Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Batsmen Open Season Saturday at James Madison
2/17/2004 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 17, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team will get its season underway on Saturday at noon at James Madison, beginning the road back to the NCAA Tournament that they traversed last season. Unlike last season, when snow wiped out every game until the Bison's annual Spring Break trip to Florida in March, weather for the opening weekend in Harrisonburg, Va., looks just fine for baseball. The Bison will start a trio of righthanders against the Dukes, with seniors Kevin Miller and Matt Daley going on Saturday, and sophomore Phil Futrick on Sunday.
The Bucknell nine had one of the finest seasons in its long history in 2003, equaling the team record for most Patriot League wins in a season and of course capturing its third NCAA Tournament berth in eight seasons. As proud as the 2003 campaign was, the Bison are back for more in 2004. "We have an experienced team with great potential and very talented pitchers. There are seven returning starters from last year's championship team and I'm optimistic about our chances for success," said Head Coach Gene Depew.
Phil Bunting will headline a group of three junior catchers in 2004, as Austin Barrett and Matt Belmont will provide depth at the position. Barrett had the best batting average of the three at .296 in 2003, but Bunting started 34 games to Barrett's 16. Bunting had two of the team's 17 home runs last season and provided tremendous help defensively during Bucknell's league title run.
The Bison graduated three of the four pitchers on its 2003 roster with multiple wins, in Zachery Allen (6-3, 2.56), R.J. Grant (5-3, 4.86), and Kevin Burns (5-1, 3.48), but have a solid starter coming back in Kevin Miller and look to bring other hurlers to prominence in 2004. Miller equaled the team record for pitching wins in a season with his 8-2 record and 3.68 ERA.
While Miller will be Bucknell's number one starter and was the 2003 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year, Matt Daley looks to earn the number two starter's spot following an excellent season of summer league baseball. Daley was primarily a reliever last season, with a team-low 2.28 ERA in 27.2 innings pitched.
Bucknell will also return sophomore Phil Futrick, who earned 11 saves, setting a Bucknell and Patriot League single-season record. Futrick can capture Bucknell's career record as well as the league record with four more saves, though he may figure most prominently in the starting rotation. Either Futrick or senior Cory Nadler will hold down the third starter's role. Nadler accrued a 4.98 ERA last season in 21.2 innings pitched.
Bucknell returns three of its four infielders in 2003, excluding B.J. Batterson, who manned the hot corner at third base. Brian Day figures to start at first base, while tri-captain Sam Moss will be at second base, Patriot League batting champion Ben Stoll at shortstop, and Steve Stutzman warming up to the third base role.
Day started 37 games last season and hit .265 with 30 hits and 25 RBI. Pete Wolf, who may also see time at first base, will serve as the team's designated hitter this season. Wolf, a tri-captain along with Moss and Stoll, tied for second on the team in home runs with three, in addition to hitting .272.
Moss was the team's second-leading hitter among regular starters at .318 last year, and will have sophomore Brad Duvall behind him at the position. Duvall appeared in seven games last season. The other half of the 4-6 combination finds Stoll at shortstop. Stoll won the league's batting title last season after hitting .376, starting 38 games with team highs in hits (50) and doubles (nine). Stoll and Moss regularly hit first and second in the Bucknell lineup, providing RBI for the heart of Bucknell's order.
Replacing B.J. Batterson at third base will be senior Steve Stutzman, who participated in 18 games last season and hit .211. Stutzman will be backed up by junior Ken Kniss, who rejoins the team after being a member of the squad his freshman year.
Two of Bucknell's three starting outfielders in 2003 will be back to defend the team's Patriot League crown. The newcomer will be in left field, as sophomore Chris Grandizio, a converted shortstop with range enough to handle the outfield role, takes over for Ben Krentzman. Grandizio hit .273 while participating in 18 games last season.
Sophomore Kyle Walter returns to play centerfield. Walter was one of two freshman All-Americans for Bucknell last season, joining Phil Futrick in that honor. Walter hit .308 last year good enough for third on the team among regular starters, and had 41 hits, enough for second on the team to Stoll's 50. The strong-armed centerfielder also had three home runs, tied with Wolf, were also enough for second on the team.
Bucknell's leading home run hitter in 2003, Brian Hirschberg, will start in right field. Hirschberg hit .278 last year with six home runs, one of which was against Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bison will also have great depth in the outfield. Senior Chris Mahony, freshman Ryan Gryskevicz, junior transfer Ilsley Colton, and junior one-time transfer Evan Weiss will also see time in the lineup. Mahony appeared in 13 games last season, while Colton is a transfer from Rollins College and Weiss is in his second year at Bucknell after spending his freshman year at SUNY-Cortland.
The Bison open up with three three-game sets before heading to Florida for their annual spring break trip. Bucknell will head to Harrisonburg, Va., to play James Madison for a doubleheader plus one on Feb. 21-22, followed by a trip to Davidson in North Carolina the following weekend. Bucknell opens its home season with Fordham, a former Patriot League foe, for another doubleheader plus one on March 6-7.
The team will then travel to Bradenton, Fla. from March 14-20 to play Columbia, Vermont, Fairfield, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Dartmouth. Upon their return from Florida, the Bison will have a span of 11 games in 15 days, all at home. That section of the schedule includes one game with Penn State, the opening of the Patriot League season and a rematch of last year's league championship series with Navy, one game with Mt. St. Mary's, and a visit from league foe Lehigh.
From April 9-21, Bucknell will be on the road, first at Army for another league meeting, one game at St. Bonaventure, a Patriot League meeting with Lafayette, and one game with Towson. Bucknell returns home April 24-25 to close the Patriot League season with Holy Cross, visit Pace University May 1-2, and host Temple on May 4. More games may be added to the schedule before the season commences.
The Bison will play for the Temple game not to be their last at home, as Bucknell played host to the 2003 Patriot League Championship Series against Navy that sent the Bison to the NCAA Tournament at Austin, Texas. This year's Patriot League Championship Series will take place on May 8-9 at the school that sits atop the Patriot League standings at the close of the regular season.
