Baseball | Sunshine State of mind

The players on Penn's baseball team have an annual obligation to forego college students' favorite pastime, spring break, in favor of America's.

Nevertheless they are feeling as fresh as any college students are after their success on the spring trip, which they hope to continue today against Temple.

"Best [spring trip] since I've been here," senior co-captain Jeff Cellucci said of the team's 5-4 finish on the trip. "I think the morale's pretty high right now. Guys are going good, guys are comfortable . Hopefully we can bring that Florida weather up here with us and keep things rolling."

Penn (6-5) is set to face a floundering Temple squad which is still looking to find its groove. The cross-town rival is nevertheless coming off a fresh win of its own against Cleveland State after dropping eight straight.

The matchup features two very different pitchers. Paul Cusick (2-0), a starter, will square off against one of Temple's middle relievers. Cusick has been perhaps Penn's most consistent presence at the mound so far this season, sporting a lean 2.20 earned run average.

"He's got a live arm, and a very quick slider," coach John Cole said. "He's gonna strike some people out."

Regardless of which middle reliever Temple (4-9) decides to start, Cole has preached to the team that such pitchers generally pitch to contact.

"We want to be selective in the zone and get into their bullpen," he said.

Because the matchup against Temple is in the middle of the week and Penn will play two games this weekend, the Quakers are hoping Wednesday's game involves as few pitches as possible from their hurlers.

As a result, although Cusick is starting, Wednesday's game may feature a number of pitchers.

"Midweek games: very important that whoever starts gives you some quality innings to get the game short," Cole said.

It's even possible that many of Penn's starters will throw an inning or two. Indeed, Penn's rotation may need all the game time it can get, having underachieved on the spring trip.

In a dramatic role-reversal from last season, it has been hitting that has kept Penn in contention this season, not pitching.

Junior Todd Roth, who led Ivy League starters with a 2.32 ERA last season, had an ERA surpassing 10 on the trip. Even stranger, sophomore Jeremy Maas - used as a designated hitter during the Florida trip after spending all of last season as a pitcher - is batting .524 on the season, leading the team with 22 hits.

Still, as well as the Red and Blue have hit in recent games, Cole is disappointed with the baserunning he has witnessed.

"We need to continue to put pressure on people with legs as well as the bat," Cole said.

Of course, when your pitchers are hitting the ball at a .500 clip, who needs speed?

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