Senior Captain Chris Niro

Feb. 18, 2008

Miami University's baseball team opens its 2008 season at the DeMarini Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., where the RedHawks play three nationally-ranked teams. On Friday, Feb. 22, the RedHawks play at 7 p.m. (MT) at #9 Arizona State, before playing back-to-back National Champion and #7 Oregon State at 7 p.m. (MT) on Saturday, Feb. 23. Miami rounds out the invitational with #3 Vanderbilt at 11 a.m. (MT) on Sunday, Feb. 24.

With the 2008 season beginning on Friday, a preview of each group of positions will be posted every day leading up to the first pitch in Tempe on Friday, starting with the 2008 pitchers. An in-depth look at the infielders, outfielders and catchers will come in the following days.

PITCHERS Losing its top two starters--juniors John Ely and Connor Graham--in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft and its third starter, Jeff Day, to graduation, Miami looks to a group of hurlers to step up and deliver in 2008.

Senior Chris Niro earned four starts a season ago, the most of any returning RedHawk, and compiled 37.0 innings of work on the year. Niro showed the ability to harness the role as the ace of a staff with a complete game shutout in his final start of the year against Cincinnati (May 16). Niro posted a 3-3 record in 2007 and looks to anchor the pitching rotation in 2008 along with fellow senior Matt Erwood. Erwood, who was limited due to injury last season, is close to 100-percent and has the most experience of any Miami pitcher with nine career starts. Several players have their eye on the third spot in the rotation as a plethora of sophomores and a junior transfer from Miami-Hamilton, Brad Wilder, look for their opportunity to shine on Sundays. Coach Simonds believes redshirt freshman Jimmy Gerlach and sophomores Chase Stewart, Reece Asbury and Nick Kurash have the ability to step in and have a significant impact.

Asbury, who was the Most Valuable Player of the Great Lakes Summer League All-Star game, is a three-pitch player who gained valuable experience out of the bullpen last season, earning four saves. Kurash had three starts during the 2007 season, which are the second most starts of any returning pitcher behind Niro.

With returning pitchers accounting for just 11 of 56 starts in 2007, the RedHawks will rely on 2008 senior captains, Bobby Oberschlake and Steve Antoniotti, to solidify the bullpen and close out games. In 29 appearances last year, which were the third most appearances in a season in Miami history, Oberschlake shut down the opposition and posted a 1.48 ERA, the seventh best single-season ERA in the 93-year history of the program. In his first six appearances of 2007, Antoniotti gave up just two earned runs and posted an ERA of 2.45.

Sophomores Jamaal Hollis and Brandon Meister provide versatility to the RedHawk rotation, and they round out a talented collection of sophomore arms. "This sophomore class has several quality arms. We are going to need them to continue to progress and bring their game to a new level," Simonds said. "Potentially, they have the ability to give us a chance to win every time they take the mound."

Rounding out the Miami pitching staff is a group of five newcomers who will try to contribute in a variety of roles. True freshmen Samuel Dawes, Tyler Melling and Ryan Meyers, along with redshirt freshmen Kyle Donawerth and John Greene look to bolster the staff. Melling is a three-pitch lefty that controls both sides of the plate, while possessing a great deal of poise on the hill. Dawes is another young lefthander that controls the strike zone and has had success in big games at the high school level. After medically redshirting last season, Greene has increased his velocity and improved his strength, which bodes well for his opportunity to see playing time this season. Donawerth was one of the biggest surprises of the fall practice season. He will have an opportunity to obtain valuable innings out of the bullpen. Meyers had a strong fall camp and has a chance to compete for innings due to his strong breaking ball.

Tomorrow will be a preview of the Miami infielders.