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The TSU baseball team finished its third year in the MIAA with a fifth-place finish and an 11-17 record. Coach Perschke will have big shoes to fill replacing All-MIAA First Team outfielder/pitcher Dusty Bergman and his leadership. Also, four-year starter first baseman Ryan Long will be missed. However, TSU does return a core group of juniors, starting with most improved player Matt Laucher, captain (shortstop), Jordan Maxson (pitcher), Russell Braun, captain (outfielder), Dennis Skibbe (pitcher) and most improved pitcher Ben Thomas.
Key returnees for 2008 include 2007 rookie-of-the-year pitcher Chad Nichter, infielders Nick Creager, Ross Sergi, Steve Jbara, Myles Conger, and Brad Laucher, outfielders Chris Osborne, Adam Bowden, and Justin Kurtz, catchers Tom Girodat, Todd Shadley, and Joe Minnich, pitchers Adam Shiltz, Lauren Parr, and Steven Mitchell. Coach Perschke and his staff have complemented this experienced group with an outstanding recruiting class that concentrated on improving the offense and defense.
The list includes 23 freshmen. The freshman roster includes Mark Auginbaugh, OF, North Judson H.S., San Pierre, Ind.; Alex Bell, IF, Blackford H.S., Hartford City, Ind.; Zach Bour, LHP, Northwestern H.S., Kokomo, Ind.; Jordan Buchanan, OF, John Glenn H.S., Zanesville, Ohio; Jason Buck, RHP, Mishawaka H.S., Elkhart, Ind.; Travis Case, IF, Adams Central H.S., Monroe, Ind.; Elliot Gaff, RHP, Churubusco H.S., Churubusco, Ind.; Anthony Hammond, LHP, Adams Central H.S., Decatur, Ind.; Cam Heckley, OF/LHP, New Haven H.S., New Haven, Ind.; Neal Hickle, IF, Mishawaka H.S., Mishawaka, Ind.; Jeremy Howard, IF, Concord H.S., Elkhart, Ind.; Matt Janes, IF, Chesterton H.S., Chesterton, Ind.; Logan Kumming, C, New Palestine H.S., New Palestine, Ind.; Tom Laderach, RHP/IF, Oak Harbor H.S., Oak Harbor, Ohio; Aaron Leming, OF/IF, Goshen H.S., Goshen, Ind.; Tim Mummery, IF, Crown Point H.S., Crown Point, Ind.; Elliot Petro, RHP, Lake Central H.S., St. John, Ind.; Alex Reidt, IF/OF, Edgerton H.S., Edgerton, Ohio; Brian Rueth, IF/OF, Lincoln-Way H.S., Mokena, Ill.; Joe Scott, IF, Plymouth H.S., Plymouth, Ind.; Josh Selvey, IF, Jay County H.S., Redkey, Ind.; Bryan Sims, OF/RHP, Churubusco H.S., Churubusco, Ind.; and Derek Yoder, RHP, Goshen H.S., Goshen, Ind.
Coach Perschke expects this team to raise the level of play not only during the season, but in the off season as well. “Our seniors for ’08 will have played together the last three years and are excited to lead this program to a level future teams will want to mirror,” Perschke said.
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