Valpo Baseball 2021

valpotx · February 19, 2021, 07:54:29 PM

Great start to the season, beating UAB 6-2!

bb33 · February 20, 2021, 10:19:53 AM

Great win! If they can keep hitting they should have a good season. i think the pitching is pretty strong.

valpotx · February 20, 2021, 02:24:21 PM

Quote from: bb33 on February 20, 2021, 10:19:53 AM
Great win! If they can keep hitting they should have a good season. i think the pitching is pretty strong.

Good pitching definitely trumps good hitting, but that is coming from a Pitcher

talksalot · February 21, 2021, 07:02:48 PM

Unfortunately, we dropped the series 2-1. Let's take out the frustration at Jacksonville state next weekend.

valpotx · February 21, 2021, 07:46:58 PM

If we can end the Spring trip part of the season even close to .500, it is a win. Always a struggle for cold-weather states for the first 1/3 of each college baseball season, since you don't get as much outside practice time.

bbtds · February 22, 2021, 04:44:36 AM

Quote from: valpotx on February 21, 2021, 07:46:58 PM
If we can end the Spring trip part of the season even close to .500, it is a win. Always a struggle for cold-weather states for the first 1/3 of each college baseball season, since you don't get as much outside practice time.

How many states were NOT cold weather states when the Spring season began in January/February?

bb33 · February 22, 2021, 02:44:47 PM

Quote from: valpotx on February 20, 2021, 02:24:21 PM
Quote from: bb33 on February 20, 2021, 10:19:53 AMGreat win! If they can keep hitting they should have a good season. i think the pitching is pretty strong.
Good pitching definitely trumps good hitting, but that is coming from a Pitcher

Agree but you need runs to support the pitchers and the last few years we have struggled to string together hits.. I we can score some runs, the pitching will take care of the rest.

I can't believe the boys had to come back to Indiana just to head back down to Alabama again.

valpotx · February 22, 2021, 04:15:51 PM

Quote from: bb33 on February 22, 2021, 02:44:47 PM
Quote from: valpotx on February 20, 2021, 02:24:21 PM
Quote from: bb33 on February 20, 2021, 10:19:53 AMGreat win! If they can keep hitting they should have a good season. i think the pitching is pretty strong.
Good pitching definitely trumps good hitting, but that is coming from a Pitcher

Agree but you need runs to support the pitchers and the last few years we have struggled to string together hits.. I we can score some runs, the pitching will take care of the rest.

I can't believe the boys had to come back to Indiana just to head back down to Alabama again.

Probably just due to the early start timing. It is usually easier to string together a few games in late Feb/early March, around the official Spring Break. We used to just do a Florida Spring trip each year, where a bunch of Midwestern/Northeastern teams would try to pickup some games.

NotBryceDrew · February 23, 2021, 12:44:48 PM

So Kyle Schmack (son of HC Brian Schmack) is 1/10 on the season through the first three games and 6/44 or .136 for his career so far and has batted 4th the first 3 games this season. I've never really followed baseball to closely just glanced at the box scores here and there but is he really that good of a hitter and this is a slump? Is no one better? Or is the team not being put first?

vu72 · February 23, 2021, 01:47:18 PM

Quote from: NotBryceDrew on February 23, 2021, 12:44:48 PM
So Kyle Schmack (son of HC Brian Schmack) is 1/10 on the season through the first three games and 6/44 or .136 for his career so far and has batted 4th the first 3 games this season. I've never really followed baseball to closely just glanced at the box scores here and there but is he really that good of a hitter and this is a slump? Is no one better? Or is the team not being put first?

I've noticed that as well. I think its a very small sample size and as valpotx says, it takes northern teams a while to get back into shape.

Kyle was a very highly regarded kid coming out of high school. I suspect that if this continues his role will change.

Before Valpo: Was the MVP of the Indiana North/South All-Star Game in June 2019 following his senior year of high school... Was an all-state and all-area selection while being tabbed the LaPorte County Player of the Year... Was a four-year letter winner in baseball while also earning four varsity letters in football... Member of National Honor Society.

valpotx · February 23, 2021, 02:34:59 PM

Yes, he comes in with a lot of skills/potential, but seems prone to striking out. I don't think that this is favoritism, as he held higher level offers, before choosing Valpo.

Tied to the strikeout topic, it is annoying as hell how many baseball players are essentially 'boom or bust' nowadays, falling in love with the HR, versus just putting the ball in play. So many MLB hitters that have a crap ton of K's each season.

bb33 · February 23, 2021, 06:06:08 PM

This team tends to strikeout...ALOT. Kyle may have been a HS stud, but until he can prove he can hit at this level, he should probably not be batting 4th -- especially because his dad is the coach. And all these kids were HS studs. That's why they are playing D1, We need to figure out the bats and fast. I know they haven't seen the field, but this is the same pattern as last year and is frustrating. At least put the ball in play and have a chance. And hopefully Kyle will prove me wrong. I would love for him to hit.. I want them all to hit.

Pitching is not our problem. But they can't win without runs. Fields pitched a great game and came away with the loss. Hoping the second time around in Bama will be better.

valpotx · February 23, 2021, 10:59:40 PM

Exactly, just put the dang ball in play! Even in my old man baseball league, it still drives me nuts to see the amount of folks that strikeout on my team, versus just going with the pitch for a slap single the other way, or fouling it off until you get one that you like.

bbtds · February 24, 2021, 02:25:13 AM

Quote from: valpotx on February 23, 2021, 10:59:40 PM
Exactly, just put the dang ball in play! Even in my old man baseball league, it still drives me nuts to see the amount of folks that strikeout on my team, versus just going with the pitch for a slap single the other way, or fouling it off until you get one that you like.

I always use the fact that of all the MLB players that had 3,000 at bats or more the player with the highest OPS (on base percentage plus slugging) was Babe Ruth. There were only 7 MLB players that had an OPS over 1. Babe Ruth (1.1636), Ted Williams (1.1155), Lou Gehrig (1.0798), Barry Bonds (1.0512), Jimmie Foxx (1.0376), Hank Greenberg (1.0169), and Rogers Hornsby (1.0103).

VUFN2020 · March 04, 2021, 08:39:38 PM

This team is young. Due to injuries they started 3 true freshman and a sophomore (shortened season last year) in the IF at Jax State. The Starting rotation consists of 1 junior and 2 sophomores. It is going to be a tough year with many teams in valley loaded with experience and returning 5th year seniors. Youngsters showed some great things this past weekend with comeback in 9th inning of first game. This team will continue to develop this year and the experience gained this year will pay off in future. Over half of this roster has 3 years of eligibility left after this year. Talent is there...just need game experience.

bb33 · March 13, 2021, 03:02:27 PM

Colin fields has a no hitter going into the Bot of 7. Hope he can finish strong. Go Valpo!!

valpotx · March 13, 2021, 07:00:25 PM

That is very impressive! Congrats to Colin! Congrats on a good team win, as well, as we prevailed 5-0 with the no-hitter intact.

It will be interesting to see when our last no-hitter was. Maybe Tim Holmes? I think there was another solid guy before him, Jergen?

valpotx · March 13, 2021, 09:12:33 PM

We sweep the Saturday twinbill, following up the no-hitter with another solid pitching performance, to win 3-2. We are now 3-6, and showing signs of being a pretty good team this season. The MVC always gets multiple bids in baseball, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

vu72 · March 14, 2021, 08:37:07 AM

Quote from: valpotx on March 13, 2021, 07:00:25 PM
That is very impressive! Congrats to Colin! Congrats on a good team win, as well, as we prevailed 5-0 with the no-hitter intact.

It will be interesting to see when our last no-hitter was. Maybe Tim Holmes? I think there was another solid guy before him, Jergen?
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1992.
https://www.valpoathletics.com/baseball/news/2020-21/20286/fields-twirls-programs-first-no-hitter-since-1992-valpo-sweeps-doubleheader-from-middle-tennessee/

valpotx · March 14, 2021, 03:03:54 PM

Yes, it was Tim Juran that I was thinking about. A long time back!

bbtds · March 15, 2021, 01:27:56 AM

Quote from: valpotx on March 14, 2021, 03:03:54 PM
Yes, it was Tim Juran that I was thinking about. A long time back!

If I'm correct Tim Juran had several no hitters during his Valpo career and ended up in the Mets farm system but never made it past AAA. He only pitched a few innings, if I remember correctly, for the Tidewater Tides of the International League. I did see him pitch a no-hitter in the early 70's against one of the ICC teams. I remember Em Bauer walking up to my relative (sitting in our car on those cold spring days when there was no seating) and saying Juran has another no-hitter going.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=84208

valpotx · March 15, 2021, 01:31:45 AM

Both Juran and Tim Holmes were all over the historical statistical charts for Pitchers, while I was in school. Holmes was our Pitching Coach for a few seasons, and I believe he played in the Pirates system.

bbtds · March 15, 2021, 01:45:57 AM

Apparently my memory is pretty bad. Here is Juran's Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame write up.

"An excellent "southpaw" pitcher, Tim Juran compiled a 29-8 career record in a Crusader uniform.

He was 17-0 in Indiana Collegiate Conference play, allowing only 13 runs in 20 games for a phenomenal 0.06 ERA. Juran had a 1.80 ERA in 50 overall appearances. He threw a no-hitter against Indiana University in 1970 to record the first Crusader win on the diamond now known as Emory G. Bauer Field.

Juran was a complete player and sported a career batting average of .305. He was a two-time Crusader MVP and was three times selected as the Indiana Collegiate Conference Most Valuable Player.

So Juran threw a no-hitter against Indiana but only one and he did throw 102 innings for Tidewater in his 1 year and a few months in 1974 & 1975.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=juran-001tim

valpotx · March 15, 2021, 01:58:29 AM

Very cool. I like the historical aspects of baseball, much more so than any other sport, and not just because I played it. For those in The Region, you might know this guy:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=shinn-001all

Many a VU baseball player suited up for Al's Michigan City Stars team during the Summer seasons, including me, over my last 2 Summers of college ball. I was sad to see a few months back, that he had passed back in 2016. He was old school, hardcore old school. Had a huge cigar in his mouth during games, and didn't always smoke it, but it was there. He was able to attend Spring Training with Jackie Robinson, since he was also in the Dodgers system. He always had some cool stories. My fondest memory of that time, is that since it was a semi-pro team, players could come and go, as long as you were on the roster. Due to only having 8 players one game, Al put himself in as the last hitter in the line-up. At the time, he would have been 69 or 70. First AB, the dude smokes a line drive through the gap between 1B and 2B, after the other team was laughing at him the entire time. Now, he got thrown out at 1B, because he could barely run, but he had proved his point. You don't forget how to hit, if you are a top hitter...

valpo64 · March 15, 2021, 12:58:40 PM

Love the Valpo uniforms, brown hat with the "V" and gold jersey with block "VALPO" in brown