Baseball team turns to tourney
CASSIE PAULSEN, Clarion Staff Writer
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Sports
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Perhaps the break was nice for the WolfPack, who have already played 22 games in the month of April - and that number would be 32 had other games not been cancelled because of mother nature.
But crunch time is coming fast for MATC, with playoffs beginning April 30 with the Wisconsin Technical College Conference tournament - a nice tune-up to national playoffs beginning May 8 in Bismarck, North Dakota.
"We really need games," said second-year pitcher Robert Stone. "We need to get pitchers their innings and get them ready for the post season. These rainouts - they're killing us."
That's an understatement. As of April 27 last season, the WolfPack had 40 games under their belts. This season they have 32, and while their record of 23-9 is good, the players know that at this point in the season it's not the record that matters - it's getting out on the field and playing the game.
"The best way to get practice and get better is to play games," said Stone, who is 3-0 on the mound and has a 1.65 ERA through 16.1 innings of work. "Of course it's frustrating, we're not getting any better just sitting around."
They may not necessarily be sitting around, but at this point in the season MATC is used to playing games, not practicing. The rain may have been needed to some, but in the world of baseball it could not have come at a worse time.
The WolfPack are preparing to take the 11-hour bus trip to Bismarck for the NJCAA Region XIII Tournament, where they have found success in years past. Since 2004, the team has advanced past the region tournament every year save one, and this year they are hoping to advance even farther.
In fact, should MATC win Region XIII, they would advance to the Northwest District Tournament, and would host the tournament at Robin Roberts field for the first time since 2007. The team knows what it will take to win, and they believe this could be year to put MATC back in the national spotlight.
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