Looking at the Northwestern baseball team’s defensive lineup,it’s a safe bet that most of the same faces will be in positionwhen the Wildcats head to Penn State this weekend. Senior KenPadgett will crouch behind home plate, junior Brandon Ackley willpatrol right field, and sophomore Jon Mikrut will be stationed atshortstop.
Just don’t put your money on where junior Josh Lieberman will beon the field. Even he doesn’t know what position he plays thesedays.
Lieberman has started 17 games at third base this season, playedtwo innings in left field, been moved to second base and has theability to play shortstop. But Lieberman cannot do everything.
“I definitely could never pitch because I would get lit up,”Lieberman said. “Everyone says the ball floats off my hand, but I’ma really good batting practice pitcher.”
Trying his luck around the diamond isn’t new for the 5-foot-9right hander from Mundelein, Ill. After playing shortstop in highschool and as a freshman at NU, Lieberman took on many roles lastseason, including pinch hitter and third baseman.
As the Cats’ (13-12, 5-5 Big Ten) most-frequently displacedstarter, Lieberman might feel like a nomad, but NU coach PaulStevens said his mobility makes him indispensible.
“Josh works well in a lot of scenarios,” Stevens said. “That’swhat’s so great about him — I can put him anywhere.”
Anywhere also applies to the outfield. Stevens sent Lieberman toleft field for the final two innings of NU’s 36-10 demolition ofChicago State on Tuesday. But Lieberman had to borrow junior JasonKrynski’s glove because he didn’t have one large enough for theoutfield.
The glove was not his only challenge.
“It was really windy out there, and I told him just to give me aholler to help me out,” center fielder David Gresky said. “Butthere was this weak little fly ball, and I couldn’t really judgeit, and he didn’t say anything. The game was already over, but Iwas giving him a hard time.”
Lieberman prefers playing second base, and Gresky praised thejuniors’ slick fielding.
But Gresky, who lives with Lieberman, laughs when asked aboutthe Biomedical engineering major’s study habitats.
“He practically lives at Lisa’s Cafe (on the first floor ofSlivka Residential College),” Gresky said. “He also likes to stayup really late at night playing the guitar even though he sucks atit.
“He likes to sleep late and is on a different time schedule fromthe rest of us. But he’s a really good guy.”
Lieberman missed a few games in March because of a hamstringinjury and isn’t 100 percent yet, but he has tallied 13 hits thisseason, including a two-RBI single in game four of last weekend’sseries against Purdue. Add that to four sacrifice bunts — thesecond-most in the Big Ten — and Stevens has a player he’s proudof.
As for NU’s games against Penn State (10-18, 5-7), Stevens saidhe’s not sure what the Cats’ lineup will be.
But he suggested that freshman Anthony Wycklendt has earned thestarting job at the hot corner. Wycklendt impressed the coach withnine RBIs and seven hits in eight at-bats on Tuesday.
“(Wycklendt) has his own approach to the game that is only nowstarting to come through,” Stevens said. “He could be put at thirdbase or in a DH slot, anywhere but shortstop.”
NU faces a Penn State team that is in the middle of a six-gamelosing streak after dropping two midweek games and being swept byBig Ten leader Minnesota last weekend.
Exhaustion and injury aside, Lieberman said the Cats can win theseries outright against the Nittany Lions and avoid coming homewith another split. Lieberman will play any position to help NUearn a trip to the Big Ten tournament.
“I don’t feel replaced or anything,” Lieberman said. “Look atWycklendt, he hit the crap out of those pitches ( Tuesday).”
Stevens said he needs to try various lineup combinations to finda winning formula.
“The guy producing is the guy ultimately getting the playingtime,” Stevens said. “I just look to see what guys are wearing auniform that says ‘Northwestern,’ and if he does, I know I can puthim in the game.”
