Baseball Hosts Toledo and Ball State in Pair of Mid-Week Games
3/9/2010 3:00:00 PM | Baseball
Games 13-14
College of Charleston (9-3, 0-0 SoCon) vs. Toledo (5-2, 0-0 MAC)
Tuesday, March 9 • 5:00 p.m.
LHP Jake Zokan (1-0, 9.00 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Kuna (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
College of Charleston (9-3, 0-0 SoCon) vs. Ball State (5-2, 0-0 MAC)
Wednesday, March 10 • 5:00 p.m.
RHP Matt Pegler (0-0, 7.71 ERA) vs. RHP Cal Bowling (0-2, 5.27 ERA)
College of Charleston is riding the high of a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over #28 Alabama Sunday night. The Cougars scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to defeat the Crimson Tide. Junior CF Cole Rakar (Mount Pleasant, S.C./Wando) leads the Cougars with a .409 batting average, 18 hits, 10 walks and a .534 OB%. Rakar also has a team-high six multi-hit games and seven stolen bases. Junior LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) leads the team in home runs (3) and RBI (15). Senior RHP Tom Schiller (Rochester, N.Y./Monroe CC) has a 3-0 record out of the bullpen and a 3.86 ERA. Schiller leads the team with 18 strikeouts.
- Scouting the Rockets
Toledo comes to Charleston on a three-game win streak, defeating Pittsburgh and Albany (twice) at the Caravelle Resort Invitational in Conway, S.C. Tim Krofcheck leads the Rockets with a .385 average, two home runs and 10 RBI. Mike Hamann is Toledo's top hurler, sporting a 2-0 record with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings with a 2.08 ERA. Toledo was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference's West Division. The Rockets received 52 points and trailed division champion Ball State (72 pts.) in the voting.
- All-Time vs. Toledo
This is the first time the Cougars have met the Rockets.
- Scouting the Cardinals
**Ball State played UNC Wilmington Tuesday night, stats and record not updated**
Ball State will be playing there sixth game in six days as the meet the Cougars Wednesday night. The Cardinals dropped a pair of one-run heartbreakers to #8 Coastal Carolina this weekend, falling by indentical 3-2 scores. Baseball America Preseason Second Team All-America Kolbrin Vitek leads Ball State with a .391 average, four home runs and 11 RBI. Morgan Coombs tops the rotation with a 1-1 record and a 0.55 ERA in 16.1 innings with 15 strikeouts. Ball State has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to claim the 2010 Mid-American Conference West Division and MAC Tournament titles.
- All-Time vs. Ball State
Charleston holds a 2-0 all-time record against Ball State. The team's first met in 1994 with the Cougars blanking Ball State 8-0 on March 7. The two squads paired off again in the 2006 NCAA Regional in Lexington, Ky. with CofC taking an 11-0 victory in the second game of the regional.
- Start It Up
TUESDAY - Freshman Jake Zokan (Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley) takes the mound for the third time this season, after picking up his first collegiate victory in his last start, a 12-7 win over local rival Charleston Southern last Wednesday. Zokan tossed five innings in the win, scattering five hits and striking out four.
WEDNESDAY - Freshman Matt Pegler (Greenville, S.C./Riverside) makes his second straight collegiate start on Wednesday after two early-season relief apprearances. In his last start, Pegler allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings with two strikeouts.
- 2009 in Review
The Cougars went 35-22 overall and 17-13 in the SoCon last year, which put them fifth in the league standings. The comforts of home staked the Cougars a 22-5 record at Patriots Point Field in 2009. Last season, the Cougars were fourth in the country in home runs (110) and scoring (9.7 runs/game), and ninth in team batting average (.345).
- All-SoCon Cougars
College of Charleston senior Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) was selected as the Southern Conference Player of the Year by the league's baseball coaches, the SoCon announced Thursday. Two other Cougars were also named to preseason all-conference teams.
Bergman led the country in both runs (88) and on base percentage (.551) in 2009 while finishing second nationally with a .452 batting average. Splitting time between shortstop and third base, Bergman also hit 15 home runs and had 57 RBIs while recording two or more hits in 35 of the 56 games. The senior is one of three returning starters to the Charleston lineup.
Senior Ryan Daniels (Victoria, Texas/Blinn College) joins Bergman on the Preseason All-Conference First Team at the designated hitter spot. Daniels hit .363 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs last year in 50 games. His .457 on base percentage was third on the team. Junior Cole Rakar (Mount Pleasant, S.C./Wando) earned a second-team preseason all-conference spot in the outfield. He started 56 contests for the Cougars, hitting .317 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs. He tied the school record of three home runs in a single game on Mar. 28 against Furman.
College of Charleston baseball has been picked to finish third in the Southern Conference Preseason Poll by the media. The Cougars were tabbed to finish fourth in the coaches poll.
- 2010 Cougar Radio Schedule
Fans of Cougar baseball will have 14 opportunities to listen to the action on ESPN Radio 910-AM in Charleston or through the school's website at www.cofcsports.com.
Nine home games will be broadcast over the airwaves, up from just one last season. The final two games of the Cougars' fourth home series of the season, against Samford on Mar. 13-14 will be available on the radio. Both games start at 1 p.m.
2010 Radio Broadcast Schedule
Mar. 13 vs. Samford 1 p.m.
Mar. 14 vs. Samford 1 p.m.
Mar. 27 at Western Carolina 3 p.m.
Mar. 28 at Western Carolina 2 p.m.
Apr. 3 vs. Georgia Southern 1 p.m.
Apr. 4 vs. Georgia Southern 1 p.m.
Apr. 7 at South Carolina 7 p.m.
Apr. 17 vs. Wofford 1 p.m.
Apr. 18 vs. Wofford 1 p.m.
May 8 vs. The Citadel 6 p.m.
May 9 vs. The Citadel 1 p.m.
May 15 at Appalachian State 3 p.m.
May 16 at Appalachian State 1 p.m.
- Bergman Earns Second Preseason All-America Nod
Senior shortstop Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) was selected to the 2010 Louisville Preseason All-America Baseball Team by Collegiate Baseball. Bergman, who was named to the second team, received All-American status for the second time this preseason. He was also named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America Pro-Line Athletic Preseason All-America third team. Elected the 2009 Southern Conference Player of the Year, Bergman had a .452 average while drilling 15 home runs last season. He became the 10th player in Southern Conference history to record 100 hits in a single season. He garnered third-team All-America status by Collegiate Baseball and the ABCA.
