Scots Off to Best Start in School History; 15-0 After Sweep of Allegheny

Adam Samson

The College of Wooster baseball team is off to its best start in school history, returning Saturday from its spring break trip to Port Charlotte, Fla., with a perfect 15-0 record, which was capped by a four-game sweep of North Coast Athletic Conference East Division rival Allegheny College. The Fighting Scots’ previous longest win streak to start a season came in 1995 when they took the first 11 en route to an NCAC title and 32-9 record.

Wooster entered 2007 with a preseason ranking of No. 15 and highlighting its opening stretch were victories over No. 5 Univ. of Wis.-Stevens Point on March 17 (8-7 in 11 innings), No. 24 Manchester College March 20 (13-2), and No. 27 Rowan University on March 14 (7-5). Most recently, the Scots took their first steps toward a possible fourth consecutive NCAC championship, sweeping two doubleheaders from the Gators, 7-2 and 12-4 March 23, and 9-3 and 5-0 March 24.

Wooster’s early success has been paved by its pitching staff, as the Scots own a team ERA of 2.23 and are averaging 7.2 hits allowed and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Junior lefty Adam Samson (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville) won two of his three starts while posting a 1.35 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 20.0 innings pitched. Sophomore right-hander Anthony Trapuzzano (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Canevin Catholic) is 4-0, improving his career record to 11-1, with a 2.25 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24.0 innings.

The Scots’ third and fourth starters were both freshman – Matt Barnes (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Langley) and Matt DeGrand (Stow, Ohio / St. Vincent-St. Mary). Barnes won three games in five appearances (3-0), posting a 2.45 ERA and 28 strikeouts in just 18.1 innings, while DeGrand was 2-0 with a 3.45 ERA. Another significant contributor hails from the first-year class in Mark Miller (Convoy, Ohio / Crestview), as the right-hander has not given up a run and yielded just two hits during the first 14.0 innings of his career, while compiling a 3-0 record and 17 strikeouts.

Offensively, Wooster is scoring just under 9.0 runs a game (8.8), Three Scots are batting above .400, led by sophomore outfielder/catcher Oliver Enos (Charlottesville, Va. / The Covenant School). He’s at an even .500, having gone 23-for-46 with three doubles and 15 RBI, while junior Jake Sankal (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor) and Sean Karpen (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township) are at .449 (22-for-49) and .438 (14-for-32), respectively. Sankal is leading the Scots in both home runs (5) and RBI (19).

Others of note include junior third baseman Dan Skulina (Strongsville, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit), junior right fielder Pat Christensen (Cincinnati, Ohio / Sycamore), senior first baseman Sheldon Steiner (Dalton, Ohio / Central Christian), and sophomore shortstop John Quimby (Pittsburgh, Pa. / North Allegheny). Skulina has a team-high seven doubles as part of a .362 batting average (17-for-47), Christensen is hitting .328 (19-for-58) with five two-baggers, three homers, and 12 RBI, and Steiner is also above the .300 mark (.306; 15-for-49) while reaching base another eight times via hit by pitches. Quimby has been walked a squad-best 13 times, to go with a .245 average (12-for-49), four homers, and 16 RBI.

The Scots get the northern part of their schedule underway this Thursday (March 29) at fellow northeast Ohio foe Baldwin-Wallace College (5-6). Opening pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.