BASEBALL 2006-2007 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS EAD OACH OB KARICICH Head Coach Rob Skaricich 2 H C R S 2007 Preview 3 Rob Skaricich is in his 10th season as the head base- Returning Letterwinners 4-6 ball coach at Grove City College. He has led Grove 2006 Review/Program History 7-8 City to 145 wins as head coach, including a program- Presidents’ Athletic Conference 9 record 26 victories in 2006. About Grove City College 10-11 In 2006, Grove City earned its first-ever NCAA re- 2007 Schedule 12 gional ranking. Pitcher Erik Arnesen was selected in QUICK FACTS the 17th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Washington Nationals while shortstop Mike Ritter Location ____________ Grove City, Pa. Founded ____________________ 1876 achieved CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Enrollment __________________ 2,400 Under his guidance, the Wolverines have captured Colors __________ Crimson and White two consecutive Presidents’ Athletic Conference Nickname _____________ Wolverines championships while virtually rewriting the program’s record book. In 2001, Affiliation _________ NCAA Division III Grove City captured its first-ever conference title, finishing with a 19-10 mark. Conference _____ Presidents’ Athletic That year, Grove City led the PAC in home runs (a school record 29), field- Home Field ___________ College Field ing (.950 percentage) and pitching (3.77 earned run average). President ________ Dr. Richard Jewell Meanwhile, the 2002 Wolverine squad picked up the program’s second Alma Mater _______ Grove City, 1967 straight PAC title. That year, Grove City closed the season with 13 wins in 18 Athletic Director _______ Dr. Don Lyle games, including a victory over NCAA Division II powerhouse Slippery Rock. Alma Mater ______ Muskingum, 1971 Skaricich has earned the conference’s Coach of the Year award three times Associate A.D. ________ Susan Roberts in his career. He first earned that award in 1999 after leading Grove City to 24 Alma Mater ____________ Ohio, 1975 victories and a second-place finish in the conference. Associate A.D. __________ Joe Walters He also earned the Coach of the Year award from his peers in 2001 and Alma Mater _____ Slippery Rock, 1968 2002. In his nine years as head coach, the Wolverines have broken nearly every Head Coach _________ Rob Skaricich offensive record in College history. Grove City has also set numerous pitching Alma Mater ___________ Hiram, 1991 records under Skaricich’s guidance. Career Record _____ 145-139 (9 years) Prior to taking over at Grove City, Skaricich spent four seasons as the ath- Assistant Coach ________ Bill Fleming letic administrator for the Marietta College baseball program. Assistant Coach _____ Bruce Johnson First Year of Program __________ 1884 Skaricich is also an assistant football coach at Grove City College. He is in his Head Ath. Trainer Kay Mitchell Emigh fourth season as the Wolverines’ defensive coordinator after spending six years Assistant Trainer ________ Rick Hawke as a defensive assistant. Equipment Mgr _______ Larry Freeman Skaricich earned his bachelor’s degree from Hiram in 1991 and a master’s Equipment Mgr ______ Jim Richardson degree from Cleveland State University in 1993. He is a native of Wickliffe, Ohio. CONTACT INFORMATION Coach Rob Skaricich Office Phone _________ 724-458-3836 Best Time to Call __________ Mornings E-mail _________ [email protected] ••• Sports Information Dir. ___ R.A. Briggs Office Telephone _____ 724-458-3365 Office Fax ___________ 724-458-3855 Home Telephone _____ 724-748-3718 E-mail ___________ [email protected] Athletic Dept. Phone __ 724-458-2900 Athletic Dept. Fax _____ 724-458-3855 Web ___ http://www2.gcc.edu/sports CREDITS Editor ______________ R.A. Briggs, SID Assistance by Mallory Skarupa ‘09. Photography by Briggs and Dave Miller/ ADM Photography, Darlington, Pa. Head coach Rob Skaricich (1) and assistant coaches Bruce Johnson Printing by Sharon Commerical Printing, (center) and Bill Fleming (24) will look to lead Grove City to even greater Sharon, Pa. heights this year after a record-breaking 2006 season. GROVE CITY COLLEGE 2 2007 SEASON PREVIEW After a record-setting 2006 season, the Grove City College baseball team has higher expectations for 2007. Grove City returns 17 lettermen from last year’s 26- 13 season. Included in that group is the program’s all- time saves leader, a pair of All-Presidents’ Athletic Con- ference performers and six other starters. The Wolverines also welcome back the core of one of the region’s top bullpens. Grove City will rely on that combination in pursuit of the PAC title and a potential postseason invitation. PITCHING Entering the 2006 season, the Wolverines featured plenty of experience in the starting rotation while the bullpen lacked veterans by comparison. This year, the opposite may be true as Grove City returns nearly its Junior Chris Bowser will be a key component of entire bullpen. Grove City’s starting rotation this season. Senior closer Justin Miller is the Wolverines’ all-time Sophomore southpaw Zach Hillegas made five saves leader with 10. As a junior, he went 1-1 with five starts in 2006, going 2-1 with a 2.86 earned run aver- saves and a 2.82 ERA. age. Senior Eric Hull split his time between the bullpen Classmate Neil Hoagland emerged during his jun- and the rotation last year. ior year as one of the region’s top middle relievers, post- He made three starts and finished the year with a 2- ing a 1-0 record in seven appearances. 0 record in 11 appearances. Sophomore Matt Tindall also returns after a strong INFIELD freshman season as a middle reliever. Grove City returns several key contributors in the Grove City must replace a pair of graduated infield, including three starters. Sophomore Ben Wil- standouts in the starting rotation, however. Erik son started 34 games as a freshman and will likely slide Arnesen went 9-0 last year and was selected in the 17th from second base to shortstop, replacing CoSIDA Aca- round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Draft by demic All-American Mike Ritter. Wilson hit .324 last year. the Washington Nationals organization. Meanwhile, Junior Bryan Pierrot returns at third base for the Ryan Carr graduated as Grove City’s all-time leader in Wolverines. He led the team with 36 runs batted in last innings pitched with 188. year and tied for the team lead in extra-base hits. Pierrot Still, the Wolverines return several strong candidates could move back to second base, where he played ex- for the rotation. Junior right-hander Chris Bowser settled tensively as a freshman in 2005. in as Grove City’s third starter in 2006. He will be a fix- Versatile sophomore Cody Koontz will also battle ture again this year. for the starting post at third base. Across the diamond, senior Dan Bartkowiak made 27 starts at first base last year. Sophomore Brad Stombaugh will challenge for the starting post this year after hitting .317 as a rookie. Sophomore Seth Thompson will vie for the starting spot at second base. Thompson also played extensively in the outfield last season. All-PAC catcher Ray Mertz returns behind the plate after hitting .354 as a sophomore last year. OUTFIELD Grove City returns one full-time starter in the out- field in senior left fielder Chris Schwamberger. Schwamberger led Grove City with 30 runs scored, 11 doubles and a .366 batting average. He earned Second Team All-PAC in 2006. Thompson and junior Jon Coyne split time in cen- ter field while junior Pat Messner has played extensively in the corner outfield spots. Koontz could also chal- Sophomore Ben Wilson hit .324 as a freshman. He lenge for an outfield spot. Senior Jim Gunst will also is a returning starter at second base. challenge for time in the outfield. BASEBALL 2006-2007 3 RETURNING LETTERWINNERS • DAN CHRIS BARTKOWIAK BOWSER SENIOR • FIRST BASE JUNIOR • PITCHER FREDONIA, N.Y. STOW, OHIO FREDONIA STOW One-year letterwinner ... Returning Two-year letterwinner ... Academic starter at first base ... Looking to All-America candidate ... Will an- maintain starting role this season chor Grove City’s youthful starting ... Business management major. rotation this season ... Mechanical Year G-GS AB R H HR RBI SB BA SLG Engineering major. 2004 3-1 4 0 1 0 1 0 .250 .250 Year G-GS W-L SV ERA IP H K BB 2005 2-0 2 1 1 0 0 0 .500 .500 2005 5-2 1-1 0 9.50 18.0 33 8 5 2006 32-27 77 15 14 0 8 6 .182 .247 2006 9-8 1-3 0 4.87 40.2 54 21 17 Totals 37-28 83 16 16 0 9 6 .193 .253 Totals 14-10 2-4 0 6.29 58.2 87 29 22 JON JIM COYNE GUNST JUNIOR • OUTFIELD SENIOR • OUTFIELD SOLON, OHIO MIDLOTHIAN, VA. SOLON MIDLOTHIAN One-year letterwinner ... Returning One-year letterwinner ... Saw time starter in center field ... Fourth on as reserve and as pinch runner in team in home runs in 2006 ... Phys- 2006 ... Will compete for spot in ics/secondary education major. outfield in 2007... Business man- agement major. Year G-GS AB R H HR RBI SB BA SLG 2005 5-3 10 0 3 0 2 2 .300 .300 Year G-GS AB R H HR RBI SB BA SLG 2006 27-25 62 9 17 2 11 3 .274 .419 2006 11-0 6 4 1 0 0 1 .167 .167 Totals 32-28 72 9 20 2 13 5 .278 .403 Totals 11-0 6 4 1 0 0 1 .167 .167 ZACH NEIL HILLEGAS HOAGLAND SOPHOMORE• PITCHER SENIOR • PITCHER BRIDGEPORT, W.VA.