"You have to go to those guys' strengths," Wine said. "If you're asking a power hitter that's a pull-hitter to go the other way, or bunt, you're asking for failure. There's a lot of guys here who can turn it loose. I'm kind of shocked. We didn't recruit. It's the same team [as last year]. Offensively we're gonna put up some numbers, I think. One through nine we have a solid lineup."
In the only game of the season, Penn State struggled to just six hits, but the Lions know that it was just the first game after a winter of being hoarded inside. Wine is stressing a new style of offense based around running.
Penn State had a dismal season offensively last year, hitting a Big Ten-worst .255 as a team, with only 26 steals and only one player over .300. Wine is expecting movement on the base paths to open things up in the order.
"[Wine] stresses to us we're gonna steal and we're gonna run," senior shortstop Mike Milliron said. "Yeah, we're gonna run into outs, but that's gonna be our style. We're gonna put the pressure on the teams all the time. We're not gonna bunt, we're just gonna run and hit for power. As a hitter it's just awesome."
Milliron is the keystone for the Lions. Playing shortstop, Milliron led the team with 63 hits and a .307 average, with a .965 fielding percentage.
To his right is third baseman Colin Runt, who knocked in two of the Lions three runs last weekend. At the other corner of the diamond is Clint Eury, who was third on the team last season with a .294 average. Eury also added three home runs and 30 RBI. Matt Cavagnaro started at second in the first game, but Wine said there will be a lot of competition the entire season for a spot in the field.
"[The starters are] never set," Wine said. "If you say you're set then half the team, actually three-fourths of the team may as well just pack it in. You want competition throughout the season, and I'm sure there are guys who will thrive under pressure and excel in game situations and there are some guys that aren't quite ready for that competition yet."
Penn State lost its best power hitter, Matt Harter, to graduation. Without Harter's nine home runs in the lineup, more of the onus will be put on Scott Gummo, who played designated hitter the first time out. Gummo hit seven homers last season with a .299 average and 26 RBI, and also spent time at third base.
Left fielder Lance Thompson will also be looked at to add some pop. He's joined with Brian Ernst in center and Matt Lewis in right, in the outfield. Wine said Thompson has made an impression on him this winter.
"Lance has done everything to impress me," Wine said. "He could provide a little punch, double-power, maybe a homer here or there. I also think he's an RBI guy, he's a clutch guy. We have a few of those guys, I think."
Whether or not the Lions' more mobile offense will pan out is yet to be determined. Milliron thinks that it will be a nice fit, especially if the lineup is able to manufacture some much-needed runs.
"Right now it fits our lineup really well," he said. "We don't have any really big power hitters but we have some guys with power who can run."
Shwack.
