March 15, 2003
The scouting report on Chris Ard?
"Great work ethic," said Citadel baseball coach Fred Jordan, recalling his first impressions of the Bulldogs' third baseman. "Very nice defensive actions. We really recruited him as a defensive role player."
That scouting report needs to be updated. Fourteen games into his sophomore season, Ard has expanded his role considerably. The 6-2, 180-pounder from Stratford High School is showing there is more to his game than a glove.
Ard was named Southern Conference player of the week after turning in a remarkable five-game stretch last week. Over those five games, he went 12 for 17 at the plate ñ a ridiculous batting average of .706 ñ and belted two home runs while driving in five runs. In a three-game series at Western Carolina, Ard had nine hits in 10 at-bats.
"I squared up some balls, but I didn't square up everything," Ard said. "Things are just going my way right now, I guess. It feels pretty good, though."
Said Jordan, "Chris had a week a lot of players dream about. But it's directly the result of his hard work, and some great pitch selection."
As the 6-8 Bulldogs prepare for three games with SoCon foe Wofford this weekend ñ a 1 p.m. doubleheader today and a 1 p.m. game Sunday ñ Ard's torrid week has him batting a team-best .520 with 26 hits in 50 at-bats. He's also tied for the team lead in homers (three, along with catcher Jason Randall) and runs batted-in (13, along with first baseman Chip Cannon).
Not bad for a guy who hit .250 with one homer and 16 RBIs all of last season, when Ard started 40 games as a freshman.
"Chris typifies what we like to think of as The Citadel mentality," Jordan said. "He's an extremely hard worker. He was not highly recruited out of high school, but due to his love of the game, he's developing into a very nice college player."
Ard, who batted .404 as a senior at Stratford, comes by that approach naturally. Jordan instilled that approach during eight years at Stratford, and over the years the Knights and current coach John Chalus have sent many players down I-26 from Goose Creek to The Citadel.
"Coach Jordan kind of built that program, and it is run the way things are run down here," Ard said of Stratford. "Hard work and just getting after it."
Ard learned to love baseball by watching Atlanta Braves games with his grandfather, the late Tad Myers. His parents, Jamie and Margie, both hit groundballs to him in the backyard, and the young Ard dreamed about one day playing for the Stratford varsity.
"David Griffin was my favorite," Ard said, recalling another former Bulldog from Stratford. "I just liked the way he played, always getting after it, getting his uniform dirty every game. I guess that's one way to evaluate yourself ñ if you are dirty after every game, then you know you put everything you had into it. That's why I looked up to him."
The only damper on Ard's week was the Bulldogs' two losses at Western Carolina, getting the Bulldogs off to a 1-2 start in SoCon play.
"I would trade it all and be 0 for 10 if we could have had three wins up there," he said. "I'd do that any day."
NOTES
-- Wofford is 2-12 and off to an 0-3 start in SoCon play after getting swept by College of Charleston last weekend.
-- The Bulldogs will adjust their pitching rotation a bit, with senior Matt Hamer (2-0, 5.31 ERA) working out of the bullpen and as a starter, Jordan said. Hamer, who was 9-2 with a 1.51 ERA as a set-up man last year, will be available for today's doubleheader out of the pen; if he doesn't pitch today, he can start Sunday. Sophomores Ryan Owens (0-3, 8.44 ERA) and Jon Ellis (2-1, 3.60 ERA) will continue to start, with freshman Ken Egleton (1-1, 2.89 ERA) ready to start if Hamer is not. Sophomore Shannon Sprouse (1-1, three saves) will continue to close. "Those are our core five," Jordan said. "Matt wants to pitch every day, and he's comfortable in that role. We'll utilize him in both roles now that Owens and Ellis have shown they can give us quality starts."
