Posted on April 14, 2008
In Kurt Houck’s sophomore season he went 4-8 with an 8.30 ERA. On Sunday, the junior matched his win total from last year with more than a month remaining in the season.
Houck earned the win in a 13-7 drubbing of Delaware yesterday. The victory completed a weekend sweep of the Blue Hens, after JMU victories of 7-5 and 8-7 on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
“It’s huge just to get the most wins we can, to keep pace with UNC Wilmington,” junior catcher Brett Garner said. “We got a sweep. It’s good to sweep them, they’re a tough team.”
After the weekend, the Dukes sit in second in the Colonial Athletic Association. With a 15-3 conference record, they’re just two games behind the 16-1-1 UNC Wilmington Seahawks.
In his start Sunday, Houck went six innings, giving up five earned runs on nine hits. He struck out the side in the first, fourth and fifth innings, and finished with 11 strikeouts on the day.
Delaware’s hitters looked uncomfortable at the plate against Houck throughout the first five innings. He kept his fastball down and away, where it was virtually unhittable for the Blue Hens’ offense.
Houck has posted a 4-1 mark with a 5.12 ERA this year, and has struck out 42 hitters in 45 and 2/3 innings. Last year he had just 40 strikeouts in more than 70 innings.
JMU coach Spanky McFarland credits the turnaround to Houck’s transformation from a thrower to a pitcher. The 6-foot-6 righty used to rely primarily on his 90-plus mph fastball, but has now learned pitching is more than merely overpowering hitters.
“He’s taken the next step towards being a pitcher,” McFarland said. “He relied so long on his good arm and I think it kind of caught up to him [last year].”
And it’s not a coincidence that Houck’s emergence has coincided with JMU’s overall improvement. Last year the Dukes finished the season 22-31 overall and 11-17 in the conference, finishing ninth out of 11 in the CAA. Through 33 games this year, Madison stands at 25-8.
“Last year I think I tried to do too much,” Houck said. “Now it’s just fill up the zone and let the fielders behind me make the plays, and they’ve been doing a great job.”
Along with sophomore ace Kyle Hoffman, senior Trevor Kaylid and junior Justin Wood Houck leads the second-best pitching staff in the CAA with a 5.04 collective ERA as of April 10. Not surprisingly, conference leader UNC-W has the top ERA mark, at 4.48.
Leading the Dukes’ offensive assault Sunday was sophomore first baseman Steve Caseres. The New City, NY native added four RBI to his team leading mark in a 3-5 effort during the 13-7 victory. He now has 41, nine more than junior outfielder Brett Sellers. Sellers went 0-4 Sunday, but still leads the team with a .443 batting average.
“When they’re both hitting, that’s when we really go crazy,” McFarland said. “If only one’s hitting we do pretty good. Today I know Brett didn’t have a great day, but Steve picked him up, whereas Brett had a great day Friday and Saturday. It’s nice having both those guys in there together.”
Trevor Knight went 4-4 Sunday and Garner was 1-4 with his third homerun of the season.
“I saw the ball up. It was a fastball and I just put a good swing on it,” he said afterward.
All but one of JMU’s players in the starting lineup had a hit Sunday. Its season leader in batting average, Caseres, was the exception.
“It’s a new guy every day that’s swinging it for us,” Garner said. “It’s good when everyone can swing through the whole lineup. We’re a hard lineup to get out, so if it’s not the top of the lineup, it’s the bottom. We just hit.”
