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team photos team photos team photos 2013 panther baseball TABLE OF CONTENTS 2013 season preview preview 2-4 schedule 4 Credits roster 5 the 2013 eastern illinois baseball media guide is a product of the panther athletic media services coaching staff department under the supervision of associate head coach Jim schmitz 7-8 athletics director for media and public relations, assistant coaches 9 rich Moser. student-athlete profiles the baseball guide was designed and edited returners 11-28 by assistant sports information director greg newcomers 29-33 lautzenheiser. additional assistance provided by athletics photographer/graphic designer sandy 2012 in review king. photo credits and cover design by sandy review 35 king. statistics 36-39 individuals on the front cover include seniors record book troy barton (31), nick priessman (4), nathan records 40-66 sopena (1), george kalousek (17) and scott houdek (22). [ 1 ] www.eiupanthers.com 2013 baseball preview Senior Troy Barton (above) went 9-5 last year with a 3.20 ERA and 52 strikeouts. He will miss the entire 2013 season with an arm injury. opening DAY the panther baseball team opens the 2013 season at the Jackson state tournament on feb. 15-17 in Jackson, Miss. eiu begins tournament play on friday at 3 p.m. against texas southern. the panther baseball team returns five position starters and a total of seven pitchers from a 2012 squad that finished the year with 29-29 overall record. eiu finished the regular-season strong, winning 11 of its final 15 contests to earn the no. 4 seed in the ohio valley conference. the panthers won their first three games of the OVC tournament before falling to austin peay in the championship series. despite losing junior shortstop ryan dineen to the Mlb draft and all-OVC first team selection Mike hoekstra to graduation, the panthers return plenty of young talent for the upcoming campaign. sophomore duo brant valach and caleb howell (pictured right) highlight the returning players as valach was named OVC rookie of the Year in addition to being named to the 2012 louisville slugger freshmen all- american team. howell was also named to the all-OVC newcomer team. BARTON TO Miss entire SEASON due TO inJurY senior troy barton (rhp) will miss the entire 2013 season with an elbow injury. barton was projected to be the panthers no. 1 starter after posting a 9-5 record a year ago with a 3.20 era. the libertyville, ill., native threw 52 strikeouts in 78.2 innings of action while holding opposing hitters to a .239 batting average. barton has a 14-14 career record with a 3.91 era in three seasons. he has recorded 128 strikeouts in 165.2 innings of work. previewing the PITCHERS despite the loss of troy barton, the panthers return pitchers who have experience in the starter role. Junior christian slazinik looks to anchor the staff after posting a 6-6 record last season with a 4.50 era. the southpaw was second on the team in strikeouts (68) in 80.0 innings. sophomore Matt borens is projected to be a weekend starter after making three midweek starts in 2012 with a 5.70 era and 12 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. two newcomers are expected to add depth to the rotation in cJ Martin and Joe greenfield. Martin, a freshman from st. louis, was ranked as the fourth best player in the state of Missouri and the 316th overall prospect in the country by perfect game baseball in 2012. [ 2 ] www.eiupanthers.com eastern illinois baseball season preview greenfield played with the panthers during his freshman campaign previewing the outfield and rejoins the squad after playing at south suburban c.c. a year ago. the panthers return two of last year’s starters in senior nick greenfield was selected in the 22nd round (no. 691) by the boston priessman (pictured below right) and sophomore caleb howell. red sox in the summer of 2012. the right-handed pitcher posted a Junior cameron berra is projected to become an everyday starter team-high 95 strikeouts with south suburban c.c., helping the team in right field after being the team’s primary utility player the last to a 32-22 overall record. greenfield was initially tabbed to be the two seasons. the st. louis native played in 28 games with 19 starts, panthers closer, but the injury to barton has moved greenfield back posting a .244 batting average with 23 rbi and 13 runs. into the starting rotation. priessman played and started in 46 games last season before missing other returning pitchers include seniors george kalousek and the final eight games of the year with a broken finger. the cincinnati, scott houdek, junior luke bushur and sophomore andrew grahn. ohio native had career-highs in 2012 with a .289 batting average, newcomers include junior college pitchers ben kennedy, garrison 26 runs, 20 rbi and nine stolen bases. he has played in 109 career stenger and Jaden widdersheim in addition to freshman Jake games with 78 starts. Johansmeier. howell is projected to move from right field to left field this spring. previewing the infield the sophomore outfielder was named to the all-OVC newcomer three starters from the infield return to lineup in Jacob reese, team last year after posting a .316 batting average with a team-high nathan sopena and brant valach (pictured below left). 37 runs. he also added 65 hits and 19 rbi. defensively, reese caught 22 base runners stealing last year in 42 PANTHER NOTES attempts while also posting a .271 batting average with 26 runs and • the panthers also lost redshirt-senior ben thoma who was named 35 rbi. reese was the lone panther selected to the 2013 all-OVC to the 2012 abca/rawlings ncaa Mideast region second team preseason team. as selected by the american baseball coaches association. thoma ended his career as eiu’s all-time career home runs leader and was valach hit .314 last year with 28 rbi, 17 runs and 10 doubles as the 2012 all-OVC first team selection. freshman was tabbed the OVC rookie of the Year. sopena played in 49 games with 44 starts, posting a .207 batting average, 25 runs and • demetre taylor is expected to fill thoma’s spot in the lineup as 14 rbi. the senior also added eight stolen bases. the panthers designated hitter. the redshirt-freshman initially came to eiu to play football before redshirting last season and joining the Junior tyler schweigert is expected to start at shortstop after playing baseball team. at shortstop, second base and the in outfield in his previous two seasons with eiu. the round lake, ill., native has played in 55 career • the 2012 season saw the panther pitching staff post the best games with the panthers including 14 starts. earned run average in the OVC for the third consecutive season. eiu has posted the best era in the OVC in four of the last five seasons Junior transfer treysen vavra is projected to fill the hole at first with the panthers finishing the 2009 campaign with the second-best base, previously played by 2012 all-OVC second team selection t.J. era, respectively. McManus who graduated. vavra led Madison college to a 45-13 record last year with a .407 batting average (70-for-172). he also had • eiu finished the season fourth in the OVC in stolen bases with 51. 48 rbi, 10 doubles, five triples and three home runs. the panthers return two of their top three stolen base leaders in nick priessman (9) and nathan sopena (8). [ 3 ] www.eiupanthers.com eastern illinois baseball season preview Date Opponent Time schMitZ ENTERS his 19th SEASON AT eiu Jackson State Tournament head coach Jim schmitz enters his 19th season with the panther baseball team, recording feb. 15 vs. texas southern 3 p.m. a 476-485 overall record. the three-time ohio valley conference coach of the Year has feb. 16 at Jackson state noon won four regular-season titles – most recently in 2009 – and has taken the panthers to the feb. 16 vs. savannah state 6 p.m. ncaa tournament on two occasions, both in 1999 and 2008. feb. 17 at Jackson state 1 p.m. Southern Miss Tournament feb. 22 at southern Mississippi 6 p.m. schmitz has seen the on-field accomplishments of his players come to fruition as 65 feb. 23 vs. alcorn state noon players have earned all-conference accolades including 36 players who have earned feb. 24 vs. Missouri state 11 a.m. first-team distinction. three players have also earned player of the year honors in Matt March 1 at auburn 6 p.m. Marzec (1998), pete pirman (2002) and Jordan kreke (2009) during his tenure. John larson March 2 at auburn 3 p.m. also captured pitcher of the year honors in 1999 while ben duke (2001) and brant valach March 3 at auburn 1 p.m. (2012) have earned newcomer of the year recognition. March 5 at vanderbilt 4 p.m. March 8 at siue* 3 p.m. under the tutelage of schmitz, 18 players have been taken in Major league baseball’s first- March 9 at siue* 1 p.m. Year players draft since taking the helm of the program in 1995. seven players have been March 10 at siue* 1 p.m. drafted in the last four seasons, most recently ryan dineen and Joe greenfield who were March 12 at evansville 6 p.m. taken in the 2012 draft. when tyler kehrer went 48th overall in the 2009 Mlb draft, he March 15 AUSTIN PEAY* 2 p.m.