Coming into the 2014 baseball season with the 2013 CAA pitcher of the year Mat Batts and 2013 CAA earned run average leader Jordan Ramsey (2.34, a career best), it is no surprise that the two are at the top of the Seahawk’s veteran rotation.

As the baseball season starts to heat up, both Ramsey and Batts seek to sustain last year’s consistency and pull out some more wins.

The most effective way the duo prepares for consistent games is by sticking to their set weekly schedules throughout the entire season. They do this both on and off the field, whether it’s team practices, working out in the weight room or just winding down after a hard day.

“I think the pitching staff, we have a pretty good relationship with everybody,” Batts said, which helps create harmony among the team.

Being at the top of the rotation means nothing more to Batts and Ramsey than an expectation to pitch a good game. Anyone who watches or plays a sport knows the value of a good start, as well as how hard it can be to break out of a slump.

After two losses against Indiana State University last week, the team responded by beating regional rival Coastal Carolina on Wednesday. They won two out of three games against West Virginia University over the weekend, and the team hopes to keep up the momentum.

“We started playing better in the last week or so, so we want to build off of that,” Batts said. “I think the offense is coming around, so as the pitching staff we just need to be consistent the rest of the year and give them a chance to get on the board and win more games.”

For both Batts and Ramsey, the pressure of being “top-of-the-rotation guys” doesn’t affect their mindset. Both upperclassmen, their main focus is to consistently pitch to the best of their abilities and be an asset to the team.

Batts is a left-handed and Ramsey is right-handed, and although their pitching preparations are essentially the same, their style of pitching is quite different from one another. During a weekend series, the team’s strategy is to start Batts for the first game and Ramsey for the second, in an attempt to throw off the opposing team. 

“He [Batts] starts on Fridays and I go out and compete on Saturdays,” Ramsey said. “We just try and set a good tone for the weekend.”

“You want to set the tone in the first two games of the series, which are most important,” Batts said.

With the control and precision of Batts’ pitching followed by the power behind Ramsey’s, the pair creates a good balance.

“We’re pretty opposite in the way that we pitch, so, yeah, I think that helps for him to come in and throw the day after I do. They [the opposing teams] have to make adjustments pretty quickly,” said Batts.

In the team’s most recent weekend series against West Virginia University, they were able to pull out a 2-1 win in a 10-inning game. Batts pitched masterfully but didn’t factor into the decision.

The team struggled the next day, losing 9-3. The loss was Ramsey’s first start in close to two weeks. After being out since March 2 due to a torn fingernail, he struggled with his control, allowing seven earned runs in one and a third innings pitched.  

The Seahawks bounced back on Sunday, ending the weekend with a 13-10 win. It was the first series win of the season for the team.

Even with an unsuccessful game under his belt, the team still expects great things from Ramsey this season. If Batts can keep up his consistency on the mound and if Ramsey can fix his control issues, the rest of the season looks bright.