OCT. 8 — Fall Season Concludes With Fortuitous Results
Leafs get first look at new players in six-game pre-season schedule

Goshen, IN — It may have only been elaborate practices in the eyes of the NAIA, but for first-year head coach Josh Keister the 2005 Goshen College fall baseball season was as important as any regular-season contest.

The Leafs completed their six-game, three-double header “fall ball” slate Saturday against Ancilla College, giving Keister a preliminary chance to see his young players in game action long before it ever will really count. And while the NAIA prohibits teams from keeping official score during these pre-season events, Keister said he was pleased with what he saw on the field.

“We felt as though there were a lot of positives during the fall workouts,” Keister said. “We had a tremendous amount of competition at several different positions and a couple of those spots will end up being determined by who makes the biggest gains in the weight room this winter. We have increased our roster size to 20 players with this year’s recruiting class which should give us the added depth that has held us back the past couple years.”

Goshen will open the 2006 spring schedule coming off a 20-14 2005 campaign, where the team came up just .014 percentage points away from winning the Mid-Central Conference North Division and receiving an automatic bid to NAIA Regional competition. Despite a bittersweet end to last spring’s efforts — Goshen lost to Bethel College in the championship game of the MCC Tournament — a strong nucleus returns for 2006, led by senior pitcher Ben Taylor, the 2005 MCC Player of the Year.

Keister elected to keep Taylor off the mound during the fall scrimmages, hoping to get a closer look at the various new pitching faces on the roster this year. The first-year skipper said now his attention will turn to the indoors.

“How good we are this spring will be determined by how dedicated we are in the weight room this winter,” Keister said. “We have a lot of people, especially some of our younger guys, who are a little bit underdeveloped physically and a big strength gain will make a world of difference for them. This winter is vitally important for us.”

The off-season months will end quickly, as Goshen recently released its 2006 spring schedule (click here for complete schedule) revealing first games in mid-February. A trip to Tennessee will open the season (the Leafs will face Martin Methodist College on the weekend of Feb. 17-18) followed by stops in Alabama and Florida. For Keister, having the opportunity to travel south is a huge advantage.

“It will be nice to get south a week earlier this year giving us a chance to get a few more games in before conference play starts as well as shortening the indoor workouts a little bit,” he said. “By that time, guys are generally ready to get outside and see some live pitching. We’re anticipating a good start to the season with that trip.”

A photo album detailing Goshen’s fall season can be viewed by clicking here. The squad’s 2006 official roster will be released in the coming months. Check back to this website for continuous off-season information, including team news and recruit signings. To contact Coach Keister, call him at (574) 535-7748 or click here to send him an email.