Past Meets Present

SELINSGROVE, PA — In order to put memories of five consecutive last-place finishes
behind them, the Susquehanna University baseball program has been turned over to one of
the top players to wear the Crusader uniform over the past decade.

After four years as the squad’s top assistant following a standout career as a pitcher and
outfielder from 1997 to 2000, Denny Bowers was promoted to head coach last summer and
promptly went to work to rejuvenate a program that has not recorded a winning record since
1999 and not appeared in the postseason since 2000.

A diligent recruiting effort produced a class of 13 freshmen that will join 15 returnees from
a squad that finished 8-26-1 overall and 3-18 in the Commonwealth Conference in 2005.
Among the highlights of last year were three consecutive wins to close the team’s Spring
Break trip to Florida, a 3-2 victory over Division I Bucknell on April 13, and a doubleheader
sweep of Moravian on April 28.

Despite their struggles over the past few seasons, Bowers is expecting nothing less than
a trip to the playoffs for his squad in 2006.

“We have a positive outlook and high expectations about this season,” said Bowers.
“Preseason camp went great, and we believe that we have a chance to make a run at the
playoffs.”

THE INFIELDERS
Senior Matt Reichard (Danville, PA/Danville) is a four-year starter at first base and
designated hitter who enters the 2006 season just one hit shy of reaching 100 for his career.
Last season, Reichard led the Crusaders with a .347 average, 42 hits, 22 runs scored, six
doubles, three home runs, 20 runs batted in and a .471 slugging percentage in 34 games
while also stealing seven bases.

In 92 career games, Reichard is a .330 hitter with five home runs, 54 runs batted in and 45
runs scored.

Senior Chris Mothershed (Elmira, NY/Southside) moved from shortstop to second base
at midseason and finished with a .310 average with one homer and 18 runs batted in along
with a .935 fielding percentage. He will also see time at first base when Reichard serves as
designated hitter.

Mothershed has started 89 games in his career and is a career .283 hitter with 85 hits, 46
runs scored and 41 runs batted in.

Sophomore Jason Gaccione (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West) flipped positions
with Mothershed during the season and turned in a stellar freshman campaign in which he
hit .345 with 18 runs batted in, 21 runs scored, 13 walks and a team-high eight stolen bases
in 10 attempts.

Freshmen Kurt Yannelli (Phoenixville, PA/Bishop Shanahan) and Nick Vasilenko (Spring
Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan) are also expected to see action in the infield at second and
third, respectively, along with fellow freshman Jon Pack (Sayre, PA/Sayre).

THE OUTFIELDERS
Returning to the squad in 2006 after sitting out last season is junior centerfielder John
Spatz (Camp Hill, PA/Camp Hill), who led the Crusaders with 13 stolen bases in 2004 while
not making an error in 56 chances.

Junior Jeff Quetti (Pittsfield, MA/St. Joseph) is the only other outfielder on the roster
with collegiate experience after he played in 16 games last season and batted .190 with a home runs, four runs batted in and three stolen bases.

Freshmen Matt Ruane (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West) and John Lunardi (West Chester, PA/Henderson) are expected to be top contributors in the outfield after seeing action in the defensive backfield for the Crusader football team in the fall, while another freshman, Kyle Wertman (Havertown, PA/Haverford) should also see time.

THE CATCHERS
Senior Adam Dick (Smithsburg, MD/Smithsburg) started 28 games last season and hit .226 with 10 runs batted in and seven runs scored. He will be backed up by sophomore Hunter Morrow (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood) and freshmen Zak Hill (Gilboa, NY/Gilboa) and Mike Ruehle (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East).

THE PITCHERS
The Crusaders return the top three members of last year’s starting rotation, each of whom proved reliable throughout the course of the season.

Junior Jon Martin (Port Trevorton, PA/Selinsgrove) led the team in earned run average at 3.92 but compiled a 1-4 record in just five starts before missing the second half of the season with an injury.

Martin, who has tossed four complete games in nine career starts, has a 3-8 record and a 4.68 earned run average over 57 2/3 innings in his first two seasons.

Sophomore Brian Diebold (Bloomfield, NJ/Newark Academy) emerged as the ace of the staff in the second half of last season, finishing 2-2 with a 4.05 earned run average in five starts, including a four-hit 1-0 shutout of Moravian for the Crusaders’ first completegame shutout since 1999.

In 33 1/3 innings of work, Diebold whiffed 21 and held opponents to a .254 batting average.

Junior Eric Damm (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East) pitched into hard luck all season and finished 0-3 with a 5.79 earned run average in nine games (six starts).

Damm led the staff with 42 innings pitched and issued just 14walks, and pitched the team’s only nine-inning complete game of the season in a 4-2 loss to Widener on April 15.

Senior Bud Schmidt (Maple Glen, PA/Upper Dublin) made 13 relief appearances and went 1-4 with a save and a 4.62 earned run average in 25 1/3 innings of work, issuing just seven walks.

For his career, Schmidt has a 5-9 record with one save and a 4.83 earned run average in 39 games (three starts) spanning 85 2/3 innings of work, while allowing just 28 bases on balls.

Sophomore Brian Ahearn (Avon, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) moved into the closer’s role late in the season and finished with a 1-3 record and two saves with a 6.20 earned run average in 12 games and 20 1/3 innings of work.

Other returnees from last year’s staff include sophomore Ben Shirk (Richfield, PA/Middleburg), who tossed six shutout innings of relief to earn the win in the Crusaders’ 3-2 upset of Bucknell and finished 1-1 with a 6.00 earend run average in eight games, along with sophomore lefty Brian Pyrz (Harleysville, PA/Souderton), who finished 1-0 with a 6.94 earned run average in six appearances.