Creighton Bluejays
Overall Rank: #44
Conference Rank: #1 Missouri Valley
Creighton Team Page
The Creighton Bluejays are expected to take flight this season under Head Coach Ed Servais, who will take his wealth of knowledge to the USA Baseball 2013 National team as an assistant coach this season. He will also be the pilot creating the flight plan for these Bluejays, and if it goes according to the schedule, will pass through a conference championship and land in a second consecutive NCAA postseason berth. This is a team poised to make drastic improvements and do damage in their conference this coming season.
2012: 28-30, 6-14
2012 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Ed Servais
Field Players:
If this team is going to make the run that we predict, they will need position players to step up and their pitchers to deliver as expected. The Bluejays are losing their top three hitters in batting average, which is a big blow to any offense. Outfielder Brad McKewon will have to play a major a role in the offense. This junior hit .256 last year, a number that needs to be improved in order for the Bluejays to score runs. Left-handed slugging outfielder, Mike Gerber, will need to be the big run producer in the middle of the order. Last season he swatted four homeruns and drove in 36 runs. He will need to be even more productive for Creighton this season, a feat with another year of maturity and seasoning under his belt, he should have no problem accomplishing. Infielder Alex Staehely will also play a major part in the offense. Last season he was able to drive in 20 runs despite batting just .207. His senior year will be important to the overall success of this Creighton team.
Pitchers:
As on offense, the Bluejays also have some big shoes to fill on the on mound. They lost their workhorse but appear to have a strong rotation again this season. As a team they posted a respectable 3.44 ERA a season ago. They do so while using 13 different pitchers, four of whom posted a sub 3.00 ERA. This year their depth should prove valuable as they mix the rotation, trying to find a way to replace Ty Blach. This team may not have a star studded rotation, but their depth will prove to be a very legitimate five man rotation that will keep them in games all year long. If even one of these five players can emerge from the depths of this staff as a star and be an ace for this team, even if it is just for one season, the team could dominate the Missouri Valley conference.
Who to Watch:
Outfielder Mike Gerber will be relied upon to be the catalyst for this offense. He batted just .246 last season and struck out 42 times. This season there will be a lot of pressure on him to increase that average, cut down on the strikeouts, and draw more walks for the offense to be potent. He is pegged as their big bat in the middle of the lineup and has to produce for the team to compete for a conference championship. He should flourish in his new role as the most feared hitter on the Bluejays roster and they are counting on him to make hitters around him better as well.
Final Projection:
This team should be competing for a conference championship and find their way into the NCAA baseball Tournament once again. Their pitching should carry them throughout the season and their depth will be a major advantage should disaster strike and injures occur. The offense has their question marks but has ample upperclassmen that will need to step up for the Bluejays this season.
Projected Postseason: NCAA
Returning Leaders:
At Bats: Alex Staehely, IF, 208
Hits: Mike Gerber, OF, 50
Home Runs: Mike Gerber, OF, 4
RBIs: Mike Gerber, OF, 36
Runs: Brennan Murphy, OF, 28
Stolen Bases: Brennan Murphy, OF, 6
Wins: Nick Musec, RHP, 3
Innings Pitched: Nick Musec, RHP, 42.1
Strikeouts: Nick Musce, RHP, 38
Saves: N/A
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