Boston College Athletics
Baseball Wraps Up Season With NC State
May 18, 2011 | Baseball
May 18, 2011
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College baseball team closes out the 2011 season by hosting NC State for a three-game ACC Atlantic Division series beginning Thursday afternoon.
The Eagles (17-30, 7-19 ACC) split a two-game series with Le Moyne last weekend in their only two games since May 9. BC has won five of the last six games against NC State (30-23, 12-15), including a three-game sweep last season in Raleigh.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH UPS (BC listed first)
Thursday: LHP Andrew Lawrence (2-2, 3.24) vs. TBA
Friday: RHP John Leonard (4-6, 4.98) vs. RHP Rob Chamra (7-2, 4.25)
Saturday: Bullpen vs. RHP Cory Mazzoni (3-6, 3.93)
WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST
Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then showers likely. High near 59.
Friday: Showers. Highs in the mid 60s. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Saturday: Few showers. Highs in the mid 60s. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
WAYS TO FOLLOW
Boston College Twitter: BCSportsNews
Gametracker: Thursday, Friday, Saturday
BC CLOSES 2011 WITH NC STATE
• The Boston College baseball team wraps up the 2011 season by hosting NC State for a three-game ACC Atlantic Division series.
• The Eagles swept the Wolfpack last season in Raleigh and also took two of three from them in 2009 at home.
• BC has played two games since May 9, splitting a two-game series last weekend against Le Moyne.
CURTAIN CALL FOR EIGHT SENIORS
• Eight Boston College players will play their final home this weekend for the maroon and gold.
• The student-athletes will graduate on Monday, May 23.
• RHP Dane Clemens, INF Matt Hamlet, twin brothers RHP Dave Laufer and C Jim Laufer, RHP John Leonard, RHP Geoff Oxley, C/INF/RHP Garret Smith and OF/1B Mike Sudol will all be honored prior to their final home game.
• In the last four seasons, BC has racked up 107 wins, reached two ACC Championships and advanced to an NCAA Regional in 2009.
• They particpated in the longest game in NCAA history at the Austin Regional, losing to top-seeded Texas, 3-2, in 25 innings. The game lasted seven hours and three minutes.
• The senior class led the Eagles to their first two appearances in the ACC Championship and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1967
LAWRENCE'S BAT HEATS UP
• Junior OF/LHP Andrew Lawrence has been tearing it up at the plate in the last 11 games, leading BC with a .421 average, 16 hits, two triples and two home runs.
• He is also leading the team with a .763 slugging percentage and a .436 on-base percentage.
• Lawrence has six multi-hit games since April 24 including a couple of three-hit performances.
• He has improved his batting average from .242 to his current .293 during that span.
ONE OF THE BEST IN THE FIELD
• Boston College doesn't give up many runs in the field as it led the ACC and finished third in the country with a .979 fielding percentage in 2010. Only No. 6 Texas and Creighton were better with .980 fielding percentages.
• The Eagles also turned 65 double plays which led the ACC and ranked 15th in the country.
• BC has made 41 errors so far this season which gives it a .977 fielding percentage. That ranks third in the conference and 15th nationally. Its 41 errors are the second fewest in the ACC going into the final weekend.
• BC has made three errors in the last six games.
• The Eagles have turned 43 double plays which is second in the ACC. They have turned one in each of the last three outings.
A TEAM EFFORT
• Nine different pitchers held Northeastern to one run as BC beat the Huskies, 6-1, in the opening round of the baseball Beanpot April 20.
• Senior LHP Nate Bayuk picked up the win after pitching a scoreless sixth inning.
• Senior RHP Garret Smith threw a perfect ninth by striking out the side. All 11 pitches he tossed in the frame were strikes.
• The staff combined to fan 11 Huskies while walking just one and allowing seven hits. The 11 strikeouts tied a season high as it also reached that number at Bethune-Cookman March 8.
• Junior RHP Kyle Prohovich was the most efficient hurler in the eighth inning. He only needed nine pitches to retire the side in order.
WILD WEATHER
• Boston College had a tough go of it this season with the New England weather.
• The Eagles have played just 11 games at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field.
• BC's home-opening weekend against Virginia Tech had to be moved to Bill Beck Field at the University of Rhode Island due to the harsh winter.
• The Boston area came off one of the worst winters in recent history and there was more precipitation the week before BC hosted the Hokies.
• The Eagles' March 16 game at Bryant had to be canceled.
• BC had more weather trouble when it hosted Miami. The teams only played two games of the series and both came on Sunday.
• The northeast was hit by a nor'easter that Friday that brought rain and snow into the area. Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field still had snow cover on it as of that Saturday afternoon.
• BC had to cancel a home game against Rhode Island on April 5 and its game at UMass April 13 was also not played due to rain.
• The Eagles tried to get in a game against Central Connecticut State University on May 4 and made it to the top of the fifth before torrential rains forced the umpires to call it. The game was tied 1-1.
• BC's game against St. John's on Tuesday was also canceled.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
• Boston College might be 17-30, but it has faced the 14th-toughest schedule in the country, according to Boyd's World.
• The Eagles had a pair of three-game series at No. 1 Florida and No. 5 Florida State and played the season opener at No. 23 Coastal Carolina.
• BC lost to the Chanticleers and dropped the series finale against the Seminoles with walk-offs.
• The Eagles faced No. 9 Georgia Tech in Atlanta and hosted No. 1 Virginia in consecutive weekends. They have played 14 games against ranked opponents.
• Boston College has only had 11 true home games so far this year.
THE TRAVELS OF A NEW ENGLAND TEAM
• Boston College traveled nearly 10,240 miles before playing its first home game on March 25, and even then it wasn't at home.
• BC opened the season at the Caravelle Resort Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• Sandwiched in between the series with the No. 1 Florida Gators was the annual exhibition with the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers February 26.
• The Eagles returned to campus before heading to Daytona Beach for the spring break trip. They played in Daytona Beach and Orlando before packing up for the weekend at No. 5 Florida State.
• A non-conference game at Bryant was postponed before traveling to College Park for an ACC series at Maryland.
• BC made the short trip to Holy Cross in Worcester and played its home-opening series vs. Virginia Tech at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
• The Eagles had away games at Northeastern and Rhode Island before hosting Miami in Chestnut Hill. The teams played two games at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field - the first two true home games of the year.
BEANPOT CHAMPS AGAIN
• The Eagles won their second straight Beanpot championship and 10th overall with an 8-0 win against Harvard April 26 at Fenway Park.
• The 10 Beanpot titles are the most among all participants which includes Harvard, Norheastern and UMass.
• Five different pitchers combined for the second BC shutout of the season. Junior LHP Andrew Lawrence got his second win of the year after throwing 3.0 innings and allowing one hit.
• Senior LHP Nate Bayuk and junior RHP Matt Brazis both threw 2.0 innings while senior RHP Garret Smith and sophomore RHP Hunter Gordon tossed an inning.
• Lawrence also went 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs. Freshman OF Tom Bourdon was 2-for-3 and junior INF Spenser Payne drove in a pair. Smith hit a pair of doubles and scored twice.
NICE TO BE NEUTRAL
• Boston College is 6-0 in games at neutral sites this season and they haven't been close. BC has won by a combined score of 45-4.
• The Eagles defeated Indiana and Tennessee Tech in Conway, S.C. by scores of 6-1.
• They also beat SIU Edwardsville (15-0) and Michigan State (4-1) in Daytona Beach.
• The other two neutral site games came in the Beanpot. In the opening round, BC beat Northeastern at its home field (BC was the home team), 6-1.
• It then took down Harvard, 8-0, in the championship game at Fenway Park.
• The Eagles' pitching staff has a 0.67 ERA in those six wins while the offense hits .317 as a team.
PERDIOS HAS GREAT WEEKEND
• Junior OF Marc Perdios exploded last weekend against Le Moyne.
• He went 5-for-7 with a double, two triples and a couple of runs scored.
• His triples were the first two of his career.
• The Milton, Mass. product had multiple hits in consecutive games for the first time since 2008.
• He improved his batting average from .234 to .260 in the two games.
LIKE A PRO
• Junior RHP Kyle Prohovich has become a go-to guy out of the bullpen for BC.
• He is third on the team with 22 appearances and has allowed a run in just five of his last 19 outings.
• Prohovich has allowed six runs in his last 12 calls from the bullpen - a total of 24.2 innings.
• Four of those runs came at Wake Forest May 7.
• Prohovich tossed 3.2 innings at Duke April 10 to pick up his second win of that week. He pitched from the seventh to the 10th innings and allowed three base runners while fanning a career-high five batters.
• He pitched a career-high 4.0 shutout innings April 30 against No. 1 Virginia to pick up the win. He allowed just two hits and struck out one in the extra inning victory.
SMITH IS ULTIMATE UTILITY PLAYER
• Senior C/INF/RHP Garret Smith started at shortstop in high school and was the starting shortstop in 2009 for BC, but turned into the starting catcher last year.
• Smith had never caught a game in his life entering the 2010 season but offered to make the switch to the coaching staff to help replace the loss of All-American Tony Sanchez.
• He is a career .270 hitter and has started 175 games since he arrived on campus in 2008.
• "I think Garret Smith is going to have a big offensive year," Gambino said. "As far as pure baseball players, I will put him with anybody in the country. He can play anywhere on the field and legitimately play shortstop in the ACC as well as the other infield positions. He is one of the top catchers in the league and if he was a full-time pitcher, I wouldn't be surprised if he was one of the top bullpen guys in the ACC. That kid is unbelievable."
• Smith has 23 starts at first base, 15 behind the plate and five at third base this year.
• He has also earned the spot as the closer on the pitching staff and has six saves which is fifth in the ACC.
• He has a 2.45 ERA in 16 appearances and 14.2 innings of work. He has allowed four earned runs on 11 hits.
SMITH'S HOT STREAK
• Smith had a hit in 19 of 21 games from March 12 to April 20. He batted .361 in that span with 10 doubles, 13 runs and seven RBIs.
• He improved his batting average from .237 on March 11 to .322 on April 20.
LaPOWER
• Freshman C Nate LaPointe has started 10 games behind the plate since April 20.
• He belted his first career home run April 30 against No. 1 Virginia to give BC a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third. The Eagles went on to win that game, 5-4, in 11 innings.
• LaPointe also blasted a solo homer on May 4 against Central Connecticut State, but that game was halted in the top of the fifth inning due to heavy rains.
• The Bimfield, Mass. native drove in three of the four BC runs Sunday against Le Moyne, going 2-for-3 with a double.
• LaPointe is batting .278 in 18 appearances with eight RBIs.
McGOVERN'S TEAR
• Sophomore OF Matt McGovern was nearly unstoppable at the plate from April 6-22.
• He went on a 10-game hit streak during that span in which he hit .532 (25-for-57) with two doubles, two triples, eight RBIs and 10 runs scored.
• McGovern had an on-base percentage of .551 and slugged a a .660 clip. He also stole a pair of bases.
• In a span of three games from April 9-12, he was 12-for-14 (.857).
• He is the only player in the ACC to have four hits in three-consecutive games this season.
• The Mamaroneck, N.Y. native has recorded a hit, run or RBI in 23 of his 27 starts this season.
MELCHIONDA'S STREAKS
• Junior INF Anthony Melchionda went on a tear from February 27 to March 8 and then had another one from March 30 to April 26.
• He was 29-for-68 (.426) in the 17 games of his latter streak and had nine doubles, a triple and 13 RBIs during that span. He improved his batting average from .253 on March 29 to .333 on April 26.
• The local product from Braintree ranks eighth in the ACC in triples (3) and ninth in doubles.
• Melchionda broke out earlier in the season from February 27 to March 8.
• He batted .455 over the five games with two doubles, two triples and 11 RBIs. BC went 4-1 in that stretch.
• Melchionda had a hit and an RBI in each of those games.
• He was 7-for-10 with runners in scoring position during the span, 3-for-4 with with runners on third and less than two outs and 3-for-4 with two outs in the inning.
HAMLET'S FIELDING NUMBERS
• Senior 2B Matt Hamlet has been one of the best infielders in the country the last three seasons.
• The Chesapeake, Va. has committed just 5 errors in his last 150 games - which includes the 2009 season in which he was errorless in both the infield and outfield.
• At one point from 2008 to 2010, he did not commit an error in 65 straight games.
• He has recorded 279 putouts and 409 assists with just 11 career errors. His fielding percentage is .984.
LEONARD'S LOOKING SHARP
• Senior RHP John Leonard returned to campus despite being drafted by the San Francisco Giants last summer in the 36th round and it is paying dividends.
• Leonard is 4-6 with a 4.98 ERA this season. He has allowed 45 runs - 40 earned - on 78 hits in 72.1 innings. He has struck out 36 and walked 22.
• The local Hanover product allowed nine earned runs in his first five starts (33.1 innings - 2.45 ERA). Since then, he has given up 31 earned runs in the last seven (38.0 - 7.34).
• April 30 against Virginia, Leonard did not have his best stuff but still pitched effectively in BC's win. He worked 5.0 innings and allowed three runs on six hits. He worked out of two bases loaded jams with no outs and allowed just three runs in those instances.
UNHITTABLE TO START
• Leonard was nearly unhittable in the beginning of his outings at No. 5 Florida State and at Maryland.
• Against the Seminoles, Leonard was stellar for the first 6.0 innings, but FSU tied the game with three runs in the seventh and went on to win, 4-3. He faced the minimum number of batters through 3.2 innings and just two over the minimum through the six.
• Leonard allowed one hit in the first six frames and nobody reached second base.
• In the series finale at Maryland, he allowed an unearned run through a career-high 8.0 innings of work to lead BC to a 4-1 win.
• Leonard began that outing by throwing 5.1 no hit innings. He faced three batters over the minimum while he was on the mound and only three Terrapins reached second. He finished the day by giving up three hits and walking two while striking out five.
LAWRENCE TAKES ON BIGGER ROLE
• Junior OF Andrew Lawrence has started 26 games in the outfield and has added pitching to his repertoire.
• The coaching staff has used the left-hander in 19 games and he is second on the team with a 3.24 ERA. Lawrence has thrown 25.0 innings and allowed nine earned runs on 22 hits.
• He threw 3.0 innings in the loss at UCF and stopped the bleeding. He allowed one base runner - a walk - and struck out two.
• Lawrence has started 11 games and in eight of the 11, he threw just the first inning.
• He threw 3.0 shutout innings April 26 to lead BC to the Beanpot championship. He also drove in a pair of runs on two hits.
• The last time he pitched before this season was as a senior in high school in the state semifinals in 2007.
• Lawrence is batting .293 with nine doubles, two triples, five homers and 24 RBIs. He is the only player on the team with more than one home run.
BOURDON OFF TO GOOD START
• Freshman OF Tom Bourdon has been the everyday starter in center field for the Eagles.
• The Red Sox drafted him in the 38th round (1,163 overall) of the First-Year Player Draft last June.
• He has started 43 games in center field and is fourth among the everyday starters with a .292 batting average.
• Bourdon hit an inside-the-park home run against Bethune-Cookman March 4 after the center fielder misjudged the ball.
• His older brother, Mike, was also drafted by the Sox out of high school in 2007. He is now a senior catcher at the University of Tampa.
• Tom Bourdon was the first player in Northwest Catholic history to be named to the All-Central Conn. Conference team all four years in high school.
• He was a two-time all-state selection and the only Connecticut player named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-Region 1 team.
HUNTER'S SCORELESS STREAK
• Sophomore RHP Hunter Gordon got off to a rough start this season but settled in and is now one of BC's most reliable relievers.
• Gordon gave up a walk-off home run in the season opener at No. 23 Coastal Carolina on his second pitch of the night, then he gave up another round-tripper against the first batter he faced at Bethune-Cookman March 4.
• Following that start, he allowed just one unearned run in the next nine outings.
• The Swampscott, Mass. product threw 12.0 innings in that span and allowed seven hits. The only extra base hits he allowed were two doubles and opponents hit just .156 against him.
• Gordon is currently 1-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 30.1 innings of work.
ZAPPED
• Head Coach Mike Gambino boasts that junior SS Brad Zapenas is one of the best defensive shortstops in the country.
• Zapenas has been the everyday starter at short since arriving on campus and has started 149 games.
• He made 11 errors as a freshman in 2009 but nearly cut that number in half last season, committing just six errors in 58 games.
• "Zapenas has to be in the conversation as one of the top defensive shortstops in the country," Gambino said prior to the season.
• He also hit .318 in 2010 with six doubles and 14 RBI.
• Zapenas was a Northwoods League all-star over the summer and was honored with the 2010 Rawlings Finest in the Field Award.
• So far this season, Zapenas has made six errors with none in the last 15 games. He is batting .231 with 10 doubles, a triple, a homer and 18 RBIs.
• Zapenas was the leadoff hitter for the bulk of the year. When he leads off an inning, he is hitting .329 (28-for-85).
NO FRIEND OF TOMMY JOHN
• The BC pitching staff has been decimated by surgery, with three of them having gone under the knife for Tommy John since last May.
• RHP Taylor Lasko, who was expected to be a weekend starter this year, had surgery last August and is missing his entire junior season.
• Junior RHP Mike Dennhardt entered the 2011 season as the Friday starter, but he injured himself at Florida State back on March 11. He underwent surgery in April.
• Senior RHP Geoff Oxley had the procedure done in May 2010 and battled his way back to participate in his fifth year. He was named a captain prior to the season.
• Senior RHP John Leonard is the only starter still available for the weekends and he pitches on Saturdays.
• The coaching staff has had to use the entire bullpen on Fridays, Sundays and during the week.
A HUGE INNING
• The BC offense erupted for 12 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning April 6 against Bryant. The Eagles were losing 5-4 entering the frame and came away with a 16-5 victory.
• It was the most runs scored by the maroon and gold since April 13, 1999 when it scored 12 runs in the second inning against Harvard in a 12-6 win.
• The Eagles went 8-for-11 in the inning (.727) and the first six batters reached base.
• BC also went 3-for-4 with two outs - driving in six runs in the process.
WALK-OFF WIN AGAINST VIRGINIA
• Boston College earned a 5-4 win in 11 innings against No. 1 Virginia April 30. It is believed to be the first win against a No. 1 team in program history.
• Junior INF Anthony Melchionda hit a double in the bottom of the 11th that scored sophomore OF Matt McGovern from first to give the Eagles the walk-off win.
• The Eagles ended it quickly in the 11th inning as McGovern led off with a single. Melchionda took the first pitch of his at-bat deep to the gap in right, giving the speedy McGovern plenty of time to score the winning run from first.
• McGovern's single was his third hit of the game as he went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs. Junior OF Andrew Lawrence was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI and freshman C Nate LaPointe hit a three-run homer, the first of his career.
• Junior RHP Kyle Prohovich was masterful on the mound in relief. He threw a career-high 4.0 innings and allowed just two hits. He got the win to improve to 3-1 on the season.
EAGLES WIN IN EXTRAS TO BEAT DUKE TWO OUT OF THREE
• BC scored four runs in the last three innings to force extras and junior INF Anthony Melchionda hit a two-run single in the top of the 11th to lead the Eagles past Duke, 6-4, in the Sunday rubber match.
• Sophomore OF Matt McGovern drove in four of the five BC runs on Saturday and senior RHP John Leonard allowed three runs through 7.0 innings for the 5-3 win Saturday.
• McGovern had career highs in hits and RBIs as he went 4-for-5 with a triple while driving in four runs. Leonard picked up his fourth win of the year after tossing 7.0 innings and allowing three runs on 10 hits. He struck out two and walked a pair.
• McGovern was 10-for-15 in the series with six RBIs and three runs.
BC TAKES SERIES FROM HOKIES
• Boston College opened the home portion of its schedule by hosting Virginia Tech at the University of Rhode Island March 25-27.
• Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field was unplayable due to the harsh winter.
• Junior INF Anthony Melchionda hit a two-run homer and eight different pitchers shut out Virginia Tech for eight innings in a 5-3 series opening win.
• Senior LHP Nate Bayuk allowed one hit through 7.0 innings and junior OF Marc Perdios drove in two runs in Saturday's 2-1 win.
• The Hokies won the series finale, 8-1.
EAGLES TAKE TWO OF THREE AT MARYLAND
• Boston College earned its first series win of the year at Maryland March 18-20.
• Seven different relievers combined to throw 8.0 shutout innings in a 7-4 win Friday night.
• The bullpen faced two batters over the minimum through the last 8.0 innings of the game and only allowed one hit - a solo homer in the eighth.
• After losing 4-3 Saturday on a bases loaded balk in the seventh, senior RHP John Leonard carried the Eagles on Sunday in a 4-1 triumph.
• He allowed an unearned run in 8.0 innings of work and began his outing by throwing 5.1 no hit innings. He faced three batters over the minimum while he was on the mound and only three Terrapins reached second.
EAGLES LOSE TIGHT GAMES AT #5 FSU
• Boston College was swept by No. 5 Florida State, but two of the games were decided by two runs or less.
• The Eagles opened with a 3-1 loss when facing Sean Gilmartin. Junior OF Andrew Lawrence hit a solo homer in the second before the Seminoles scored three times in the fifth.
• In the series finale, BC held a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Florida State, which had one hit to that point, broke through with three runs to tie the game.
• BC had men on second and third with one out in the top of the ninth but couldn't convert and FSU turned that momentum into a walk-off win on a sac fly.
• Florida State won the second game of the series, 15-6.
MY SACRIFICE
• Senior 2B Matt Hamlet entered the season as the reigning NCAA champion in sac bunts.
• He and Florida Atlantic's Mike Albaladejo tied for the best in the country with 20 sacrifices.
• Don't expect that to happen again this season, though. With a new coaching staff comes a new philosophy on scoring runs.
• "The analogy I always use is that sacrifice bunting is like CPR if you're a lifeguard," Gambino said. "You need to be really, really good at it and hope you never use it. I don't want to give up outs. Outs are precious. They're hard to come by and when you are on defense they are hard to get so I don't want to give them up."
• BC has only sacrifice bunted 14 times this season and Hamlet has two.
• Freshman OF Tom Bourdon leads in that category with four.
POWER NUMBERS
• The Eagles went deep a total of 70 times last season which was the second-most home runs in program history.
• BC surpassed the 2009 number of 58 round-trippers.
• The school record for home runs in a season is 77 set back in 1999.
• Sean McGowan, BC's all-time home run leader, had 25 that season.
• Mickey Wiswall led the team with 19 home runs and John Spatola had 17 blasts.
• Junior INF Anthony Melchionda and sophomore C Matt Watson had seven homers and senior 1B/OF Mike Sudol had six.
• Boston College has 14 home runs through the 47 games and one was an inside-the-parker.
WHEN ALLOWING FIVE RUNS OR LESS
• BC was 21-4 when allowing five runs or less during the 2010 season.
• All four of those losses came in ACC action with one coming against Virginia, Duke, Maryland and Virginia Tech.
• That is an improvement from the 2009 season when the Eagles were 21-12.
• The Eagles are 16-13 when allowing five runs or less in 2011.
• Boston College is 1-17 when allowing more than five runs this season.
CLUTCH HITTING
• BC had 152 RBI with two outs last season and John Spatola led the team with 28.
• A total of 43 percent of the RBIs that BC recorded came with two outs.
• Junior 3B Anthony Melchionda led all returning players with 18 two-out RBIs while C Matt Watson plated 17 runs in that situation.
• In the Eagles' 11-5 win at FIU on March 9, all of the runs crossed the plate with two outs.
• Eighty-three of the 191 RBIs that BC has recorded this season have come with two outs - a total of 43 percent.
• Junior INF Anthony Melchionda leads the team with 14 two-out RBIs while junior INF Brad Zapenas has 10.
OFFENSIVE LOSS
• BC had some big shoes to fill offensively with the loss of three of its top hitters.
• Robbie Anston, John Spatola and Mickey Wiswall were all drafted and were an integral part of the lineup.
• Anston was the leadoff hitter and batted .324 with 21 doubles, six triples, five homers and 35 RBIs. He scored 55 times and stole 18 bases.
• Spatola and Wiswall provided the bulk of the offense, combining to hit 23 doubles and 26 home runs while driving in a total of 122 runs. Spatola batted .316 while Wiswall finished at .301.
• Anston (26th round, Seattle) and Spatola (35th, Chicago White Sox) graduated while Wiswall (7th, Seattle) left BC early as a junior.
HONORING SONNY
• Head Coach Mike Gambino started a new tradition at The Heights. Each season, a player who has battled adversity and represents the best qualities of BC Baseball will wear No. 8 in honor of former player Peter "Sonny" Nictakis.
• Sonny was a two-time captain for the Eagles in 1998-99 and lost his courageous battle with Hodgkin's disease in the summer of 2000.
• His No. 8 has not been worn since the 1999 season and Gambino tabbed senior 1B/OF Mike Sudol to be the first to don the number during the 2011 campaign.
• Sudol is a fifth-year senior who has faced a litany of injuries during his time at The Heights. The Franklin, N.J. product has endured four knee surgeries, a micro fracture, a bone graft and complete reconstruction of his meniscus. Sudol missed his freshman season and his second year was cut short.
• He has been an important contributor the last two seasons despite playing through pain most of the time. He has played in 94 games with 69 starts and is batting .286 with 40 runs, 55 RBI, 23 doubles and 11 home runs.
