Eureka has gotten off to a good start in 2013, with a 9-5 record in the early going. Eureka added only a few new names to the roster, including catcher Ronnie Wells via trade to fill the Hornets' biggest hole. So far, Wells has not brought better lumber, going only 3 for his first 42 for an .071 average in the early going.
With a young rotation and more young arms on the way in coming seasons, Eureka took steps to shore up its bullpen in the offseason, (re)signing closer Brad Austin, who was traded to Maple last season and signing setup man Jim Dorsey. So far, the bullpen has proven to be a strength, with the team going 1-0 in extra inning games, and 2-1 in one-run games.
The offense has also been productive in the early going. Cleanup man Eduardo Gomez has 16 RBIs through the first 14 games, and secondbaseman Gary McLernon is batting .479 with a .597 on-base percentage. So far in the early going the team has a .291 batting average, .371 on base percentage, and .467 slugging percentage, with a Thurman Munson League leading 86 runs.
The starting pitching will need to improve for Eureka to maintain good performance, but the early results are encouraging.
