Spartans fashion new look

CNA sports editor

On a cold midafternoon his week, as snowflakes were nestling into puddles of water on his Southwestern baseball field, Brian Smith was fidgety.

His body language expressed, "Let's play ball!"

But unfortunately, the best weather of the early spring in southern Iowa occurred just prior to the start of the junior college baseball season, so Smith has not yet made his debut as the Spartan coach succeeding longtime mentor Bill Krejci.

Meanwhile, from Southwestern's Division I conference in Region XI, Iowa Western and Marshalltown have played more then a dozen games each from early trips south. Indian Hills and Muscatine have played a handful of games.

"They're doing what we might do next year," Smith said, referring to Iowa Western and Marshalltown. "Instead of one long trip, we might take two or three weekends and see if we can get to play in late February or early March, instead of waiting until spring break to play. We've already lost eight games due to weather."

While Smith is eager to get on the field with his new squad, eight holdover sophomores on a squad of 30 are likewise anxious to atone for last year's dismal 6-46 campaign. The team started to gel late, winning the first game against Marshalltown in the regional tournament, where they went 1-2 in three competitive games to finish 3-17 against conference opponents.

Krejci, SWCC athletic director and coach of the Spartans for 21 seasons ending in 1999, filled in after Andy Osborne, now Sioux City Heelan's coach, resigned in November 2007. Krejci was coaching Creston High School baseball at the time, but took on the Spartan position on an interim basis.

Smith, a Green Forest, Ark., native, was named the new coach last May. Matt Smith, former Spartan player, was retained as assistant and directs the team's defense.

Brian "Bull" Smith played at North Arkansas College, then began his coaching career at University of Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark. He also coached at two junior colleges in Oklahoma and Missouri before working as an admissions counselor at Missouri Southern State University.

Smith is also an admissions counselor at SWCC while trying to resurrect the baseball team. Returning sophomore shortstop Ryan Brouwer of Des Moines East thinks the team is on track to surprise some opponents.

"I think we can be a lot better than last year," Brouwer said. "We're deeper. We have some pitching. I think our team ERA was like 13 a game last year. Coach (Smith's) hitting philosophy is a little different and we're learning it. With the talent we have on this team it works."

Smith, who sports a Ted Williams poster on his office wall, advises watching the Boston Red Sox approach at the plate to understand his instructions to the Spartan players.

"Disciplined pitch count," Smith said. "We do a lot of situational hitting — early rhythm, two-strike rhythm. You wear pitchers out by pitch count, being really disciplined with the strike zone. You're trying to get that guy out of there by pitch count in the fourth inning. Then you can do damage in the middle innings."

Smith said some four-year college transfers helped fill the roster, both at the start of the school year and after the first semester.

"We think we found enough players to where we can be competitive," Smith said. "Then we can bring in a full freshman class next year."

Leader of the new class is a possible professional prospect in 5-11 righthanded pitcher Alcibiades Gonzalez of Panama. "Ali" as he's called by teammates, spent last year at Judson College in Chicago, but wanted to transfer to a juco school with hopes of getting a look for the major league draft.

"I've seen him at 94 mph and most days he's between 88 and 92," Smith said. "But other times he drops to 84-86 and that's when scouts lose interest. We've worked on getting in the strike zone and understanding the value of movement. His two-seam fastball runs about a foot."

Gonzalez pitched on the Panamanian Junior National team, and was at a major league tryout in July looking for a school when Smith first saw him.

"The last half of the fall season he really looked good," Smith said. "At times he was dominant."

Sophomore returnees in addition to Brouwer include infielder/outfielder Matt Miner of Des Moines, pitcher/infielder Josh Myers of Des Moines, outfielder/pitcher Brandon Dimmitt of Fairfield, first baseman T.J. Cordero of Dominican Republic, outfielder/catcher Brett Schreyer of Manitoba, Canada; and pitchers Ray Clutter of Earlham and Tony Danti of Woodward-Granger.

Smith said a modest goal this season would be to be competitive enough to contend for the third spot in the conference, and avoid the fourth vs. fifth play-in game at the regional tournament.

Last year, Iowa Western outlasted Indian Hills in a wild 22-15 regional final game. Iowa Western was ranked in this year's national top 10 before a sub-.500 trip south against rugged competition.

"We don't run particularly well, but a couple guys are solid runners," Smith said. "Potentially we have a pretty solid lineup. We're a little thin on the mound. As for hitting, in time when guys figure out what we preach, we should be able to compete."

The Spartans' early rainouts mean the season starts against some of the toughest opponents on the schedule. The southern trip starts with a doubleheader Sunday at Johnson County (Kan.), which advanced to the Division I Juco World Series last year. Several games follow in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri throughout the week.

The Spartans return and open at home March 26 against Iowa Central, which includes former Creston all-stater Kalab Evans, now a third baseman.

Spartan Field as a new look, with the old green, wooden retaining walls around the bleachers removed, a new backstop, fencing down the first and third base lines with privacly slats color coordinated in blue and red school colors, along with new uniforms. The outfield fence has a red cap now, rather than yellow.

Smith's future goal is to obtain a tarp to protect the field during rainy periods, along with a revamped hitting cage area.