Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball Athletes Compete in Summer Leagues
9/17/2003 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 17, 2003
Lewisburg, Pa. - Eighteen members of the 2003 Patriot League Champion and NCAA Tournament Bucknell baseball team participated in summer amateur baseball leagues across the nation, both to stay on top of their games for their league title defense as well as to pursue their own baseball interests.
Senior Matt Daley (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) who had a team-low 2.28 ERA last season and threw 2 1/3 innings of relief against Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament, threw 32 1/3 innings with a zero-ERA and 39 strikeouts for the Danville (Ill.) Dans of the Central Illinois Collegiate League. His performance drew interest from several major league teams.
Sophomore Phil Futrick (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin) went 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in the Quad-County Optimist League. Last year, Futrick had a 2.93 ERA in 15 1/3 innings, including the final inning of the Bucknell season last year against Arkansas. He also set the Bucknell and Patriot League record for saves with 11.
Senior Kevin Miller (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia), the 2003 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year and team leader in both wins and innings pitched last season, as well as the starter against Texas in the NCAA Tournament, had a 1.11 ERA and went 4-1 for the Columbus All-Americans in the Great Lakes League, holding hitters to a .145 average against him.
Junior Tim Peacock (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Chaminade) went 5-1 with an 0.73 ERA, giving up just two earned runs for the Long Island Astros.
Sophomore Marc Cussatt (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton Area), junior Eric Steinbach (Boalsburg, Pa./State College), sophomore Jacob Moss (Fresno, Calif./San Joaquin Memorial), and sophomore Jon Black (Littleton, Colo./Colorado Academy) also pitched in summer leagues and will return for the 2004 campaign.
At the plate, junior Dave Garrisi (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia), who hit .429 (3-for-7) in limited action last season, played summer ball, as did sophomore Kyle Walter (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area), junior Austin Barrett (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury), junior Gregory Ekimoff (Webster, N.Y./Webster), junior Phil Bunting (Bellaire, Texas/Bellaire), senior Steve Stutzman (Carnegie, Pa./Chartiers Valley), junior Brian Day (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Arcadia), and sophomore Eric Salzer (Englewood, N.J./Dwight-Englewood).
Sophomore Brad Duvall (Hampstead, Md./Hereford) played in a Baltimore league, where he hit .378 with six home runs and 32 runs scored, as well as 17 stolen bases. Junior Matt Belmont (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) played in the College Wood Bat League, where he hit .475 with three homers and 27 RBI for the Throgs Neck Braves.
Bucknell's Patriot League title defense begins February 21 at James Madison University in Virginia, with the first home series March 6-7 against Fordham.
