Temple University Athletics
Ben White
2011 Baseball Outlook: Pitching
2.17.11 | Baseball
PHILADELPHIA - The final in a three-part series highlighting the 2011 baseball season.
STARTING ROTATION
Valli returns one ace from last year's staff and welcomes three promising newcomers to the rotation. Senior Ben White moved up to the top spot in the Owls' rotation just one week into conference play last season, and will be the number one arm heading into this year.
"When Ben pitches well, he has the ability to be the best guy in the conference," said Valli. "The key for Ben will be to focus on throwing strikes and staying aggressive in the zone."
The Parkesburg, Pa., native more than doubled his career strikeout total last season with 94, mowing down more batters than any Temple pitcher since 1999. His dominance on the hill is due to an above-average fastball and a plus-curveball that, when effective, can cause fits for opposing hitters.
Brant Norlander joins Temple as a junior transfer from Cañada College. Standing at 6'5”, his frame alone is enough to intimidate adversaries. Posting a team-best 10 wins at Cañada last year, the Belmont, Calif., native is penciled in as the Saturday starter for the Owls.
Freshman Matt Hockenberry will be utilized in his collegiate debut, having a chance as the third starter to begin the season. A 6'3 righty, Hockenberry was a three-year varsity starter at South Western High and possesses a fastball that touches 90.
"Matt is really going to be good," said Valli. "This season we look to acclimate him to the collegiate level and we are excited to see how he progresses."
Another rookie, freshman Ryan Davis, has a shot as a mid-week starter for the Owls. An ESPN Rise Magazine Player to Watch For in 2010, Davis went 8-1 as a high school senior at Central Catholic with a 2.01 ERA.
BULLPEN
A youthful group of arms inherit the relief duties in 2011. The Owls have four freshmen pitchers to go along with returnees in redshirt-sophomore Steve Visnic and junior Tyler Horst. Unfortunately, Temple loses senior Brian Sustersic, the would-be closer, for the season to injury.
Redshirt-junior Steve Nikorak, who was leaned on as a starter last season, is going to be relied upon heavily as the stopper for the Owls in place of Sustersic. The Stroudsburg, Pa., product has solid control of all four of his pitches as demonstrated by a mere 11 walks in as many starts last season.
Visnic snapped a school record with 28 appearances in 2010, emerging as the Owls' go-to reliever. Earning a nod to the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball All-League team this past summer as a member of the Baltimore Redbirds, Visnic throws off opposing hitters with his submarine-style motion.
Horst started six games for the Owls and appeared another 13 times out of the bullpen to log 53.2 innings pitched. Valli utilized the Denver, Pa., native as his midweek starter, but expects him to be most effective as a reliever this season. Transferring from Duquesne, junior Jimmy Devine gives Temple another middle reliever to throw in the mix.
Adding depth to the bullpen are freshmen Phil Gianakos, Zach White, Zach Batchelor and Dan Wasson, and redshirt-freshman Ryan Kuehn.
SCHEDULE
Temple opens the 2011 season with three trips to North Carolina. The first pits the Owls against North Carolina Central, playing a three-game series (Feb. 18-20) in the original home of the Durham Bulls and the movie set of the baseball classic, Bull Durham. High Point (Feb. 25-27) and a two-game set at Elon taking on West Virginia and Elon (March 5-6) round out the pre-conference trips for Temple.
The Owls return to the area on March 8, taking on Delaware State in a Tuesday meeting. On the very next day, Temple begins its season-long nine-game home stand hosting Maryland Eastern Shore in its Skip Wilson Field opener on March 9.
Back-to-back tournament style weekends sandwich a meeting with city-rival Penn on March 16. In the first home weekend, the Owls host Cornell on March 11, Mount St. Mary's on March 12 and Iona on March 13. The following weekend (March 18-20), Temple takes on Fairfield, New York Institute of Technology and St. Peter's. Temple's home stand and preconference schedule wraps with a game against Monmouth on March 22.
Atlantic 10 play begins with two challenging road trips, both taking the Owls to Ohio. First, a showdown with conference runner-up Xavier on March 25-27, and then a clash with Dayton on April 1-3. The Cherry and White also compete in its first Liberty Bell Classic game on March 29, traveling to compete at Delaware.
Temple hosts La Salle on April 8-10 in the Owls' first home conference weekend, remaining at Skip Wilson Field for a mid-week contest with Rutgers (April 13) and another A-10 weekend with Massachusetts. Trips to Delaware (April 19) and Coppin State (April 20) prepare Temple for its longest road trip of the year, a journey to the University of New Orleans on April 22-24.
Returning home for a mid-week game against Villanova on March 26, the Owls then head north for a three-game set against Rhode Island (April 29-May 1). The Cherry and White have the next week off to prepare for finals and a home weekend with St. Bonaventure (May 6-8). Traveling to Villanova on May 10, Temple hosts city-rival Saint Joseph's in the final weekend at Skip Wilson Field (May 13-15).
One final mid-week game with Rider on May 17 separates the Owls from their final three games of the season - a trip to the nation's capital to face George Washington (May 19-21). The Atlantic 10 Tournament will once again be held at Campbell's Field, slated for May 25-28.
STARTING ROTATION
Valli returns one ace from last year's staff and welcomes three promising newcomers to the rotation. Senior Ben White moved up to the top spot in the Owls' rotation just one week into conference play last season, and will be the number one arm heading into this year.
"When Ben pitches well, he has the ability to be the best guy in the conference," said Valli. "The key for Ben will be to focus on throwing strikes and staying aggressive in the zone."
The Parkesburg, Pa., native more than doubled his career strikeout total last season with 94, mowing down more batters than any Temple pitcher since 1999. His dominance on the hill is due to an above-average fastball and a plus-curveball that, when effective, can cause fits for opposing hitters.
Brant Norlander joins Temple as a junior transfer from Cañada College. Standing at 6'5”, his frame alone is enough to intimidate adversaries. Posting a team-best 10 wins at Cañada last year, the Belmont, Calif., native is penciled in as the Saturday starter for the Owls.
Freshman Matt Hockenberry will be utilized in his collegiate debut, having a chance as the third starter to begin the season. A 6'3 righty, Hockenberry was a three-year varsity starter at South Western High and possesses a fastball that touches 90.
"Matt is really going to be good," said Valli. "This season we look to acclimate him to the collegiate level and we are excited to see how he progresses."
Another rookie, freshman Ryan Davis, has a shot as a mid-week starter for the Owls. An ESPN Rise Magazine Player to Watch For in 2010, Davis went 8-1 as a high school senior at Central Catholic with a 2.01 ERA.
BULLPEN
A youthful group of arms inherit the relief duties in 2011. The Owls have four freshmen pitchers to go along with returnees in redshirt-sophomore Steve Visnic and junior Tyler Horst. Unfortunately, Temple loses senior Brian Sustersic, the would-be closer, for the season to injury.
Redshirt-junior Steve Nikorak, who was leaned on as a starter last season, is going to be relied upon heavily as the stopper for the Owls in place of Sustersic. The Stroudsburg, Pa., product has solid control of all four of his pitches as demonstrated by a mere 11 walks in as many starts last season.
Visnic snapped a school record with 28 appearances in 2010, emerging as the Owls' go-to reliever. Earning a nod to the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball All-League team this past summer as a member of the Baltimore Redbirds, Visnic throws off opposing hitters with his submarine-style motion.
Horst started six games for the Owls and appeared another 13 times out of the bullpen to log 53.2 innings pitched. Valli utilized the Denver, Pa., native as his midweek starter, but expects him to be most effective as a reliever this season. Transferring from Duquesne, junior Jimmy Devine gives Temple another middle reliever to throw in the mix.
Adding depth to the bullpen are freshmen Phil Gianakos, Zach White, Zach Batchelor and Dan Wasson, and redshirt-freshman Ryan Kuehn.
SCHEDULE
Temple opens the 2011 season with three trips to North Carolina. The first pits the Owls against North Carolina Central, playing a three-game series (Feb. 18-20) in the original home of the Durham Bulls and the movie set of the baseball classic, Bull Durham. High Point (Feb. 25-27) and a two-game set at Elon taking on West Virginia and Elon (March 5-6) round out the pre-conference trips for Temple.
The Owls return to the area on March 8, taking on Delaware State in a Tuesday meeting. On the very next day, Temple begins its season-long nine-game home stand hosting Maryland Eastern Shore in its Skip Wilson Field opener on March 9.
Back-to-back tournament style weekends sandwich a meeting with city-rival Penn on March 16. In the first home weekend, the Owls host Cornell on March 11, Mount St. Mary's on March 12 and Iona on March 13. The following weekend (March 18-20), Temple takes on Fairfield, New York Institute of Technology and St. Peter's. Temple's home stand and preconference schedule wraps with a game against Monmouth on March 22.
Atlantic 10 play begins with two challenging road trips, both taking the Owls to Ohio. First, a showdown with conference runner-up Xavier on March 25-27, and then a clash with Dayton on April 1-3. The Cherry and White also compete in its first Liberty Bell Classic game on March 29, traveling to compete at Delaware.
Temple hosts La Salle on April 8-10 in the Owls' first home conference weekend, remaining at Skip Wilson Field for a mid-week contest with Rutgers (April 13) and another A-10 weekend with Massachusetts. Trips to Delaware (April 19) and Coppin State (April 20) prepare Temple for its longest road trip of the year, a journey to the University of New Orleans on April 22-24.
Returning home for a mid-week game against Villanova on March 26, the Owls then head north for a three-game set against Rhode Island (April 29-May 1). The Cherry and White have the next week off to prepare for finals and a home weekend with St. Bonaventure (May 6-8). Traveling to Villanova on May 10, Temple hosts city-rival Saint Joseph's in the final weekend at Skip Wilson Field (May 13-15).
One final mid-week game with Rider on May 17 separates the Owls from their final three games of the season - a trip to the nation's capital to face George Washington (May 19-21). The Atlantic 10 Tournament will once again be held at Campbell's Field, slated for May 25-28.
Ep. 26: Klein College Graduate & Play-by-Play Commentator Ray Dunne
Friday, December 05
Ep. 25: Men's Cross Country Athlete Francesco Candiani
Thursday, December 04
Ep. 24: Cross Country/Track & Field Coach Elvis Forde
Friday, November 21
Ep. 23: Former Men's Basketball Standout Marc Jackson Speaks on Mental Health
Wednesday, November 19
