Complete Game Notes as a PDF

BIG WEEK AHEAD
The Southern Connecticut State University baseball team (1-3, 0-0) returns to action this week as they travel to Boca Raton, Fla. for a five game road trip in three days. On Thursday, March 12, the Owls face Bloomfield at 1 p.m. The following day, March 13, they will face two more teams as they compete against Felician at 1 p.m. and Adelphi scheduled for 4:15 p.m. They will end their week with two more games on March 14. Southern gets their first look at Northeast-10 opponent Saint Rose at 9:15 a.m. and then at 1 p.m. they are scheduled to face Caldwell.

LAST TIME OUT
The Owls have not competed since Saturday, Feb. 28 when they traveled to Petersburg, Va. and grabbed their first victory of the season, defeating Dominican 11-4. In the win, freshman first baseman Ryan Geffert led the Owls offensively as he went 3-for-5 from the plate and drove in three runs. Southern scored in seven of the eight innings they were at-bat and out hit their opponent 13 to five. Junior Ed Bethke got the win as he pitched four and two-thirds innings, allowing one run on one hit and striking out five batters.

INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS
Due to the recent weather conditions, the Owls have been forced to cancel or postpone their last five contests. Their home opener, which was scheduled to start on March 5 against Post, has now been pushed back yet another week. They will now open their 2009 season at home on Monday, March 16 in a make-up game against C.W. Post.

GOING DEEP
In his first career hit with the Owls, freshman first baseman Ryan Geffert went deep. In only took him three games and 11 at-bats to get his first career homerun. He is also the first Owl to hit a home run in this early 2009 season.

OWLS ON THE HONOR ROLL
On Feb. 17, senior utility player Kevin Bowerman earned Northeast-10 Player of the Week honors for his performance against No. 18 Georgia College and State. Teammate and junior second baseman Greg Malen was also named to the weekly honor roll the same day. On March 3, sophomore right fielder Andrew Babb became the third and latest Owl to receive weekly honor roll laurels.

HEADING DOWN SOUTH
The Owls will make two trips to Florida this season. On Thursday, March 12 the squad travels to Boca Raton, Fl. for five games. They will face Bloomfield (3/12), Felician (3/13), Adelphi (3/13), St. Rose (3/14) and Caldwell (3/14). A couple days later they head back to Boca Raton to face St. Thomas Aquinas in a doubleheader on Friday, March 20. They remain in Florida to compete in seven games in seven days. Within those seven days, the Owls go to Ormond Beach, Melbourne, Lakeland and Tampa.

ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS
Of the twelve returnees from last year's squad, four earned All-Conference honors last season for their performances within the Northeast-10. Seniors Karl Derbacher, Kevin Bowerman and Justin Cox and sophomore Andrew Babb all received the award. Derbacher ranked second in the conference in hits (86), RBI (53) and doubles (20) and had the third highest batting average (.408). Bowerman hit .329 with 29 RBI and was second on the team in steals (29). Cox returns to the Owls bullpen this season after posting a 6-4 record and an ERA of 3.09 during the 2008 campaign and Babb hit .306 with 26 RBI. as a freshman.

SIGNING PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS
Mike Diaz and Jim Fuller, both members of last year's squad, have inked professional contracts. Diaz was selected by the Houston Astros in the 30th round of the 2008 MLB Draft and Fuller was picked in the 21st round by the New York Mets. Diaz finished his career at Southern with a .365 batting average (221-for-606). On the Owls' career lists, he ranks first all-time in triples (16), second in stolen bases (73), third in hits (221) and fifth in at-bats (606). His eight triples in 2008 were a program single-season record. In 2008, Fuller led the nation in strikeouts (145), ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings (13.45) and was also among the top-10 nationally in hits allowed per nine innings and earned-run average.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
Fourteen of the 26 players on the SCSU roster are new to the club this season. The newcomers are comprised of one sophomore, 11 freshmen and two red-shirt freshmen.

THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Karl Derbacher, Kevin Bowerman and Mike Connors will serve as team captains for the Owls this spring.

IN THE NE-10 PRESEASON POLL
The Owls were tabbed for second in this year's Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches Poll. Franklin Pierce was selected as the preseason favorite.

HEAD COACH TIM SHEA
Affiliated with Southern Connecticut State University as a student-athlete, instructor and coach for two decades, Tim Shea's long-standing relationship with the university has been a tremendously successful one. He took over as head baseball coach prior to the 2002 season after serving 11 years as an Owls assistant to Joe Bandiera. Over the course of the past seven years, Shea has compiled a 203-137 record. He guided the Owls to the NCAA Division II World Series in 2005. Shea's latest accomplishments include the 2008 Northeast Region Coach of the Year and 2008 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year honors.

ON DECK
The Owls return to action next week for their home opener against C.W. Post on Monday, March 16 at the Ballpark at SCSU.