Panther bat attack explodes in Fort Meyers

Author: James Edward Kerrigan

Ten games against five different colleges in eight days tested the depth of Panther Baseball. They split all three of their two-game series with Gettysburg, Macalaster and Albright; beat Babson College and took two of three from NESCAC rival Williams. Six wins and four loses is a good start, especially since it was the team's first time outdoors, but they are not completely satisfied. Head Coach Bob Smith affirmed that the men played well, yet in response to the wins and losses, he noted, "We are better than that."

Offensively, the Panthers looked impressive. For the entire week, they hit for a .329 average, totaled a slugging percentage of .486,and finished with an on-base percentage of .427. The pitching staff finished with a solid 4.46 earned-run average and held the opposition to a Jose Canseco low .253 batting average. Outdoing opponents by wide margins in all of these major categories perhaps could have led to more wins, but it is early. "We are capable of more. A lot of new guys played together as a team - that is what this trip is all about," said Smith. These new players have already added to the team's talent and energy. Fresh pitchers provided solid innings and some new faces brought extra pop to the lineup. Jack Britton '08 struck out seven on his way to a complete game shutout in an 11-0 win over Macalaster. Fellow first-year John Lanahan led the team with three appearances and earned two wins. Justin Wright '08 pitched a magnificent two-hit shutout in a 17-0 romping of Albright. John Lanahan '08 also led the offensive charge for the newcomers. He batted .520 and drove in 10 runs. Junior transfer Noah Walker led the team with 11 RBI's while batting .400. Ryan Whyte '08 hit .346 for the week including a game in which he went two for three and scored one and drove in two. But, like most good teams, Middlebury has a balance.

The veterans, the Greg Madduxs and the Barry Bonds of Middlebury, still proved they are the core of this team. Senior co-captain David Riester posted a 2.31 earned run average (ERA) and gave the club two quality starts. He also led the team with four stolen bases on offense. Russ Budnick '05 threw a team high 16.2 innings, stuck out 16 victims and finished the week with a 1.08 ERA. Ryan Armstrong '06 put up Bonds like numbers: a .548 batting average, a .806 slugging percentage and a .600 on-base percentage. Once he got on the bases, Armstrong was a menace to pitchers, stealing three bases on three attempts. Nevertheless, games are won on the field, not on paper.

After losing the season opener, the Panthers battled back on their second game against Gettysburg. Down 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Middlebury battled back to tie the game. In the bottom of the last inning Joe Ramoin '05 hit a walk-off homerun to earn the first win of the season in dramatic fashion. The next day, Sunday, March 20, the men played their second consecutive double header. Once again, they split the series, this time with Macalaster. In game one, Macalaster broke the 1-1 tie in the ninth and won 4-3. In game two, the Panthers swung the bats well and shut out their opponent in an 11-0 win. Junior shortstop Walker led the way with four hits, three runs scored and four more runs batted in. The following day, they beat Babson in an offensive explosion: 18 hits and 22 runs.

Tuesday, March 22 may have been the strangest day of the trip. In each game, the winning squad scored 17 runs. Unfortunately, Middlebury only scored one in the first game, but managed to shutout Albright in the second. The players and coaches then got two days off.

Rest was certainly in order. Seven hours of baseball on Friday produced two nail-biters. In game one, Williams pulled ahead 10-0 after the second inning. Middlebury played catch-up for the remaining innings and pulled ahead 14-12. In the bottom half of the last inning, Williams scored three and took the game 15-14. Five unearned runs proved costly for the Panthers. In the second game of the day, Middlebury showed their resilience, bouncing back like the Illinois basketball team. Smith was pleased with their effort, "Hanging in there with Williams wasn't easy. The boys could have folded." But they didn't. Smith noted the challenge in coming back after a tough loss and was satisfied with how they dealt with such adversity. In game two, Riester and Britton collaborated to give up only two earned runs. However, five unearned runs made the game closer. In the end, they scored five in the seventh inning to pull ahead and win 8-7. The Panthers finished the trip on high note. They committed no errors and senior Budnick pitched a complete game for the 10-4 win.

Smith met his objectives for the week. "Everyone got a chance to play enough for us to get a good look. We found some new guys who proved themselves. We come home knowing who the top guys are, but we also have more depth than any other team I have coached." The coaching staff was able to find a solid lineup, yet the entire team contributed to the success of the trip. Smith noted how much the players grow on and off the field over the week. "It's a great way for us to begin." The Middlebury club will aim at using their talent and proven depth to carry them deep into the postseason.

The Panthers will resume on Tuesday, April 5 against St. Michaels at 3:00 p.m. followed by a three game weekend series at Amherst.