Batters Enjoy Renaissance

Both the baseball and softball teams enjoyed turn-around seasons this spring. The Shoremen won five more games this season than in the previous two years combined, while the Shorewomen had one of their best seasons ever and competed in the postseason for the first time in team history.

The Shorewomen earned that postseason spot—a berth in the Centennial Conference Playoffs—in dramatic fashion. After falling to Gettysburg in the first game of their final regular-season double-header on May 1, they needed a win against the first-place Bullets in the second game of the twin bill to have any shot at the playoffs. Behind a three-hit performance in the circle from freshman pitcher Michelle Laque and senior outfielder Laura Scimeca's school-record eighth home run of the season, the Shorewomen got that victory, blanking Gettysburg 6-0. The team then had to wait two days to find out whether their season would continue, but Haverford's 1-0 win over Muhlenberg on May 3 gave the women the fourth and final spot in the Centennial Conference Playoffs.

While the Shorewomen went 0-2 in the double-elimination conference playoffs, their season was clearly a success. After finishing with eight wins in 2004, they won 19 games this season under first-year head coach Louie Richardson. Only the 1997 team, which won 21 games, posted more victories in a season. That team was also the last Washington College softball team to defeat Gettysburg; the win over the Bullets in their regular season finale snapped a 15-game losing streak to Gettysburg.

As a team, the Shorewomen belted 19 home runs, eight more than any other team in the Centennial Conference. Scimeca not only hit a single-season record eight home runs this year, but she also finished with a school-record 16 home runs in her career. Scimeca was one of a school-record tying five Shorewomen to earn All-Centennial Conference status. Scimeca and junior outfielder Diane Green were named to the first team, while freshman third baseman Amanda Campbell and freshman catcher Kim Proctor were named to the second team and sophomore outfielder Beth Anne Hartman was tabbed as an honorable mention.

After two trying seasons during which they won a total of 12 games (three in 2003 and nine in 2004), the Washington College baseball team posted 17 wins this season and led the Centennial Conference in hitting with a .327 team batting average. The Shoremen pounded nationally-ranked Johns Hopkins, 15-5, on April 5 for their first win over the Blue Jays since 1997, snapping a 15-game losing streak to Hopkins. Earlier in the season, in their home opener against Villa Julie, the Shoremen trailed by 10 runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but mounted a remarkable rally and won the game, 18-16.

Senior shortstop Jim Barossi became the first Washington College baseball player to earn Centennial Conference Player of the Year honors and was one of a school-record five Shoremen to earn All-Centennial Conference recognition. Barossi was named to the All-Centennial first team, senior first baseman John Schmidt, Jr., was named to the second team, and sophomore catcher Mike DeBartolome and sophomore outfielders Zachary Huba and Eric Guettermann earned honorable mention status.