Eastern Baseball
(Press Release 02-18-09)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

McAlester's Justin Klusak was rated as the 151st best prospect in PG Crosschecker's Top 250 Junior College Prospects in the country.

The 13th ranked Eastern Oklahoma State College baseball team swept a double header, 6-1 and 9-4, from 10th ranked Redlands Community College on Saturday (2-18-09) and dropped one to Jefferson College 6-5 Monday (2-16-09). 

Eastern Coach Aric Thomas said Eastern’s baseball team has received a great deal of national attention preceding the 2009 season.

“Collegiate Baseball ranked the Mountaineers 13th in their preseason poll,” he said. “This poll ranks all NJCAA affiliated teams. PG Crosschecker (Perfect Game), which ranks every junior college in the country regardless of affiliation, has placed Eastern 15th in their pre-season poll and the NJCAA’s initial 2009 poll placed Eastern 27th.

McAlester’s Justin Klusak, Tommie Johnson, Oklahoma City U.S. Grant High School and Stephen Hagen, red shirt freshman from Lakebay, WA that transferred to Eastern from Oregon State University have also received national attention he said.

“PG Crosschecker compiles a list of their Top 250 Junior College Prospects in the country that was released January 15 and the three Eastern players made the list,” according to the coach.

Hagen was listed as the 56th best prospect in the country. He plays third and first base for the Mountaineers. Klusak, a freshman, listed as 151st best prospect, is an outfielder for Eastern. Johnson, 249th best prospect in the country, also plays outfield.

In Eastern’s Redlands games, Jimmy Johnson (1-1) picked up his first win of the year in game one from Redlands.  Johnson threw five innings and allowed just one unearned run on four hits.  Seth Terry threw the final two innings without allowing a hit or run and struck out three batters.  Offensively the Mountaineers scored all the runs they needed in the first two innings.  In the bottom of the first, Bryce Killingsworth led off with a single.  After a Jeff Scardino sacrifice bunt and an error moved Killingsworth to 3rd base, Casey McCollum stepped to the plate and drove a sacrifice fly to right field.  In the second inning, Killingsworth plated two runners with a single.  After stealing 2nd and 3rd base, Killingsworth scored on a ground out by Scardino.  Eastern added two more runs in the 5th inning with the key hit being a two out double by Jesse Santo.  Killingsworth was 2-3 with two runs scored, two RBI’s and two stolen bases.  Santo went 2-2 with a walk, run scored and a RBI.

In game two, Jeff Scardino helped pitch and hit the Mountaineers to victory.  He tossed a complete game five hitter to pick up his first win of the year.  Scardino also struck out five batters while not allowing a walk.  Offensively, he went 3-3 with a double, two runs scored, RBI and a sacrifice bunt.  Stephen Hagen blasted an opposite field home run while going 2-4 with two runs scored and four RBI’s. Bryce Killingsworth went 2-4 and Brady White added a two RBI double.

The Mountaineers took the field again on Monday for the scheduled home game against Jefferson County which was moved to Connors State College, Warner, due to wet field conditions on the Wilburton campus.  The two teams played a single nine inning game with Eastern losing by one (6-5).

Eastern’s next home game is slated for Sunday (2-22-09) on the Wilburton campus against Fort Scott Community College.