Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball Opens 2006 Season This Weekend
2/16/2006 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 16, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team will begin the 2006 season with three games against West Virginia this weekend at Ernie Shore Field in Winston-Salem, N.C. On Friday, Feb. 17, the squads will play a 3 p.m. contest, followed by a 1 p.m. game on Saturday and close out the weekend with Sunday's match up beginning at noon. The Bison, who were picked third in the Patriot League preseason poll, will face the Mountaineers for the first time since 1910 and hold a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series.
Bucknell enters 2006 with positive expectations after making a return to the Patriot League Tournament in 2005 with a league record of 10-10 during the regular season. The Bison return 22 players from last year's roster, losing only three position players from the 2005 squad. "The team has been a very hard working, focused group through the fall," said head coach Gene Depew. "I'm really pleased with the kind of effort and performance that we had during our six weeks on the field in the fall. The team worked really hard in the weight room, on the strength and flexibility program, as well."
CATCHERS
Depew sees the catching position as the most undefined position in the Bison lineup after graduating seniors Phil Bunting and Matt Belmont last year. Sophomore Shawn Hirsch, who saw limited action as a freshman, has made strides in improving his game over the summer and fall and Depew will look to him to be the team's everyday catcher. Backing up Hirsch at catcher will be junior transfer Alex DeOteris and freshman Zachary Brown.
OUTFIELD
Bucknell's deepest area figures to be its outfield, beginning with the return of three-time all-league center fielder Kyle Walter. Walter hit .329 last season and led the team in runs scored. In left field, senior Chris Grandizio will get the starting nod after appearing in a career-high 30 games last season. Sophomore Austin Turban will provide backup in left after seeing action in 21 games his freshman year. Junior Ryan Gryskevicz returns as the everyday right fielder and will also see time on the mound, once again, as a starting pitcher. In 2005, Gryskevicz hit .292 with 16 RBI and posted a team-best ERA of 2.50 with a record of 3-1. Depew's other options for right field include freshman Dane Grandizio, younger brother of senior Chris Grandizio, and sophomore Chris Pieper, who will also see playing time as a designated hitter for the Orange and Blue.
INFIELD
Both middle infielders return for the Bison in seniors Brad Duvall at second and Matt Capece at shortstop. Duvall saw action in 40 games last season, scored 21 runs and tallied 15 RBI. Capece was third on the squad with a .345 batting average in 2005 and provided speed on the base paths, posting a team-best 12 stolen bases. Junior Dustin Kapson, sophomore Tim Hansberry and freshmen Jared Kuhmerker and Bret Sokirka give Bucknell flexibility in the infield. At third base, junior first team All-Patriot League selection Chris Brannan returns for his second season with the Bison. In 2005, Brannan ranked second on the team with a .353 batting average and a .529 slugging percentage while also contributing 21 RBI. Sophomore Ed Rubbo will provide backup at third after appearing in 13 games as a freshman. After enjoying great success as a freshman, sophomore Jason Buursma will move from third base to become the starting first baseman this season. Last year, Buursma led the squad in batting average, RBI and home runs to earn a spot on the All-Patriot League second team. Buursma is one of Bucknell's other two -way players who will see time on the mound as well after making 12 appearances out of the bullpen in 2005. Sophomores Travis White and Mark Angelo will see some playing time behind Buursma at first.
PITCHERS
Depew feels the Bison have an experienced group of pitchers to lead the staff after graduating just one senior in Tim Peacock last year. Juniors Matt Curry, Nathan Mittag, and Gryskevicz comprise the team's first three starters. Curry is coming off a successful sophomore season in which he started a team-high 11 games on the mound and led all Bison hurlers in wins and strikeouts. Mittag ranked second on the squad with 33 strikeouts in 2005 and was third in ERA. Bucknell will have plenty of options for a fourth starter with senior Ian Rainey, who served as the closer for the Orange and Blue last season, Jacob Moss, who was a key reliever for the squad in 2005, and freshman Andy Campbell, who was impressive in the fall season, along with sophomore Mathew Wilson. "It's just going to be a matter of us doing some experimentation there in the early part of the year. One of those guys will probably end up being the starter and the other guys will be our key relievers," commented Depew. Phil Futrick is expected to have a meaningful role on the staff as a reliever and sophomores Bryan Snyder, Max Goldstein, Ed Kerstetter and freshmen Sean Driscoll, Jimmy Murphy and Chris Yamaguchi will provide depth to the Bucknell pitching staff.
SCHEDULE
The Bison open the 2006 season with a three-game set against West Virginia in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Feb. 17-19, followed by the home-opener, two doubleheaders against Cornell on March 4-5, before heading to the Pepsi Johnny Quick Tournament at Fresno State over spring break. "When we were there in 2001, I thought it was great preparation for our team. It was good competition, an excellent facility and a well-run tournament," said Depew. "We came out of there making some really good progress that helped us go on and have a successful season that year. I'm hoping that we'll be able to accomplish the same result this time." Bucknell will return from Fresno to travel to Penn State and Stony Brook. The team will then play host to non-conference foes Le Moyne and Mount St. Mary's before jumping into Patriot League play with a weekend series at home against Lehigh on April 1-2. "The Patriot League is going to be a very competitive situation as it always is," Depew remarked. "Army returns many of their talented players and will be a real challenge, Navy has a new coaching staff, Holy Cross has a brand new facility and Lehigh and Lafayette have been very competitive the past few years. We should fit in the mix well and I feel we have what we need to match up well against our league opponents."
