Preseason No. 1 Scots Get Underway With 18-Game Spring Break Trip

Adam Samson

For the second time in three years and third since 1998, The College of Wooster enters a season as the No. 1 ranked team (Collegiate Baseball) in NCAA Division III. The Fighting Scots will begin to back up that preseason praise during their annual spring break trip to the Port Charlotte, Fla., area, where they’ll be from Saturday, March 8, to Saturday, March 22. Wooster is scheduled for 18 games over the two weeks, starting with a nine-inning affair versus Albion College (22-18 in 2007) Sunday, March 9. Highlighting the Scots’ slate is a doubleheader with Ohio Wesleyan University (27-16 in 2007), the 2007 North Coast Athletic Conference champions, and a twinbill versus preseason No. 7 University of Wis.-Stevens Point (34-17 in 2007). Additionally, Wooster will begin defense of its NCAC East Division title, as it will play Allegheny College (14-23, 9-7 NCAC East in 2007) in a four-game series March 20-21. The Scots have taken 13 of the last 14 games from the rival Gators, including a season sweep of 7-2, 12-4, 9-3, 5-0 last year.

Season Preview: It’s another spring of high expectations for Wooster, as the perennial NCAA Div. III power is No. 1 in one of the preseason polls (Collegiate Baseball). This year’s optimism is due to the return of a record-setting pitching staff, as well as four position players who were full-time starters and two others who were part-time starters, from the program’s fifth 40-win team (42-7).

Traditionally, the Scots have put up mind-boggling offensive numbers, however, the pitchers have taken center stage the last couple seasons. Last year’s group, headlined by all-Mideast picks Adam Samson (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville), Anthony Trapuzzano (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Canevin Catholic), and Matt Barnes (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Langley), as well as Mark Miller (Convoy, Ohio / Crestview) and Matt DeGrand (Stow, Ohio / St. Vincent-St. Mary), set an NCAC record with a 2.51 team ERA. They also established new conference marks for strikeouts (396) and fewest hits (7.54 per nine innings pitched).

Those five accounted for approximately 80 percent of last spring’s innings (317 of 397.2 IP), and all of them are back. Samson, a senior, is the ace and will look to replicate last season, when the southpaw won 11 of 12 starts (11-0) while compiling a 1.61 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 78.1 innings. Samson was a first-team All-American, the first pitcher in Wooster’s tradition-rich program so honored, and he also collected hardware as the Mideast Region and NCAC Pitcher of the Year.

Trapuzzano has been near perfect his first two seasons, going 16-3. As a sophomore, the hard-throwing right hander was 9-2 with a 2.32 ERA and 93 strikeouts over 85.1 innings pitched, the latter two of which were squad highs, resulting in first-team all-region and all-conference awards. Barnes, a sophomore, is another righty with an elite fastball for the Div. III level. He exploded on to the scene last year, being named second-team all-Mideast and the NCAC Newcomer of the Year after a 9-2 record, 2.49 ERA, and team-best 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings (86 total strikeouts).

Miller and DeGrand are both sophomore right-handers as well. Miller was the Scots’ closer, tying a school record with eight saves, in addition to three wins (3-2), a 1.49 ERA, and 41 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched. DeGrand was Wooster’s No. 4 starter and hopes to build on his 5-0 debut, which also saw a 2.79 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 38.2 innings.

The Scots’ hurlers may have to carry the team early as a relatively new group of position players mesh together. Gone from last season are the starters at catcher, first base, centerfield, one middle infield spot, and the primary designated hitter.

That leaves Wooster with veterans Pat Christensen (Cincinnati, Ohio / Sycamore), Matthew Johnson (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville), Sean Karpen (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township), Bubba O’Donnell (Cincinnati, Ohio / St. Xavier), Jake Sankal (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor), and Dan Skulina (Strongsville, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) to lean on. Christensen was selected to the All-America Second Team as a freshman (.384, 16 HR, 64 RBI), but has been dinged by injuries the last two years. A season ago, the Scots’ clean-up hitter/right fielder battled a stress fracture and still managed first-team all-conference recognition, thanks to a .333 average, eight homers, and 40 RBI.

Johnson, a sophomore, could be in for a breakout year after coming on strong at the end of last spring when he became the starting shortstop. In 22 games (14 starts), the defensive standout batted .407 with eight extra base-hits and 11 RBI during 59 at bats.

Batting in front of them will likely be Sankal and Karpen. Sankal is coming off an all-NCAC season (honorable mention), as he batted .341 with eight home runs, 32 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. Now a senior, Sankal has been a starter off-and-on throughout his career, and will likely settle in at either left field or centerfield this spring. Karpen has played outfield previously as well, but now appears to be headed towards first base on defense. Offensively, the speedy junior who has 36 career steals raised his average from .305 to .356 in 2007.

Skulina has developed into one of the NCAC’s top third baseman, however, he endured shoulder surgery at the end of the fall. He’s expected to be healthy enough to play his senior season and will attempt to build on a .326 average and squad-high 15 doubles. O’Donnell, a co-captain along with Sankal, is also a senior and the favorite to win the starting position at second base. Sound defensively and experienced (86 games), he had a .275 average and 12 RBI last spring.

Top candidates to fill in the other positions include senior Brad Stuetzer (Wadsworth, Ohio / Wadsworth), junior John Warren (New Castle, Pa. / Union Area), sophomores Stu Beath (St. Louis, Mo. / Avon Old Farms – Conn.), Matt Groezinger (Upper Arlington, Ohio / Upper Arlington), and Shane Swearingen (Hilliard, Ohio / Bishop Watterson), and freshman Matthew Pierce (Oklahoma City, Okla. / Casady School). Stuetzer, Warren, and Pierce are possibilities in the infield. The big question mark for Wooster is catcher, and battling for that position are Swearingen and Groezinger. Beath, a lefty who went 5-for-16 (.313), could hold down a starting outfield position.