Baseball team to battle club power CSU
After getting off to a bit of a rocky start, the Utah State University baseball club will take to the road this weekend to face off against the University of Wyoming Cowboys and the Colorado State University Rams.
The Aggies will match up against the Cowboys for the first time ever in a Saturday double header in Laramie, Wyo. The Aggies will then face the Rams Sunday morning in Laramie, and then play one more game against the Cowboys.
Wyoming finished their debut season with a 12-5 record and a second-place finish in the Rocky Mountain Conference, while the Rams finished the season 23-2, with their second loss coming in the championship game of the National Collegiate Baseball Association (NCBA) World Series.
“It will be nice to play someone new,” said Aggie Head Coach Ernie Rivers.
Jonathan Swenson, club president, said, “Both Wyoming and Colorado State had pretty successful years. I am excited to play [them] because they are both club teams that we could have a chance of playing in the World Series.”
Several starters will be unable to make the trip this weekend, so the pressure to win games this weekend will rest on some of the younger players, Rivers said.
“A lot of new guys will get the opportunity to play,” he said. “You can only tell so much in practice. It will be nice to get some guys some innings.”
Swenson said, “It will give new and upcoming talent a chance to shine.”
It could be a long weekend for the Aggies if the defense breaks down again like it did last week. Swenson said the team has been taking extra work in practice to try to improve.
He also said the struggles last week came from opening the weekend with a double header.
“When you play a double header, it is difficult to play at a 100-percent level for 14 innings,” Swenson said.
This weekend should reveal a lot about the team the Aggies have put together. Rivers said he believes he has a pretty strong team.
“This team is starting to come together,” Swenson said. “I am really excited about the pitching, and offensively I think we are going to be a powerhouse again this year. There is a good feeling between teammates. Defense is an area that will improve.”
Improved pitching, along with the speedy offense and a stronger defense, Rivers said, should help the Aggies take a couple of games this weekend.
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