Ten-game win streak begins what Oliver hopes is another solid year for Western
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Parma — Scott Oliver admits he got caught up counting victories last spring, mainly because the way they were adding up came at somewhat of a surprise.
“I wondered how good we were, and the next thing I realize, we were on the verge of winning 30 games,” Oliver, the Western baseball coach, said earlier this week.
In the end, the Panthers went 29-7 before being upset in the opening round of the district tournament.
“I think we looked ahead a little bit,” Oliver said. “That cost us.”
Still, a 29-win season is nothing to scoff at, and the lessons learned from that campaign are certainly fueling this year’s team.
“We have kids who are workers, kids who were part of a successful team last year,” Oliver said of his 2016 group. “I’ve coached a lot of these guys growing up. They know the system. They know the expectations we have.”
Seven players are back from last year, but the offensive firepower has altered greatly.
“We’re playing a different kind of baseball,” Oliver said. “It’s the same philosophy, but we have to earn and manufacture some runs more than we did.”
The early results have been just shy of perfect for the Panthers.
Western started the season with 10-consecutive wins before falling to Marshall in a doubleheader this past Tuesday.
As of Thursday morning, the guys were 10-2, even if the offensive approach was based more on speed than anything else.
“We’ve gotten on base. We’ve taken advantage of it,” Oliver said.
To that point, the Panthers stole 49 bases in 36 games last year, roughly 1.3 steals per game.
This year’s group had 30 swipes in 12 games, or 2.5 per contest.
Oliver didn’t want to speculate too much on the near future, or a win total, or a playoff run.
He said he’s working with a team that has to keep things simple, make routine plays, and be smart.
“If we get freebies, we have to take them,” he added. “But if we give other teams freebies, we don’t have the power to make up for that. I really like this group. I like these kids. That makes a difference. The guys like each other. They are here to be coached and enjoy this season. If we continue to work, the rest will take care of itself.”
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’
Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.
