George Washington University Athletics
Colonials Eye Strong Season, Championship.
12/2/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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| Mike Bassett |
The fourth-year head coach is confident and excited about his team's chances in 2000. He is relying on experience at the plate and depth on the mound to bring the Colonials an A-10 Championship.
"This is by far the most talented team we've had since I've been here," Walter said. "Our top seven players in the lineup have a lot of college at bats, a lot of power and a lot of speed. I don't think there is anybody we play that's going to have seven guys that match up better."
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| Ryan Dacey |
Senior Ryan Dacey, this year's captain, will anchor the offense. Dacey, named to the Second-Team All-Conference in 1999, comes off a .371 season with six home runs and 46 RBI. With Dacey's 55th hit in 2000, he would become GW's all-time hits leader. Joining Dacey in the middle of the order will be sophomores Mike Bassett and Matt Krimmel, who each had solid freshmen campaigns. Bassett finished the season with 14 homers (third in the conference) and 46 RBI, including a 16-for-34 stretch to conclude the season. Krimmel should build on his freshman season, in which he hit .337, good for third on the squad.
A new face will bat cleanup for the Colonials in 2000 - senior Matt Walker, who transferred from South Carolina. "If this weren't Matt's only year at GW, he'd be a team captain," Walter said. "He works hard, has the right approach to the game and is a big, strong, physical hitter who brings great hand and foot speed."
Juniors Dan Rouhier and Adam Belicic will compete for the first base and designated hitter roles. Rouhier's 12 home runs and 50 RBI from 1999 are numbers he will build on, while Belicic provides a steady bat (hitting seven homers and driving in 29 runs in '99). At the top of the order, junior Tony Brown returns to set the table for the offense. At the bottom of the order, catcher Eric Mitchell will be the everyday starter. Freshmen Jake Wald and Chris Barry, along with redshirt freshman Travis Crowder will compete for the final starting position in the middle of the diamond. These players up the middle, along with Dacey, will be a key to unlocking the door to success for GW.
"In order to win a conference championship, which is our goal and which is reasonable, you have to be stronger up the middle than the other teams, and I think we are this year," Walter said.
PITCHING
The Colonials will have more depth on the mound this year, especially as three freshmen look to make their marks. Junior Adam Belicic, who was 6-6 in 1999, will lead the hurlers. "He is going to be as good as anyone you are going to see in the country," Walter said. "His arm is stronger than ever."
Following Belicic will be freshman Greg Conden, who is touted as the team's No. 2 pitcher. "He is as good as a freshman pitcher can be right now," Walter said. "He was throwing 88-92 mph all fall and showed signs of a great breaking ball, a good cutter and a good changeup." The Colonials are counting on Conden to be an ace for years to come. Walter is looking at sophomore Chris Worth to develop into the third conference starter. Classmate Mike O'Connor would round out the rotation as a mid-week starter. Two freshmen will help lead the way out of the bullpen. Dennis Gramolini was the most pleasant surprise of the fall, throwing strikes and inducing groundballs. He will be looked at to eat up some innings in 2000. Glen Skutnik will also come out of the pen to spell relief.
"We're counting on them (Conden, Gramolini, Skutnik) to not pitch like freshmen," Walter said. "We're going to give them a lot of innings early on, so when it comes conference time, they will pitch more like sophomores."
Junior Bryan Beggs, who started eight games last season, will be the team's closer, as Walter believes that suits his mechanics better.
EXPERIENCE
With the loss of two All-Conference players, Joe Beichert and Mike Roberts, and two pitchers who threw 36 percent of the teams' innings in 1999 (Tom Baginski and Ari Zagaris combined for 163 IP), there might be cause for concern in replacing those who graduated. However, Walter feels comfortable with his squad responding and filling the voids.
"We have freshmen who are going to be better sophomores and incoming freshmen who will step into those at-bats and innings and run with them," Walter said. "So, on one hand, we do lose those guys and their leadership, but on the other hand, I feel we have those positions already replaced."
Walter and his coaching staff will be counting on the powerful lineup and on the pitching potential to rebound from last season's disappointing results. Walter attributes many of the 1999 struggles to not doing the little things and not making plays when they needed to be made. He sees the determination in the players' eyes to make the 2000 season a championship season, unlike 1999. "There's no way this club will let that happen again."
