Friends University Preview(Blake Moss)

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2011 Falcon Baseball Preview
Baseball - Thu, Feb 3, 2011


The new coaching staff with their entirely new system, started shaping this hard working team in the fall season with scrimmages and inter-squad games. Head Coach Adam Neisius stated, "the players worked hard and are starting to understand what we expect from them on an individual and daily basis both on and off the field."

The top returners for the Falcons are: senior infielder Taylor Doan, senior right handed pitcher Kirk Kelly, junior outfielder Greg Collins, junior catcher Chance Kennedy, sophomore first baseman Garrett Berry, sophomore left handed pitcher Jake DeMott, sophomore outfielder Evan Gilbert and sophomore outfielder Casey Schweninger. Neisius stated "[this is] a solid group of returners. [We] Should be able to put some talent on the field, I think it's just a matter of execution and implementing the many new things throughout the program."

Defensive should be the strong point for the Falcons this year because of this solid group of returners. The Falcons are also looking for some of the returning pitchers to step up and lead. Offensively the Falcons will be looking to execute some things and use their team speed that should help them score runs.

The top newcomers for the Falcons include: junior right handed pitcher Anthony Allen, junior left handed pitcher Todd Kruse, junior right handed pitcher Dustin Lamb, junior first baseman Scott McNally, junior third baseman Blake Moss, junior outfielder Nick Spizawka, sophomore catcher matt McAllister, freshman left handed pitcher Matt Elliott, freshman right handed pitcher Rylan Sankey and freshman right handed pitcher Ryan Wooldridge. Coach Neisius thoughts on the newcomers, "[We have] some talented players that should help us on both sides of the ball. A couple junior college players that we hope will make an immediate impact and some talented freshman that will be successful once they get some much needed experience at the college level."

This year's team is a mix of skilled upperclassmen and quality underclassmen will face a vigorous conference schedule as well as a tough with non conference opponents Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Mid America Nazarene University and Peru State University.

For the season opener, the Falcons will travel to Bethany, Oklahoma to take on Southern Nazarene University on Tuesday, February 8. The first game of the double header will start at 1pm.