Every weekend from mid-March to mid-May is a long one for the Northwestern baseball team.
The Wildcats (8-15, 2-5 Big Ten) play a nine-inning game Friday, a pair of seven-inning games on Saturday, and then they round out the weekend with another nine – and we’re not talking holes of golf – on Sunday afternoon, all against a Big Ten opponent.
So it’s easy to see how the Cats’ nonconference Tuesday games can get lost in the shuffle, especially considering their midweek opponents aren’t exactly baseball powerhouses – the schedule comprises Chicago State (3-13), Valparaiso (2-14-1), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (4-10) and Western Michigan (9-11).
“It’s probably tougher to get motivated because they’re not conference games,” catcher Ken Padgett said. “But we learned last week that we can’t take them lightly.”
The Cats struggled through nine innings with Chicago State last Tuesday, losing their home opener 15-12. NU outhit the Cougars 15-11 but was unable to pull off the win, largely because of its inexperience on the mound. Trying to conserve their usual starters for the weekend, the Cats went through five pitchers, three of whom were freshmen.
NU tends to throw younger pitchers on Tuesdays, allowing their usual starters to rest and prepare for the coming weekend. Their midweek opponents, on the other hand, usually put their top pitchers on the mound.
“We’re seeing their better pitchers because they see these games as an opportunity to beat a Big Ten team,” head coach Paul Stevens said.
According to Padgett, that’s no excuse for performances like last week’s loss.
“It’s good experience for (NU’s younger) pitchers to get some innings,” Padgett said. “We should be able to hit their pitchers. We should be beating those teams by more runs than our pitchers could ever give up.”
NU senior pitcher Gabe Ribas said that after the Chicago State loss, the team created a list of goals. High on that list was winning the six remaining midweek games. For this reason, it is likely that the Cats’ starter today against Valparaiso will be a more experienced member of the pitching staff.
Ribas said both Zach Schara, who has been out with a fractured hand, and himself are possibilities for today’s game.
“Even if we’re not able to put the fire power out there on the mound that we’d like, (Tuesday games) are looked at as Division I games that we need to win,” Stevens said.
The midweek games, which are not considered for Big Ten postseason eligibility, are supposed to build momentum for the weekend, Stevens said. He said they are also prime opportunities for individual players to prove themselves.
Facing Valparaiso, Stevens is looking for strong performances at third and first base, and from the designated hitter’s spot, where he says there have been some question marks.
“The guys in those areas need to step up,” Stevens said. “(First baseman Travis) Tharp had a great day Friday, and Danny Pohlman did a great job, period (last weekend against Michigan State), but we need to get steadier production from those positions.”
