Well with the snow starting to melt, we all know what that means…. Baseball season is just around the corner. The team has been hard at practice trying to get back into game shape. The team has one conference series this spring against Winona State. That series will play a huge role in the playoff push. MSUM is at the top and looking down on everyone else. The team needs a sweep to keep the playoffs alive. After a strong fall the team is looking to propel off of going 5-4, with three of those four losses losing by two or fewer runs. The spring will really show who will step up when the team needs them the most.

Pitching depth had not been a problem in the fall, but it will be interesting to see how the pitching staff throws this spring with losing their number one starter Marshall Dalzieland number two Derek Plath (depending on his doctor’s appointment this week). Over the winter the top two pitchers were both given some bad news. Marshall was told to shut it down after a shoulder injury that has been nagging him since the beginning of the summer. Derek has been fighting off a pain in his throwing forearm that has restricted his pitching. We all hope that the lefty can get this all taken care of and fully recovered for that crucial Winona series. In the fall the team found a handful of guys that they can trust to work tough innings and get that crucial win. The number three starter Austin Nordby and freshmen sensation Sam Elliott will be looked upon to lead the staff going into the spring after the two injuries.

The loss of Cody Anderson will also be tough, he was a big bat in the middle of the line up and the captain on the field behind the plate. Chris Sticha will be the number one catcher going into the spring. Chris had a standout series in Canada that really showed he can be the everyday catcher. Check back later in the week were we will highlight the four candidates running for Rookie Of The Year. As always shoot us a follow on twitter @umnclubbaseball

-Staff-