page 12 - The Behrend College Collegian. Thursday, April 30. 1998
Behrend baseball team sets
record for wins in a season
Lions take second in AMCC behind Frostburg State
by Dylan Stewart
spurts editor
II the 1998 spring season for the
Behrend baseball learn is any indi
cation, winning ways for the loons
seem to be on their way for the next
many years to come, as head coach
Paul Benim and the rest of the Lions
squad have built an extremely strong
foundation, capable of being a main
stay regional powerhouse at least
through the remaining twentieth cen
tury, if not longer into the twenty
first.
Behrend recently capped off their
twenty-first victory, breaking the old
record for wins in a season of twenty,
while not to mention reaching the
twenty win plateau for only the sec
ond time in forty-two years.
The Lion squad has a talented
nucleus of young players excited to
return next season to compete for an
AMCC title, while also challenging
to break the record for wins in a sea
son in each year to come.
The 1998 Lion squad featured ap
proximately twenty freshmen and
sophomores, with only one junior
and one senior. With nearly every
player ready to return for the 1999
campaign, with the major exception
of senior captain Marc
Burchanowski, the Behrend squad
will undoubtedly look to blossom
into a more talented and experienced
photo by Jason Blake
Male Athlete of the Year Marc Burchanowski is shown taking a few hacks during BP.
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club in future years ahead.
'I his team has a lot of potential to
be a wrecking ball in the next few
years." said senior captain Marc
Burchanowski. "With so much tal
ent returning, and a fresh group of
recruits coming in. this group will be
a very tough squad to deal with for
opposing teams," added
Burchanowski.
Senior captain Burchanowski is
currently finishing up his stellar four
year career at Behrend as a mainstay
at the catcher position, while also
being one of the Lions’ most potent
offensive threats throughout his stay.
Burchanowski recently capped off
his baseball career by being awarded
the Behrend James Frye Male Ath
lete of the Year Award.
Burchanowski will return next year
to serve as an assistant coach on the
Behrend team.
The Lions' last week of baseball
proved to be a successful one, as the
Lions won six of eight games, with
both losses coming to AMCC cham
pions Frostburg State.
"Our team is performing very
well." said head coach Paul Benim.
"We have won ten of our last twelve
games and are playing good base
ball,” added Benim.
The Lions started their week off by
traveling away to sweep a pair from
Grove City by scores of 8-2 and 9-7.
Game one featured an explosive
twelve hit attack from the Lions, with
sophomore Rob Green shutting down
the opposing team's offense.
Green went the full seven, allow
ing only two runs on five hits, while
striking out four and walking six, to
improve his record to 6-1.
Junior Ryan Smith led the offen
sive attack going 3-4 with a double
and three RBl’s. Marc
Burchanowski, Matt Slavonic, and
David Williams provided the rest of
the offense, as they each came away
with two hits apiece.
Behrend used a four run first and
five errors by Grove City to hang on
for the game two victory by a score
of 9-7.
Freshman Joe Thompson went the
first four innings before David
Oldach, Morgan Saeler, and Ryan
Smith came on to close out the final
three innings, with Smith coming
away with his team leading third
save.
Jeremy Brubaker and Kit Bower
each had tremendous days on of
fense, with each banging out two hits,
not to mention Brubaker stealing four
bases, while Bower swiped three.
The Lions next suffered their only
letdown of the week as they were
swept at home by Frostburg State by
scores of 9-0 and 11 -6.
Sophomore pitcher Ryan
Sports
school
Frederick, who had shut down
Frostburg in their first meeting, didn’t
have the same pinpoint control as be
fore, and was handed seven earned
runs on eleven hits in five innings
pitched.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today,”
said Frederick. “With a team like
Frostburg, any little mistake you
make with a pitch will cost you,”
added Frederick.
Justin Kline came on to shut down
Frostburg in the final two innings, al
lowing only two hits in putting out
the fire.
Marc Burchanowski was the sole
Lion to pack a bat, as he went 2-3
with two singles.
Game two was rocky from the start
as the Lions let up eight runs in the
first two innings, before making a
comeback at the end to fall short 11 -
6.
Although sophomore pitcher/out
fielder Corey Walters is having a fine
offensive year, the hurler is still bat
tling through rotator cuff problems.
Walters showed a brave and valiant
effort in battling through the pain,
only to get the living snot kicked out
of him for the second consecutive
start in a row. Walters gave up four
earned runs on three hits in one in
ning pitched. Walters will undergo
serious arm rehabilitation treatment
during the summer to get himself
back and healthy for next year’s sea
Offensively, Joe Thompson was 2-
3 with one RBI and one run scored,
while Ryan Smith was 1-2 with two
RBl’s, and one run scored.
A two game thrashing of Theil Col
lege followed up for Behrend, with
both Rob Green and Ryan Frederick
combining to not allow a single run
in the 8-0, 7-0 victories.
Rob Green set the single season
strikeout record for Behrend in game
one with seventy, while also tying the
record for wins in a season at seven.
Green struck out twelve, while al-
lowing no runs on only two hits in
seven full innings.
David (Big Willie Style) Williams
got jiggie wit it on the offensive end,
as he was 3-3 with four RBl’s and
one run scored.
Freshman Matt Slavonic contrib
uted going 2-4, with two RBl’s and
a home run.
Ryan Frederick followed up his
previous rough outing in dynamic
fashion, as he struck out ten, while
giving up zero runs, on two hits and
’< t V " Vr *
' *> S* y
photo by Jason Blake
Sophomore first baseman Shawn Headley fields a ground ball
no walks issued in game number two.
Matt Slavonic finished up his fine
day with a 3-4 performance, with five
RBl's and his second home run of the
day.
Jeremy Brubaker was 2-2 with two
doubles and two runs scored in add
ing to the offensive cause in the game
two victory.
The Lions finished up their impres
sive week by taking two from
Oberlin College of Ohio, by scores
of 9-1 and 11-2.
"In our last four games our pitch
ing staff has only given up two earned
runs in twenty-eight innings," said
Benim. “They were dominant against
both Theil and Oberlin,” added
Benim.
Ryan Frederick had another solid
start for the Lions in game one, as he
went the distance, allowing one
earned run on six hits, while striking
out six and walking two.
Matt Slavonic, Corey Walters, and
Michael Thompson each punched out
two hits apiece for the victorious Li-
The Lions slugged their way to the
victory in game two, as they poured
on eleven hits in the 11 -2 victory.
Freshman James Calpin had an
Oscar worthy performance by allow
ing only one earned run on six hits
to pick up the game two victory.
Vt*i‘,
"My arm felt just tremendous to
day," said Calpin. “My curve ball was
breaking tremendously, almost as
hard as a boulder falling straight off
a cliff. I think that all of the oppos
ing batters were tremendously con
fused , and quite honestly looked
hopeless," finished Calpin,
Justin Kline came on to close out
the final inning, by striking out two
and allowing no runs on one hit.
Kit Bower and Joe Thompson each
had three hits and two runs scored,
while Michael Thompson was 2-4
with one RBI and one run scored.
Matt Slavonic knocked in three
RBl’s, while going 2-3 with a double.
Behrend will finish up with two fi
nal doubleheaders to wrap up their
regular season, before maybe having
a chance to compete in the EC AC
playoffs which will be announced in
about one week.
If everything goes as planned for
the Lions, they could win their last
four regular season games and fin
ish up with a record of 25-10.
“You want your team to get a little
bit better every day and improve, and
understand the game, program and
philosophies. This team has done a
great job. Perhaps we can continue
winning and have a shot at a
postseason opportunity (ECAC),”
finished Benim.