Collegian Editor
During the beginning of May last year, the men’s baseball team was contending with their conference rivals for one of the top four spots in the Atlantic 10. La Salle would ultimately enter into the A-10 tournament and eventually be knocked out by the Dayton Flyers. Despite the early exit, the miraculous season displayed by La Salle indicated hope for next year with the majority of the young, electrifying unit returning. Unfortunately for the Blue and Gold, this year hasn’t come close to mirroring their astonishing efforts during the 2011-12 season.
La Salle currently sits at the bottom of the conference with a 17-26 (4-11 A-10) record. Under the helm of Coach Mike Lake, the team only lost 26 games all of last year, and has already reached this point with a slew of matches left on the schedule.
Offensively and defensively, the Blue and Gold have been unable to stay consistent which has hindered the team from gaining any momentum heading into each series. In the Fordham series, the Explorers failed to score and in the Saint Louis series, it was their defense which allowed 24 total runs. The list of concerns this year for La Salle is shocking, seeing as they only lost four seniors collectively from last year’s squad. Confidence could be the missing component from this year’s team.
La Salle’s last series win dates back to late March against George Washington (3-12, 4-11 A-10) who holds last place in the conference. It’s puzzling to see a team that had so much success a season before just collapse and fall out of contention.
When analyzing the statistics, it’s apparent why La Salle is always trailing early in their matches: batting. Batting isn’t the only catalyst for the down-slide this year, but it has served as a hindrance with the Explorers’ ranking in the lower half for nearly every hitting category. From batting percentage to runs scored, La Salle’s offensive productivity has stymied this explosive unit. Last year’s high powered offense obliterated their opponents with 508 hits, while this year’s team holds a mere 378 thus far in the season.
The Explorers still have three series left on the schedule, and I expect the team to end on a high note. Although over 10 seniors are leaving next year, this team will still have some of their aces in the lineup for next year such as junior tandem Joe Bennie and Dan Klem, sophomore slugger George Smith Jr. and of course, saves specialist Pat Christensen, to name a few.
Seasons like this are normal for baseball units; the key is using this season as leverage for next year.
waltersj1@student.lasalle.edu
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