Sluggers hunting for hurlers versus Bisons

By DONNIE COLLINS
Collegian Staff Writer

With his team off to its best start under his direction, Penn State baseball coach Joe Hindelang isn't about to rest easy.

Not with only three-fifths of his starting rotation settled.

This afternoon, Hindelang will be on the lookout for hurlers who will potentially step forward and claim the final two spots in the starting rotation when the Nittany Lions (10-8) battle Bucknell (8-12) in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Beaver Field.

Hindelang's mission is obvious, but will be anything but easy.

With few experienced frontrunners for the job, Hindelang may be entering a no- win situation.

One of the pitchers Hindelang mentioned as a possibility for the job was right- hander Jeff Kunkle, who promptly was rocked in a relief appearance Sunday against C.W. Post. In just 2/3 of an inning, Kunkle allowed home runs to Pioneers Tony Balcan, Mike Urtnowski and Jordan Cox.

"Kunkle has started a couple games and has done sort of a yeoman's job," Hindelang noted. "He's got us into the fourth and fifth inning. But no one has stepped up. We'll know more after (today), because I think a couple kids who have pitched very sparingly, or not at all, will get a chance to pitch (today).

"We need, by (today), to find out who the fourth starter is."

Kunkle's numbers this season -- 10 earned runs allowed on 18 hits in just 11 innings -- may not be impressive. But in his last start on March 21, Kunkle gave Hindelang a solid four innings, allowing just two runs on six hits, and left the game with his team leading, 5-2.

Hindelang will also look for mound help against the Bison from senior southpaw Greg Arnold. The Nesconset, N.Y., native has started 23 games in his career with the Lions, including two this season. His only decision this season was a 5-3 loss March 8 against Southwest Texas.

The same opportunity to gain some mound respect extended to Kunkle and Arnold will also be given to junior transfer Rob Green.

Last season with Penn State Behrend, Green won seven games and recorded a remarkable 70 whiffs in 52 1/3 innings. His 2.06 ERA was good for 14th place in Div. III.

Although the numbers are eye-popping, the most notable statistic for Green may be the number of appearances he has made this season.

That number currently stands at zero.

What doesn't currently stand at zero is the number of questions surrounding Hindelang's pitching staff. After Sunday's slaughtering at the hands of C.W. Post, the Penn State hurlers are looking to regain the respect they earned while leading the team to its best start in the 1990s.

Staff ace Dan Goebler, who looked strong in his last start Saturday, doesn't expect many more lapses in the pitching staff like the one that happened Sunday.

"I don't think this is going to happen too much," Goebler said. "We're pretty solid up and down the staff."