Sluggers in the infield

Cowgill works to be "better than the best" in 2005 Diamond Dukes’ campaign

Michael Cowgill epitomizes the expectations of JMU baseball.

"There’s a saying we have as a coaching staff. ‘BTTB: Better Than The Best,’" assistant coach Jay Sullenger said. "There’s nothing we want the players doing that isn’t their best."

In 2004, the junior second baseman was better than the best on a number of occasions.

Cowgill finished the 2004 season with a .347 batting average, ranking him No. 14 in the Colonial Athletic Association. But along with wanting to be the best, satisfaction does not come easy.

"Halfway through the season, I was hitting .440," Cowgill said. "So I dropped a hundred points in 20-some odd games. It was disappointing."

Despite his mid-season tailspin, Cowgill still led the team with 74 hits.

"He has always been able to hit," Sullenger said. "And that will not change."

Cowgill offers more than his offensive power. He’s a defensive advantage for the Diamond Dukes and earned a .934 fielding percentage last season.

"He was the anchor for our infield defensively," Sullenger said.

Being an anchor involves strength. Cowgill’s leadership and hard work led him to being chosen as a 2005 team captain by his teammates.

"Michael is the hardest worker I’ve encountered in the baseball world," junior third baseman Nate Schill said.

For Cowgill, that hard work translates into durability. In the 2004 season, he started in all but one of JMU’s 54 games. But what Cowgill really strives for is the team’s success. Despite finishing above .500 last season, the Diamond Dukes struggled against CAA opponents in 2004, finishing the season 8-16.

"Considering where we ended up last year, there’s nowhere to go but up," Cowgill said. "Anything is an improvement from last season."

After finishing fourth in the nine-team CAA standings in 2004, Cowgill thinks the Diamond Dukes can be a sleeper team this season.

The preseason-league poll picked the Diamond Dukes to finish sixth in the CAA standings in 2005 and that’s just fine with Cowgill.

"I’m glad we’re starting out in the middle," Cowgill said. "I think we’re going to surprise a lot of teams that suspect us to be down."

In order to surprise other teams, the Diamond Dukes must deal with the loss of their most productive offensive player, Mike Butia, who was offered a chance to play for the major leagues.

"We’re going to miss him," Cowgill said. "But we’re going to make up for the loss."

As a start, the coaching staff is asking Cowgill to leadoff this season. Coach Spanky McFarland said that shouldn’t bother him because Cowgill already has experience hitting at he top of the batting order.

"Michael hit everywhere last year," McFarland said. "He moved around a lot. He’s accepted the role."

Cowgill said his main goal this season is getting hits and getting on base allowing his teammates behind him to drive him in. Despite being dissatisfied with the 2004 season, Cowgill hasn’t lost sight of his coaching staff’s slogan.

"I could have done better," Cowgill said of last season. "And I should have done better."

Cowgill and the Diamond Dukes take their first step toward being better than the best Feb. 23, at home against George Washington University.