Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Baseball Opens 2012 Season this Weekend vs. La Salle, Niagara and Davidson
2/17/2012 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 17, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. - There has been plenty of Bucknell baseball news this week: Longtime head coach Gene Depew announced he will retire at the conclusion of the 2012 season; seniors Alex Cillo, David Duffett and Ryan Ebner were named team captains; the Bison were picked in a tied for first in the Patriot League Preseason Poll with defending champion Navy.
With all that off-the-field news behind it, Bucknell is now ready to open its 2012 campaign. The Bison will do just that this weekend in Davidson, N.C. They will face La Salle (12 p.m.) and Niagara (7 p.m.) on Saturday and then wrap up the three-game weekend Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against the host Wildcats. All three contests will take place at Wilson Field.
Ebner, Dan Weigel and Jack Boehm are expected to form Bucknell's starting rotation this weekend.
Below is a closer look at the Bison entering the 2012 season:
Bucknell's streak of winning a Patriot League title in three consecutive seasons unfortunately came to an end last year. With seven regular starters returning to the lineup and one-half of the weekend starting rotation back in Orange and Blue for another year, Bison 31st-year head coach Gene Depew has his sights set on beginning a new streak and competing for the program's sixth Patriot League postseason crown and NCAA berth.
"As always, we want to be in position to contend in the Patriot League, earn a tournament berth and have the opportunity to go back to the NCAA Regionals," said Depew, who will reach 600 career victories if Bucknell can post its fourth 30-win campaign under his watch.
One year ago Depew was trying to recover from losing the top four bats in a record-breaking lineup. This season Depew needs to only replace two hitters, but the graduation of Drew Constable and Doug Shribman leaves a gap in a still-potent lineup. Shribman graduated with his name listed in the top 10 in program history in 14 offensive categories, including No. 1 in home runs (43), while Constable was a career .314 hitter who never made an error in his Bison career.
"Those two guys are going to be difficult to replace, but we certainly have people in those positions that are quality players," commented Depew about the loss of Constable and Shribman. "I think the experienced group we have is going to be a good situation. It shouldn't take us quite as long into the season to be playing at the level we expect."
Depew thinks this year's Bison squad will be a very balanced ball club, mainly due to experience. In fact, 18 current players were part of the 2010 team that captured the Patriot League title and played in the NCAA Tournament.
PITCHING STAFF: Depew and eighth-year pitching coach Scott Heather have a talented 14-person staff that is headlined by senior left-hander Ryan Ebner, the 2011 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year. Ebner helped Bucknell to a 10-1 record in his 11 starts and he posted a stellar 1.97 ERA over his final 64.0 innings pitched to become the first Bison honored as PL Pitcher of the Year since 2003.
"Ryan was solid last year and had a very good fall," said Depew about the 6'7" hurler and team co-captain who had a 22.0 scoreless innings streak in 2011. "He is poised to repeat his performance and be the leader of our staff."
Senior right-hander Jack Boehm is the other holdover from last year's weekend starting staff. The Illinois native has logged more than 100 innings the last two years and has a 7-6 record over that span. Boehm has excellent control and ranks fifth in program history in fewest walks per nine innings (2.39).
The Bison, who returned all four weekend starters a year ago, must replace the graduated Trey Frahler and Dylan Seeley, who were both part of the rotation for three years. That duo registered nearly 500 innings between them over the last four years.
Depew, who has plenty of confidence in his entire pitching staff, sees a number of possibilities for the third and fourth starter positions. Juniors Marcus Garone, Dan Goldstein and Taylor Runge, as well as sophomore Dan Weigel and freshman Bryson Hough, seem to be the frontrunners.
A mid-week starter the past two years, Garone has the most experience beginning games on the mound with six career starting assignments.
After pitching just 4.1 innings as a freshman in 2010, Goldstein posted a strong 3.71 ERA in 17.1 innings last spring. He walked just two hitters in his final nine innings and earned victories over Army and Towson.
"Marcus has done whatever we have needed and will figure prominently in our plans, while Dan is coming off a very good fall and is one of the hardest throwers on our staff," mentioned Depew.
Runge missed his freshman year after undergoing arm surgery, but bounced back to fill a secondary role in the bullpen last year. The tallest player on the team at 6'8", Runge yielded just five hits in eight innings as a sophomore, but walked 15 hitters.
"Taylor has been our project," smiled Depew. "He has ironed out his control issues and had a good fall. He has the capability and mentality to be a starter for us."
Weigel turned into one of the team's top relievers by the end of last year. He pitched 23.0 innings in 14 appearances and yielded just four earned runs over his final seven outings (9.2 innings).
"Dan had some really good outings in the fall and will possibly be one of our weekend starters," said Depew, without mentioning a potential rotation of Ebner (6'7"), Boehm (6'6"), Runge (6'8") and Weigel (6'6") would rival a basketball frontcourt's size.
Depew also noted that Hough was productive during the fall and has a chance to jump right in and contribute.
Senior All-Patriot League selection and team co-captain Alex Cillo will anchor the bullpen, although Depew has also toyed with moving him into the rotation. The versatile righty posted a 0.56 ERA against Patriot League opponents last year, totaling 46.0 innings out of the bullpen. His 1.96 overall ERA led the team and he concluded the year by pitching eight scoreless innings of relief to earn the win in Bucknell's thrilling 1-0 16-inning victory over Navy in the Patriot League Tournament.
"Alex has made improvements every single year he has been here," praised Depew about . "We are still kicking around what his role is going to be, but he is certainly capable of repeating his All-League season. He offers us flexibility, but is so valauable in that setup role that the performance of others will likely determine where we eventually use him."
Two-way players and seniors Matt Lamore and Russell Seidell will also factor into the pitching depth. Lamore, who also plays the outfield and DH, has made 28 appearances on the mound and logged 43.2 innings over the last two years. Seidell, one of four left-handers on the staff, had a solid 4.22 ERA in 11 outings last spring.
Sophomore Jack McLinden rounds out the list of returning pitchers. The lanky right-hander can be used as a starter or reliever after seeing just 5.2 innings of work in 2011.
In addition to Hough, there are four more freshman hurlers that will join the staff in 2012: Tucker Rekucki, Xavier Hammond, Damon Frezza and Jordon Holtz.
"We have 14 pitchers, which is a good number," said Depew. "It's a good, solid group with a lot of balance. They are all heading in the right direction, which is a credit to their approach as well as pitching coach Scott Heather and the job he does with them."
CATCHER: Bucknell has three returning players at catcher, including incumbent starter Scott Reed. A career .266 hitter, Reed started a career-high 45 games last year after splitting duties with All-Patriot Leaguer and future professional player B.J. LaRosa as a sophomore in 2010. Reed, who spent the fall semester abroad in Spain, hit in the cleanup spot much of last year, providing protection for Shribman.
Sophomore Justin Meier returns after a solid rookie campaign. He hit .300 in 21 appearances, including nine starts. The Illinois native was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on April 19 after his first career four-hit contest at Navy.
Fellow sophomore Tom Hrabchak saw limited action a year ago, but Depew has seen plenty of improvement from him in the offseason.
"They all have different things they bring to the game," commented Depew. "Scotty is just a little more consistent because of his experience." Freshman Marcus Hernandez will be added to the catching mix in 2012. Depew compares him to Meier in terms of athletic ability and thinks he will be a contributor down the road.
FIRST BASE: The graduation of Shribman left a gaping hole at first base since he played nearly every inning of every game over the latter part of his career. However, Depew has some options to help fill in for Shribman. Seidell, who will also see some time on the mound, enters the preseason as the favorite to win the position. A veteran of just 46 career at bats, Seidell is expected to go back to being a switch-hitter this season. He is a natural left-hander, but spent the fall hitting from both sides pretty well.
Sophomore Luke Lombardi spent his rookie campaign as a valuable pinch hitter, but he should see some time at first base this year. Additionally, the team's leading hitter in the fall - freshman Rob Krentzman - should battle for playing time.
MIDDLE INFIELD: Robb Scott (SS), Travis Clark (2B) and Scott Glass (backup) saw the majority of playing time up the middle in 2011 and all three return for their junior years. That trio, as well as sophomore left-handed hitting shortstop Corey Furman, gives the Bison plenty of depth at both second base and shortstop.
Clark produced the most offensively of the returning players as he hit .274 and tied for third on the team with four home runs.
Newcomers to the middle infield positions include junior shortstop Carter Bumgardner, a transfer from Maryland by way of a junior college, and freshman Greg Wasikowski, who has very good defensive skills, according to Depew.
THIRD BASE: Two-year starter David Duffett, another team co-captain, will return to anchor the third base position once again. After hitting just .225 as a sophomore in 2010, Duffett upped that mark to a solid .286 last spring. In fact, he is the team's second-leading returning hitter, behind only fellow senior Gerry Runyan.
Duffett was particularly strong against Patriot League opponents, recording a .361 average during regular-season conference play.
"David has made progress every year. We need him to continue that improvement and be one our leaders both offensively and defensively," remarked Depew.
Sophomore Will Mooney will serve as the durable Duffett's backup for a second straight year. The Princeton, N.J., native hit .333 in limited action as a rookie. In addition to third base duties, Mooney could see some time at designated hitter.
OUTFIELD: Despite having just six outfielders on its roster, Bucknell is in pretty good shape with the potential of three senior starters. Senior Bob Donato will hold down the center field spot for a fourth straight year, while classmate Gerry Runyan is penciled in at right field for a second consecutive campaign. Depew lists senior Mark Figgie as the frontrunner to replace Constable entering preseason practice.
One of the team's top players over the course of his career, Donato was a Second Team All-Patriot League choice as a junior after hitting .278 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs. His 17 career round-trippers rank 12th on the program's all-time list, and he is closing in on the top 10 in a number of other offensive categories as well.
Runyan's .330 batting average last year was a career best after he was inserted into the regular starting lineup for the first time in his career. He accumulated a team-high 21 multi-hit outings and posted nine two-hit contests in the final 13 regular-season games.
Figgie has seen limited playing time over his first three campaigns, but Depew sees some potential in the veteran.
"Left field will be a position we define as we go along, depending on if Mark can get it done," said Depew about filling the starting position in the outfield. "I'd like to see him be the choice because if you go through the program for four years you deserve a chance to play."
Junior Matt Busch, who has a lot of pop in his bat, and sophomores Brett Ashley and Colby Vanderbeck will also be in the outfield mix. The hulking Ashley saw the most playing time of that trio a year ago, recording eight hits in 36 at bats. Vanderbeck posted seven hits, mostly early in the campaign.
