Buckeye State Baseball

Denison University Big Red

2009 Record: 21-19, 8-8 NCAC

Head Coach: Mike Clark

In Granville, the Big Red turn a new leaf , bringing Mike Clark on board as the new man to lead Denison heading into the 2010 season. In his first head coaching gig, Clark looks to reclaim a spot in the NCAC postseason – a position that the Big Red had become accustomed to in the heart of the decade. Five out of the last seven seasons saw Denison make the tournament, but ’09 was a struggle, with a four game sweep at the hands of OWU settling their fate.

Although the coaching change is the major headline for Denison heading into the 2010 campaign, their third coach in four years, there is no reason for panic in Granville, given the return of a number of standout upperclassmen that look to put last year’s disappointment behind them.

Names that have been mainstays in the Big Red lineup since freshman year include big senior sluggers Park Smith and Aiden Lucas. Smith, and All NCAC Second-teamer, stabilized the first base bag for Denison, with his team-best 58 hits while only committing three errors in 346 opportunities. Lucas, meanwhile, enjoyed a First Team mention thanks to his 19 extra-base hits and 54 RBI’s. Lucas also serves as the team’s stopper on the mound, striking out 30 in as many innings as the team’s top reliever.

As for the rest of the offensive supporting cast, the Big Red look for continued production from top senior catcher Alex Horn, whose .379 average was second-best among regular backstops in the league. Horn, a Second Team honoree, and Bill Sanders, an honorable mention performer, look to step into the shoes vacated by the team’s top two hitters from a year ago.

On the hill, the Big Red look for junior righty Nick Smith to continue his development after his eight starts and a team-high 47.2 innings from last season. Sophomore Tyler Vaske seems to likely fill another one of the starter slots, but beyond that, Mike Clark has his hands full picking out a consistent rotation from a wealth of available arms. Consistency will be the key in this department if the Big Red look to make a serious push for a NCAC West title.

The conference West division, as usual, will come down to the key April meetings between Denison and OWU, when the Big Red play host to the Bishops on April 10th and 11th. That key series is sandwiched by trips to Springfield and Crawfordsville, Ind. that will ultimately decide the mettle of this year’s version of Denison. A difficult trip to Emory begins the season for the Big Red, before heading to Winter Haven, Fla. for their spring break trip.