Morton College baseball coach Chris Wido created a schedule that included taking a few early lumps, which in turn, would help get the Panthers over the hump in Region IV.

The Panthers will spend Saturday and Sunday of Pulaski Day weekend in Texas, playing a pair of doubleheaders against NJCAA Division I Amarillo College, which is 10-6. Not only are the Panthers facing a big-time opponent, they'll be playing in a big-time facility – the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks' Class AA affiliate Amarillo Sod Poodles.

"Amarillo's off to a pretty good start," Wido noted. "They have two of the better hitters in the country. This will be a good test for us. Hopefully, we'll come out better and be ready for Region IV play."

Morton College spent last weekend in southern Indiana at the Vincennes University Tournament, where the Panthers went 1-3.

The Panthers (1-4) are off to a good start offensively with a team batting average of .308. They've also scored 35 runs and have six regulars hitting between .333 and .429.

"Offensively, we're not where we expect to be," Wido said. "We're still not clicking on all cylinders."

Wido sees catcher Alex Brodie (.389, 1 HR, 6 RBI) and shortstop Luke Brabham (.353, 8 runs scored) producing as expected. Horacio Cabrales (.429) and Luke Ulbert (.353, 4 RBI) are finding their grooves, while Miguel Cantu (.368) is putting together quality at-bats. Ryan Jenkins worked his way into the lead-off spot and is hitting .333 with 6 RBI.

"Ryan's been our unsung hero," Wido noted. "We moved into the lead-off spot (in a 12-7 loss to Vincennes February 26th) and he had pair of doubles and scored twice."

Noah Chase emerged as a bright spot on the pitching staff. The freshman came on in relief and worked 6.1 innings without allowing an earned run in Morton College's 10-7 win over Vincennes February 25th.

"Noah's been taking most of his reps at third base," Wido said. "Pitching's been more of a secondary thing with him. I liked that he worked at a good pace, which was huge to see. He's such a hard-working individual."

Wido isn't pushing any panic buttons with the rest of the pitching staff.

"Our pitchers are still getting their feet wet," Wido said. "They're making some adjustments and they'll be better. The guys understand we have a good team and when the dust settles, we'll be right where we expect to be – in the midst of competing for a spot in the Region IV playoffs."  

Results from Vincennes
February 24th – 10-7 loss vs. Joliet
February 25th – 10-7 win vs. Vincennes
February 25th – 11-4 loss vs. Olney Central
February 26th – 12-7 loss to Vincennes