The RPI baseball team is looking ahead to its 2007 campaign with high hopes. The team, now ranked 23rd in the nation, went down to Tampa, Fla., for its spring break and came back with an 8-0 record. The RPI baseball team has never gone undefeated on their trip to Florida under Coach Karl Steffen, now entering his 23rd year as head coach. It primarily played against northeastern teams who were on their own spring trip. Notable games included a couple of 3-2 wins over Salve Regina and Saint John Fischer. Other than that, the Red Hawks left no doubt of their victories, compiling 79 runs while allowing only 20 over the whole week.
The team is being led into the season by senior captains Jason Pollard, Luke Calzone, and Ian Titcomb. Pollard is the team’s leader behind the plate while both Calzone and Titcomb are on the ever-important pitching staff.
The team chemistry evolved together nicely with a healthy mix of new freshmen inserted into the lineup of regulars from last year. According to Pollard, the newcomers came in and “stepped up nicely,” filling in the vacant spots left by last year’s seniors, notably in the pitching staff.
Other notable players include a cast of three who swept this week’s Liberty League honors. Ken Carroll, a senior first baseman, won the Liberty League Performer of the Week after posting an impressive .514 batting average with four doubles, two home runs, and 11 runs batted in during the Florida trip.
Tim Klein, a junior, was selected as Liberty League Pitcher of the Week after posting a 1-0 record with 7.2 innings pitched, three saves, and six strikeouts. Freshman John Dreimiller was named Rookie of the Week after pitching nine innings with six strikeouts, while allowing no runs and only three hits.
The team looks to build on last year’s school record of 33 wins. They fell short in the NCAA regional playoffs. However, after being selected to the playoffs 14 times in the last 15 years, Pollard said the team has one goal this season: “getting to Wisconsin,” the usual site of the Division III College Baseball Championship, where eight teams battle for the D-III crown.
The Red Hawks open their regular season on the road on March 24 and 25 at William Patterson at 2 pm and Montclair State at 12 pm. Their home opener at Robison field is March 28 against Plattsburg State at 3:30 pm. The Robison field is located off the main campus at the corner of 17th Street and Eagle Street just behind Samaritan Hospital. The entire campus is welcome to stop by a game; there’s nothing like America’s favorite pastime on a lazy spring afternoon.
