Fresh start: Baseball 6-3 after offseason facelift
When thinking about an upcoming season, there’s one word that no coach wants to hear: rebuilding.
Unfortunately, it appears as if that dreaded word will inevitably affix itself next to the 2005 Rams baseball team.
The Rams completed their second sweep of the season on Sunday in Petersburg with a 13-4 win over Sacred Heart, using a roster with just four starters from a year ago and only three seniors.
When thinking about an upcoming season, there’s one word that no coach wants to hear: rebuilding.
Unfortunately, it appears as if that dreaded word will inevitably affix itself next to the 2005 Rams baseball team.
The Rams completed their second sweep of the season on Sunday in Petersburg with a 13-4 win over Sacred Heart, using a roster with just four starters from a year ago and only three seniors.
In addition, the Rams lost their top three starting pitchers and have lost 15 players to the Major League Baseball draft over the past three years. All of those factors don’t equal a formula for contention, but don’t tell that to the coaches or players, who remain optimistic that this team will compete in the Colonial Athletic Association this year.
“We just have to play hard and get better,” said head coach Paul Keyes, “we’ve always stressed getting better and playing smart…so far we’re off to a good start.”
This year’s team is a complete opposite of the 2004 version, a team filled with upperclassmen studs and high expectations. Being the opposite may not be so bad, though, if they can reverse last year’s underachievement and general disappointment.
“If our team last year had played harder and more as a unit, I don’t think we would have had a disappointing year,” coach Keyes said. “I think that comes with the territory of high expectations and guys playing for their own individual honors and where they’re going to be drafted.
“We don’t have a lot of draft guys this year obviously, so I think they know that they have to play hard and pull their weight … the key for us is focusing on the team as a unit, and what I can sacrifice individually to help the team get better. So far we’ve done that.”
This year’s team seems to be a closely-knit group with good team chemistry. While Keyes did acknowledge this, he also warned not to put too much stock into it.
“A lot of chemistry comes down to winning and losing. I’ve never seen a team lose and have good chemistry.”
VCU will rely heavily on underclassmen this year. Leading the pack is starting second baseman Scott Sizemore. The only starting infielder returning from last year’s team, Sizemore will be counted on for not only production at the plate (he was third on the team with a .332 batting average last season), but also to provide leadership to an inexperienced infield.
Sizemore is currently leading the team in eight offensive categories, including hits, runs scored, and RBI.
“I’m trying to be a little bit more of a leader, because I’m the only returning infielder,” said Sizemore. “It was kind of put on me, but I’m still learning and don’t know everything, so I’ve got to take both roles as they come.”
Sizemore’s leadership will be specifically targeted at freshman shortstop Sergio Miranda. Just a 17-year-old, Miranda has found himself thrust into the starting lineup; if the early season is any indicator, he should remain a fixture there for the entire season. Miranda is off to a solid start, already scoring eight runs through the first nine games while batting .257 and stealing three bases. His defense has been a little shaky, however, having already committed three errors.
“With him, I’m trying to get him to slow down,” said Sizemore. “That’s what the senior shortstop got me to do last year, just to slow down and let the game come to you and not rush, not do too much. So that’s what I’m trying to do with him.”
For Miranda, who earlier this season was named the CAA Rookie of the Week, getting adjusted to life in America has been just as important as getting acclimated to college baseball. Miranda is originally from Puerto Rico and moved to Richmond to play baseball.
“At first it was really hard,” said Miranda, “but the people here have really helped me, and I really appreciate it.”
Miranda has had to adjust to more than just baseball and college life. When asked what the main thing he had to get used to since moving, the first thing he listed was the weather, above such things as the speed of the game or the difficulty of classes.
Despite all the changes, Miranda is focused on helping VCU be successful.
“I don’t care about the stuff that I do,” said Miranda. “I just want to help the team win. That’s what is important to me.”
Coach Keyes recognizes both the importance of getting Miranda to produce, but also handling the freshman with care.
“He’s probably going to play in all 56 games, but we’re also going to have to protect him,” said Keyes.
Other underclassmen that will be expected to produce both on the field and at the plate include redshirt freshman Kwan Evans and sophomore pitcher Harold Mozingo.
Evans, who is coming off an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, has been outstanding out of the gate thus far, batting .409 while starting all eight games. Evans was also named CAA Rookie of the Week earlier this season.
“He’s one of the strongest guys on our team,” Keyes said of Evans.
Mozingo is the staff ace, coming off a 2004 campaign where he was named CAA Rookie of the Year, as well as making the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team. He is 2-1 on the year with 21 strikeouts in 15 innings, coming off six shutout innings in a win over Sacred Heart on Saturday.
Pitching is the biggest question mark for the Rams. Mozingo, who pitched the most innings of any returning player from last year, is just a sophomore redshirt. John Leonard, a transfer from Clemson, has pitched very well so far. Experience is lacking on this year’s pitching staff, but according to Keyes, the talent is there.
“I think talent-wise we’re eight-deep,” said Keyes. “Experience-wise, we’re maybe half of that … I think all of them need to get better, but so far we’re doing a pretty good job.”
In addition to the inexperience, there is a lack of definite roles among the pitching staff. No specific starting rotation has been set thus far, although Keyes expects one to be set by Mar. 10 when the team plays Richmond.
“Harold is the only guy that we’re sure is one of our starters,” Keyes said. “We feel like we have seven other guys that we’re unsure of, and we’re trying to find the best four starters.
This team is young, but don’t forget about the upperclassmen. Among those Keyes expects to contribute heavily are seniors Alex Gary and Pete Farina, and juniors Joe Meador, Barrett Ripley, and Michael Gibbs. Farina is starting at catcher for the first time in his career, but Keyes expects him to excel. Gibbs has pitched 13 innings this season without surrendering an earned run so far. Gary, Meador, and Ripley are expected to drive in runs batting in the middle of the order. Keyes said the three juniors need to have all-conference seasons for the Rams to be successful.
“Those three guys are going to be really big keys, because they’re sitting in the middle of our order and they’re all juniors and seniors,” said Keyes, “they need to step up.”
This season offers many questions for VCU, many surrounding its youth and inexperience. At the very least, the season will provide the Rams an opportunity to answer them.