The Garden City Telegram
Email this story | Add Your Comment
| Read (0) Comments
Busters' baseball team not relying on last season for much help
Published 2/9/2010 in Sports
By MIKE KESSINGER
mkessinger@gctelegram.com
Last year is a distant memory to the Garden City Community College baseball team.
Click to Purchase Photo Reprints!
Brad Nading/Telegram Garden City Community College's Erik Mattingly throws a pitch against Seward County in April 2009 at Williams Stadium.
Sure, the Broncbusters have fond memories of their run to the Jayhawk Conference Western Division title. But that was last year and the team would just as well look ahead to making another run at a conference championship and move on from there.
"I don't think our guys are going to be too overexcited," fifth-year GCCC coach Chris Finnegan said. "I mean, last year was great, but these guys aren't going to get too hung up on that."
A year after finishing eighth in the Western Division and being swept immediately out of the Region 6 tournament by Cowley College in 2008, the Busters bounced back with an almost completely different style of team. A more athletic group than the year before, Garden City finished the 2009 season 45-17, losing out to Cowley in the Region 6 semifinals, 9-6. If anything, the Busters have plenty of motivation from that run last year, but again, the focus for now is just about becoming a good team this year.
"I was really happy with the way the guys returned after Christmas break," Finnegan said about this year's team. "They went home and did what they're supposed to do, and they came back ready to go. We were able to get in five intra-squad games before the snow came last week and I thought they did a good job. We took the good with the good, and the bad with the bad."
GCCC returns three members of the Western Division All-Conference squad, including first-team and conference freshman of the year Eric Mattingly, who was one of the Busters four weekend rotation pitchers, and also played right field. On the mound, Mattingly was 7-2 with a 4.96 ERA. He batted .386 with 32 RBIs and three home runs.
"Eric's a two-way guy and we're very fortunate to have him," Finnegan said of the Lakewood, Colo. native.
The Busters also return C.J. Gillman, who split his time between catcher and first base. Gillman, an honorable mention all-conference pick at first base, along with returning outfielder M.J. Sartin.
Compared to last season, Finnegan has seen several similarities in this team. The Busters had a .340 batting average in 2009, and Finnegan said he believes this year's squad could hit around the .320 mark. The Busters might not have as much home run power that produced 41 round trip shots last year, but the Busters coach is confident his team will be able to find ways to score.
Pitching-wise, Mattingly will be joined by returner Joey Cifuentes in the four-man weekend rotation. Reese McGraw, who was the Busters set-up man to closer Heath Wyatt last season, will be counted on to hold Wyatt's spot this season. McGraw follows in the spot after Wyatt crushed the GCCC record for saves in a season with 15.
"Heath did a pretty good job last year," Finnegan said. "He also did a lot of work helping Reese. Reese has done a good job of preparing himself for this season and he could be better than Heath."
With the recent snowfall and inclement weather, the Busters have had to practice inside at the Baseball Academy across the street from campus. The Busters opened the season Saturday against Lamar (Colo.) and fell 3-1. The game was originally scheduled to be played Wednesday, but Lamar asked if the game could be pushed up because of possible weather complications. As for now, the Busters are to open its home schedule Wednesday at Williams Stadium, but the game will likely be moved to Pueblo, Colo. It is set to start at 1 p.m. This weekend the Busters will host Western Nebraska for a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. both days. That series, too, could be moved to Pueblo.
Found 0 comment(s)!
Twitter Updates
