Posted by JD/TBR on 5/27/2003, 9:01 am Tribune Sports Writer GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. Walters State coach Ken Campbell has said numerous times this season that pitching is the strength of the team, and the Senators will find out just how strong their pitching is tonight when they take on offensive juggernaut and perennial national powerhouse Grayson County of Denison, Texas, in the second round of the 2003 Alpine Bank JUCO World Series. The Vikings of Grayson County (54-13), who won the national championship in 1999 and 2000, have only had to play ten full innings in the tournament, as they have put 26 runs on the board in two games to grab two slaughter rule wins in the fifth inning. The Vikings opened the tournament with a 12-2 victory over Connors State of Oklahoma, and they advanced into the matchup with Walters State by posting a 16-1 rout over Seminole College of Florida on Monday afternoon. Grayson County has put up some gaudy numbers at the plate, including a World Series record tying eight home runs in the game against Seminole. Batters one through eight all had a round tripper in the contest, but the argument could be made that the Vikings have not faced the toughest pitchers in the tournament. That fact will change this evening when the Senators send Eric Blevins to the hill to face the Grayson County lineup. Blevins currently stands at 10-2 on the year with a 2.25 ERA in 92 innings pitched this season, and he has four consecutive complete game victories heading into tonights game. Eric has been a key spark for the team in the last few weeks, and I feel like he has what it takes to get the job done tonight, Campbell said. Obviously, Grayson County can hit the ball very well, so we will need Eric to hit his spots and keep us in the game. Hopefully we can hit the ball just as well tonight as we did on Sunday against Meridian because that could ease the pressure on Eric. If we hit it well, I think we will be right where we want to be at the end of the game. The Viking offense is led by freshman All-America candidate Jorge Lopez of Santo Domingo. The first year outfielder is one of the top hitters in the nation with a .488 batting average, and he has continued to hit well in the World Series. Lopez is also a threat to steal with his tremendous speed, which makes him a dangerous leadoff hitter for Grayson County. Lopez is definitely a tough out at the top of the lineup, Campbell said. He has showed some pop in his bat in the first two games, and he can fly when he gets on base. It will be a challenge to keep him off the bases in the contest. Coming to the aid of Lopez at the plate are catcher Adam Rodgers (.408) and designated hitter Sukhyun Nam (.400). Both Rodgers and Nam had multiple runs batted in on Monday afternoon, and Rodgers had a solo homer in the opening game to go along with a bomb against Seminole. Nolan Mast has also been a tough out as well in the World Series, as he is currently hitting over .450 in the tournament after hitting .395 in the regular season. On the defensive side for the Vikings, their pitching has been decent, but it has not needed to be spectacular due to the offensive explosions in their two contests. The starter for Grayson County has yet to be determined, but Coach Tim Tadlock could put Mark McDonald (10-2) or Jason John (7-0) on the hill for the matchup with Blevins. Whatever Tadlock decides, tonights game should be a pitchers duel between the second ace for Walters State and one of two excellent role playing pitchers for the Vikings. INTERNET RADIO REMINDER: Any fans interested in listening in on the action live from Sam Suplizio Field should visit the JUCO World Series official website at www.jucogj.org. Pregame interviews and previews can be heard approximately 30 minutes before the first pitch of each game played in the tournament.
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By Matt Daniels
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