Opening weekend on the diamond

It looks like our last 3-0 start was in 2006. We actually started 7-0 that season and went on to win 30 games.

SIU-Edwardsville finished with just 14 wins last season, so they struggled even more than we did.

It was interesting to see that we only attempted two steals and hit three homers. That contradicts the new bats/more agressive on the bases thoughts most had heading into the season. Opponents were successful on steal attempts 89% of the time last season against the Cougars and averaged 2.6 attempts per game.

Pretty good performance by Evan Cox (6 innings, 6 hits, 4 earned) on Friday. Fantastic performance by Clint Green (6 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk) on Saturday. Blake Payne had a great weekend out of the bullpen (2 app, 1 win, 6 innings, 0 earned). We also had a few guys really struggle.

Michael Pair hit .500 and only had 8 official at-bats on the weekend, but he was walked 5 times and hit by a pitch. He had two extra basehits, four RBI and reached base 67% of the time. Ethan Harris picked up this season how he started 2010. And Michael Marietta, who struggled at the plate last season, got a start on Sunday and went 2-for-5.

Even though the team had just three hits on Friday, seven players finished the weekend hitting over .300. It was a weird weekend for box scores though. We scored five runs on just three hits on Monday. Then Saturday 14 runs on 11 hits. And Sunday 16 runs on 14 hits. We clearly took advantage of the THIRTY ONE free bases by bad Cougar pitching.

Defensively, we made 5 errors. Three of those by our middle infielders. Not good. However, they we also turned 6 double plays. Very good. The outfielders made it through the weekend without a blemish.

With no midweek games, Eastern Illinois is up next this weekend. The Panthers were swept by Southern Miss and only scored three runs last weekend. It looks like it will be the first time we’ve ever played EIU in baseball.

Weather Update

With the snow already falling in central Arkansas, both the men’s and women’s games schedule to be played on Saturday have been postponed. There is no word yet on a makeup date – if any. The women will play in Conway at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The men won’t be able to play in Arlington until Monday at 4 p.m. (think Super Bowl).

The men were scheduled to leave around 11 this morning, but with the condition of the roads from here to Arlington a problem, the decision has already been made.