YSU's road slate heavy early in year

But as the baseball season progresses, the Penguins will play more home games.
By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN -- Youngstown State plays 24 of its first 25 baseball games on the road this season.
That statistic really doesn't concern coach Mike Florak. While his team must become road warriors to start the season, adapting to the host role for 20 of their final 31 contests does have its appeal.
As the guest speaker at Monday's weekly Curbstone Coaches meeting at the Blue Wolf Catering and Banquet Center, the always upbeat Penguin head coach touched on his team's recent spring trip, scheduling, the upcoming Horizon League race and academics.
"We'll play about 20 games before we even practice outside at home, all due to the nature of the weather. We understand that so we just adjust and make the best of the situation," Florak said.
"We opened up in Nacogdoches, Texas with a three-game set against Stephen F. Austin and our second series of the year was at the University of Missouri. The latter was a three-game series against Tigers, a team that made it to the Final 16 and the Super Regional last year.
"Add to that our recently completed spring trip against Southern Illinois, Marshall University and Morehead State University and you can see that it has been a baptism under fire. We're a young team with 17 newcomers on our 34-man roster, all gaining valuable experience early in the season."
Coach's ninth season
Florak is in his ninth season as the Penguins' coach. The 2007 campaign marks his 11th overall, serving two seasons at Division III Waynesburg College.
Since his arrival in 1999, the Penguins have continued to upgrade their schedule and with Horizon League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone's edict to continue to do so, Florak sees nothing but good things as the league bolsters its RPI rating.
"The Horizon League is making a real push to upgrade their RPI ranking. In 2002, our first year in Horizon League play, the league was ranked in the low 20's as a conference while last year they moved up to 19th. The goal is to get that RPI in the low teens and perhaps in single digits," he said.
"Because of that push all league members have benefited, playing the best in order to get better come tournament time."
Academics have always been a top priority for Florak. It's an area that remains at the top of his list when recruiting student-athletes for his program.
GPAs much higher now
"When I was hired in 1999, the team's cumulative grade point average was a 2.2. Last semester those numbers read 3.1; a statistic that really makes me proud and a number that is a direct result of the caliber of person that we choose to recruit for our program," he said.
The architect of the school's only Horizon League championship and Division I tournament appearance (in 2004), the Penguins are scheduled to play host to the Horizon League tournament in 2008 at Eastwood Field.
In addition to their regularly scheduled games this year at Eastwood Field, the Penguins will also play several games at Cene Park in Struthers.
"We feel like we have the best of both possible worlds by playing at both sites. Both are excellent baseball facilities for us," he said.
Seven victories shy of his 200th victory in a Penguin uniform, Florak has a total of 11 players under his watch who either have been drafted or signed to free-agent, professional contracts.
Promising pros
Pitcher Brad Hennessey continues to be in the San Francisco Giants' plans, pitcher Justin Thomas is considered a top prospect in the Seattle Mariners' chain (he recently pitched in his second big league exhibition game), while former catcher-outfielder turned third baseman and now second baseman Brandon Caipen is high on the watch list of the Houston Astros.
"We make no excuses for injuries and weather because they are a big part of the game. By the time the weather breaks, however, we should be a good ball club," Florak said.
Next week, Joe Onderko, the first full-time executive director of the Presidents' Athletic Conference will be the guest speaker.