Round Up: March 18th, 2005: Baseball Review
The Wittenberg baseball team is off to another strong start, posting a 6-2 record through its first eight games played during a Spring Break trip to Port Charlotte, Fla. In their first game back in Ohio, the Tigers fell to Ohio Northern on Wednesday, 8-7.
In that game, freshman outfielder Jon Fox (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) continued his absolutely torrid start. He added four hits in five at-bats to raise his batting average to .605, primarily from the lead-off spot. He leads the Tigers with 12 runs scored and 25 total bases and he is second in runs batted in with 10. In addition, Fox has four stolen bases in four attempts.
As a team, Wittenberg is manufacturing runs very effectively. The Tigers are 17-of-19 on stolen bases, compared to 9-of-11 for their opponents, and they have outscored foes by a whopping 63-39 margin without the benefit of a home run. In fact, just 24 of Wittenberg's 97 hits have been for extra bases.
Other individuals of note statistically are senior Jon Komperda (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay), who has picked up right where he left off a year ago when he led the Tigers in batting average and several other offensive categories. He is hitting .406 with seven runs and six RBI. Junior Jason Holmberg (Miamisburg, Ohio/Kettering Alter) has pitched exceptionally well thus far, winning his first two starts while compiling a team-best 2.25 earned run average. He tossed a one-hitter against Tri-State during the Spring Break trip.
The Tigers will host the 2005 Wittenberg Baseball Tournament this weekend with nine games played alternately at Carleton Davidson Stadium and the nearby annex field.
The host Tigers will be joined by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Hiram College, Mount Union College, Albion College, Myers College and John Carroll University. Wittenberg plays Albion and John Carroll on Saturday and Hiram and Mount Union on Sunday.