January 14, 1998
For Immediate Release
Contact: Judy Willson, SID
505.562.4309 or 356-4755

(Portales, N.M.) --- As the 1998 baseball season gets underway at Eastern New Mexico University many will wonder what tricks seventh-year head coach Phil Clabaugh has up his sleeve. Gone from last year's 19-34 squad are nine seniors, including All-South Central Region picks Mike Dunstan and Bryan Silva and Colorado Rockie signee Chris Price.

"We don't replace kids like Dunstan and the others that finished the program, we reload," said Clabaugh. "With this year's team it is still hard to tell how good each player is, but I feel that we are very athletic. We run better than previous teams. Hopefully through that we will play much better defense this season. We should get stronger as the season goes on because of the newness of the majority of players on the team."

Clabaugh brought in sixteen new faces to go with nine returning players. Back for his fourth season as the Greyhound starting second baseman is Steven Heredia (Las Cruces). Heredia, an all-Lone Star Conference pick as a sophomore, brings three years of solid experience to the middle infield and in the lead off spot in the batting order. Heredia has been a key clutch player for the Hounds and is one of the top base stealing threats in the LSC.

Helping Heredia in the middle infield this season will be newcomers Loren Wood (Tacoma, Wash.) and Todd Piskorski (Albuquerque). Wood is a junior college transfer from Skajit Valley Community College. He brings strong defensive skills to the shortstop position and was swinging the bat well in fall practice. Piskorski was considered one of the best middle infielders in New Mexico last season. The Eldorado High School graduate has the best speed on the team and will see time backing up Heredia and Wood.

ENMU has always had solid corner players in the six seasons that the program has been back on campus. Zac Fox (Rialto, Calif.) is the top candidate to take over Mike Dunstan's first base spot. Fox is a left-handed junior college transfer out of Victor Valley College. Expected to work his way into the lineup is John Boatman (Phoenix, Ariz.). Boatman is coming off of foot surgery in the fall and a year away from baseball. He will back up Fox at first base.

Greg Mesa (Carlsbad) is back at his third base position this season. Mesa, a junior, missed most of last season with a back injury but came on strong late in the season. Helping out at the hot corner will be junior Brian Cronk (Cottonwood, Ariz.). The Glendale Community College transfer is a left-handed hitter that runs well. Junior infielder Joe Clabaugh (Mustang, Okla.) is expected to redshirt this season with back problems.

There will be some shuffling in the outfield this season. Senior Scott Henry (Aurora, Colo.) will remain in his right field spot, while sophomore Farhon Smith (Farmington) will shift from center to left. Freshman Chris Stewart (Albuquerque) is expected to see time backing up Henry and Smith. The battle will be in center field between newcomers Sam George (Eau Claire, Wis.) and Ryan Collins (Hesperia, Calif.). George, a transfer from New Mexico Military Institute, was one of the top outfielders in Wisconsin. He hit the ball well in the fall and has a great jump on the ball from center. Collins, a transfer from Victor Valley College, has a great throw from the outfield and was coming around late in the fall in hitting. Freshman Jeff Bussey (Albuquerque) is a potential redshirt this season.

"This should be one of our best defensive outfields," said Clabaugh. "They run and throw the ball well."

The Greyhound battery will see some added depth this season. Senior Tyke Posey (Farmington) is the top catcher coming out of the fall. Posey has played numerous positions for the Hounds, but has become the most comfortable at catcher. Helping Posey out will be a freshman and two junior college transfers. Seth Martinez (Farmington) had an excellent fall and was one of the top catchers in the New Mexico North/South All-Star games last summer. Slubby Bennalley (Kirtland), a transfer from College of Southern Idaho, is very athletic and throws the ball well. Alex Maynez (Alamogordo), a transfer from New Mexico Military Institute, was the best hitter in the fall and will see time at the designated hitter slot.

A big key to the Hound pitching staff this season will be the recoveries of Stephen Hill (Clovis) and Greg Stimack (Lakewood, Colo.). Hill, a senior and the top returning pitcher, had shoulder surgery in the fall and is expected to be ready for a majority of the season. Stimack, a sophomore, had elbow surgery last spring.

"We may be a starter short if one of them is not back this season. Our depth on the staff is better this season, but a concern," said Clabaugh.

Newcomers will be relied on heavily in the starting rotation. Adrian Tapia (Sierra Vista, Ariz.), Tim King (Carlsbad), and Victor Hockett (Farmington) are expected to step up immediately. Tapia is a junior transfer from Cochise College, while King and Hockett are freshmen. Clabaugh got an early Christmas present this season when Hockett passed the NCAA Clearinghouse on December 23.

Returning to the staff are junior Billy Fitzgerald (Yuma, Ariz.) and sophomore Hank Patalan (Albuquerque). Fitzgerald worked into the starting rotation last season for LSC action, going 2-1 in five LSC starts. Patalan was a walk-on last season and worked mainly in the middle innings. Others that may help out from other positions are Chris Stewart, Brian Cronk, Tyke Posey, Scott Henry and Todd Piskorski.

The Greyhound coaching staff feels that the key to reaching their goals this season will be to keep everything in perspective and look towards the conference season in April. One of the team's main goals is to win the Lone Star Conference-South Division championship and host the LSC postseason tournament in May. The Hounds will be tested early with nine games against NCAA Division I schools in the first month of the season.

"Look for us to do more base stealing, hit and run, etc. because of our improved team speed," said Clabaugh. "We have a lot of pop in our lineup. It is just untested. This team has the talent to do the things that need to be done to accomplish the goals we have set for 1998."