Ashley Dickerson
GoSycamores.Com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.— The Indiana State Baseball team is set to open the 2016 season on Friday as they travel to Little Rock, Ark. where they will play Oral Roberts and the University of Arkansas Little Rock in two games each over the course of the weekend.
A Little History -- vs. the Golden Eagles and Trojans
ORU
- The last time the Sycamores linked up with the Golden Eagles was in February of 1999. The Sycamores are 11-4 all-time against ORU, but have yet to play them in the 21st century. The Sycamores are looking to break ORU's two-game win streak that has not been touched since last century.
UALR
- The Sycamores and the Trojans saw action last April as the Trojans came to town for a two-game series. The sycamores took both games from the Trojans last season, boosting their overall record against UALR to 3-1. Keaffaber took a no-hitter to the eighth inning against Arkansas-Little Rock on April 26th. Current Indiana State assistant coach Brian Smiley played two seasons with the Trojans as a student-athlete.
Scouting ORU & UALR
ORU
- The Golden Eagles are coming off of a successful season under head coach Ryan Folmar. The team posted a 41-16 overall record for the 2015 season, which included a 25-5 Summit League record as they clinched a conference championship. The Golden Eagles made an appearance in the 2015 NCAA Regional tournamnet hosted in Stillwater, Okla. where they took two losses in games with St. John's and Arkansas. Returning to the ORU lineup are five position players led by sophomore catcher Matt Wheatley. Wheatley led the team in batting average (.355) and ranked in the top 50 nationally in runs scored. Wheatley also earned freshman All-America honors in the 2015 season as well as earning the Summit League's Newcomer of the Year Award. Returning to the pitching staff is sophomore Bryce Howe who posted a 3.93 ERA in 2015. The Golden Eagles lost their ace and 2015 Summit League Pitcher of the Year, Xavier Altamirano to the MLB draft.
UALR
- The Trojans are coming off of a 16-33 2015 season with second year head coach Chris Curry at the helm. The team is returning just two of seven position players from last years club, as well as four pitchers. In addition to the returners, the Trojans welcome 27 new faces to their ball club for the 2016 season. Leading
the Trojan charge in for the 2016 season will be senior outfielder Ryan Scott who ended the 2015 season swinging .329 and junior right-handed pitcher Cory Malcolm who finished last season with a 3.61 ERA.
Competition is Key
This season the Sycamores have raised their game to be competitive with some of the top teams in the country. The club is looking forward to playing 10 teams who were ranked top 50 in RPI last season. Among those opponents slated for the Sycamores this season are six 2015 Regional teams (Dallas Baptist, Oklahoma State, Bradley, NC State, Iowa, and Indiana) and two Super Regional teams (Missouri State and Illinois).
Comfy Conway
Austin Conway emerged as the ISU closer for the 2015 season after Ryan Keaffaber transitioned to a starter. Conway made the most appearances out of the ISU bullpen, working in 27 of the 51 contests last season. Conway earned a team-high seven saves and a 4-1 record in 49.0 innings. Conway was second on the team with 51 punch outs, and held opponents to a .178 batting average.
Keaffaber's Transition
Ryan Keaffaber transitioned from one of the premier closers in college baseball, to a formidable starter for the Sycamores in the 2015 season. After being named to the National College Baseball Writers of America's Stopper of the Year watch list prior to last season, Keaffaber proved to be a tough out for more than a couple of innings. Keaffaber finished the 2015 season with a solid 2.73 ERA. Keaffaber took a no-hitter to the eighth inning against Arkansas-Little Rock on April 26th, and on April 11th struck out a career-high eight against Southern Illinois.
They Went Yard
ISU hit 31 home runs during the 2015 season, surpassing the 2014 season's total by 17. The 31 team home runs are the most since the 2012 season when nine Sycamores combined to hit 35 dingers.
Preseason All-MVC
Senior Andy Young was named Preseason All-MVC at the utility spot and was the lone Sycamore to receive the honors for the 2016 season. Young finished 2015 season sporting a .296 batting average while tallying 60 hits, 31 runs, 7 home runs, 42 RBI, and honorable mention All-MVC honors in 2015. This year's Sycamore squad has been tabbed to finish fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference, receiving 28 points.
The Mighty MVC
Last season, the MVC sent three teams (Bradley, Dallas Baptist, Missouri State) to the NCAA Regional tournament. Of the three teams, Missouri State advanced to the Arkansas Super Regional where their season ended after coming up short to the Razorbacks. "This is a strong league, and we'll have to take care of business on the field," head coach Mitch Hannahs said after learning of the team's fifth place selection. Missouri State was picked to win the conference tallying 60 points, while Dallas Baptist was a close second earning 56 points.
Deep-Rooted Defense
The 2016 season staple will revolve around the squad's overall depth. Compared to the last couple of years, the Sycamores will not be boasting a stand-out guy on the mound. This season is about depth and consistency for the hurlers who will be headlined by junior left-handed pitcher Ryan Keaffaber who was a 2015 MVC Scholar Athlete honorable mention and closer, Austin Conway who finished the season with a 2.26 ERA. The Sycamores also return key position players who will compete to be among the top defenses in the nation.
Brain Games
This fall, the boys in blue were honored for their achievements in the classroom. The team posted a 3.17 GPA for the fall semester that landed them on the top-spot among all Indiana State men's teams.
Fresh Faces
While the Sycamores return a few familiar faces, the team has also welcomed a total of 20 new faces to the 2016 roster. Of the 20 new-to-ISU guys, 10 are freshman while 10 have garnered experience from other collegiate ball clubs.
Following Suit
Last season marked the 7th winning season in a row for the Indiana State Baseball club. This year's team hopes to improve the streak to eight and would mark coach Hannah's third winning season in a row at the helm.
