2nd-Ranked Scots at Marietta, Host B-W Before NCAC Series With Kenyon

Sean Karpen

Having returned from its spring break trip with a 16-1 record, The College of Wooster is ranked No. 2 by both the American Baseball Coaches’ Association and D3baseball.com in their latest NCAA Div. III top-25 polls. This week, the Fighting Scots begin their northern schedule with two mid-week, nine-inning games and a four-game North Coast Athletic Conference East Division set over the weekend. First, on Wednesday, March 26, Wooster will travel to traditional Div. III power Marietta College (4-9), with first pitch at Pioneer Park slated for 5 p.m. The two rivals played three times last season, with the Scots sweeping a regular season doubleheader, 14-0 and 7-3, but then the Pioneers exacted revenge with a 6-3 victory that eliminated Wooster from the NCAA Div. III Mideast Regional Tournament. The Scots will make their 2008 home debut Thursday, March 27, as they welcome Baldwin-Wallace College (6-5) to Art Murray Field for a 4 p.m. match-up. Last year’s game between the two was a sloppy one, as they combined for 16 errors, including a school-record-tying 11 by Wooster, however, the Scots still managed to prevail 18-12. On Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30, Kenyon College (11-5, 3-1 NCAC East) is slated to visit Wooster for back-to-back doubleheaders, starting at 1 p.m. each day. The Scots hold an eight-game win streak over the Lords, including a three-game sweep last spring (12-3, 12-6, 17-5).

Spring Break Recap: Wooster, ranked No. 1 in the preseason (Collegiate Baseball), kicked off its 2008 campaign with a highly successful, two-week trip to Port Charlotte, Fla., as the Scots return riding a 14-game winning streak and with a 16-1 overall record.

After picking up a 5-3 regional victory over Albion College in the season opener, Wooster split a doubleheader with conference rival Ohio Wesleyan University, taking the first 4-2 and then dropping a 5-2 decision.

The Scots have not lost since then, including four key wins over regional foes Heidelberg College (5-2), Anderson University (7-5 and 8-5), and Washington & Jefferson College (9-4). Wooster also took a twin bill from the University of Wis.-Stevens Point, ranked No. 7 in the preseason, as the Scots edged the Pointers 11-9 in 10 innings and then scored four in the bottom of the seventh, capped by a two-run single off the bat of senior third baseman Dan Skulina (Hinckley, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit), for an 8-7 triumph and the sweep.

The most important games in Florida for Wooster came at the end of the trip, when it made its 2008 NCAC East Division debut against Allegheny College. The Scots exploded out to a 10-1 lead in the teams’ first game, cruising to a 14-4 victory, and then prevailed in three close contests, 4-1, 4-0, and 7-6. In the finale, Wooster spotted Allegheny a 6-0 lead after one inning, but stormed back for the one-run win, including one tally in the sixth and two in the seventh, the last coming on a double steal by Skulina and John Warren (New Castle, Pa. / Union Area).

Offensively, the Scots batted .348 as a team while averaging nearly 9.0 runs a game (8.9). Leading the way has been junior first baseman Sean Karpen (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township) with an average of exactly .500, collecting 27 hits in 54 at bats. He also paces the team in runs (21), RBI (20), walks (12), and stolen bases (8). Two others are batting above the .400 clip in Skulina and senior centerfielder Jake Sankal (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor) at .449 and .415, respectively. They both have six doubles, and Skulina has driven in 18.

Newcomers Matthew Pierce (Oklahoma City, Okla. / Casady School) and Matt Groezinger (Upper Arlington, Ohio / Upper Arlington) have been nice additions, as they each hold .317 batting averages (13-for-41). Groezinger has swatted three home runs to lead the squad in that category, while senior right fielder Pat Christensen (Cincinnati, Ohio / Sycamore) has eight extra-base hits – five doubles, one triple, and two homers – as part of a .311 average. Wooster’s other .300 hitter is senior second baseman Bubba O’Donnell (Cincinnati, Ohio / St. Xavier) at .302.

On the mound, the Scots have compiled a 3.63 staff ERA and they’ve limited the opposition to a .257 batting average while striking out 121 over 129.0 innings. Ace Adam Samson (Orrville, Ohio / Orrville) overcame one rough start to post a 2-0 record, 2.62 ERA, and 24 strikeouts in exactly 24 innings. The senior southpaw tossed a five-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts – the fourth double-digit strikeout game of his career – in the third game versus Allegheny.

Junior right-hander Anthony Trapuzzano (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Canevin Catholic) won all three games he started while registering a 4.08 ERA and 18 strikeouts, compared to just four walks, over 17.2 innings pitched. Fellow starters Justin McDowell (Willard, Ohio / Willard), Matt DeGrand (Stow, Ohio / St. Vincent-St. Mary), and Matt Barnes (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Langley) also nabbed two wins apiece, while accumulating 2.84, 5.25, and 5.28 ERA’s, respectively.