Amherst Dashes Middlebury Hardballers' Postseason Hopes

Author: Jacob Heller

Yogi Berra once said "I ain't in no slump, I just ain't hittin." For the past two weeks the Middlebury baseball team has been playing well but not making enough plays to win. Despite playing solid baseball this past weekend, the Middlebury baseball team fell one game short of the playoffs. To clinch a playoff spot the Panthers needed to take one game from New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Eastern division leader Amherst. The effort was there but Middlebury lost all three games, 10-2, 2-1, 8-7. Not making the playoffs is certainly a disappointment for this Panther team, which started the season so successfully, but the season is a success overall. Middlebury finished the year with an 11-11-1 record and a 7-5 record against their NESCAC divisional opponents. Head Coach Bob Smith explained why this season was truly a successful one: "The level of expectations this team set was as high as any team I have ever coached. Some years I would consider a .500 season a goal to shoot for, not with this team. This team is talented enough to be in the playoffs. We lost some real tough one- and two-run games that kept us out of the playoffs but we proved we could play with anyone."
In the final game against Amherst, Middlebury received a strong pitching performance from Tyler Bak '06. Bak gave up four runs in seven innings and allowed Middlebury an opportunity to win in extra innings. The pitching staff held Amherst in check for 10 innings before surrendering the winning run in the 11th. Ultimately, it was the Panthers' 13 runners left on base that caused the team to fall short. Middlebury allowed Amherst to stay in the game for too long and eventually the Panthers faltered. A one-run lead with two outs in the ninth should have sealed the Middlebury playoff dream, but some timely hitting by Amherst ensured another missed opportunity for Middlebury. Co-captain John Prescott '04 was not surprised by what the team was able to accomplish this season: "It is impossible to measure this team by wins and losses. We played a tough schedule and never quit all season. Team chemistry carried us all season and through hard work we had a shot to make the playoffs. Being a senior it is hard knowing how close we came to the playoffs, but despite falling short of our ultimate goal this season was a huge step forward for Middlebury baseball."
Smith echoed Prescott's statement about the importance of this season for the Middlebury baseball program. The team is certainly on the rise and has only shown improvement in each of the past few seasons. With a lot of promising young talent already on the team and more coming in each year the goal of the playoffs is closer than ever to becoming a reality for Middlebury baseball. Captain Denny Smith '03 assessed the season and the future of the program: "The entire pitching staff is coming back next season and that is remarkable. Russ Budnick '03 was a workhorse for us all season and next year the rest of our young staff will follow him to the next level. This team came as close as any Middlebury team to the playoffs and next season the team is not rebuilding, but reloading for another playoff run," he said.
The team is only losing five seniors and Smith's prediction could very well become a reality.