This is the sixth in a series of articles by the State Press previewing the 2002 Pac-10 baseball season. Coming Wednesday: UCLA.
Offense fills the stands in baseball, but anyone in the know will tell you it's pitching that often wins games.
Washington State found that out the hard way last season. When you give up 451 runs in just 462.1 innings, your lineup had better include names like Ruth, Gehrig, Aaron and DiMaggio, or you won't stand a chance.
Of course, the Cougars didn't have any of those legends in last year's lineup. Instead, Washington State trudged its way through the season, finishing with a 15-39 record and a last-place Pac-10 finish. Clearly, something had to change.
"The No. 1 place we needed to improve was on the mound," Washington State head coach Tim Mooney said. "I think we've done that."
Mooney points to three junior-college transfers — Brandon Hundt, Eddie Bonine and Billy Gorrell — that he hopes will shore up a shaky pitching staff. Mooney says he considers the three juniors to be short-term fixes for a program that still needs a long-term solution.
"We brought in eight or nine new pitchers," Mooney said. "They're all in different stages of development. We got the JC guys to give us immediate help. Those guys need to help us tomorrow."
As far as the future is concerned, Mooney says his team is stocking up on freshmen to help build "continuity" down the line within the staff.
The Cougars will likely struggle at the plate after losing last year's top hitter, Stefan Bailie, to the Boston Red Sox in June's Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Bailie led the Cougars last season in home runs (18), runs scored (55), hits (74), and total bases (139).
"He was our best offensive guy," Mooney said. "He hit for average, but his biggest plus was his power. He was a big bat in the middle of the order. We're really going to miss him."
Washington State is hoping that Bookie Gates, who batted .327 last season while connecting on a team-high 16 doubles, will fill the gaping hole left by Bailie. The vast improvement shown by the senior infielder last year is part of the reason for this season's increased expectations .
"He was the most improved player both offensively and defensively," Mooney said. "We expect a lot out of him."
What the Cougars don't expect a lot of this year is base stealing. They stole only 41 bags in 2001, and while Mooney thinks his team will run often this season, it won't be in the conventional form.
"We don't have great team speed, but that doesn't mean we don't feel like we can't steal a base or at least create motion with protection," Mooney said. "We're still going to put motion in our offense."
Mooney hopes the off-season additions will help the Cougars avoid another dismal season in the Pac-10 basement, but acknowledges that the Pacific Northwest in January isn't exactly the best place to ready a team for a successful season.
"To be honest, it's tough," Mooney said. "Our preseason is really tough because it's always on the road. We haven't even gotten outside yet (to practice). We have the facilities to get it done though, so there are no excuses."
Reach the reporter at al.stevens@asu.edu.
