2009 Baseball preview
The MSOE men's baseball team will look to improve upon their 11-22 2008 overall record, and ninth place finish in Northern Athletics Conference play. The team graduated four from last year's team and returns 19 from last year's squad.
Looking to lead the offense for the Raiders is NAC All conference selection Michael Merk. Merk, a junior outfielder and third baseman, led the team in batting average (.325), slugging percentage (.447), on base percentage (.420), runs scored (25), hits (40), doubles (12), total bases (52) and walks (16) in 2008. He was third on the team in runs batted in (RBI), with 16 for the season.
At the plate, Jake Wiskamp will be counted on to be a force for the Raiders. Wiskamp hit .226 starting in 22 of 23 games played. The 6'1" senior catcher also brought in four runs and seven runs batted in last year. For the Raiders to be successful this year, Mark Berger and Ben Hansen will be asked to step up at the plate. Berger plays leftfield and last year averaged .262 at bat, while Hanson hit .293 in 16 games played.
Around the infield, look for Hansen or Matthew Bakke at first, Chris Dent and Blake Schoh splitting time at second base, Merk at third while freshman Nick Kelly anchors the shortstop spot. Near the warning track, look for Berger and Emery Hull in left, AJ Opaleiwski and Joel Malyuk in center and Andrew Krzyzanowski picking up the right field chores. Wiskamp will start as catcher with Michael Brunette spelling him on occasion. Look for Hull, Bakke and Brunette to see time at the designated hitter position.
On the mound for the Raiders in 2009 will be Jordan Gruenke, who was 3-3, with a 5.79 ERA in 2008. Jake Lathers (1-6, 8.87 ERA) and Ben Hansen (1-3, 7.85 ERA) will join Gruenke as a starter, while junior John Roskopf may see some duties as a starter. Phillip Lee (1-3, 5.23 ERA) will be the mainstay in the bullpen for MSOE. Brunette and Kelly share the closer duties on the mound for the Raiders.
The Raiders start the season in Florida playing games at the Lake Myrtle and the Disney Complex in the Orlando area. MSOE returns to Wisconsin for a "home and home" series against Beloit on March 21-22 and then jumps into the Northern Athletics Conference schedule in late March. The season cumulates with the conference tournament May 8-9 at ROAD RANGER STADIUM in Loves Park, Illinois, hosted by Edgewood College.
