Rams complete clean sweep of UNI

On the heels of outstanding pitching and solid hitting in three prior games, Colorado State performed well again Sunday, beating Northern Iowa 17-3 and completing a sweep of the weekend’s series.

From the get go CSU had the game to its advantage.  Matt Kurtz led off the bottom of the first inning with a double and was driven home by Greg Hart’s base hit.  The next batter, catcher Bryce Enewold, belted a high pitch for a three-run homer to put the Rams up early, 4-0.

That trend would continue in the second inning as Colton Duffy and Casey Reale hit back-to-back doubles, both scoring via a Josh Ary double after the batting order was flipped.  On Sunday CSU finished with seven doubles total, and nine extra-base hits in all.

“It’s huge, especially wins like this where we can get back to how we like to play,” said Reale of CSU’s propensity to rack up extra-base hits.  “Getting runs on the board early and often just builds confidence.”

Success at the plate was equaled by a sensational outing from CSU’s starter C.J. Cannell.  The senior sent the first seven UNI hitters packing, and four of Cannell’s five innings pitched were hitless.

The only damage to Cannell on Sunday was a three-run third inning by Northern Iowa.  Nick Weinmeirter drove in Bobby Varian with a single, and Weinmeirter and Michael Vrunis would score as well.  However, that was only a speed bump on the way to a terrific start from Cannell.

“My fastball was working well, and Bryce (Enewold) called a hell of a game,” Cannell said of his win.  “We did a really good job of staying on top of them today and keeping them off balance, and then the defense was great helping me out.”

With a big lead, Cannell was pulled after five full innings, finishing with five strikeouts to just three hits and two walks.  Curtis Salas and Chris Moran each pitched an inning of relief, walking two batters and surrendering no hits or runs.

Northern Iowa’s starter Scott Birkedal pitched all seven innings of the game, but was hammered for 21 hits and earned all 17 runs.

After going scoreless in the fourth inning, the Rams cycled through the batting order in the fifth, totaling six runs on four hits.  Duffy led off with his second double of the game, and was followed by a walk from Reale.  Both runners advanced on Kurtz’s sacrifice fly before being driven in by Ary and Dylan Griggs.  Hart, Enewold and Jake Fox would also score with the floodgates fully opened.

CSU tacked on two more runs in the bottom of sixth inning, as Kurtz and Nathan Farnham both reached home, capping a wonderful weekend in which the defending national champions played up to their reputation.

“It’s always great to get a sweep,” Cannell said.  “Northern Iowa was the fifth team at regionals last year and it’s always good to stick it to someone that’s in our region, so it was a good weekend for us.”

The weekend also marked the first sweep since Tom Ahrens took over head coaching duties, and he was all smiles after Sunday’s game.

“It was nice to get some wins and put up some big runs and finally start holding teams to fewer runs,” Ahrens said.  “I think mission accomplished for this week and we’ll try to carry it into next weeekend.”

The Rams will host conference-rival Northern Colorado next weekend in the final series of the regular season.

Carr deals the Rams to 5-0 victory

The third game of CSU’s series against Northern Iowa didn’t have the same process as the previously offensive-oriented contests, but the end result was consistent as the Rams posted a 5-0 victory Saturday at City Park.

Through three and a half innings, the game was essentially a pitcher’s duel.  In that span CSU and UNI combined for four hits and drew two walks, but all base-runners were left stranded.

The Rams broke through in the bottom of the third inning when Matt Kurtz reached base and Dylan Griggs, who extended his hitting streak to 18 games, followed with a single.  As Griggs successfully stole second base, an errant throw plated Kurtz, breaking the scoreless tie.

Griggs was able to score off Jake Fox’s ensuing single, and Nick Arapklies nearly cleared the bases with a triple.  Mitch Nelson then brought home Arapklies with a sacrifice fly, extending the Rams’ lead to 4-0.

“I’ve just been seeing the ball well and putting some good swings on it finally,” said Griggs of his success during the hitting streak.

Even before CSU was able to score, starting pitcher Marshall Carr was working well on the mound.  Carr went seven innings for the complete game shutout, allowing six hits and a walk while striking out five.

Although three batters were able to reach scoring position, Carr got out of trouble every time, something his coach credits to a productive week of practice.

“In the previous games he was relying on his fastball a lot, so this week we worked on throwing breaking balls for strikes,” explained CSU coach Tom Ahrens.  “Over the week we worked on throwing sliders and splitters for strikes, and Marshall, for the most part, did a really good job with that in the game.

“It gives him another dimension and keeps teams off balance and a shutout is the result of that.”

Carr’s work allowed CSU to win on a rare day of limited offensive support.  After the four-run third inning, Colorado State scored just once more when Colton Duffy capitalized on a throwing error by UNI starting pitcher Nick Weinmeirter in the sixth inning.  Weinmeirter also threw a complete game, allowing five runs, nine hits and five walks in the losing effort for UNI.

CSU 10-runs N. Iowa in 5

Despite an early start in cold temperatures, Colorado State baseball breezed to a 12-2 victory over University of Northern Iowa in the second game of the weekend’s four-game series.

The Rams received a stellar effort from starting pitcher Nick Childs, who took a no-hitter into the fourth inning.  Childs struck out five batters in the first three innings and finished with seven for the game.

“I wasn’t able to spot my fastball the way I usually do, but I was able to throw it enough for strikes,” said the senior pitcher.  “What really got me through was my curveball, which has been a lot better my last two outings.”

The only trouble for Childs came in the fourth inning.  Scott Welter singled to lead off and was driven in by a Kyle Gogel homerun for UNI’s only scores of the game.  However, Childs recovered quickly and allowed just one hit the rest of the way.

“My mentality didn’t change, I got more mad than anything,” Childs said after his no-hitter was undone.  “I just wanted to finish strong because we should win that game and I shouldn’t allow those sorts of runs.”

Also producing for the Rams were key innings offensively, as CSU posted two runs in both the second and third.  Mitch Nelson got it going early with a homerun, which plated Nick Arapklies who had reached base via a double.

“I just got a good pitch to hit so I made a good swing at it – I didn’t think it was going to go out so I was a little surprised,” Nelson said.

The game was put away in the bottom of the fifth inning as Colorado State scored eight runs, activating the 10-run rule.  Brian Jenkins, who finished with three hits and five RBIs, blasted a three-run home run, while the Rams piled on four extra-base hits in the fifth inning alone.

The offensive firepower that had been on display in CSU’s 14-7 victory the previous night clearly carried over into Saturday.

“It was just confidence, and coming in knowing we needed to do our job,” Nelson said of the team’s success at the plate.

Other standouts batting for the Rams were Arapklies (3 for 3, 3 runs) and Matt Kurtz (2 for 3, 1 run, 1 rbi, stolen base), as CSU earned at least a split of the series against Northern Iowa.

CSU hammers Buffs in series opener

Colorado State baseball always enjoys the opportunity to play the division- and state-rival CU Buffaloes.  Saturday’s first game of the weekend series would be no different.

At Fort Collins’ City Park with David de Besche on the hill, the Rams would win handily in five innings, 12-1.

de Besche had struggled in his previous two starts, but would encounter no trouble from CU’s hitters.  In the complete-game effort, the senior struck out four batters, allowing just one run and two walks to the rivals.

“It felt good because every time I go out there I expect to get us a W,” de Besche said.  “That’s my job, and the last couple of weeks I haven’t been able to do that.”

The starting pitcher was especially solid with runners on base.  Of CU’s seven batters to reach base, six were left stranded.  de Besche gave up his only run in third inning when Tony Piha drove in Nicholas Rosenberger, slightly smudging a pristine pitching performance.

“I just tried to focus more,” de Besche said in regards to dealing with runners on base.  “I was focusing on hitting my spots, keeping on the outside corner of the plate and living there.”

“He was staying back and standing taller, which allowed him to get his fastball down,” added head coach Tom Ahrens.

Complementing de Besche’s pitching work was onslaught of CSU’s bats.  The Rams served a healthy dose of runs to Colorado early and often.

Colorado State got on top early in the first as Dylan Griggs scored off of Bryce Enewold’s single.  Then in the second inning Griggs and Brian Chuckran both doubled and scored – the latter courtesy of a Jake Fox home run.

Chuckran – who finished with a game-high two doubles, also scoring twice with two RBIs – was one of many Ram batters who looked comfortable at the plate.

“I just felt good,” the short stop said.  “I was seeing the ball well and squaring it up.”

The game was blown wide open in the next inning.  CSU continued to hammer Buffalo-starter Shams Sayed, tallying five runs and three extra base hits.

Even as CU made a pitching change, the home team continued to score.  Reliever George Kinsella was tagged for two runs in the fourth inning – Casey Reale sacrificed in Cade Lehl, and outfielder Matt Kurtz homered for the final run of the game.

In total, CSU tattooed the Buffs’ pitching for 16 hits, five doubles and two homers, striking out just twice in 25 at bats.  And it all felt much sweeter being done to a rival like Colorado.

“There’s always that extra little something that a rivalry game has,” Ahrens said with a smile.  “It always feels a little better to beat CU.”

With renewed focus Rams take 2 more from UNC

Minutes after splitting Saturday’s games with UNC, Colorado State baseball head coach Tom Ahrens told his team they had been outworked, and that should never happen.  Less than 24 hours later, the message was received and the Rams were working.

Long before they needed to be at Nelson Farms Park in Johnstown for another double-header Sunday, CSU players were taking batting practice at their home field in Fort Collins.

“They definitely came with a different intensity and focus,” Ahrens said of the hitting session and the mentality that was not shown Saturday.

Senior Jake Fox echoed that reaction of batting practice.

“From nine o’clock when we showed up it was about focus and intensity,” Fox said.  “That’s what this team needs.”

The work paid off, as the Rams coasted to a 19-3 win in the first game against the Bears, followed by a 13-9 victory in game 2.

Colorado State’s hitters, led by Fox, were instantly hot at the plate.  The batting order was cycled through more than twice in the first two innings of the noon-time game, equating to a 9-1 early lead.

10 more runs would be added in the fourth and fifth innings, ending the lopsided contest early thanks to a post-fifth 10-run mercy rule.

Sharp hitting continued in game 2 as CSU scored in six of the game’s seven innings.  The Bears, helpless to slow the Rams’ offense, trotted out over six pitchers, none of which saw much success.

Fox paced the Colorado State offense all day Sunday, combining to bat 7-of-8, with seven RBIs, four runs and two doubles.  For the four-game weekend series he racked up an astounding 10 hits and nine runs.

“He’s taking control of this team and he did it with his bat and overall leadership when we needed him to,” said Ahrens of Fox’s batting success.  “It was a memorable weekend for him.”

“I was picking up pitches and using both sides of the field which really helped me out,” described the senior on his strategy at the plate.  “When I start to use the right side of the field it really opens up the left side for me.”

Other standout batters for CSU were Cade Lehl and Dylan Griggs, who drew a combined four walks and tallied six runs in the first game alone.  To find a Colorado State batter who didn’t have success at the plate would be a chore in itself.

The Rams also benefitted from two stellar outings out of starting pitchers Nick Childs and C.J. Cannell.  Childs dealt the five full innings of the first blowout, allowing three runs while striking out seven UNC batters.  In the second game Cannell went four innings, permitting just one opposition run to cross the plate with five punch outs.

“I was pretty happy with both of them,” Ahrens said after the final game.

“(Childs and Cannell) threw strikes well,” said reliever Zachary O’Farrell, who pitched three innings in the series and added a save Saturday.  “They did really well and kept us in the games.”

Northern Colorado did score seven late-game runs against CSU’s bullpen, but the Colorado State offense was too much to overcome.

“There are no mistakes that they don’t put into play or get base hits out of,” UNC player-coach Levi Moser said of the Rams’ prolific bats.  “They are the best team in the nation.”

Ahrens credits a better mentality for the team’s Sunday explosion that had previously been inconsistent.

“We competed, we focused and we brought some intensity,” the coach said.  “We controlled what we could control and it paid off on the field.”

Almost four weeks since their last game in Fort Collins, the Rams start a long homestand Saturday, April 1, against University of Arizona.  Conference play resumes with a series against University of Colorado beginning April 9 at City Field.

CSU splits day 1 with Bears

Saturday’s half of the weekend series against the Bears was a tale of two games for the Colorado State baseball team.

In a low-scoring first contest, only third basemen Jake Fox reached base for the Rams in the first four innings.  Pitching for Northern Colorado was Greg Waxler, who retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced en route to a 3-2 complete-game victory at Johnstown’s Nelson Farm Park.

“Our pitching kept us in the game,” said UNC player-coach Levi Moser.  “It was nice to have solid pitching and our defense played really well.”

The game was a stark contrast to the usual CSU-UNC matchups; since 2009, Colorado State had not lost to their West Region rivals.

The Bears first struck in the second inning.  A Grant Evans single off CSU starter David de Besche drove home Jose Soto for the game’s first score.  Brian Jenkins answered for Rams, reaching home via a Casey Reale base hit in the top of the fifth inning.

In the bottom half UNC would respond.  Evans stole second base before scoring on Spencer Wood’s line-drive double.  Both runs were credited to de Besche, who had a six-inning, four-hit, two-strikeout ballgame.

Colorado State was able to tie the contest in the top of the sixth thanks to Fox driving in leadoff hitter Josh Ary.

However, in the final frame the Bears would have the last laugh.  Pitching in relief for the Rams, Curtis Salas allowed Evans to reach base, who eventually made his way to third.  Mark Rivet replaced Salas, but surrendered a sacrifice fly, scoring Evans and ending the game.

“We we’re really stoked,” Moser said of his team’s first win over CSU in two years.

“I think that the intensity wasn’t there,” Rams head coach Tom Ahrens said.  “They played seven innings and we played maybe two.”

Before the second game began, Ahrens addressed his team.

“I basically said ‘They outworked you, and the one thing we can control is how hard we work and we need to win every inning,’” recalled Ahrens of his talk to CSU players.

The Rams rebounded, plating two quick runs to begin the second game of the afternoon.  Reale, now batting second, reached base, as did Brian Chuckran by drawing a walk from UNC starter Mike Maul.  Maul then threw a wild pitch, advancing both runners into scoring position.

Catcher Bryce Enewold brought both home with a two-run single for Colorado State’s first lead of the day.

With Marshall Carr pitching for the Rams, UNC had an early answer.  After retiring his first two batters, Carr surrendered singles to Moser, Wood and Waxler.  A balk brought the first runner home and CJ Gardner drove in two more with a base hit, giving the lead back to UNC to end the first inning.

From there, however, Carr and the Colorado State batters would capitalize.  The senior pitcher found his groove, shutting out UNC from the second to fourth innings.

“That first inning was just a mental mistake,” Carr said of his performance.  “After that I just tried to brush it off and remind myself that they weren’t hitting me.”

Carr was touched for one for run in the fifth inning, but ended his day with a 7-4 win, striking out four batters.

Doing their fair share of damage was the Rams’ base runners.  Four passed balls by Maul aided the scoring effort and CSU plated runs in each of the first five innings — the most memorable of which came by way of a Colton Duffy home run.

In the top of the fifth inning with two outs and Cade Lehl on base, Duffy took a pitch deep over the left field wall.

“I kind of just got my hands through it,” said the sophomore of his homer.  “I figured with a short porch in left it just had to be in the right place.”

Polishing off the game was freshman reliever Zachary O’Farrell, who shut out UNC and wrapped up a two-inning save.

Moving forward, CSU hopes to bring intensity from the beginning of games.

“We didn’t come out with a whole lot of fire,” Duffy said.  “We didn’t come out with that focus we should have had.”

Coach Ahrens agreed, and told his team as much in preparation for another double-header tomorrow against the Bears.

“We need to play seven innings,” Ahrens said.  “UNC is a lot better than they’ve been in the past, and they compete really hard.

“We’re going to come out and control what we can control and work a little harder and compete for hopefully a full seven innings.”

CSU boat-races Denver in Saturday doubleheader

Temperatures dipped well below freezing Saturday night, ensuring Colorado State baseball would be the hottest thing in Fort Collins.  Not even the biting cold could slow down CSU’s bats as they swept a double-header against the University of Denver.

Both games were shortened due to 10-run mercy rule leads.  The Rams followed game 1′s convincing 14-1 victory with a 15-4 drubbing of Denver in game 2.  The 29 combined runs were CSU’s most in any two games this season.

DU was playing in its first series of the year, and the Rams took advantage of the Pioneers’ rust early and often.  To begin game 1, CSU scored four runs in the first inning, followed by five in the second thanks to three consecutive doubles from Jake Fox, Bryce Enewold and Cade Lehl.

The blistering performance at the plate was complimented by excellent pitching.  David de Besche threw three innings, striking out four batters to offset two hits and a run.  Zachary O’Farrell and Curtis Salas held DU scoreless in two innings of relief to cap the win

“We obviously weren’t ready to see that kind of pitching right away,” Denver coach Jared Floyd said.

The offense rounded out game 1 with five more runs spanning the third and fourth innings.  Greg Hart tattooed a homerun ball over the left field wall, plating three runs in the third; in the next inning Brian Jenkins doubled home Kyle Roberts and Nick Arapkiles.  CSU’s offensive onslaught came at the expense of Pioneer-starter Ryan Woods, who pitched four innings, earning all 14 runs on 15 surrendered hits.

“That kind of run support is perfect,” de Besche said of the Rams high-scoring affair.  “Every pitcher loves to pitch with that kind of offensive production.”

Game 2 was more of the same.  After CSU’s starting pitcher Nick Childs allowed a quick run in the top of the first inning, the Rams bats exploded for nine runs in the next frame.

Enewold and Lehl started the show with back-to-back solo homeruns off DU’s Robert Denton.  Two more runs came in on a passed ball before Casey Reale was walked home.  Then Lehl belted his second home run of the inning, a grand slam deep into right-center field, to put the game out of reach early.

“(Denton) kept going outside on me and I ended up getting them in the air and scoring a few runs,” Lehl said of his two homerun inning.

Lehl, who finished the series with two homeruns, four runs scored and six runs batted in, was one of many Rams who thoroughly worked over Denver’s pitching.  Fox added a grand slam of his own in the third inning of game 2, while Brain Chuckran finished the second game with triple, one run scored and two runs batted in.

“The guys were really focused tonight,” head coach Mike Abernathy said after the game.  “The results speak for themselves.”

Colorado State not only put pressure on Denver’s pitching with 12 extra base hits in the series, but also forced tired arms to throw a high pitch count, as the Rams drew a total of 10 walks in the two games.  In just the second inning of game 2 CSU saw four straight batters reach base with a walk.

“It’s just the approach that we take when we’re hitting,” Abernathy said in regards to the frequent free passes doled out to his team.  “Our guys look for a particular pitch in a particular location and if they don’t get that they don’t swing the bat.”

With Saturday’s two wins, CSU improved to 13-5 on the year, winners of six in the last seven games.  After a tough early schedule pitted the Rams against some daunting junior college opponents, the sweep of the Pioneers showed why Colorado State baseball is still the top dog of the club circuit.

“They are very well coached, obviously, and they don’t make many mistakes,” Denver’s Floyd said of the Rams’ strong outings.  “Their pitching is strong and everything about their defense is great.

“Everything about their team is far above everybody else in club baseball.”

CSU now sets its sights on the road, as the team will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, next weekend to face Long Beach State and Yavapai College.  Game 1 against Long Beach will be Friday at noon.

Finally at home, CSU baseball wins a wild one

After last weekend’s series was relocated due to snow, Thursday night at City Park was Colorado State baseball’s first chance exercise a home field advantage.  With Western Nebraska in town, the Rams capitalized, using a late-inning score to clinch the 7-6 victory.

Another first for the team was starting pitcher Marshall Carr.  The junior college transfer made his first start for CSU Thursday against the Cougars and did not disappoint.

“(Carr) is going to be a key component to our success this year,” head coach Mike Abernathy said.  “This was just an opportunity for him to come out and start and he threw really well.”

Well indeed, as Carr retired 15 of Western Nebraska’s first 17 batters.  His shutout was upset in the sixth inning after Paul Singh scored off Kevin Sanford’s sacrifice fly.  All told, Carr pitched six full innings, allowing the lone run to go with three strikeouts, surrendering just four hits and no walks.

“He attacked us with fastballs early in the counts and went to the slider later,” WNCC coach Mike Jones said of Carr’s performance.  “He kept everything around the plate, making it hard to lay off.”

Early in the game, CSU received solid production from the bottom of the lineup.  In the second inning CSU struck first thanks to runs from catcher Bryce Enewold and outfielder Cade Lehl.  The lead extended to 3-0 in the fifth when Casey Reale drove in Matt Kurtz.

“The bottom of the order carried us today,” Abernathy said.

Trouble came for Colorado State in the sixth inning, when the game saw two pitching changes.  Brett Torrey replaced Carr and quickly gave up a run.  Meanwhile, reliever Dalton Griggs took the mound to shut out CSU in the bottom half of the inning.

Torrey struggled to stop the bleeding, giving up two more runs in the seventh.  However, the Rams’ bats always seemed ready to back up Torrey’s problems.  With the bases loaded and game tied, third baseman Jake Fox stepped to the plate without a hit in the game.  However, Fox responded to a shift he noticed in the Cougars’ defense and produced a two-run double.

“They started shifting their outfield to the left side,” Fox said.  “I just got a middle-inside pitch and hit it well.”

CSU’s lead didn’t last long; Torrey’s difficulties carried over to the eighth inning and Western Nebraska capitalized.  However, WNCC’s runs were a result of questionable calls by the game’s infield umpire.  After Reimier Alambarry reached first base with a single, he appeared to be picked off by Torrey but was called safe.  On the ensuing pitch Alambarry tried to steal second base and looked to have been thrown out by Enewold, but once again was determined safe by the same umpire.

Abernathy went out to argue the call and was thrown out of the game.  Alambarry eventually scored and was followed by two more Cougar runs to tie the game at 6-6.

With two outs Torrey was pulled in favor of sophomore reliever Travis Childs.  The final out was made when Enewold threw out Ray Tiel trying to steal third base.

Just as they did each previous time CSU gave up its lead, the home bats picked up the slack.  Two outs into the bottom of the eighth inning, Colton Duffy safely reached base.  Josh Ary then smoked a line-drive triple down the right field line, scoring Duffy for the go-ahead run.

Western Nebraska never got a chance to fight back.  Taking over for the ejected Abernathy, assistant coach Zac Myslivy stuck with Childs in the ninth inning, and his pitcher responded with a perfect frame, earning Childs and CSU the win.

Despite relinquish leads of two and three runs, Colorado State earned its first home win thanks to some opportune hitting late in the game from Fox and Ary.

“They were very timely hits; guys really focused at that time and got the job done,” Abernathy said after the game.  “We don’t get those hits and we don’t win the ballgame.”

Sweetening the victory was the fact that the Rams lost to Western Nebraska 5-0 last week on the road.  The big news this time around was the offensive surge.

“CSU came out and swung the bats a lot better this time,” Jones said of his opponents’ turnaround in the rematch.  “They made a lot of improvements just over the course of the week offensively.”

Colorado State certainly has the potential in its lineup for double-digit games run-wise.  However, Abernathy likes the atmosphere of a close contest and his team’s composure for a full game

“To be honest, closer games are more fun to play and it keeps you more focused,” Abernathy said.  “It’s nice to get the win but it felt better to play a complete ball game.  We finally played nine innings and it feels good to play well.”

The Rams are now 4-1 in their last five games.  The homestand continues with a double-header Saturday against Denver University with the first pitch at 4 PM.