2004 Men's Baseball Season Preview
Though the St. Ambrose Fighting Bees
baseball team enters the 2004 campaign as two-time defending conference
champions, you would never guess it by the attitude in early spring
workouts. There is no aura of entitlement, in its place are caps stained
with sweat, hands calloused from thousands of swings, and forearms bruised
from grounders screeching off the gym floor.
“We have a good group of guys, but
they know how good our conference is,” says the head coach Jim Callahan,
now entering his ninth year as the Bee’s skipper. “That is the great
thing about this conference. You can’t ever step back and think about
how good you were last year or how good you will be this year. Every team
is out there getting better, and I hope we are too.”
True to form, Callahan has again
scheduled a rugged assortment of opponents for the 2004 season. In
addition to the expanding and ever competitive Midwest Classic Conference
slate, the Bees will also face Florida powers St. Thomas and Northwood,
McKendree College, and two loaded programs from Chicago, St. Xavier and
St. Francis.
“We are more concerned in getting
better than putting up a bunch in an easy schedule, says Callahan. “The
only way to get better is to play the best teams you can find. We try to
do that here year in and year out.”
On their run to a second straight
Midwest Classic Conference crown last year, the Bees ran up a 30-18
overall record and an 18-4 mark in conference. Spearheading that charge
was a talent-laden senior group including All-MCC selections Chad Jones,
Logan Springer and Mike Miller, catcher Matt Gluplznyski, outfielders Joe
Murray and Jaymie Murphy, and pitchers Mike Tunning and Dan Furlong .
Unfortunately that group will now be reduced to spectators, as St. Ambrose
will look to a new group of talent to replicate last year’s efforts.
Pitchers
If St. Ambrose is to make a run for a
third straight crown, it will again start 60’6” from home plate. On
that mound will be another talented pitching staff led by senior Dave
Dexter (Davenport, IA). The senior will be looking to better last year’s
All-Conference campaign in which he went 5-3 with a 4.12 era and a
baffling 47 strikeouts. His experience will be matched by another returning
all-conference performer Sean Johnson (Clinton, IA). The hard-throwing
righty is a nice complement to Dexter’s moving ball magic act. The
junior posted a 5-2 record and has already started 19 games in his first
two years with the Bees. Filling out the starting rotation figures to be
senior Brett Hiner (Rock Island, IL) and do everything senior Justin
Siefken (Bettendorf, IA). When the senior wasn’t hitting .411 with 5
homeruns and 31 RBI en route to league Player of the Year honors, he
picked up 2 wins against 0 losses.
Also returning to fill key roles this
year will be Aaron Stetson (Princeton, IL), Dan Nichols (Taylor Ridge,
IL), 6’4 sophomore Joe Arnold (Long Grave, IA), Jason Collier (Cedar
Rapids, IA), Jim Welch (Burlington, IA) and Andrew Moeller (Sherrard, IL).
Nick Ashman (Eddyville, IA) should see innings as a starter and reliever
and leads a group of newcomers that includes Mike Kennell (Cedar Rapids,
IA) and Jason Riordan (Orion, IL).
“Any staff that starts off with a Dave
Dexter and Sean Johnson should be pretty good,” adds Callahan. “Those
two bring some experience and the leadership quality to the front of the
staff. I look for big years from both of them, but we will need big years
from every guy on that staff to be a good ball club.”
Catchers
Putting the fingers down for the
pitching staff will be a combination of new and old backstops. Now in his
fourth year with the program, Brian Nichols (Taylor Ridge, IL) will move
into the starting role after doing his share of dirty work the last three
seasons. The senior brings a rocket arm behind the plate and works well
with the staff. Spelling the senior will be true freshman Aaron Wulfekuhle
(Dubuque, IA). Last season at Dubuque Hempstead high School, Wulfekuhle
led his team to an Iowa State Finals finish and hit over .500. Beau
Marinangeli (Morrison, IL) and Adam Smith (Iowa City, IA) may also spend
some time behind the plate and will anchor coach Arnie Chavera’s second
catching crew.
Infield
The grooming of this year’s infielders
again falls into the capable hands of eight-year assistant Tony Huntley.
And those hands will be full as he may employ an infield by committee this
season. The excess of talented infielder will mean more fungos in practice
and a lot of possibilities when the lineup card is filled out.
“It can be a good and bad problem to
have,” says Huntley. “Consistency can help guys get comfortable, but
having a lot of talented ballplayers makes everyone better and also gives
us a lot of options off the bench.”
All-Conference
returnees Bob Spadoni (Somonauk,
IL), Jake Miller (Bettendorf, IA) and Siefken should anchor the infield
while also bringing some potent bats to the lineup. The trio all hit well
above .340 last season and combined for 10 homeruns and 85 RBI. Kyle Gripp
(Davenport, IA), Dustin Lenz (Lonetree, IA), Matt Tranowski (Palos Hills,
IL) and Joe Depaoli (Ottawa, IL) all return with quality at-bats in tow
and experience in the infield. Making the diamond even more crowded will
be the additions of talented newcomers Nick Gabriel (Oelwein, IA) and Tom
Stonebock (Peoria, IL).
Outfield
The Bees outfield will also have some
new faces patrolling the gaps. Although Chris Seibel (Camanche, IA)
returns for his senior season as a Bee, he will likely see two new
outfielders when he looks to his left. Ben Martin (Moline, IL) brings a
big bat to the plate but will be in his first season in the program. Cody
Cooper (Ankeny, IA), a red shirt freshman, could see time in center as
could returnees T.J. McLaughlin (Dubuque, IA) and Dan Nichols. Sophomore
Nick Ehlers (Dubuque, IA) and freshmen Matt Kurtz (Davenport, IA), Brett
Baumrucker (Streator, IL) and Jason Owens will also add depth to the
outfield positions.
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