Clint Thompson
THOMASVILLE — Six games into the season, the Thomas University Night Hawks are soaring.
Off to a 6-0 start, TU is averaging more than nine runs per game and allowing less than four.
The only thing slowing down the Night Hawks is Mother Nature. TU’s game on Tuesday at Albany State was cancelled due to rain.
TU returns to the field this weekend against NAIA eighth-ranked Embry Riddle.
“It’s definitely the best start we’ve ever gotten off to,” said TU coach Mike Lee, whose team caught a few breaks with its three-game sweeps of Montreat College and Talladega College.
“Montreat was stuck in the gym for about 10 days before they came down, because of the snow,” Lee added. “Us being able to get outside, even as cold as it was the first couple of weeks in January, we were still outside and able to get some work done. Talladega, all the rain we get, they’re getting about twice as much in north Alabama. Their field doesn’t handle it near as well as our does.
“That worked to our advantage, but at the same time, I think these guys were ready to play. They’ve come out swinging the bats. Pitching has stepped up, at least in the first couple of weeks. Their job is to hold them until the bats get going. Fortunately, the bats are doing pretty well right now.”
TU has scored five runs in each game. It has reached double digits in three of the six contests, including an 18-run performance in its opener against Montreat College. The Night Hawks have belted nine home runs, three by senior infielder Adam Duncan. Catcher Rick Howroyd has two. Four other guys have one each.
“We’ve got some kids that can get it out of the yard in a hurry,” Lee noted. “At the same time, we can’t count on that. We’ve got to work a little bit harder and execute a little bit better on moving guys around. We’re getting the bunts down and moving guys along the bases. But we’ve still got some work to do.”
The Night Hawks have six players with at least five RBIs, led by Joey Kampfer’s and Matt Wilson’s seven.
TU will get a good barometer of how it stacks up in the NAIA in the upcoming weeks. It starts with Embry-Riddle this weekend. The Eagles are 3-1.
“They’re going to be good just like they always are. Even after that it doesn’t get any easier with Brewton Parker, and then we go to the No. 4 team in the country, Southern Poly,” Lee added. “We’ll know by the end of February where we stand and what we need to work on. Just like everybody else the whole goal is to get to the playoffs and be peaking at the right time. That’s what we’re looking to do.”
TU will play a single game against Embry-Riddle at 4 p.m. on Friday.
A doubleheader will be played on Saturday, starting at noon. All games will be played at Varnedoe Stadium.
