Michael Scott
Staff Writer
“We didn’t hit well, but from the beginning of the trip till’ the end there was a noticeable difference in our at-bats,” said Head Coach Mike Greene.
The St. Clair County Community College baseball team returned to campus from their spring trip in Tennessee, bringing with them a disappointing record of 1-10.
The lone win for SC4 came in the second-to-last game of the trip, against Mississippi Delta Community College. The Skippers won the game by a score of 5-2, en route to earning their first victory of the 2012 season.
According to Greene, the pitching staff pitched well. He further contributed that Tim O’Callaghan, Luis Mella, Caesar Perez and Mickal Helton all provided quality innings for the Skippers.
“Tim pitched very well for us. He even carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning of one of the games,” said Greene.
Charles Melvin, a second-year outfielder at SC4, led the team in hitting throughout the 11 game trip, spanning through Tennessee and Mississippi with a .286 batting average. He also compiled five bases on balls leaving him with an On-Base Percentage of .375. He was followed closely by OF Blake Harrell, who hit .272 for the trip, and OF Cam Ciaciuch, who returned from Tennessee with a .258 AVG and .395 OBP.
First Baseman Donavon Rigel also showed some punch at the plate, providing a homerun and solid hitting during the trip.
Greene also said that he still thinks the team is going to do well. He expects that the team will be competing at the end of the season for a spot in the NJCAA Region 12 Playoffs, in Battle Creek.
“We just have to do a better job of playing together as a team. We have to walk twice for every one time we strike out at the plate, and our pitchers must do the opposite. They must strike out two for every one guy they walk. We have to improve upon or defense and limit the errors. Those things are key to improving our record,” he said.
Despite a rough start to the season, Greene and the Skippers are not panicking.
With 12 games left before the Michigan Community College Athletic Association team begins league play, Greene fully expects his players to work out the kinks and turn their hitting woes around.
These SC4 “boys of summer,” begin a 16 game road trip on Monday, March 5, with a double header at Indiana Institute of Technology. The trip will also see them clash with the perennial NCAA Division III powerhouse that is Adrian College.
“I still think we are going to be one of the best teams in the league,” said Greene.