Boys of summer kick off

Photo by Andrew Millette

Senior T.J. Frazier recorded a 11-4 victory over Juniata College in the baseball team's first game of the season Saturday.

Coach Rob Roeschley wants the men's baseball team to head back to the ODAC tournament. To get there, Roeschley says his Royals will have to finish among the top six teams in the ODAC during the regular season, a feat that slipped by the Royals last year.

With only two seniors, one of the smallest rosters in the conference at 18 players, and two new assistant coaches, Roeschley and the Royals have their work cut out for them.

"I think although we have a smaller roster we have a group of guys with quite a bit of talent," he said. "Unlike many programs, each and every one of our players will play a significant role in the success of our team. Many of our guys are going to compete for playing time and some are going to be thrown right into the fire."

"I think that we can be a lot better than years prior. We look so much smoother right now than we did at this time last year, and there is some nice chemistry forming within our team," said senior pitcher and outfielder Jerry Shank.

Along with making the tournament, the team's goals, according to Shank, are to have fun and put themselves in a position to win every game, something he feels is different from previous seasons. With seven new recruits and eleven returning players, the Royals feel that they have the right mix to show enough maturity at the plate and on the field.

"We want to play at a higher level of competition this year, and though we have less depth, I think the increased experience for our players may help us get there," Roeschley said.

Senior T.J. Frazier also thinks that the addition of assistant coaches Aaron Lowe and Kevin Forry will be positive for the team throughout the season. "They're both great guys to be around and we're all learning a lot from them."

EMU posted a 14-23 record last year and missed the conference tournament in a tie breaker for sixth place. The team has not made the ODAC tournament since the 02-03 season, and after last weekend's doubleheader, the new baseball season is in full swing. Senior pitcher T.J. Frazier helped EMU pound Juniata in their first showing 11-4 before the Royals lost 7-5 in the afternoon game.

The Royals play this Saturday at noon as they host Villa Julie, and then again on Sunday at noon as they battle Guilford in their first conference game.