Quakers looking so solidify rotation, fill holes early on Penn pitcher Mike Greenwood is worried about the weather. The junior lefty is set to make the first start of his college career against St. Joseph's this afternoon at Bower Field at 3 p.m., if only it would stop raining. The Quakers (3-6) have just returned from a spring break trip to Florida where they practiced a lot, played nine games -- including one at the New York Yankees' minor league facility -- and generally had a lot of fun in the process. And while last year some of the Penn squad had to stay behind, this year the entire roster made the trip. "We got closer as a team," pitcher Todd Mahoney said. "We all got along well, and everyone got a chance to play. We know what it takes to win now." The Quakers needed to learn how to win because they are a very young squad. Last year's Ivy League championship team has been decimated by graduation. The real world claimed three of Penn's top four starting pitchers and the offensive power of second-team all-Ivy third baseman Rob Naddelman and honorable mention all-Ivy outfielder Tim Henwood. As a result, the Quakers are drowning in confusion, with each player trying to find his role in the rebuilt squad. "People have been speculating about how good our players would be," Greenwood said. "A lot of the young players got an opportunity to prove themselves. We answered a lot of questions by stepping up." To replace the graduates, Penn will resort to a 12-pitcher staff, hoping that a few quality arms emerge. And a number of former backups will step into expanded roles in the field. With two doubleheaders every weekend, there will be plenty of innings to go around until a set rotation is in place. "Whoever's pitching well plays," Mahoney said. "But if we make mistakes, there's someone there to pick us up." In addition to the natural pitchers, many of the position players will be called upon to take the mound when need be. According to the Quakers, they're just going along with the trend in college baseball. Armen Simonian and Mike Shannon have excelled at their dual roles in the past. Shannon led the team last year with 70 hits and was tied for second on the Quakers in both doubles and RBIs. This season, co-captains Shannon and catcher Rick Burt lead the Quakers in batting with .444 and .425 batting averages, respectively. But according to Penn coach Bob Seddon, it will be defense that wins games for the Quakers. "We underachieved on our trip," Seddon said. "We beat ourselves. The negatives in our record are because we made a lot of mental mistakes. These players need experience, and they're going to get better. We've got to do better than that." St. Joe's started off the year with a bang, going 6-3 in its first nine games, including a swing through the South. However, the Hawks have lost seven of their last eight. St. Joe's has also been injury prone, with many key players, including centerfielder Mike Sharkey, a four-year starter and major offensive threat, have gone down with injuries. Last season, the two teams met for what Seddon called "a marathon game." The Hawks eventually pulled out a 13-11 victory, as the teams combined for 31 hits off eight different pitchers. However, St. Joe's returning all-East first baseman Eric Mullen and rightfielder Danny Lauer are "not up to standards" according to Hawks assistant coach Ken Krsolovic. The Quakers are not quite back to championship form yet either. Penn had problems on the basepaths while in Florida. Seddon believes the team needs to focus more on the mental aspect of baseball. Physically, the Quakers are prepared. They are hoping for some cooperation from Mother Nature in order to get the opportunity to play. "We've got to get people to work," Seddon said. "We don't need to go into the [indoor] Annex for a few more days. We don't need a long layoff. We need to play." The Quakers will be splitting up the game into two-inning blocks in order to distribute the playing time evenly. Greenwood is just happy for the chance to prove himself as a starter. "I feel more comfortable in the starting role," Greenwood said. "I just want to pitch two 1-2-3 inning and hand the ball over to the next guy." If only it would stop raining.
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