As far as The University of Memphis baseball team is concerned, a little rain never hurts. The Tigers, whose Wednesday game with UT-Martin was cancelled due to a steady downpour throughout most of the day, received a much-needed break at this, the midway point in the season, and a chance to reflect on their 8-17 record.
It hasn't been an easy going for the ball club the past couple of weeks. The Tigers are on a four game skid after being swept by Southern Miss last weekend and have lost eight of their last 10.
According to Chad House, a senior outfielder for the U of M, it's not a lack of effort that's hurting the team.
"We're all giving 110 percent out there," he said. "Things just aren't going our way right now. Our record doesn't show it, but we're real close to being a good team."
In addition to being a young team, the Tigers have been an injured team, which has hurt them in the win column.
Senior captain and right fielder Jordan Hart, who has only played in 12 games, is out for the season with a torn patella tendon that he suffered against Mississippi State on March 15. His absence hasn't gone unnoticed.
"He's the heart and soul of this team," head coach Daron Schoenrock said. "He has a football mentality, and it's tough to lose him."
The pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries as well. Nick Bradshaw, right-handed starter, has been limited to 14.0 innings of action because of a small tear in his shoulder that he suffered last season.
Schoenrock said it normally takes him two weeks to recover after a start.
Senior pitcher Brandon Rowan is out with an elbow strain and hasn't seen any action.
If The U of M is going to turn it around in the second half of the season, they will have to get more production form the pitching staff that is still healthy.
The Tigers have a team ERA of 6.79, which ranks second to last in Conference USA. Only junior college transfers Drew Jaudon and Tim Senter are giving up less than five runs per nine innings. The staff has also given up a 28 home runs, which is the most in the conference. Adding to the pitching woes have been the problems in the field. In 25 games, the team has committed 59 errors, putting them right on track to break the school's single season record of 112 errors that was set in 1994. The Tigers' fielding percentage of .941 ranks last in the conference.
The fielding blunders certainly haven't helped the pitching staff's confidence. Senior reliever Ryan Fly has given up 18 runs, but only 11 of them are earned. Blake Richardson, a senior starter, has been tagged with six unearned runs during his 19 innings on the mound. Of the 20 runs given up by Senter, only 9 have been earned.
"Errors are part of the game," Senter said. "You can't let it get you down though because the next play your guys might bail you out with a double play."
Defensively, the Tigers know they have work to do.
"We work on fielding more than anything else," House said. "I'm really happy with the time the coaching staff has put in."
Despite the struggles on the mound and in the field, the Tigers have been swinging a hot bat. As a team, they are sixth in the conference with a batting average of .292. House, who leads the club with a .355 average, credits first year hitting coach Jerry Zulli.
"He has simplified hitting for us," House said.
House said that Zulli has stressed to the Tigers to be patient at the plate.
"He's helped us recognize which pitches to swing at and which ones not too," he said. "The ball looks like a beach ball at the plate right now."
Regardless of what has happened in the first 25 games, The U of M has lofty goals for rest of the way.
"I still believe we can get this team in the conference tournament," Schoenrock said.
Only the top eight teams in the conference qualify for the tournament and the Tigers are currently in tenth place with a 2-7 C-USA record.
But, if they make up the necessary ground and qualify, they could be a dangerous team.
"If we make it, you can throw the records out," House said.
