Temple University Athletics
2009 Baseball Outlook: Pitching
2.19.09 | Baseball
Feb. 19, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - Third in a three-part season previewing the Temple baseball season.
Starting rotation
Matt Mongiardini, who emerged as the team's ace last season, is penciled in as the Friday starter once again. An All-Big 5 pick, the Toms River, NJ product led the team in all major pitching categories and has the second lowest ERA of any returning starting pitcher in the A-10.
The right-hander has received three Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week citations in his career, good for second all-time at Temple. His above average fastball and deceptive change-up allowed opponents to bat just .247 off him last spring.
"Matt will be our Friday starter as he was last year," Valli said. "He pitched well for us in a lot of big games last season and we expect that from him again this year."
After Mongiardini, the rotation is up in the air with four hurlers vying for two weekend starting spots. Junior Ryan Thomas (3-2, 6.62 ERA) set a school record with 27 appearances out of the bullpen last spring and had an outstanding summer and fall. A hard-throwing right-hander with a plus-slider, Thomas has two effective pitches he can throw for strikes.
"Ryan has been our most improved pitcher from last year," Valli said. "He started in the summer and did extremely well in preparation to start for us. If he continues to develop a third pitch, he will be an effective part of our weekend rotation." Sophomore Ben White struck out 40 batters in 36.1 innings as a rookie in 2008, but struggled with his control at times. He was at his best with 11 strikeouts in six scoreless innings in his first collegiate win at Saint Joseph's. Outings like that could be the norm for White, who throws a plus-curveball, this spring.
"Ben is a sophomore who has pitched well at times," Valli said. "His inconsistency and walks per nine innings has detracted from his ability to be as effective. If he can throw strikes, his stuff is good enough to be a starting pitcher in our conference." Nikorak (3-3, 4.58 ERA) made his pitching debut midway through the season and wound up starting the Owls final conference regular season game at Saint Louis. He pitched against several tough mid-week opponents, including #22 St. John's and George Mason, and that experience should prepare him for weekend innings.
"We think Steve can be very good in a starting role or out of the bullpen on weekends," Valli said. "He can throw four pitches for strikes and change speeds."
Freshman southpaw Dan Moller was 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA as a high school senior at Parkland and could find his way into the weekend rotation by season's end. He struck out 22 batters in 12 innings in Carpenter Cup play, an all-star tournament for top players in the Philadelphia region.
"Dan has all the makings of being a conference starter," Valli said. "If he can acclimate himself and show the type of maturity we think he can, then he's definitely good enough to be a weekend starter."
Junior Mike Click (1-2, 8.77 ERA) is slated as a mid-week starter after throwing 25.1 innings last season.
"We anticipate using Mike as a mid-week starter," Valli said. "His maturity and his aptitude for the game have improved and he'll be ready from his experiences to pitch mid week for us." Bullpen
Junior Matt Blackburn (3-1, 6.06 ERA) appeared in 20 games last season out of the bullpen and is the most experienced hurler for Temple in late-game situations. His best stretch of the season, when he allowed one earned run in 10.1 innings, coincided with a 7-5 record for the Owls.
"Matt has pitched more than any other pitcher we have over the last two years," Valli said. "When he was healthy in 2008, we did as well as we did all year."
Another junior, Kyle Monahan, had a tough sophomore season. He has been reunited with his pitching coach from his freshman season, Justin Gordon, and looks to return to the form that saw him set a then-program record with 26 appearances. "Kyle has made some major adjustments in working with Coach Gordon," Valli said. "He has gotten back to the same form as his freshman year with good velocity and a plus slider. We feel that he can bounce back and be the same type of pitcher or better than his freshman year."
One of two southpaws in the bullpen, sophomore Jordan Cannon (1-2, 6.26 ERA) was an effective pitcher in his rookie campaign. He struck out 26 batters in 27.1 innings and will in a more expanded role this spring.
"Jordan gives us a lot of experience out of the bullpen," Valli said. "He'll be our goto lefty out of the bullpen, but not just a specialty guy."
Three freshmen--Tyler Horst, Drew Shaw and Steve Visnic--will look to transition to college baseball in primarily mid-week innings.
Horst had three wins and a 2.21 ERA as a senior at Garden Spot High School and had an impressive fall season.
"Tyler has been very good," Valli said. "He throws three pitches for strikes and moves the ball around the zone. His competitiveness will allow him to jump into the mix right away."
Shaw missed most of the fall with injury but was a second team all-state selection from Virginia's Paul VI Catholic, which ranked as high as third nationally last spring.
"Drew can be similar to Jordan who comes out of the bullpen to face some lefthanders," Valli said. Visnic earned county pitcher of the year honors after going 6-0 with a 1.26 ERA for Glenelg (MD) High School.
"Steve will pitch a lot in the middle of the week," Valli said. "He will continue to develop and we think he can be a great pitcher down the road."
Schedule
Four NCAA Tournament qualifiers, including three conference champions, highlight another challenging schedule. The Owls open their 82nd season of varsity competition with a trip to the Florida Gulf Coast Classic where they will take on NCAA Super Regional qualifier Wichita State as part of the three-game tournament. Other NCAA qualifiers from a year ago on the slate include Charlotte, Rider and St. John's.
"Our pre-conference trips to Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia should help us prepare for a very tough A-10 schedule," Valli said. "We are excited about the opportunity to measure ourselves in mid-week games against some of the best competition the Northeast has to offer. Our fans will enjoy coming out to see us take on Penn State, Rutgers, and the Big 5 rivals."
Temple will play Wichita State in the season opener on February 20 before taking on MAC-power Central Michigan in Fort Myers, FL. Following a trip to High Point (February 27-March 1), the Owls visit George Mason in the mid-week opener on March 3.
One day later, TU will host Maryland Eastern Shore in the earliest home opener in program history. Next up is a trip to the Big South runner-up Liberty in a four-game series (March 6-8) in Lynchburg, VA.
Temple then plays 13 of the next 14 games at home, which includes mid-week visits by long-time rivals Rutgers and Penn State. The Scarlet Knights have not visited Temple since 1995, while the Nittany Lions arrived on campus in 1996.
The Cherry and White will host Duquesne (March 20-22) and La Salle (March 27-29) to begin Atlantic 10 play. Other home weekends in conference action include defending champion Charlotte (April 17-19), Xavier (April 24-26), and Saint Louis (May 8-10). The Owls will also make road trips to Massachusetts (April 3-5), Saint Joseph's (April 10-11), Richmond (May 1-3) and Fordham (May 14-16).
Other mid-week highlights include games against NCAA qualifier St. John's (May 4), MAAC champion Rider (April 8), and NEC runner-up Monmouth (March 24).
In addition to A-10 series with La Salle and Saint Joseph's, Temple will also take on Philadelphia Big 5 rivals Penn (March 18) and Villanova (March 31 and April 21). The March 31 matchup with the Wildcats is also the Liberty Bell Classic opener, with the tournament championship to be played at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
