Whenever a collegiate baseball team scores 10 runs a game, it will put itself in a position to win.
The Bulls (7-11, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) have done just that. They have already hit 28 homeruns compared to only 40 all of last season and have raised the team's batting average by almost 60 points. They have almost doubled their runs per game from just over five last year to over nine this season.
The hitting starts with the returning MAC Player of the Year. Junior catcher Tom Murphy has a .361 average and leads the team with six homeruns and a .736 slugging percentage (among those who qualify).
However, another hitter has emerged as a terror for opposing pitchers. Senior outfielder Dan Scahill has raised his batting average over 100 points from last season and has already matched his total of six homeruns from all of last year, not even halfway through the season.
After hitting .273 last year, Scahill has changed his philosophy while at the plate this season.
"[I've changed] my approach," Scahill said. "Last year, I was looking for an inside pitch to drive to opposite field. Now I'm just looking for a mistake and to drive the ball hard."
The success that Scahill has seen not only helps the Bulls by having another power hitter, but also provides protection in the lineup. Scahill was moved to the cleanup spot to hit after Murphy - who has been intentionally walked four times this year - to force other teams to pitch to Murphy.
Another factor helping the Bulls is their added experience. The Bulls saw quality Division-1 arms last season and are adjusting to the talent they will face in the MAC.
"If you look at guys like Dan Scahill, Mestas, and Pollock, and you look at their numbers from last year, there's a big difference," said head coach Ron Torgalski. "Not only do they have that extra year of experience, they are smarter, wiser, stronger, and they know what to expect."
The Bulls are at a disadvantage because of the long winters in Buffalo. Not only because they have less time to practice on the field, but the team's main recruitment area of Ohio and New York produces players that don't play baseball year-round.
The extra year has allowed the players to develop by playing longer against better competition, which is paying off this year.
"Playing at this level, you're not going to come in and have instant success, Torgalski said. "You have to be in the program. A lot of guys last year, it was their first time playing at this level. And what you see this year with the huge jump is the fact that they have a year under their belt. They have that experience, and that's huge playing baseball at this level."
Torgalski has changed his recruitment philosophy because of the limitations of Buffalo's facilities and cold climate. He goes after the best recruits he can find but also looks for athletic players that can be molded into good Division-1 players.
"If the kid is a Big-East player or top level player, we're going to be competing against some great schools to try and get him and it's going to be tough," Torgalski said. "But if we get a kid that's a good player that has that desire to become a great player, well then those are the kids we need to get in our program and continue to help develop them and get to the next level."
The development of the players has shown this season as numbers are up across the stat line. If the Bulls continue to put up the offensive numbers that have been, they can reach the MAC Tournament for the first time in program history.
Email: sports@ubspectrum.com
