The sun grinned on a snow-covered Fairchild field this weekend, giving hope that spring is around the corner. While Shippensburg was hopeful that Punxsutawney Phil was wrong, the SU baseball team was hopeful that the start of the season in North Carolina would be successful. The Red Raider squad began the season with a double-header against Belmont Abbey where they came up short in both games.
The Red Raiders entered into Sunday’s game against Belmont Abbey presumably with a chip on their shoulder because the boys came to play. Junior Rich Michaud was a force to be reckoned with on the mound, mowing down eight batters, walking none, and allowing only five hits in his seven-inning shutout. Freshman Gabe Mosser made his collegiate debut, pitching two scoreless innings in relief, allowing only two hits and striking out two batters. The defense had no errors and the offense was on fire.
The 14-0 final score was a result of some fine work at the plate. Sophomore Jake Kennedy went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI’s. Sophomore Ryan McMillen went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Junior Mike Marcinko added a three-run bomb. The Red Raiders were patient at the plate taking nine walks overall, which was the most the squad has had since 2013.
Red Raiders baseball started this season ranked number two in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Preseason Coaches' Poll and ninth in the 2015 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Region Preseason Poll. Coach Matt Jones said, “I don’t know how many games we’re going to win, but this is the hardest-working team I’ve ever coached.”
The team now stands at 1-2 and will carry the momentum into next weekend when the will face Barton College for a three-game series in Wilson, N.C.
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