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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois baseball opens its annual spring break trip at the site of one of the highlights of the 2009 season, as the Panthers begin their seven-game stretch in the Sunshine State with a weekend series at South Florida.
The three-game set at Red McEwen Field in Tampa, Fla., is slated to feature 6 p.m. (CST) night games Friday and Saturday and a noon (CDT) series finale Sunday. Eastern (1-9) remains in Florida next week for four neutral-site games at the RussMatt Invitational.
Not only did EIU defeat South Florida in its spring break trip opener last season, but the Panthers also went on to win the four-team Bulls Baseball Classic at McEwen Field. Eastern knocked off eventual NCAA Tournament teams Bethune-Cookman and nationally-ranked Oklahoma to finish as the only unbeaten team at the weekend tourney.
Like EIU, South Florida (3-10) was also a bubble team left out of the 2009 NCAA Tournament field. However, both teams have struggled early this season. The Bulls have already played seven games against nationally-ranked teams, losing all seven. South Florida won its home opener against Jacksonville Tuesday but dropped the second game of the midweek series a day later. The Bulls' two wins entering the week were against Illinois and Western Illinois.
“It's just a little different [than last year], playing South Florida for a three-game series,” EIU head coach
Jim Schmitz said. “I thought we really adjusted well to UAB [last weekend]. That whole series began with not a great beginning game for us. That's what OVC play is all about, how you adjust from game one to game three. The new guys that maybe didn't [play series] in high school or JUCO ball are sensing where they need to look for pitches are understand how they're trying to get them out.
“It's going to be a big trip. Obviously, 1-9 is not where we want to be. I still don't feel the lineup is what I want. So there will be some switching around a little bit. My goal is to get a lineup by the back half of spring break that I can say 'this is what we're going with.' I think they feel that pressure of having do well, but that's normal and someone is going to have to step up a little bit.”
While USF is expected to start the same pitcher (Randy Fontanez, the Big East Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year) it did against EIU last season, the Panthers have had to make a change to their weekend rotation.
Josh Mueller will miss a start due to a shore shoulder. Schmitz said he hoped Mueller could start the spring break trip finale against Ohio State (March 19), giving his top starter nearly two weeks off between starts.
Mueller has not missed a weekend start during his three-year EIU career.
Mike Recchia moves to the top of the rotation this weekend and
Mike Hoekstra is expected to start Saturday.
Due in part to injury, Hoekstra has not started a game since earning a win against Morehead State during the opening series of Ohio Valley Conference play in 2008. He has been stretched out a bit in his three relief appearances this season, throwing more pitches and remaining in the game longer in each instance. Hoekstra helped the Panthers post their first win of the season with 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief last weekend at UAB.
Game three starter
Brent McNeil is coming off the best start of his first EIU season while Recchia will be looking to duplicate his successful start in Tampa a year ago. Recchia led the Panthers to the win against Oklahoma after allowing only one earned run on four hits (all singles) over six innings.
Richie Derbak also enjoyed a big series at McEwen Field last season, finishing the weekend tournament 8-for-14 with four RBIs.
Eastern scored six runs (five earned) on nine hits against Fontanez a year ago. Fontanez did not issue a walk in five innings.
Zach Borenstein,
Curt Restko and Derbak each had two hits in the 9-5 win.
The Panthers are expected to face lefthander Andrew Barbosa in game two. Fontanez and Barbosa both put together quality starts against Oklahoma in Norman last weekend but are still in search of their first victories of the season. South Florida's game three starter has yet to be announced.
“I know they've struggled but they've got two really good arms with velocity,” Schmitz said. “We have faced some veteran teams. We're playing teams that seem to know who they are, and are confident or have leadership. That's what we're struggling with right now. Pitching is their mainstay. We're going into [the series] not swinging the bats real but maybe we'll take it as a challenge.”
Probable Pitching Matchups
