Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Go 2-2 In MAC Baseball Tourney
5/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 28, 2002
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MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan University's baseball team battled to the end in the 2002 Mid-American Conference baseball tournament at Bowling Green but dropped out one game short of reaching the finals.
Coach Judd Folske's Chippewas won two and lost two in the six-team field to finish the season with a 31-25 mark. CMU did win nine of its last 12 games.
"There was a lot of offense in the tournament and we battled the whole time," Folske said. "We were a play away from being in the championship game.
"We were able to knock off the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the tournament but there is great parity in the conference. With 13 teams in the MAC, you battle to make it into the tournament and then when you get there it's a matter of how you play your cards."
With the exception of an 18-8 loss to Kent State University in the second game of the tourney, the Chippewas played some of their best baseball of the season in the tournament.
Central opened with a 15-9 win over No. 2-seed Eastern Michigan on Wednesday before falling victim to Kent State's home run power in the 18-8 setback. The Golden Flashes took full advantage of a tornado-like wind blowing out to slug seven homers to just two for CMU.
However, Central Michigan then battled back in Friday's first game to eliminate the No. 1-seed Bowling Green State University Falcons, 11-4.
That set up a second meeting with Kent State and this one came down to a pitcher's duel as the winds turned around and blew straight in from center. The Chippewas lost this one, 2-0, as sophomore lefty T.J. Johnson (Byron/Flint Powers) tossed a four-hitter and pitched a complete game in the first start of his career.
"Going into the year we thought our pitching would carry us and it did this season," Folske said. "We didn't find ourselves offensively until the end of the year. I think that was because of our youth at certain positions.
"But, we have a strong nucleus that will be back next season and can carry this club. Our entire outfield returns and we should be set at the corners. The pitching staff will be tested and deep, so we'll look to pick up where we left off."
MAC Tourney Review
CMU 15, Eastern Michigan 9 (May 22)
Central Michigan sent the second-seeded Eagles to the loser's bracket thanks to a nine-run second inning and four innings of shutout relief pitching by Lee Naplin (Port Huron/St. Clair CC).
Mike Gates (Canton/Flushing) had a three-run homer and a two-run single in the second frame. Tim Bullinger (Jackson/Hendrix College), David Latour (Barrie, Ont.), Tim Groves (Mount Pleasant/Sacred Heart) and Gates had three hits each.
Naplin hurled four innings of one-hit ball to collect his second save and preserve the win for relief hurler Joey Fahndrich (Saginaw/Nouvel).
Kent State 18, CMU 8 (May 23)
The Golden Flashes slugged three homers in the first inning and finished with seven for the game to give Central its first loss. KSU had 19 hits and seven homers off five different CMU hurlers. Gates had two hits and three RBI while freshman Keith Sampsell (Vicksburg) banged out two homers and plated four runs. They were his sixth and seventh homers of the year.
CMU 11, Bowling Green 4 (May 24)
Junior Dan Horvath (Southgate/Michigan State) went the distance and held the heavy-hitting No. 1-seeded Falcons of Bowling Green to 10 hits and four runs with the wind still blowing out Friday morning. Horvath struck out six and walked six to raise his record to 4-5.
Bullinger had a two-run double in the second to ignite a four-run inning that gave Central the lead for good. Scott Pickens (Mount Pleasant) shut the door on a BG comeback with a grand slam homer in the seventh inning -- his third of the year. Gates and Pickens had two hits each for the Chippewas.
Kent State 2, CMU 0 (May 24)
Sophomore lefty T.J. Johnson was outstanding in his first career start, giving up just two runs in the seventh inning and going the distance on a four-hitter. He struck out five and walked three as his record slipped to 1-2.
The Golden Flashes scored twice in the seventh when they bunched three of their four hits together. Ryan Krueger (Alpena) and Bullinger had two hits each to pace the Chippewas who left runners on second and third in both the fifth and seventh innings.
Team Hands Out Awards
The Chippewas handed out three team awards following the 2002 season. Senior Tim Bullinger was named the most valuable player. The leadoff hitter batted .321 and scored a team-high 66 runs while stealing 18 bases. Pitcher Chad Pleiness (Scottville/Mason County Central) was named the most improved player. The senior righty was 6-3 with a 3.31 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 68.0 innings. The three team captains were seniors Bullinger, Lee Naplin and Scott Pickens.
Strikeout Record Shattered
Central Michigan hurlers fanned a school-record 504 batters this season, breaking the old mark of 462 set in 2001.
Chad Pleiness is among the nation's leaders this season with 100 in 68 innings. Dan Horvath had 85 in 80.2 innings after posting the second-most in school history in 2001 with 102.
The 100 strikeouts by Pleiness is the third most in school history behind 123 by Ralph Darin in 1971 and Horvath's 102 in 2001.
Gates in the Books
Junior Mike Gates is in the CMU record books in a number of categories. He's the career-leader in walks (134), fourth in career RBI (142), tied for fifth in GW RBI (15) and 10th in career runs (133) and total bases (278). For the season, he's second in GW RBI (10), tied for second in walks (52) and tied for fourth in RBI (62). Gates also had 52 walks in 2001.
Bully, Too
In just three years in the Chippewa program, Tim Bullinger has made a lasting mark. The feisty third baseman finished tied for fourth in career at-bats (603), eighth in career runs (139) and seventh in career hits (193). This season, his 234 at-bats are tied for first and his 66 runs are third best.
Senior Finale
Six CMU seniors played their final games for the Chippewas in the 2002 MAC Tournament -- pitchers Nick Zastrow (Saginaw/Valley Lutheran), Gavin Gillette (DeWitt/Grand Rapids CC), Chad Pleiness and Naplin, and catcher Pickens and third sacker Bullinger.
Strong Finish
CMU won nine of its last 12 games to bag its 25th 30-plus win season since 1970. The Chippewas have had only one losing season since 1964 -- a 24-32 mark in 1999.
All-Tournament Team
Central Michigan had one selection to the all-tournament team at the MAC championships. Third baseman Tim Bullinger was named to the 10-player squad. The Chippewa leadoff hitter batted .450 (9-for-20) with three RBI, seven runs scored and four doubles.
