Rochester, Mich. (Jan. 20, 2005) ???C Under the direction of first-year head coach Dylan Putnam, Oakland???s baseball squad had a very productive fall season and has much to look forward to for 2006. Nineteen Golden Grizzlies from last year???s team return to the diamond this spring, along with a talented crop of newcomers that includes nine transfers and seven freshmen, several of which are expected to contribute immediately. The Golden Grizzlies are currently involved in individual training with team practice less than three weeks away. After a successful fall practice season, OU has a great deal to be excited about this year and, as Putnam feels, they should be well equipped to face the road ahead. Following are some of the coach???s comments on the team???s fall workouts: ???Our staff got a great chance to see what our student-athletes could do on the field this fall, which turned out to be much more than we expected. The returning players are very talented and have really bought into the attitude, excitement and discipline we want to instill. The newcomers also did a great job of adapting to their new environment and showed their talent as well. Everybody involved in the program, from the administration, to the support staff, to the student-athletes themselves, have come together in a tremendous working chemistry. ???Our pitching led the way for the first half of the fall with everyone on the mound competing intensely for their team throughout the whole season. Both the veterans and newcomers alike did very well as our staff began to evaluate and put together a rotation for this spring. ???The bats really came alive in the second half of the fall as each player adjusted to the team???s aggressive-minded offense. Coach John Musachio really did a great job of establishing our offensive philosophies. It became very apparent that our guys quickly got into our high energy, aggressive offense, both at the plate and on the bases. With the high number of intra-squad games we were able to play, we had the chance to see a lot of guys at a lot of different positions and we feel very strongly that we???ll be able to make marked improvements in all three areas (pitching, defense and offense). ???Never in my life have I seen, from top to bottom, everybody working with such excitement and singular purpose in driving a program to a championship level. We can honestly say that everyone worked as hard as possible on the field, in the classroom and in the community. In fact, the team did so well during the fall that we were forced to re-evaluate our goals for the 2006 season and push up our timeline for success. Beginning with this season, we will annually look to hit the 40-win benchmark, make the Mid-Con Tournament, qualify for the NCAA Tournament and, most importantly, achieve the highest team grade point average in the OU Athletics Department. These are big-time goals, but we expect big success.??? With an overall team GPA of 3.05 during the Fall semester and several community service projects already under their belts this year, the Black and Gold are well on their way to a truly successful season. Part of Oakland???s anticipated success this spring is expected to come from its veteran pitching staff. Two of last year???s top three hurlers are back for their senior seasons as Kevin Hale (Columbus, Ohio) and Aaron Hines (Coal City, Ill.) look to finish out their careers on a high note. Hines finished with the staff???s best record in 2005 at 4-5, while Hale picked up a big win against conference-champion Oral Roberts and was credited with the save at 2005 Big Ten champ Ohio State. Several of OU???s relief pitchers will be back on the mound this year, including Bryan Bishop (Okemos, Mich.) who led the Grizzlies in saves last season. Also back for 2006 is Dan Stinchcombe (Allen Park, Mich.) who was unavailable last year due to injury. Several position players from last year???s starting lineup will take the field once again this February, including second team all-conference junior Chad Winkler (Port Huron, Mich.). The third-baseman finished second for OU in 2005 with 45 hits and 13 doubles, and was one of the squad???s most successful base runners, going 9-for-11 in stolen base attempts and recording 72 total bases. Also back is senior outfielder Tim Doig (Farmington, Mich.) who paced the team with 169 at bats last season, racking up 43 hits in his 47 games. A few new standouts on the team include Andy Shepherd (Rapid City, S.D.), Andy Brinker (Grant, Mich.) and Justin Wilson (Palmyra, Mich.). Coach Putnam had a chance to see his new crew in action during the fall, and liked what he saw in his new players. Shepherd, a junior transfer from Northeastern J.C., ???is a versatile player who can position anywhere on the field,??? the skipper commented. ???Andy will start at second base and hit towards the top of the lineup while hitting for average and for some power numbers.??? Brinker, a junior transfer out of St. Clair County C.C., ???is a very good ???catch and throw guy??? and will be the primary catcher to start the season,??? said Putnam. Finally, Wilson, a true freshman, ???is an exciting athlete who will work his way into the lineup through the outfield, DH and even on the mound,??? his coach said. ???He brings a much needed left-handed bat and arm to the program.??? With a challenging schedule ahead, the Golden Grizzlies will rely on both experience and talent to lead Oakland to a successful season. Coach Putnam and his staff are confident they have the tools to accomplish their goals and more in 2006.