Topic: Gazette: Mercurial MU returns to Power Park tonight

[ZackUSAF82]

By Doug Smock
Staff writer

So which Marshall team appears at Appalachian Power Park this weekend: the one who beat Ohio State 17-1, or the one who lost three of four games to Le Moyne?

Or simply the one that came one blown save from winning its series last weekend at Tulane?

That is the question as the Thundering Herd opens its Conference USA home season with a three-game set against Memphis. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. today, followed by a doubleheader at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

The Herd enters play 10-13, 1-2 after a 10-6 midweek loss at Eastern Kentucky. In the C-USA opener last weekend versus Tulane, Marshall took the middle game, and really should have taken the first two - and had a better chance in the third.

That rested squarely on the bullpen. The Herd led 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth, but Austin Coan (0-1, 3 saves, 6.00 ERA) gave up a hit and walked three. Mike Mason (2-3, 7.82), often a starter this spring, yielded an RBI single and the game-winning sacrifice fly. In the final game, Mason yielded four runs in the eighth.

The Herd's ERA is 4.93, respectable in college baseball, but it is second in C-USA in walks (102). Ian Kadish (1-2, 5.23) had a solid start in the first game last weekend, with Ryan Kiel (0-0, 6.75) pitching four innings to start the second game and South Charleston/Hurricane product Arik Sikula (3-2, 3.09) yielding four hits and two runs in six innings, but had a no-decision.

Link: http://www.wvgazette.com/Sports/Marshall/201004011008

[herdfan_07]

Until we get a stadium built for baseball there is never going to be any excitement whatsoever in this program.  It's a shame, but thats just how it is.  Who wants to go watch college baseball at St. Joes or drive all the way to Charleston.  It may not be as true in other sports, but in baseball truly the only people who care about Marshall is the ones that live in Huntington that go to all the games.  I hope how soon we get a stadium so some excitement will come to baseball.

[wvmafia]

Until we get a stadium built for baseball there is never going to be any excitement whatsoever in this program.  It's a shame, but thats just how it is.  Who wants to go watch college baseball at St. Joes or drive all the way to Charleston.  It may not be as true in other sports, but in baseball truly the only people who care about Marshall is the ones that live in Huntington that go to all the games.  I hope how soon we get a stadium so some excitement will come to baseball.

Curious to know from someone who obviously has interest in baseball...don't worry about the logistics of exact location, but if we had a baseball stadium that was crafted in the likeness of App Power Park, but not of that size, sitting on the ACF parking lot, what do you think the average attendance would be for Herd baseball?

[herdfan429]

About what it is now.

[wvmafia]

About what it is now.

So we need to spend $8-10M on a baseball stadium on campus so 85 people can show up. with an occasional Little League or High School team boosting the attendance???  This is the stupid logic I don't understand.  The money needs to be rammed into making the sports that have a chance to make money and bring attention. 

[svherd]

I could see us ave. around 1K with a nice 2K seat facility very close to campus. Just going for the co-ed eye candy on a day like today would be worth the price of admission! ;D

Seriously, there certainly would be a high cost short term; but in the long run, it would be good for the school and community.