A New Crusade

SELINSGROVE, Pa. — The 2000 season was a challenging experience for the Susquehanna University baseball team. Despite playing all of its home schedule at nearby Selinsgrove High School and lacking a practice facility for most of the second half of the season, the Crusaders still managed to qualify for the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs and come within one game of an NCAA tournament berth.

With five everyday starters and four regular pitchers returning from a squad that posted a 13-16-1 overall record and an 8-6 mark in the Commonwealth Conference, the Crusaders are optimistic that this team can contend for a playoff berth and the automatic NCAA Tournament bid that goes to the postseason champion.

Furthermore, the newly renovated Harold Bollinger Baseball Field will be ready for play in 2001. Weather permitting, the Crusaders will open the new era at Bollinger Field on March 17 at 1 p.m. against defending Commonwealth champion Elizabethtown.

Third-year head coach Tim Briggs, who earned Commonwealth Coach of the Year honors in his rookie season of 1999, will lean on a deep and talented senior class to help push the Crusaders toward their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1995.

Joining Briggs on the bench this spring are second-year assistant Sean Noonan and the Crusaders' 2000 Commonwealth Conference batting champion in Chad Walters.

THE INFIELDERS

Experience is the name of the game here, as the four starters in the infield have combined for nine letters during the Crusader careers. Still, Briggs believes that several incoming players could make a push for one or more of the starting positions as the season unfolds.

At first base will be senior Lyle Hosler (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township H.S.). A three-year starter, Hosler hit .330 with three doubles and 20 runs batted in last spring after earning Commonwealth League second-team All-Star honors as a sophomore. His ratio of one strikeout every 5.58 at-bats is the fourth-best in school history.

While his offensive contributions have certainly helped the Crusaders win ball games, Hosler is perhaps even more valuable and talented in the field. After handling his first 239 chances without an error, he owns the second-highest career fielding percentage in Susquehanna history at .992.

“Lyle’s one of our solid returnees. He’s just that guy as a coach you can trust,” said Briggs.

Five-foot-11, 240-pound sophomore Scott McQuiggan (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown H.S.) also might see some time at first and get some rips at DH with his big, left-handed bat.

Senior Chris Knickerbocker (Hampden, Maine/Hampden Academy) will be the starter at second and bat lead-off. A spot starter in each of his first two seasons, Knickerbocker blossomed into a Commonwealth Conference second-team All-Star last season as he hit .385 with four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs for a .527 on-base percentage.

At shortstop will be last year's starting third baseman, junior Matt Springman (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville H.S.). Springman hit .247 last year, with two doubles, 14 RBIs and 18 runs scored.

Junior Lee Rogers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry H.S.) will split time with Springman at shortstop. Last season, Rogers compiled a .407 average with six runs batted in only 27 at-bats as a spot starter at short.

Senior Mike Sauers (Mifflinburg/Mifflinburg H.S.) saw some varsity time at third last season and is expected to be the starter as the season begins.

Shaking things up a bit is the addition of sophomore transfer Jason Yablonski from Beaver College.

Yablonski (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock Area H.S.) was a Pennsylvania Athletic Conference first-team All-Star at second base last season

“He is somebody who is going to be hard to keep out of the lineup,” said Briggs. “I think he is someone who has to play everyday.”

Rounding out the infield will be freshmen Ben Nyce (Elliotsburg, Pa./West Perry H.S.) and Andrew Pratt (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood H.S.).

THE OUTFIELDERS

Senior Josh Pahl (Northumberland, Pa./Shikellamy H.S.) is the only returning starter in the outfield. Last season he enjoyed a breakthrough year as he finished third on the team in batting average at .366. He led the team with four home runs and added four doubles to his power numbers in posting a .429 slugging percentage. He also looked good in center field, garnering only one error in 53 chances for a .981 fielding percentage. He is expected to bat fifth or sixth in the lineup.

Senior Mark Barnes (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg H.S.) looks like the favorite for the starting job in left after being a spot starter in his first three years. Barnes was hitless in 14 at-bats last season but handled five chances without an error.

Sophomore Clay Nixon (Perrineville, N.J./The Peddle School) looks to take the job in right field. Last season, Nixon made the team as a catcher but was injured before the season started. This year, he has moved to right field and has shown promise.

The rest of the outfielders are freshmen, who may see increased playing time as the season progresses. Among them are Nate Trick (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville H.S.), Gerohn Lanns (Pickering, Ontario/Pickering H.S.) and Josh Fuller (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain H.S.).

“We probably aren’t as experienced, but I’m really a little more excited this year than I have been in other years with the outfielders,” said Briggs. “I’m impressed with the actual athletic ability of the outfielders."

THE PITCHERS

The 2001 season will be a challenging experience for Briggs’ crew of pitchers. With the graduation of ace righthander and Commonwealth Conference first-team All-Star Andy Berwager (5-4, 4.57 ERA), the rest of the staff will be pressed to step up their performances in 2001.

“The pitching staff is definitely a question mark,” said Briggs. “It’s young and deep though, and deep is something we haven’t had (in recent years).”

Only four regular pitchers from last season return and only senior left-hander Josh Shipton had a regular role as a starter.

Shipton (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg H.S.) pitched 45 1/3 innings last season en route to a 4-3 record. Among his victories were Commonwealth Conference wins against perennial league favorites Widener, Elizabethtown and Messiah.

Junior Patrick Quillian (Nichols Hills, Okla./Casady H.S.) will also look to help eat conference innings this year. Quillan pitched in seven games last year, starting five, and finished with a 1-1 record with one save and 7.77 ERA in 22 innings.

Junior John Jezorwski (Moosic, Pa./Riverside H.S.) will also see action in the starting rotation. Jezorwski pitched 23 1/3 innings in seven games (three starts), and finished with a 2-3 record and had an 8.87 ERA.

“Josh Shipton, Pat Quillian and John Jezorwski are going to be go-to guys,” Briggs said.

Rogers looks to assume the role of closer after leading the team in saves with two last season. Rogers is the most consistent of the pitchers coming back this season, as he led the team last year with a 3.72 ERA in 36 1/3 innings despite finishing with an 0-4 record.

“I’d like to use Lee more in a closing role this year as opposed to last year,” Briggs said. “Last year, he started a lot and kind of got worn out. Lee is kind of a power pitcher and can really make the mitt pop.”

The Crusaders will look to a group of freshman to bring the added dimension of depth to the team.

Three lefties will fight for innings during the season — Adrian Bordner (Trevorton, Pa./Line Mountain H.S.), Adam Martin (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor H.S.) will see action down south and will be joined by Jeb McNeil (Old Saybrook, Conn./Old Saybrook H.S.) upon returning to Pennsylvania.

Right-handers Joe Guistina (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport H.S.) and Trick will also help bring balance to the bullpen.

Briggs also may get use out of Pahl and Springman on the mound as well.

THE CATCHERS

Junior Travis Zook (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley H.S.) returns as the starting backstop. Zook came on as a freshman to not only earn the team’s starting job at catcher, but also become the best defensive catcher in the league.

As a sophomore, Zook gunned down 19-of-39 potential base stealers while committing just five errors in 187 chances, and broke through at the plate by hitting .366 with six doubles, three home runs, 23 runs and 27 RBI.

“I think he is the best in the MAC defensively,” said Briggs. “Travis is somebody who has made us as a defensive team and kept runners from stealing bases.”

Backing him up will be sophomore Ben Clift (Downingtown, Pa./Blair Academy) and freshman Bob Haile (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy H.S.). Because of the rigors of catching, Briggs expects either of them to get time either down south or during the season. Haile will also see time as a utility infielder at first or third base.

THE SCHEDULE

Susquehanna will tune up for the 2001 season by playing seven games in five days at the Cocoa (Florida) Expo. After returning north on March 10, the Crusaders will play their first game at the new Bollinger Field on March 17 against Elizabethtown.

Sixteen of the Crusaders’ 28 scheduled games are against teams that finished with winning records in 2000, including a March 19 matchup at Division II Lock Haven. Susquehanna will also host a Division II opponent as local rival Bloomsburg will visit on April 4.

Unlike previous years, when only the top two finishers in the league advanced to the postseason, this year’s postseason tournament will be a four-team double-elimination affair that is scheduled to begin on May 2 and conclude on May 4-5 at Quakertown.

In addition to the twinbill with defending league champion Elizabethtown, another game to watch this spring will be an April 7 twinbill with Lebanon Valley at Bollinger Field. Last season, the Crusaders were swept by the Dutchmen on the road, including a controversial 3-2 loss in a game that saw Lebanon Valley score the game-winning run on a disputed force play on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh inning. The game had been postponed two days earlier with Susquehanna holding a 3-0 lead.