Baseball Scots Return Home with 8-4 Mark

Release Date: March 22, 2000

After being overmatched by talented Ohio Wesleyan in their first action in Florida over spring break, the Monmouth College baseball team reeled off five straight wins through the middle of the week. The Fighting Scots then dropped their final two games to UW-Stout to close the first third of their season with an 8-4 mark.

"Coming back with a winning record, I would have to say our trip was a success," said coach Roger Sander, "especially considering we hadn’t been outside much."

That success could be attributed in part to an abundance of capable pitchers, Sander said. Five different hurlers recorded victories in Florida.

"Our pitching is really deep, plus we are hitting well," he said. "The bats really came alive for us. If we can keep up the offense, we’ll be all right."

The Scots, who slipped to a .280 team average last season, have their total up to .312 through 12 games, including three batters who are hitting over .400. The trio includes Shawn Hickey (.485), Kevin Clarey (.415) and Casey Boydstun (.404). Hickey is riding a 10-game hitting streak, while Clarey leads the club with three homers and 11 RBI. Boydstun, the leadoff hitter, rebounded from an 0-for-7 start to the year to get 19 hits in his next 37 at-bats. He also has all of Monmouth’s six stolen bases.

Ohio Wesleyan recorded 10-1 and 14-1 victories over the Scots, but the pitching rebounded the next day as Ryan Johnson scattered six hits in a 6-1 win over Emory & Henry. In the nightcap, Greg Kloepping threw a three-hit masterpiece in a 1-0 victory. The pair has emerged as the pitching leaders for Monmouth, as Johnson is 2-0 with a save and a sparkling 1.00 ERA. He’s struck out 16 batters in 18 innings. Kloepping is 1-1 with an 0.64 ERA and eight Ks in 14 frames.

Hitting took center stage the next day against Amherst, as the Fighting Scots pounded out 18 safeties in a nine-inning victory over the Lord Jeffs. MC took a comfortable 10-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth before a late Amherst rally made the final score 12-10. Boydstun, Clarey, Robert Denniston and Taylor Thiel had three hits apiece and Beau Hellman was the winning pitcher.

Against Muskingum on Thursday, an 11-run fourth inning helped Monmouth rally from a 6-0 deficit. Adam Schweitzer settled down on the hill and surrendered just two runs over the last five innings to pick up the win. Clarey, who slammed two homers, and Boydstun drove in four runs apiece. In the nightcap, Monmouth blasted four home runs. Boydstun, Denniston, Deon Dinsmore and Ryan Ruyle all went yard to support Toby Lannholm, who struck out eight in the 9-4 win.

Kloepping pitched his second strong game of the trip Friday, but five Monmouth errors were costly in a 5-3 loss to Stout. The Scots outhit their Wisconsin foes 12-5, including three apiece by Boydstun and Clarey.

"Our defense was good most of the week, but in the last two games we were dead," said Sander. "It was an exhausting series of games."

In the nightcap, Stout scored in every inning after the first to win a shortened six-frame affair. Thiel homered and Steve Glasgow and Ruyle each had two hits.

"There weren’t a lot of surprises on the trip, although the freshmen played really well," concluded Sander, referring to players such as Hellman, Lannholm, Ruyle, Denniston, Dinsmore and Josh Brockett. "We think we have enough depth to be really good. Everyone produced."

Monmouth’s next action is a doubleheader at Aurora March 25. The following weekend will mark the team’s first-ever games at Glasgow Field in the new Peacock Memorial Athletic Park.