Author: Berit Anderson
Early morning visitors to Rush Gymnasium last week were surprised to find Tiger baseball players lobbing rubber balls to one another, but forced indoor practices over the last weeks are just a stepping stone on the road to a strong performance this spring for Oxy’s baseball team. With a rain-saturated field, two new transfer players and 14 first-years, Tiger Baseball has been working hard off the diamond to ensure they have a smooth transition into the official season.
“My number one goal is for our program to grow and for my kids to have an experience they can be proud of for the rest of their lives,” Head Coach Elliot Strankman said. With a number of strong players and good leadership on the team, Strankman plans to focus on improving team consistency this season.
The Tigers have already made progress, according to outfielder Glenn Gray (sophomore). “Our team chemistry has developed a lot,” he said. “We’ve realized our potential, and that instead of just being mediocre, we can be really good.”
Strankman has been holding the team to a strenuous regimen of 7 a.m. wind sprints, batting practice and ground-balls every morning. Catcher Adam Franks (senior) considers the early morning workouts a necessary evil. “They’re terrible, but it’s something that’s going to set us apart from the others,” he said.
The strength of Strankman’s team is buffered this season by a wealth of new players. “We have some great new talent, ” Strankman said. “Case Miyahira (first-year) from Hawaii and Dan Kelley (first-year) can be impact freshmen.”
The Tiger bullpen particularly stands to gain from this season’s influx of new players, according to Strankman and Gray. “Ross Pomerantz (first-year) and Kris Suzuki (first-year) are left-handed pitchers, which will help us immensely,” said Strankman.
This is in addition to an already strong base of players. Gray, shortstop and pitcher Matt Jones (junior) and outfielder Matt Andersen (senior) were All-SCIAC selections in 2007. The team’s overall 17-23 record was the best in several years. Franks says Andersen will be the most influential player on the team this season.
Still, there is always room for improvement. “We need to work on learning to come together as a team,” Franks said. “Particularly with so many new players.”
“I think we need to believe in ourselves more and develop a winning attitude. Not cockiness, but confidence,” Gray said.
Now that the rain has tapered off, the Tigers will finally be able work towards their goals in Oxy’s recently updated baseball facilities. Since 2007, improvements have been made to Anderson Field and Spencer Field house, including a new backstop, new fencing down the line, and the transformation of office space into a state-of-the art weight room.
While the upgrades are exciting, they aren’t the best part of the season for Franks. “I’m most looking forward to improving and being surrounded by good players,” he said.
Due to a rain-out this past Sunday, the Tigers look to open up their season February 9th and 10th with a three game series against Whitman College (WA) and will postpone their series with La Sierra University until March 3.
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
