The baseball team continues on its Florida-based, season-opening road trip this weekend, with games against George Mason, North Florida and Ohio State slated for North Florida's Harmon Stadium in Jacksonville.
UConn (1-2) kicked off the spring campaign last weekend in Clearwater and St. Petersburg, posting a 10-1 victory over Northwestern in the finale of the Big East/Big Ten Challenge.
The Huskies dropped the first two games by two-run margins to Michigan State and Ohio State, but coach Jim Penders drew confidence from the progress he saw from his team over the weekend.
"We played better each day and we had our best game Sunday," Penders said. "We played very poorly in the opener but the fact that it was four to two was encouraging with all the mistakes we made in the field. Our defense needs to improve, but that'll take time. We were on dirt for the first time. Our pitchers did a very good job for us."
Penders expects this weekend to bring further tests for his Huskies. "All three are really well-coached and respected programs," he said. "There's not gonna be any easy games in Jacksonville."
Today at 4 p.m., UConn will be pitted against the George Mason Patriots, winners of their first four contests to begin the season. The Huskies should expect to see a good offensive unit as well as some talented arms on the mound, according to Penders.
Saturday's game two features host-school North Florida. "The Ospreys are a team that doesn't fear anybody in the country and doesn't shy away from playing anyone," Penders said.
The Huskies get their second look at the Buckeyes on Sunday, a team they've faced often in Penders' tenure. The first meeting in 2009 saw UConn rally late with a three-run eighth inning, to cut into what was a five-run deficit for most of the game. The Huskies' comeback effort fell short though, as Ohio State held on for the 6-4 win. A solid outing by sophomore lefthander Elliot Glynn (six innings pitched, two earned runs) was marred by the shaky defense behind him.
UConn will look to the same three-man rotation that worked over the first weekend to pitch with similar effectiveness. Penders was pleased with the efforts turned in by senior righty John Folino, Glynn and especially the victorious Greg Nappo - a lefthanded redshirt sophomore returning from injury. However Penders views the entire pitching staff as one of UConn's biggest keys to success this year.
"These guys don't have to throw nine innings," Penders said. "I feel strongly that our bullpen will be up to the task and our M.O. this year is, 'get it to the sixth inning and hand it over to the 'pen'."
UConn used 11 pitchers last weekend and 10 measured up to Penders' approval. As part of the Huskies' 10-run outburst in the final game of the Big East/Big Ten Challenge, sophomore shortstop Mike Olt went 4-for-4 with a homerun and four RBIs. Glynn, hitting out of the DH spot, homered as well. He added two additional runs on the weekend to tie Olt for the early team-lead in RBI. Redshirt junior outfielder Matt Burnett is 6 for his first 13 to lead UConn in batting thus far.
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