If there were any lingering doubts as to the preparedness of Jr. LHP Matt Evers, they were summarily squashed when Evers struck out Jr. RF Chad Mozingo on a wicked breaking ball late Tuesday afternoon. And when Evers fanned Sr. CF Steven Sultzbaugh with a gorgeous change. And when Evers induced Jr. 1B Abe Gonzales to hit a soft liner to Jr. SS Rick Hague.
Evers ostensibly sealed his spot on the travel squad with his perfect inning of work. Without further ado, here are the 28 Owls set to travel for the season-opening series against Stanford:
1. Jr. RHP Boogie Anagnostou
2. So. RHP Andrew Benak
3. Jr. LHP Tony Cingrani
4. Sr. 1B Jimmy Comerota
5. Fr. RHP Tyler Duffey
6. Jr. LHP Matt Evers
7. RS Fr. RHP Anthony Fazio
8. RS So. LF Michael Fuda
9. So. OF Daniel Gonzales-Luna
10. Jr. IF/LHP Abel Gonzales
11. Jr. SS Rick Hague
12. Sr. RHP Mark Haynes
13. So. C Craig Manuel
14. Fr. OF/RHP Chase McDowell
15. Fr. LHP Holt McNair
16. Jr. RF Chad Mozingo
17. Sr. RHP Mike Ojala
18. Fr. C Geoff Perrott
19. So. OF Jeremy Rathjen
20. Fr. 2B Michael Ratterree
21. So. RHP Matthew Reckling
22. So. 3B Anthony Rendon
23. Sr. RHP Jared Rogers
24. Sr. C Diego Seastrunk
25. Jr. LHP Doug Simmons
26. Fr. RHP/IF Tyler Spurlin
27. Sr. CF Steven Sultzbaugh
28. So. LHP Taylor Wall
The OG: "We're leaving some guys behind that can help us later on if they keep working."
Notable: The OG will have to pare three additional names off this list when the Owls travel to San Diego in the middle of March. ... Fr. RHP/IF J.T. Chargois made his pitching debut and closed preseason intrasquads with a dandy breaking ball that retired Rendon. ... Stanford So. LHP Brett Mooneyham, the scheduled starter for the Cardinal in the series opener on Friday, has a touch of the flu and will instead start the finale on Sunday. So. RHP Jordan Pries and So. LHP Scott Snodgress will move up one day in the rotation to accommodate Mooneyham.
Evers ostensibly sealed his spot on the travel squad with his perfect inning of work. Without further ado, here are the 28 Owls set to travel for the season-opening series against Stanford:
1. Jr. RHP Boogie Anagnostou
2. So. RHP Andrew Benak
3. Jr. LHP Tony Cingrani
4. Sr. 1B Jimmy Comerota
5. Fr. RHP Tyler Duffey
6. Jr. LHP Matt Evers
7. RS Fr. RHP Anthony Fazio
8. RS So. LF Michael Fuda
9. So. OF Daniel Gonzales-Luna
10. Jr. IF/LHP Abel Gonzales
11. Jr. SS Rick Hague
12. Sr. RHP Mark Haynes
13. So. C Craig Manuel
14. Fr. OF/RHP Chase McDowell
15. Fr. LHP Holt McNair
16. Jr. RF Chad Mozingo
17. Sr. RHP Mike Ojala
18. Fr. C Geoff Perrott
19. So. OF Jeremy Rathjen
20. Fr. 2B Michael Ratterree
21. So. RHP Matthew Reckling
22. So. 3B Anthony Rendon
23. Sr. RHP Jared Rogers
24. Sr. C Diego Seastrunk
25. Jr. LHP Doug Simmons
26. Fr. RHP/IF Tyler Spurlin
27. Sr. CF Steven Sultzbaugh
28. So. LHP Taylor Wall
The OG: "We're leaving some guys behind that can help us later on if they keep working."
Notable: The OG will have to pare three additional names off this list when the Owls travel to San Diego in the middle of March. ... Fr. RHP/IF J.T. Chargois made his pitching debut and closed preseason intrasquads with a dandy breaking ball that retired Rendon. ... Stanford So. LHP Brett Mooneyham, the scheduled starter for the Cardinal in the series opener on Friday, has a touch of the flu and will instead start the finale on Sunday. So. RHP Jordan Pries and So. LHP Scott Snodgress will move up one day in the rotation to accommodate Mooneyham.
Thanks,MK...though it would be easier to let us know who is NOT making the trip. It would appear that Lewis is the only prominent position player not on the list, while Chargois and Wright are the only two pitchers not catching the plane.
Great news re. Matty Evers and JT.
Given the right-handed starter for the Cardinal now in Game 1, I presume the DH will be either McDowell, Gonzales or Manuel (with Rathjen and DG-L the likeliest options for Saturday and Sunday)?
Walt: I certainly didn't want to single out who didn't make the travel squad, so I'll leave it up to the readers to decipher that on their own. As for the DH on Friday, if I had to guess an order I'd go 1) Manuel; 2) McDowell; 3) Gonzo. Rathjen is almost assuredly the DH against the Stanford southpaws. - MK
MK, could you explain the 28 to 25 number in the traveling party to San Diego? I thought the 25 number was based on the number you could dress and that the OG was taking two extra (Ojala going as a reward) that could take the place in one or more of the games of someone who had already appeared. Is there a higher limit you can travel with early in the season?
Tiki Owl: The OG is paying for three additional players to travel so they can gain the experience. He said that he would be surprised if two dozen played this weekend, let alone all 25, so the last few guys are just going along for the ride - literally - and won't dress. He'll adhere to the 25-man roster when the Owls go to San Diego. - MK
MK -- Thanks as always for the updates. Great news about Matt Evers. I am sure no one has been more disappointed than he has been at his progress the last year or so.
Thanks for the update, MK. Looks good.
Any comparison of the attitude for this team at the start of the year and facing a tough West Coast trip to open things up, vs. last season?
At Ease: One definitely gets a sense of calm from this veteran team. Does that mean they will perform better than they did last season at Cal Poly? This weekend will tell, but there are too many guys who have been here before to get anxious over Stanford. - MK