Taking Names and Keeping Score
Leading the way
Charlie Anderson
The University of Mobile baseball team had moved up to the # 8 spot in the NAIA Top - 25 when the poll was released last Wednesday, March 19 by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Sporting a 23 - 7 record at the time the Rams collected 321 votes to move from their previous spot at # 16 to the new level. In addition to their fine overall record the young men from the University located in North Mobile had a 17 - 1 conference record as well which was also impressive when you consider that three of their fellow conference members LSU-Shreveport, William Carey, and Belhaven entered the week with records of 21 - 8, 21 - 10, and 24 - 9 respectively. Since that time the Rams have taken another three game set from GCAC opponent Loyola University of New Orleans over the weekend to improve to a season mark of 26 - 7 and a conference record of 20 - 1.
Two of the reasons why the Rams are doing so well this season come from right here in Thomasville. Jesse Luker and Matthew Sparks, who not too long ago were stars on the baseball diamond for the Thomasville High School Tigers, are both playing an integral part in the success of the 2008 Rams.
 | | Matthew Sparks and Jesse Luker. |
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Luker who graduated from Thomasville High School in 2004, signed with the University of Mobile at that time and has been an important part of the Rams pitching staff all four years he has been in the program. Now in his senior year, he holds the University record for innings pitched in a career with 261 and counting. At this juncture he is also only 19 strikeouts away from the career strikeout record and four wins away from the all-time win record in the program. Recently for his one hit pitching performance against McKendree University the southpaw was named pitcher of the week in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and Region XIII for the week ending March 16, 2008. In that game in addition to allowing only one hit and holding them scoreless he fanned 10 Bearcat hitters. Thus far this season Luker, who is usually the Friday starter for the Rams on every three game weekend series, has posted a 6 - 1 record with 43 strikeouts in 54 innings of work and has an era of 2.50. Four of his six wins this season have been complete games which is an accomplishment in itself in this era when starters rarely go the distance in a game. In his most recent outing against Loyola, a 10 - 3 win, he pitched seven innings in which he allowed three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five.
Sparks, who graduated from Thomasville High School in 2005, signed with Bishop State Community College initially and played two years there as the starting catcher for the Mobile based school. After completing his eligibility there last spring he signed with the University of Mobile where this season as a junior he has been splitting time behind the plate with fellow junior Cliff Downey. At the plate he is currently hitting .214 with one homerun, a slugging percentage of .345 and an on base percentage of .389. Over on defense which has long been his forte, Sparks currently holds a fielding percentage of .984 with only one error this season and has thrown out four of the seven base runners who have attempted to steal on him.
As the Rams continue the outstanding season they are having and hopefully carryover that success into post season play, the families of these two fine young men as well as the rest of us here in Thomasville can take great pride in claiming these two outstanding athletes as our own and be proud of what they have and are accomplishing at the University of Mobile. Having seen them in action when they were leaders on the Thomasville Tiger baseball teams in the past we know they will continue to do their part and help to lead the way in whatever successes the Ram baseball team enjoys for the balance of the season.
Until next time…….be safe!
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