Pages 1-92 - Creighton University Bluejays

The 2010 edition of Creighton Bluejay
baseball returns a bulk of talent
from a 2009 squad that finished 31-25.
Returning are six position starters and
an abundance of pitching depth rivaled
by few in the country.
A veteran squad consisting of 17
juniors and seniors will look to lead
Creighton to its first NCAA Tournament
appearance since 2007. Overall, 22
players return from a year ago.
That group includes all-MVC
selctions Elliot Soto (first team, shortstop),
Jack VanLeur (first team, relief
pitcher), Robbie Knight (second
team, outfield), T.J. Roemmich (honorable
mention, outfield) and Bobby
Lackovic (honorable mention, relief
pitcher).
The Jays will try to compensate for
the loss of several key cogs, including
four players lost to the professional
ranks. Darin Ruf (second team all-MVC,
1B) was drafted in the 20th round by
the Philadelphia Phillies, while Vicente
Cafaro (second team all-MVC, 2B) and
relief pitcher Kirk Clark were signed as
free agents by the Texas Rangers and
Houston Astros respectively.
Left-handed pitcher Jeremy Hauer
was the fourth Jay to go pro, signing
a deal with the independent Fargo-
Moorhead Redhawks of the Northern
League.
Twelve newcomers will try to make
up for those and other losses, as the
Jays go into the season opener at Central
Arkansas with a one goal in mind:
a MVC conference championship.
Matt Patterson had a team best 2.40 ERA
in 30.0 innings in 2009.
PITCHING
The overall depth and quality of the
pitching staff looks to be one of the biggest
strengths for the Bluejays. Eight of
the team’s top 10 hurlers return from
the 2009 squad that boasted the nation’s
13th best team ERA.
The Jays will have to find an arm to
2010 Bl u e j a y Ba s e b a l l
2010 Season Preview
account for the loss of senior workhorse
Jeremy Hauer. Hauer started 14 games
and threw a team-best 81.0 innings to
lead the staff. Hauer led all Creighton
starters with a 3.78 ERA.
Creighton will count on juniors Jonas
Dufek and Greg Hellhake to
log a significant amount of innings in
2010. Dufek started 13 games in 2009,
throwing two complete games and 79.0
innings en route to a 4-7 record.
Hellhake started all 15 games he
appeared in last spring, winning five
games and striking out 39 in 70.1 innings.
Brandon Koenigstein and Mike
Nihsen complete the projected starting
rotation. Nihsen made seven starts,
going 3-1 with a 4.95 ERA.
Koenigstein appeared in 14 games,
starting three and going a perfect 5-0
with a 3.18 ERA. He delivered Creighton’s
most memorable performance of
the year, throwing a seven-inning nohitter
against Wichita State in the MVC
Tournament.
Three big arms from the relief
corps also return, as Matt Patterson,
Bobby Lackovic and Jack VanLeur
combined to appear in 94 games last
season.
VanLeur led the team in appearances
with 36, which was also good for
ninth in the country. He ended the year
as the Jays’ closer, posting six saves
with a 3-4 record in 48.2 innings.
Patterson posted the best ERA on
the squad, with a 2.40 mark. He struck
out 21 batters in 30 innings en route to
a 2-0 record.
Lackovic was also heavily relied on,
making 34 relief appearances. His six
wins (6-1) were best on the team while
he also sported a 3-to-1 strikeout to
walk ratio (36-12) in 45.2 innings.
Rounding out the returners from
last year’s staff are T.J. Roemmich,
Kurt Spomer, Austin Cole and Nick
Musec. Roemmich primarily played
right field, but made six appearances
on the hill. Spomer made three appearances
in his freshman season, and will
look to increase his production.
Cole and Musec both return to the
2010 squad as redshirt freshman, retaining
four years of eligibility after sitting
out last season.
Five new arms plan to bolster the
staff. Gage Daniels leads that group,
coming to Omaha after a year at Johnson
County Community College. He
posted a 10-3 record with a 1.09 ERA,
striking out 83 in 84 innings.
Ty Blach is one of four freshmen
that were brought in to bolster an already
strong staff. The southpaw from
Centennial, Colo., went 7-1 with 74
strikeouts in 45 innings in his senior
season for Regis Jesuit High School.
Mark Winkelmann comes to
Creighton after a decorated career
for Aldon-Hebron High. His accolades
include 16 school records and 14 top-
50 Illinois High School baseball marks.
He was a four-time first team all-conference
pick and was his team’s MVP
three times.
Kyle King is the second of three
new left-handers for the Jays. King
boasted two first team all-conference
selections and two team MVP picks for
Bartlett High School in Bartlett, Ill.
John Boyle and T.C. Manning
round out the 2010 staff. Boyle comes
in after a successful career at Benet
Academy in Lisle, Ill. He earned two
all-conference picks and went 17-2
with five saves and a sub-3.00 ERA in
three years with the varsity. Manning
joins this year’s squad as a walk-on.
Carson Vitale is back after starting at
catcher his junior season.
CATCHERS
The Bluejays appear to be set
behind the plate, as they return four
catchers, including starter Carson Vitale
and backup Scott Thornburg
Also returning are Joey Bowens and
Eric Bruns to give the Jays multiple
options at the postion.
Vitale enters his senior season as
the team’s starting backstop. Last year
he appeared in 46 games, starting 40.
He hit .261 and added two home runs
and eight doubles, while driving in 16.
Thornburg saw more playing time
than any other freshman in 2009. He
played in 47 games with 37 starts, seeing
time at both designated hitter and
catcher. He recorded five home runs
and matched Vitale’s 16 RBIs in 41
fewer at-bats.
On the defensive side, Thornburg
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