Temple University Athletics
Baseball Opens Season Today Against Wichita State
2.20.09 | Baseball
Feb. 20, 2009
FGCU Invitational Tournament Central
FORT MYERS, FL - The Temple baseball team will begin its 82nd season of varsity competition when it takes on Wichita State, ranked #35 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, at 1 PM on Friday in the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational. Live stats and audio are available for today's game only.
The Owls will send sophomore RHP Steve Nikorak (3-3, 4.58 ERA) to the mound against the Shockers. Nikorak will try to give TU its first opening day win since beating Detroit Mercy, 9-8, on March 4, 2004.
Sophomore RHP Ben White (2-3, 10.16 ERA) will start on Saturday against Central Michigan, who dropped the first game of the tourney to FGCU, 4-3, on Friday in a game that began at 12:01 AM. Junior Ryan Thomas (3-2, 6.62 ERA) will take the ball on Sunday against the host Eagles.
Temple is making its second straight trip to the Sunshine State to open the season. Last February, the Owls went 1-2 at MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman to begin the 2008 campaign.
Scouting Wichita State
One of the most prestigious baseball programs in the nation, the Shockers are the winningest program in the country over the past 31 years with 1,653 victories. Wichita State (48-17) advanced to the Super Regional last year before falling to Florida State.
The Shockers, however, were hit hard by graduation and the 2008 MLB Draft. Head coach Gene Stephenson, who ranks second all-time among active Division I coaches in victories, lost its entire weekend starting rotation, All-America 3B Conor Gillaspie, and six of the team's nine seniors signed pro deals.
Junior OF Ryan Jones was named to the preseason All-MVC team after batting .326 with 43 RBI and 16 steals. Clinton McKeever is also back for WSU after batting .328 with five home runs and 39 RBI. Sophomore Tim Kelley will throw against Temple after going 4-4 with a 4.85 ERA last season.
Scouting Central Michigan
The Chippewas went 27-27-1 and 13-13 in the Mid-American Conference last season. Billy Anderson leads the returnees (.297, 21 RBI) for seventh-year head coach Steve Jaska. CMU will have to find a way to replace the offense of Tyler Stovall, a 20th round pick of the Cincinnati Reds last season.
Central Michigan will throw freshman LHP Rick Dodrige against the Owls on Saturday. He was a 30th round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals last spring but decided to attend college.
Scouting Florida Gulf Coast
The host Eagles are in their second season of Division I reclassifying and won't be eligible to win the Atlantic Sun's automatic NCAA bid until 2010. The rest of the conference isn't looking forward to that date, since FGCU won the regular season title last year by going 25-8 (38-15 overall).
Junior RHP Pete Woodworth (7-3, 4.27 ERA) and sophomore Mikel Alvarez (.345) were named to the preseason all Atlantic Sun team. Florida Gulf Coast will send sophomore RHP Richie Erath (2-1, 3.62 ERA) to the hill on Sunday at noon against the Owls.
Series History
Temple has never met Wichita State or Florida Gulf Coast. The Owls were slated to play WSU in 2002 but the series was snowed out.
The Owls played Central Michigan in the 1984 NCAA Tournament with the Chippewas earning a 15-10 victory to eliminate the Cherry and White.
