Baseball spends spring break in Florida

Mouse Braun

A 6-6 record is by no means dominant. However, when considering that the six losses were by a combined 9 runs, the LU baseball team should not be disappointed with themselves.
On their annual spring break trip to Fort Myers, Fla., the Vikes outscored their opponents 95-69. As a team, they hit .391 while their opponents hit .276.
Seniors Kevin Fitzsimmons and Andrew Wong led the way for the Vikings at the plate. Fitzsimmons hit .514 on the trip, including two doubles, a homer and 11 RBIs. Wong hit .378 with two doubles, two triples, four home runs and 21 RBIs.
Senior LHP B.J. Chase gave his best effort in two outings for the Vikes. He pitched well enough to beat No. 14 Trinity, but two Trinity runs in the sixth forced extra innings and a no-decision for Chase.
In his second outing, he dominated Fredonia State, allowing 2 runs on five hits in six innings. He finished the trip with a 2.77 ERA.
Freshman Jordan Clark and sophomore Doug McEneaney provided a formidable double-play combination on the field and at the plate. Clark hit .467 on the trip and McEneaney hit .433.
Junior leadoff man Tim O’Toole continually gave LU a spark with his speed. He hit .353 and had 17 stolen bases. Freshman catcher Hawk Haiduke solidified his spot in the lineup after providing timely hits all week. He batted .481 with five doubles. He also set an LU single-game record with four steals against Fredonia.
The crafty lefty Chris Clouthier provided two solid starts for LU. He finished the week 1-0 with a 3.65 ERA. He would have had two wins had the Vikes not committed seven errors in his second outing.
Freshmen pitchers Alex Fritsch and Zach Patrick-Riley were pleasant surprises for Head Coach Korey Krueger. Against Finlandia, Fritsch pitched 6 1/3, allowing nine hits and no runs, picking up his first collegiate victory. Patrick-Riley held the Vikes close against Kalamazoo when the game looked out of hand, giving the Vikes a chance to win the game in the final inning.
Lawrence continues its season this weekend when it travels to Ripon to face the two-time defending MWC champion Red Hawks.