Lewis Baseball is Florida-bound

Above photo by Lisa Ryan: Senior pitcher Matt Frahm looks to lead the Flyers back to NCAA Regionals.

Brent Sumner, Assistant Tempo Editor

After the Lewis University baseball team had a successful season last year where they finished 33-22 and third in the GLVC East, they are looking to start this season off right. After acquiring nearly a dozen new players as well as still having 18 returning players from last year’s team, this season might prove to better than the last.

“The team looks really good so far this preseason,” Matt Frahm, Lewis pitcher and senior. said “We have a lot of guys that are going to get opportunities right away to help us out. We have such a talented team, and there is going to be a lot of competition for starting spots, which will only make us better as the year goes on.”

Tim McDonough will be entering his sixth season as the head coach for the team, and as usual, he’s looking forward to the season getting under way.

“Our goals every year are to win 30 games, win the GLVC East Division and earn an NCAA regional bid,” McDonough said. “I have noticed the guys are a little more confident, with a successful year last year. The guys have kind of come into this season with the notion that they are no longer the hunters, but more like the hunted. The guys are hungry, and looking to get better.”

The baseball team will start their season March 3 on their weeklong road trip to Florida, where they will play Wheeling Jesuit University, West Virginia Wesleyan University, Ohio Dominican University, Gannon University and Minnesota State University-Mankato.

“Everyone is excited to get out on the field and start facing different opponents besides our own teammates,” junior catcher Kyle Kapka said. “Florida is always an awesome opportunity to come together and play as a group.”

Starting right off in Florida, the games count toward the Flyers’ standings. However, the eight-game, eight-day road trip will provide the team with good looks at the pitching staff, along with the players who will step up and assume roles, according to McDonough.

After the road trip, the Flyers will make their home field debut March 16 against the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and are always looking for support from the Lewis community.

“We would love to have as much support from the students and community as we can,” McDonough said. “I think we have a good product to see, and the GLVC is typically one of the toughest conferences. We would love to see fans come out and support us.”

Tags: GLVC East, men's baseball, Tim McDonough