By Pat Murphy

The Macalester baseball team traveled to Phoenix, Az for Spring Break for a full slate of 10 games in eight days. The team had gotten off to a quick start to the season, winning five of its first six. However, facing some tough competition, including nationally ranked Johns Hopkins, the Scots struggled during their spring trip, going 3-7. Macalester ace James Murrey ’10 expressed some discontent with the trip’s results

“Overall, I think the results from the trip were pretty disappointing. There were some great individual performances throughout the trip, however I think there was just a general lack of energy.”

Head Coach Matt Parrington agreed, saying “I think we realized how well we will have to play to be successful in conference, which is much better than we performed down in Arizona.”

Captain and shortstop Nate Wilson- Traisman ’10 had similar impressions of the trip.

“We definitely learned that we can’t just show up and win games. Yeah, we played some good teams, but we lost to some very beatable teams too, ” Wilson-Traisman said.

Although the Scots struggled in Arizona, there were strong individual performances.

“The overwhelming highlight of the trip was Nate Wilson-Traisman’s performance,” Parrington said. “He has matured and really played well the entire trip.”

Murrey had the pitching highlight of the trip, a 14-strikeout performance against Marian.

Although the team was disappointed with the results from its spring break trip, it still has a .500 record at 8-8 entering conference play.

The Scots kick off the conference season against St. Johns today, a team they lost both games of a doubleheader to last year, both by a score of 3-2. The close losses were must win games for the Scots and the losses derailed their drive for the MIAC playoffs.

“St. Johns, Bethel, Augsburg and Hamline are all in the same boat we are – fighting to emerge from the middle of the MIAC and rise to the top,” Murrey said.

“Sweeping those teams will be absolutely necessary if we want a chance to play in the postseason. Not to mention, St. Johns beat me 1-0 my freshman year and I haven’t gotten the chance to repay them,” said Murrey, who will be starting against the Johnnies on Friday.

The Scots know that they are capable of playing better than they did over spring break, and they are focused on making the necessary adjustments to improve.

“In order to be successful against the other MIAC teams, we will definitely need our pitching to step it up,” Murrey said. “Our team has been very inconsistent.”

Some players who have stepped up for the Scots so far offensively are Wilson-Traisman, who is hitting a blistering .509 with 25 RBI’s and 3 HRs, Devin English ’10, who is hitting .425 with 16 runs, Robert Williams ’12, who is hitting .400 with 11 RBI’s, and Mitch Glasser ’12 who is hitting .386 with 10 RBI’s. Glasser also leads the team with 19 runs and 5 stolen bases.

The Scots top pitcher so far has been Murrey, who has a 3.68 ERA with 3 wins and 34 strikeouts through only 22 innings. Eric Robinson ’10 has a 3.75 ERA with two wins, but is currently sidelined for at least two weeks with an arm injury, and the versatile Glasser, who has a team-leading 3.38 ERA with one save and six strikeouts in four relief appearances, has made a positive contribution to the staff.

The doubleheader against St. Johns this Friday is at 9:30 p.m. at the Metrodome.