Penguins hoping for more diamond shocks

February 13, 2015 at 12:08a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State outfielder Brent Gillespie thinks the Penguins have a chance to “shock some people this year.”

Wouldn’t be the first time.

After going just 12-36 during last year’s regular season — including a five-game losing streak to end the season — the Penguins spent their final two weeks on the most magical run in school history.

They won four straight Horizon League tournament games, including two over top-seeded Wright State, to earn their second NCAA tournament berth. They then won the first NCAA tournament game in school history, defeating Indiana State 5-2 in between respectable losses to Indiana (10-2) and Stanford (12-4).

“How we played against those kind of opponents I think showed the guys that we did have a skill level that could match up with a lot of teams in the country,” said YSU coach Steve Gillispie, who is entering his third season. “Of course to win them, that’s a confidence-boost in itself.

“I don’t think that you can totally measure what that [finish] did for our program as far as spring-boarding us forward a bit.”

Roster breakdown

The Penguins return six starting position players and all but one starting pitcher (Boardman High graduate Patrick O’Brien) from last year’s team, which had a .254 batting average and a 6.88 ERA.

Seniors Gillespie (.260 BA, .680 OPS) and Matt Sullivan (.230 BA, .673 OPS) are back at the corner infield spots, while sophomore outfielder Alex Larivee, a second-team all-conference selection in 2014, has the highest returning batting average at .274.

YSU will have to replace its two leading hitters: Poland High graduate Phil Lipari, who led the team with a .323 average and .903 OPS, and Josh White (.314 BA and .795 OPS).

Pitching-wise, the Penguins return sophomore Jeremy Quinlan (Brookfield), who earned all-Horizon League tournament honors after holding Wright State to one run in a second-round game. Senior Ryan Krokos and junior Jared Wright are the other returnees from the tournament rotation.

“We have a really good core group of athletes, so I think we’re going to be a better defensive team, even though we were pretty good last year,” Gillispie said. “I think that will play over into the offensive side of things, too.

“We’ve got a little more power, not that we’re going to be a big home run-hitting team. And there’s probably more pitching depth that can be at the front end of a lot of teams in our conference.

“How we play together and those kind of things, we’ll all see as it happens, but I think those parts of our program have improved.”

Looking ahead

YSU will play its first 14 games on the road, starting today at Jacksonville State (Ala.), where Gillispie spent 11 years as an assistant before coming to Youngstown.

The Penguins’ home opener is March 13 against Milwaukee.

“Practicing in the WATTS is fortunate for us because a lot of schools out here don’t have that kind of facility,” said Gillespie, who is originally from Penngrove, Calif. “We like to think that we’re just as prepared as the teams that play outside.”

The Penguins have had just two winning seasons since 1996 — the other came in 2005 when they won their first Horizon League tournament title — so they’ve still got plenty of room to grow. But Gillispie said he’s already noticed a difference in recruiting.

“It’s already trickling over into the earlier grades,” he said. “We’ve signed more guys in the early signing period than we’ve done in the past and a lot of that has to do with some of the success we had at the end of last year.

“Obviously, Youngstown State from an educational standpoint is fantastic. The facilities are fantastic. And maybe we’re starting to get the perception that maybe we’ve added the competition side of things into the equation for these kids.”