Sluggers upbeat despite slow start

By BRAD YOUNG
Collegian Sports Writer

The Penn State baseball team would like to have a few wins to show for its efforts in the season's first two weeks. But the Nittany Lions are not crying in their sunflower seeds over an 0-6 record.

They remain upbeat, working hard, their thoughts focused on a March 25 doubleheader with Ohio State -- the first games of Penn State's Big Ten schedule.

"We know the thing we need to do is win the Big Ten games," Lion Assistant Coach Randy Ford said. "When the Big Ten starts, it's like a fresh new season."

Until then, though, the Lions will prepare for that date, continuing on an 18-game, season-opening road trip that winds through the South like General Sherman's march to Atlanta in the Civil War.

"To open up in February or early March, 99 percent of the time you cannot play games anywhere around here," Coach Joe Hindelang said. "Southern schools probably play 40 home games and 16 away games, and for northern schools it's reversed. It goes with the territory of coaching a team in a cold-weather state."

The territory Hindelang has covered with his team thus far this season has involved both bright spots and dark signs.

The primary positive Penn State has seen is in the play of its younger players. In particular, second baseman Adam Beers and pitcher Chuck Romig have been exceptional.

Beers is hitting .300 and has yet to make an error as the starter at second. He also has one home run -- not only for the season, but in his entire life.

"It was (a thrill) because even in little league, I never hit one," the freshman said. "I tried to hold back my smile, but it came out anyway."

The Penn State coaches are smiling over the pitching of Romig, a redshirt freshman. He has given up just one earned run in six innings and has showed good control of his breaking ball and change-up.

But not many other pitchers have shown much control. In the team's biggest negative to this point, Penn State hurlers have allowed 38 walks through six games. Ford, who works closely with the pitching staff, said the pitching woes can be partly attributed to the two fewer weeks of practice the Lions had.

Those woes were intensified last Friday when the Lions found out that one of their best pitchers, righthander Justin Craig, will never take the mound at Beaver Field again.

Craig sat out last season after becoming the staff ace in his sophomore season (1993). He had elbow surgery last fall and was on the road to recovery before being sidelined again earlier this semester. A visit to the doctor last Friday revealed bad news for Craig and the Lions.

"They told me that I needed reconstructive surgery if I ever wanted to pitch again," Craig said. "So I decided it would be in my best interest not to have the surgery."

But Craig was not overly disappointed by the end of his career.

"It's not the end of the world," he said.

Ford, however, was distraught by the loss of a pitcher he said held "a world of talent.

"For me, it's a real sad time," Ford said, "because Justin's just a real great kid."