2008 Woodie Awards
Panthers seeking new heights on the baseball diamond
After the success of last season, Coach Michael Robertson wants a SWAC title
Panther News Service
Issue date: 2/1/06 Section: Sports
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The Prairie View A&M University baseball program made giant strides last season, reaching goals never before attained by a Panther baseball team.
After making history last season by advancing to the championship game in their first-ever trip to the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, the Prairie View Panther baseball team enters the 2006 season hungrier than ever in its quest for a SWAC title.
Led by fourth-year head coach Michael Robertson, the Panthers return 13 lettermen and three starters from a team that finished one game short of reaching the NCAA baseball tournament. Robertson feels last season's performance motivated the returnees to put in extra work during the off-season.
"The players are very confident after playing and having the success we had last year," said Robertson. "We came up just short of our goal and I'm excited about this year."
Robertson is excited due to several factors. He returns his top two starters from last season's pitching staff in addition to an influx of talented newcomers who'll be expected to offset the loss of five starters who made significant contributions in the team's tournament run.
The pitching staff, led by the 1-2 punch of sophomore Wrandal Taylor and junior Matt Chase, will again be the heart of the team. Taylor, a 2005 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and SWAC freshman of the year, led the SWAC with 11 wins and struck out 71 batters. Chase, the SWAC's newcomer of the year, led the conference with a 3.51 ERA in his first season after transferring from the junior college ranks.
"Both Chase and Taylor have great control. We need them to take their game to a higher level this year," added Robertson. "I anticipate them pitching backwards, meaning when they get behind by counts of 2-0 or 3-1, you won't see them try to catch up by throwing just fast balls. I want to see more off-speed pitches. Outside of that, their main goal is to stay healthy and get stronger as the season progresses."
After making history last season by advancing to the championship game in their first-ever trip to the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, the Prairie View Panther baseball team enters the 2006 season hungrier than ever in its quest for a SWAC title.
Led by fourth-year head coach Michael Robertson, the Panthers return 13 lettermen and three starters from a team that finished one game short of reaching the NCAA baseball tournament. Robertson feels last season's performance motivated the returnees to put in extra work during the off-season.
"The players are very confident after playing and having the success we had last year," said Robertson. "We came up just short of our goal and I'm excited about this year."
Robertson is excited due to several factors. He returns his top two starters from last season's pitching staff in addition to an influx of talented newcomers who'll be expected to offset the loss of five starters who made significant contributions in the team's tournament run.
The pitching staff, led by the 1-2 punch of sophomore Wrandal Taylor and junior Matt Chase, will again be the heart of the team. Taylor, a 2005 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and SWAC freshman of the year, led the SWAC with 11 wins and struck out 71 batters. Chase, the SWAC's newcomer of the year, led the conference with a 3.51 ERA in his first season after transferring from the junior college ranks.
"Both Chase and Taylor have great control. We need them to take their game to a higher level this year," added Robertson. "I anticipate them pitching backwards, meaning when they get behind by counts of 2-0 or 3-1, you won't see them try to catch up by throwing just fast balls. I want to see more off-speed pitches. Outside of that, their main goal is to stay healthy and get stronger as the season progresses."
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