Team anxious for outdoor action, start of season

If IU's baseball players appear anxious, it's probably because they want to go outside and play. \nBecause of poor weather conditions this spring, the Hoosiers have only ventured outdoors to practice twice, coach Bob Morgan said.\nThis weekend, IU is looking to overcome its cabin fever and travel south to Greenville, S.C., to start the 2001 campaign with a three-game series against Furman.\nWhile this will be the Hoosiers' first series of the season, it will mark the seventh time the Paladins have taken the field. Furman is coming into the series with a 6-1 record that included a two-game sweep of Kentucky. Morgan sees that as an inevitable advantage for his opponents.\n"There's no question about it. They've been out, they've seen live pitching; they've had some at-bats where they've already played," Morgan said. "In baseball, you need to play the game, so it can be an advantage, but it can be a disadvantage, too. Maybe they'll tire or take it easy. I don't know. It's a bit early in the season for that."\nOne thing Furman could grow tired of is facing left-handed pitchers. Morgan will start nothing but left-handers for the Hoosiers in the three-game series. Junior Brad Edwards will start the first game, senior David Ferris will start the second game, and junior Matt Rice will close out the three-game set. The three have combined for nearly 300 strikeouts throughout their careers and were members of the Hoosiers pitching team that compiled a 4.86 ERA last season, the best in the Big Ten.\n"The real key there is they'll have an advantage because their guys have had two or three starts already. If any of our starters can go four innings, that's good," Morgan said. "That's a definite advantage for them. Their guys have already been on the mound and pitched 12, 13 innings already, so they can go a little longer. We're going to have to use a lot of kids."\nFerris just wants to get out on the field and play against someone other than his teammates.\n"I haven't pitched since last year, so I'm real excited to go out there and compete against somebody," Ferris said. "I get sick of seeing (my teammates) run these bases. I played during the summer, but it's different going out in the spring. It's a whole different level of intensity, so I'm excited for it. We've got a lot of guys who have been there before, so we'll be all right."\nNot only does this opening weekend give the Hoosiers a chance to get outside, it also gives them a chance to see where they stand. Like Ferris, many members of the team haven't played much since the fall season.\n"It's finally just a chance to get going for real and see where everybody's skills stack up," senior outfielder Blake St. Clair said. "We really haven't had much of a chance to get outside and see what we can do, so it's time for everybody to measure up where they're at and what kind of progress they have made since the fall."\nThis weekend is also a chance for IU newcomers to make their debuts. Seven Hoosiers are coming off redshirt years. Freshman Mark Calkins is one redshirt who will see immediate playing time, starting in left field. Calkins was a redshirt his freshman year at the Citadel before transferring to IU.\n"It's my first series as a Big Ten baseball player and as a college player, and I've been looking forward to it all of my life," Calkins said. "Most of all, I'm looking forward to getting out there and playing with all of my teammates."\nCalkins is the only member of the IU squad that has ever seen Furman play. This is the first-ever meeting between the two teams, so scouting out the opponent is a difficult task.\nCalkins remains confident about the Hoosiers chances of coming out with some wins this weekend, despite their lack of playing time this season.\n"I played against (Furman) at the Citadel, where I came from last year, and I think that I'm expecting a win," Calkins said. "There's no doubt in my mind. I think we can play with anyone right now. We've been working harder than anyone in probably the country, so there's no doubt in my mind, I think we're going to win"