Week One of the Preseason: Pitching Dominates, Hitting and Defense Struggle

The first week of the preseason came to a close today with five innings of action, showcasing a clear contrast between the performance of the pitching staff and the position players. The pitchers continued to demonstrate their dominance, while the hitters and defenders still have a long way to go before the regular season begins in just under three weeks.

During the scrimmage, the offense managed only six hits, with no player recording more than one. Alonzo Alverez stood out as the only player with an extra-base hit, launching a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning. This home run came in response to two runs scored by the opposing team in the top half of the inning, which were the result of two errors. The only other scoring occurred in the fifth inning, again due to a pair of errors. Overall, the pitching is progressing well, but both the hitting and fielding need significant improvement.

Key Performances from the Pitching Staff

TJ Coats and Sebastian Santos-Olson started today’s session, each throwing three innings and posting strong numbers on the pitching chart. Sebastian, a talented freshman, has had a standout season so far. Meanwhile, TJ expressed gratitude for being out of Nebraska at this time of year, as he has been showing impressive skills on the mound throughout the fall and into the spring preseason.

TJ’s performance began with a quick challenge when Jake Ogden hit a powerful line drive double down the third base line on the first pitch. Vance Sheahan followed up with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt that advanced Ogden to third. Although TJ struck out Jackson Hugus, Mason Greenhouse delivered an RBI single, bringing in the first run of the game.

TJ managed to navigate the second inning without any issues and started the third with two quick outs before walking Brandon DeGoti. That’s when things began to unravel. Michael Torres was hit by a pitch, and during an attempted pick-off, both runners advanced a base due to an error by the catcher. Dylan Dubovik then hit a single with runners on second and third, scoring one run. As the center fielder fumbled the ball, the second run came in as well. These errors are frustrating, as they are reminiscent of past mistakes that we hoped had been left behind.

Sebastian showed impressive skills during the first two innings, facing the minimum number of batters in the first and recording three strikeouts in the second. He faced some challenges in the second inning after allowing an opening walk and a one-out single. In the third inning, he continued to shine, racking up another three strikeouts. However, he faced a setback when Alonso Alverez led off the inning with a home run that cleared the right-center fence. As a left-handed pitcher, his future looks very promising as he progresses through his freshman year.

Other Pitchers and Defensive Challenges

Erick Peralta and Brixton Lofgren are next in the rotation. Erick appeared to find his rhythm last week during an unofficial scrimmage but quickly lost control in his second inning, struggling to find the strike zone. The defense also didn’t help him. Max Galvin started the inning with what should have been a routine flyout to left field; however, instead of Mason Greenhouse calling off the left side of the infield, the ball dropped between the three fielders. Max ended up on second base as a result, and Erick lost command of his pitches, walking Gabriel Milano. With runners on the corners, the errors continued as Daniel mishandled a grounder, leading to another costly error and an unearned run. While Erick faced difficulties, Brixton, in his second appearance of the weekend, confidently retired the three batters he faced.

Lonzo Drummond made his second appearance of the weekend. His star continues to shine as he quickly achieved three groundouts and walked one batter, Jake Ogden, before being thrown out while attempting to steal second base. Ryan Bilka, in storybook closer fashion, ended the first week of the spring preseason, striking out two of the three who came to the plate.

Offensive and Defensive Struggles

Offensively, the team continues to struggle, recording only six hits, while the defense has been error-prone, making costly mistakes. They have three weeks remaining to improve. Fortunately, the early part of the schedule is favorable, with their first major challenge not scheduled until late February against Florida. While games against UCF and FAU may not be easy, the upcoming matches against Lehigh and Lafayette should help them find their footing, with Indiana State serving as an appetizer. As this was just the first week after a two-month break, I’ll give the offense a pass, but they need to ramp up their focus, reducing careless plays on defense and increasing effectiveness at the plate.

Schedule Update

No word on next week’s schedule. It is definitely set for Friday-Sunday, with Wednesday as midweek. Times will be advised once received.