By ANDREW GRIEVE

Contributing Reporter

One might have thought that the Oakland University Theatre Department had taken up residence at the OU Baseball Field for the past three months.

The 2008 Grizzlies’ baseball season will likely be remembered for featuring more drama than “Chekhov in Yalta,” instead of victories on the diamond.

A Grizzlies loss against Southern Utah on May 17 capped off a disappointing season that ended with a 15-30 overall record (7-14 Summit League) that failed to qualify them for postseason play. The finish marks OU’s eighth consecutive losing season and first under new head coach John Musachio.

The Grizzlies didn’t begin the season as they might have liked, starting 2-12 in an early spring schedule dotted with seven postponed or canceled games. After the harsh weather subsided, the Grizzlies improved, going 12-8 until early May.

However, spring fever hit OU hard, and the Grizzlies dropped nine of their last ten games en route to their final mark of 15-30.

The season was not a total loss, as juniors Andrew Stafford and Taylor Traub were selected to the All-Summit League second team.

The two managed an effective 6-3 combination for the Grizzlies all season long; Stafford bringing the power with five homers and 34 RBI, while Traub improved his batting average over 100 points to .303.

Traub will also be remembered for bringing one of the few bright spots to OU’s rough year, a walk-off single on May 4 against IPFW that secured a memorable 7-6 victory for the Grizzlies.

The loss at Southern Utah also meant the loss of seven senior players, including three from the starting lineup. The Grizzlies bid farewell to outfielders Justin Murdock and Dustin Joffrion, as well as pitchers Matt Trausch, Mike Takashima, Dan Stinchcombe, Brad Noel and Ben Darga.

Takashima and Trausch were considered the 1 and 2 starters for the Grizzlies this season, collectively accounting for 165.2 of all innings pitched and finishing with a combined 4-11 record.

It will be up to Musachio to recruit talent that can replace and exceed the marks that these graduates have set.

The Grizzlies have reason to be excited next season, if only on account of growing older. Indeed, as Musachio continues into his second season with the team, he is expected to become more suited to handle issues that hurt the Grizzlies this season, such as weaknesses the in the defense.

The Grizzlies finished sixth in the Summit League in team fielding, with 70 total errors on the season.

In addition, several position players will be expected to perform better with another season under their belts.

Junior Justin Wilson, who Musachio tabbed as one of the “best players in the region and best outfielders in the country” in a February 2008 issue of the Oakland Post, took a step backwards from his stellar 2007 season in which he led OU with a .350 batting average and placed first team All-Summit League.

Wilson didn’t reach the All-Summit League team this season, hitting .338 with seven homers and 23 RBI.