Injuries plague Ohio, shuffle line-up

by Rob Peirce
THE POST

Jeff Rook must feel a bit like Jose Oquendo.

Oquendo, a former St. Louis Cardinal, was known for playing multiple positions in the same game. Rook, an outfielder in high school, has done the same for Ohio, though he was recruited to play first base.

Late last season, Head Coach Joe Carbone and pitching coach Bill Toadvine decided to convert Rook into a pitcher. Now, he starts most mid-week games on the mound. And he bats for himself, in addition to batting for other pitchers as the designated hitter.

Last week, injuries forced the Bobcats to find two more uses for Rook - as a third baseman and an outfielder.

But Carbone said calling Rook a utility man is a misnomer. Instead, he is a versatile player.

"He can play all those positions even though he's a big guy," Carbone said.

••Outfielder shortage

The need for more outfielders stems from Matt Reed's broken hand, a season ending injury. Reed's absence disrupts the original four-man rotation of Reed, Cory Keylor, Mike Arbinger and Andrew See, and resulted in Rook and shortstop Brian Wingfeld spending some time in the outfield.

"What it's forced us to do is play Andrew See in the outfield a little more than we would like," Carbone said. "He doesn't get enough rest for when he's scheduled to pitch."

This also hampers line-up flexibility and the ability to make moves, Carbone said.

••More injuries, more line-up changes

Reliever Luke Rayburn is also injured, suffering from tendonitis in his pitching arm as well as a strained shoulder. Carbone said Rayburn should be out for only two weeks.

More line-up shuffles come from the hot corner. Kevin Sullivan started in three of the four weekend games against Akron, replacing regular starter Joe Carlone. Sullivan has seen more time because Carlone has struggled, Carbone said.

"He wasn't swinging the bat like I felt he should be," he said. "Sometimes you have to take one step back before you take two steps forward. Kevin has been swinging the bat well, and I thought he deserved to play."

••Awards and accolades

Andrew See continued the Bobcats' success in the awards department, earning MAC Player of the Week honors May 2. He hit .450 (9-for-20) with six home runs, 10 runs scored and nine RBI in five games. See hit three homers in Ohio's 19-18 win over Cincinnati, then had two in Sunday's second game against Akron, in which he also was the winning pitcher.

It was the second straight week a Bobcat won the award and the fifth time in nine weeks that an Ohio player was honored as such. Kent is the only other team to win the award more than once. Ohio pitchers have not fared as well, however, winning Pitcher of the Week just one time.

Ryan Kyes, who was last week's MAC Player of the week, was named a MAC Scholar Athlete on May 2. Kent golfer Jan Dowling was the female winner.

Kyes went 10-for-19 (.526) with 11 runs and five RBI in the Bobcats five games. To be named scholar athlete of the week, athletes must have a cumulative GPA above a 3.0 in addition to success in that week's competition.

••- Michael Canan contributed to this story.••