," he said. "We've gotten solid play in several areas. However, at the end of the day, we are still 3-5, not 8-0, and until then we are not going to be able to relax."
