The 2000 Billiken baseball team was like a puzzle with a few missing pieces. No matter how they tried, the puzzle just wouldn’t fit together.
The pitching and the hitting never quite came together to make a cohesive unit. On some occasions the pitching was superb, but the offense would only produce two or three hits.
On other occasions the hitting was monstrous, but the pitching would surrender double digits. Overall, the 2000 campaign was an uphill battle, eventually leading to a 19-34 record.
Coming into the 2001 season, the team returns seven starters and eight pitchers. Nevertheless, the Billikens have made changes on and off the field. The attitude changed even before the Billikens took the field for practice.
“We set goals this year and came out with a much more positive attitude. As a whole, the team’s work ethic has increased,” said senior pitcher Dan Shouse.
The Bills have dedicated themselves to improving in all aspects of the game, including their mental outlook. Mental preparation and focus have been stressed throughout camp in the preseason.
Shouse said, “People are accepting their roles better and understanding their individual value to the team. We are playing like a team unified under one goal for the first time.”
This unified team has some new faces who are expected to contribute greatly in the upcoming year. Two major transfers have the Bills sights set very high. Senior transfer Ben Caffey is expected to see a lot of playing time at catcher and first base. Sophomore transfer Andrew Slania will get the many bumps and bruises that come with playing catcher.
The addition of two potent offensive threats such as Caffey and Slania will help solidify the Billiken lineup that was erratic at times last year.
Caffey and Slania will strengthen an offense that features power threats like seniors Nick Steiner and Mike Orrico along with junior Jim Bredenkoetter.
Steiner led the team in home runs last year with 10 and was tied with Bredenkoetter for the team lead in batting average at .340. Those two were the two main consistencies in the Billiken lineup last year, and they are not the worry. The question lies in what the supporting cast will do at the plate.
The Billikens are overwhelmed with potential and questions on the mound. Shouse leads the returning Billiken starting pitchers into the season, even though he is coming off a 1-9 record. To his credit, Shouse lost most of his games close and was victim of an invisible offense.
Also returning is sophomore pitcher Zach Placzek. Placzek was an honorable mention freshman All-American in Collegiate Baseball. Placzek had an outstanding year, but it was unfortunately cut short by a battle with bursitis in his shoulder. “Right now, my arm feels great, and we (the pitching staff) should be really good.”
Perhaps the biggest question mark on the entire team is the physical status of pitcher Torrey Lombardo. Lombardo blew out his elbow early in the season last year and had to have Tommy John surgery.
At the time of his injury, Lombardo had a 0.50 ERA and was looking like the ace of the staff.
At this point, the starting rotation is up in the air. “We feel like we have a legitimate six-man battle going on for spots in the starting rotation,” said Shouse. Right now, Shouse, Placzek, juniors Wes Jaillet, Brad Wehrfritz, Ben Hutton and sophomore Jake Baumgartner are battling for those three starter spots.
All these questions will be answered in the next few months, but the season starts up on Feb. 16. The Billikens will open at the Northwestern State Tournament in Natchitoches, LA against Iowa State.
Also in the tournament, the Bills will face Centenary and Northwestern State before returning for the home opener on Feb. 21 against Indiana State.
