Bertolini positive despite opening woes

By GREG GULAS

sports@vindy.com

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

The Youngstown State baseball program has gotten off to an inauspicious start this season, losing their first 13 games on the road.

Twenty-three more road games are scheduled before the Penguins play at Eastwood Field in Niles.

While disappointing to third-year head coach Dan Bertolini, it’s a challenge that he believes will help prepare his squad for the upcoming Horizon League schedule.

“It has been a challenging schedule, at the very least, to open a season,” Bertolini told the Curbstone Coaches on Monday at Avion Banquet Center. “Our first two opponents, Mississippi State and Florida State, are currently a combined 28-2 and each is ranked in the Top 10 in the country in Division I.

“We’ve played some good baseball and our won-loss record really isn’t indicative of how we have played thus far.”

Offensively, the Penguins have struggled at the plate, scoring just 28 runs and batting a collective .166 with a .259 slugging percentage.

Despite being winless, their RPI is 175 out of 299 Division I baseball schools.

“We’ve been competitive but need to swing our bats better,” Bertolini said. “We will be prepared for league play and that’s when the season begins for us. That’s what matters most because winning the league is always our goal.”

The Penguins have a busy week ahead of them as they travel to Kent State today and Pittsburgh on Wednesday, then head to Northern Kentucky on Friday where they will open league play with a three-game series against the Norse.

“That many road games to start the season kind of makes you weary,” Bertolini said. “We have no excuses and fully understand because those are the cards that we have been dealt,

“We’re lucky to have the WATTS for our practices, but you need to get outside and practice other than the day before you are set to take the field,” he said. “We’ve basically been on the field just to play so we’re looking forward to getting back to Eastwood Field.”

He said the Penguins’ league has already made some noise nationally.

“The Horizon League already has four or five wins over several Top 25-ranked Division I teams,” Bertolini said. “Wright State is the prohibitive favorite in our league, both UIC and UW-Milwaukee are right up there then it’s the rest of the league.

“The top end is very good, so it will take great effort to beat them,” he said. “We feel like we’ve been able to compete with the best in the country and now look forward to the challenge of our league.”

Several players have already gotten off to quick starts and Bertolini looks for that to continue.

“Colin Clark is our Friday night starter and throws every first game of a series,” he said. “His record is not indicative of his talent as he has a couple of no-decisions, holding Mississippi State to three runs and Florida State to two runs during those two stints.

“He has great command of his pitches, throws strikes and hits his corners.”

Bertolini also singled out the play of first baseman Trevor Wiersma, third baseman Blaze Glenn and left fielder Jeff Wehler.

Wiersma has the most hits (10) and has already deposited three home runs, leading the team with nine RBIs.

Glenn has two home runs and eight RBIs and is playing well defensively.

Wehler leads the team in runs scored and has two home runs.