The home stretch
Sophomore Kellen Kulbacki on pace to win Triple Crown
By Matthew Stoss, senior writer
Posted on April 27, 2006

The JMU baseball team will have Georgia on its mind this weekend as the Diamond Dukes open a three-game series with the Panthers of Georgia State starting Friday at Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

“They’re a bunch of Southern boys,” JMU eighth-year coach Spanky McFarland said Wednesday morning. “They’re going to be tough because they’re not going to beat themselves.”

But others have. GSU (8-10 in the Colonial Athletic Association, 19-22 overall) has lost four out of its last five, including two out of three to CAA foe UNC-Wilmington (11-7, 30-12) last weekend. The Panthers’ one win came in the middle game when junior right-hander Jeramy Compton tossed a complete-game to improve to 5-1.

“Their schedule has been a mix of easy and hard teams,” McFarland said. “They’ve struggled against some of the better teams and done well against some of the weaker ones. They are a very competitive team.

“Anyone who can go down to Wilmington and win on their field must be legit.”

JMU (14-7, 27-18) snapped a three-game losing streak Tuesday with a win over George Washington after getting swept in a conference series at Hofstra. Despite the sweep, the Diamond Dukes still sit in second place in the CAA behind Baseball America’s No. 25 team Old Dominion (17-4, 35-8).

“The good teams figure out a way to get hot at the end of the year,” McFarland said.

McFarland and the Diamond Dukes will hope they’re one of the good ones. The top six teams make the CAA tournament (held May 24 to 27 this year in Wilmington, N.C.) and right now, of the top six teams, five teams have between nine and seven losses. After Madison faces seventh-place GSU this weekend, they travel to last-place Towson and close the year with a home series against UNCW. JMU hasn’t made the tournament since 2003, which was the first time the Diamond Dukes had been left out in 18 years.

“It takes the pressure off a little bit,” McFarland said. “And if we win a few more games, it will really take the pressure off. It had a lot to do with starting off hot.”

Going into Friday, JMU has to deal with two key injuries, the first being sophomore center fielder Kellen Kulbacki, who hasn’t played since April 18 due to a right strained oblique.

“He’s day-to-day,” McFarland said. “It’s the kind of injury you hear about in pro ball. It can linger if you don’t watch it.

“He could be back this weekend and he’ll be back for sure for Towson, and that would give him a couple weekends to get his groove back before the tournament.”

Kulbacki leads the CAA in eight offensive categories, including those concerned with the Triple Crown: average (.480), home runs (20) and RBIs (60). If Kulbacki comes back in time to get the minimum number of at-bats to qualify, he would be the fourth player in CAA history to win a conference Triple Crown. The other three East Carolina’s Pat Watkins in 1993, Richmond’s Sean Casey (now playing with the Pittsburgh Pirates) in 1995 and the most recent being Jason Dubois of Virginia Commonwealth in 2000. Dubois is currently in the Cleveland Indians’ system.

Kulbacki is also closing in on the JMU season batting average record, currently held by Roger Lee (1974-’78) who hit .462 in 1978.

“[Kulbacki] has one of the best swings I’ve ever seen,” McFarland said. “He makes all the hitters around him better.”

Travis Miller could also be on the shelf for JMU. The junior right-hander is battling soreness is his right elbow. Last year, he was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Miller was pegged to start Game 3 Sunday against the Panthers, but if he can’t go it will be redshirt freshman right-hander Kurt Houck. Sophomore right-hander Ryan Reid will go, in Game 1 and senior left-hander Greg Nesbitt will start Game 2.