Open Tryout Saturday

Today was the open tryout at Wuerfel Park...Hopefuls from all around the nation came attempting to earn a spring training roster spot...

The group was put through the typical baseball gamut in the morning, beginning with indoor batting practice...Despite the cold weather players went outside for the rest of the day with the rain holding off to run the 60 and make some throws...For the afternoon, three hopefuls were kept to compete with the Beach Bums in an intrasquad contest while all five pitchers had the opportunity to face Beach Bums hitters as well...

For the intrasquad, the Gold team evened the spring training exhibition at 1-1 with a 4-1 decision over the Blue in a contest dominated by pitching on a cold day...The Blue managed just one hit against six pitchers...

The Gold plated two second-inning runs to take the lead off of Jason Kiley and never look back...Ryan Kottke drove in both runs with a two-out sharp single to left...Blue pulled within 2-1 thanks to a run that scored on a fifth-inning error, but the Gold was able to add to the lead with runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh against tryout pitchers...Damon Lessler lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth and James Guerrero connected on an opposite field double in the seventh to end the scoring...

Offensive highlights for the Gold team included a pair of hits off the bat of Corey Whiting, who finished 2-for-2 with a triple, a walk, two runs scored, and two stolen bases including one of third...Bryan Frew reached base twice out of the leadoff slot with a single and a walk...On the Blue side, Andrew Barbaro posted the lone hit, a triple into left-center in the second inning...Barbaro reached base in all three of his at bats, also drawing a pair of walks...The Blue squad drew nine walks and was hit twice by pitches...

Defensively, Barbaro also shined for the Blue, throwing out both Bryan Frew and Mike Epping attmepting to steal in the first inning...Ryan Kottke threw out his counterpart Andrew Barbaro attempting to swipe second in the fifth...

On the pitching front, Kyle Touchatt earned the win for the Gold, working the first two innings and allowing just one hit with a walk and three strikeouts...Brandon Daily tossed a scoreless third with a walk and a strikeout while Nick Pepper looked very strong in retiring all three batters he faced in the fourth including two via strikeout...Three tryout hopefuls also pitched for the Gold team...

Jason Kiley started for the Blue, working three innings and allowing two runs, although just one was earned...Kiley walked three and struck out three...Traverse City native Jason Cairns made his spring debut, tossing the fourth and allowing a hit and a walk...Greg Ford also made his spring debut, working the fifth and allowing a walk and a hit batsmen to go with a punch out...Two other tryout pitchers completed the game for the Blue, each allowing a run...

There were 15 total walks in the game, three successful steals, and four caught stealing...

GAME TOTALS
Blue 0 0 0 - 0 1 0 - 0 1R, 1H, 2E
Gold 0 2 0 - 0 0 1 - 1 4R, 6H, 1E

NOTES
Brad Miller arrived at spring training on Saturday morning, the last player to arrive...Miller, who started at short last season, finished up his classes for the semester...In the intrasquad, Miller started at short for the Blue team and was 0-for-2 but did draw a walk, steal a base, and score a run...Jared Locke was scheduled to pitch today but left feeling under the weather...

PICTURES
Taken by me today, although wait until you see the one taken of me bundled up behind the plate watching the action which I will publish at a later date...Pitching Coach Roger Mason chats with Kyle Touchatt as he warms up in the bullpen...Manager Gregg Langbehn fights the cold weather by bundling up as he observes the action from third, and a tryout hopeful runs the 60-yard dash in the outfield at Wuerfel Park...