Pages 1-92 - Creighton University Bluejays

2010 Bl u e j a y Ba s e b a l l
2010 Season Preview
was solid, posting a .994 fielding percentage
and throwing out 37 percent
of base runners.
Bowens is back for his second season
in the white and blue. He appeared
in 15 games last season, 10 of which
were as a pinch runner. He had just two
at-bats, but scored a run and stole a
base.
Rounding out the catchers is Bruns.
The transfer from Sauk Valley CC did
not see any game action for the Jays
last season.
Jimmy Swift clubbed three home runs last
season while starting at third base.
INFIELD
The 2010 infield is a tale of two
sides. The Jays return both starters on
the left side in Jimmy Swift and Elliot
Soto, but have question marks on the
right side after second baseman Vicente
Cafaro (signed by Texas Rangers)
and first baseman Darin Ruf (drafted
by Philadelphia Phillies) departed after
winning gold gloves.
The four infield spots were a mark
of consistency in 2009 as the four
aforementioned players started every
game for Creighton.
Soto, a junior, returns as the team’s
second-leading hitter. He also led the
squad in sacrifices and stolen bases to
go along with his strong defensive play
at short (.968 fielding percentage).
Overall, Soto posted seven doubles,
a triple and 26 RBIs en route to a first
team all-MVC selection.
Also returning with Soto is Swift.
The junior had a breakout campaign
in 2009 after seeing limited action in
his redshirt freshman season. Swift was
one of five Bluejays to start every game
and hit over .300, as he posted a .301
average as the starter at third.
Senior Ian Dike and junior Trever
Adams are neck-and-neck for the
starting job at first base. Dike played
in 49 games for Creighton last season,
logging most of his at-bats at designated
hitter while also seeing some time
in the outfield. Dike posted a .266 mark
with two home runs and 11 RBI, while
also adding four doubles.
Adams, who could also see time in
the outfield, had a monster season at
Hutchinson CC in 2009. He hit .451 wth
eight home runs, 63 RBIs and 13 stolen
base, while setting a school record for
doubles in a season with 23. Included in
his big year was NJCAA National Player
of the Week honors on March 25.
The other two returning infielders
are sophomore Zane Hinkel and redshirt
freshman Bobby Lewis. Hinkel
played in 11 games last season, starting
one game against North Dakota on
March 25, while Lewis did not see any
action and is expected to provide depth
at first base.
Second base is a three-way battle
between two newcomers and a redshirt
from last season. The three front-runners
for the job look to be juniors Michael
Mutcheson and Vince Bellino,
and freshman Alex Staehely.
Mutcheson comes to Creighton after
two years at New Mexico Junior College.
Mutcheson put up big numbers
over his two seasons at NMJC, hitting
.353 with 11 home runs, 58 RBIs and
41 stolen bases.
Bellino redshirted in 2009 after
transferring in from Skyline CC.
An Omaha native, Bellino will battle
Mutcheson and Staehely for the starting
job.
Staehely comes in as a true freshman
after a successful career at Benet
Academy. He was a two-time, first team
all-conference pick and enjoyed even
more success in the summer with the
Downers Grove Longshots travel team.
Creighton’s only other newcomer
to the infield is freshman Joey Long.
Long earned all-conference honors his
senior season for Rockford Boylan High
School.
Robbie Knight will look to move up on the
NCAA’s career hit by pitch list.
OUTFIELD
The Jays return two-thirds of their
starting outfield. T.J. Roemmich is
slated to reclaim right field, while senior
Robbie Knight will look to wrap
up a strong career when he takes his
starting spot in center field.
Knight enters the season eighth on
the NCAA’s (Division I) career hit by
pitch list with 72, despite having a career
low of 13 last season.
The Kansas State transfer proved
to be much more than a walking target,
however, as he led the team in
hits (77), batting (.344), doubles (18),
walks (36) and on-base percentage
(.460) in 2009.
His 2009 accolades included a second
team all-MVC pick, MVC All-Tournament
Team and MVC Scholar-Athlete
First Team.
Roemmich was an honorable mention
to both the MVC all-conference
and scholar-athlete squads. He was
also named MVC Player of the Week
twice (3/9 and 5/4) as he led the team
in home runs (9), slugging (.526) and
total bases (113).
The lone departure from the Jays’
starting outfield leaves the left field
spot up for grabs. Transfer Clay Cuno
and Adams appear to be the leading
candidates for the spot.
Cuno comes with Adams to Omaha
from Hutchinson CC. The junior is at
his fourth school in four years, and will
look to carry over his success from a
year ago. He was a Jayhawk West All-
Conference pick for hitting .370 with
nine home runs, 48 RBIs, 49 runs and
seven stolen bases.
His career started at Fort Scott CC
where he was Jayhawk Conference
Freshman of the Year in 2007. He then
redshirted the 2008 season at Nebraska
before transferring to Hutchinson
last season.
Two newcomers will make up the
rest of the Creighton outfield. Michael
Blatchford comes from Columbus High
School in Columbus, Neb. He earned a
second team all-state mention his senior
year and holds school records for
home runs (11) and RBIs in a season
with (48). Jordan Makovicka rounds
out the roster, and will redshirt this season
after playing football at Nebraska
last season.
SCHEDULE
The Jays open their 54 game schedule
on Feb. 20 with a doubleheader in
Conway, Ark. The season starts with a
21-game road trip, while the Jays will
play five NCAA Tournament teams from
last year while also playing their final
regular season games at Rosenblatt
Stadium.
[10] 2010 Cr e i g h t o n Ba s e b a l l