Wentworth Institute of Technology: Athletics > Varsity Sports

Coming off a 2007 season that saw the Wentworth baseball team finish with a 13-18 record and have 10 of the 18 losses decided by a combined margin of 16 runs, one would say that 2007 was indeed a year where the Leopards began to turn the corner. And, since the majority of the players from that squad returned for 2008, there was a lot of optimism at the beginning of this season as to what this year would bring. What nobody knew on that late Friday night in early February when practice commenced was that three months later the Leopards would not only turn the corner, but also would put together the best season in the 23-year NCAA history of Wentworth baseball.

The season began with the team’s annual trip to Florida, where the Leopards played 10 games and came back North with a 7-3 record. Included in those seven wins were three one-run triumphs, an extra-inning victory, and a walk-off home run on the first pitch of the final inning.

The northern portion of the schedule saw Wentworth open at Clark, a team with which the Leopards have always traditionally had close battles. This year was no exception, as a 3-1 victory began a five-game winning streak, which also included a sweep of Salve Regina. The win over the Seahawks in the first game snapped a 13-game losing streak to Salve, dating back to 1998. After going just 2-4 in the next six games, including dropping four league games, Wentworth bounced back with four consecutive wins, including the Leopards’ first win over Colby-Sawyer since the 2003 campaign, and a come-from-behind 19-11 win at Mass. Maritime.

Sitting at 18-7, Wentworth dropped its next two games at Endicott, but rebounded to sweep Gordon and tie the school record for wins (20). Those two wins over Gordon sparked a 9-2 end to the regular season, including a win over defending conference champion Curry, and would put the Leopards’ record at 27-11 overall and 15-7 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference play, which was good for fourth place.

The TCCC Tournament opened with a game against fifth-seeded Endicott, the Leopards won by a 5-1 score despite Endicott having the bases loaded with one out in the top of the ninth inning.
With the win, Wentworth travelled to top-seeded Roger Williams the following day. In the regular-season doubleheader between the two schools, the Hawks used a perfect game to win, 1-0, in the first game, and swept the doubleheader with a 5-3 victory in game two. Roger Williams jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Leopards would take a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning, only to see the hosts tie the game in the bottom of the inning. However, Wentworth took the lead for good by plating two runs in the top of the seventh inning and broke the game open with an 11-run eighth inning.

Two days later the two teams met again, with the Hawks needing to beat the Leopards twice in order to advance to TCCC finals. Wentworth looked as if it would only need to play one game by taking an 8-3 win after four and a half innings. However, Roger Williams scored twice in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 8-5 and took the lead for good in the next inning with four runs and forced a second game with a 9-8 game.

With both teams’ seasons on the line, the Leopards jumped out to an early, 6-0 lead over the regular-season champions and never looked back, winning their 30th game of the season (30-12), 9-3, and earning a berth in their first conference championship game since the 1996 season.

In order to win its first league title since 1996, Wentworth would have to get past TCCC newcomer Western New England. In the regular season, the Golden Bears won, 4-3 and 14-2, and looked like they were on their way to winning the title by taking an early 2-0 lead. However, as was the case many times in the season, Wentworth scored three times in the top of the second inning to take a 3-2 lead. In the home half of the third inning, Western New England scored three runs of their own and took a 5-3 lead. Despite trimming the lead to 5-4 with a run in the sixth inning, Wentworth allowed a seventh-inning run to see the deficit stand at two and the Golden Bears would take home the title with a 6-4 win.

A 30-13 record earned the Leopards a berth in the ECAC Division III New England Baseball Tournament, where they were the second seed. Taking on third-seeded Mass. Maritime, the two teams were tied at 1-all after an inning and Wentworth used a three-run third inning to jump out to a 4-1 run. However, the Buccaneers chipped away by scoring twice in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 4-3 and took the lead for good with two more in the seventh. An insurance run in the top of the eighth inning gave Mass. Maritime a 6-4 lead it would not relinquish and ended the Leopards’ season at 30-14.

Statisticall speaking, sophomore Anthony Carbone batted .369 with eight doubles, two triples, five home runs, and 24 runs batted in. Junior Nick Cunningham set a new school record for hits in a season with 54, as he batted .360 with 14 doubles, three triples, three home runs, and 38 RBI. Sophomore Doug Papuga hit .331 with eight doubles and a pair of triples.

On the mound, junior Matt Chymbor led the team with six wins (6-3). In 13 appearances he had a 2.81 earned run average and struck out 21 in 25.2 innings. He was selected to play in the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League this summer.

Sophomore Chris Sandini was 5-1 with a 2.51 earned run average. In 64.2 innings, he struck out 67 batters. Sandini's lone loss came in TCCC title game against Western new England. Freshman Matt Jordan went 5-3 with a 4.30 earned run average. He struck out 66 battes in 60.2 innings of work.

Wentworth had four players earn All-TCCC honors, with Sandini earning first team honors and Carbone, Cunningham, and freshman second baseman Jake McManus earning Honoarble Mention All-TCCC honors. Additionally, the team set or tied 22 program records with its performance, and the 30 wins were more than the three previous seasons combined.

Looking Ahead

Graduation hits the Leopards by way of the loss of three seniors. With many talented underclassmen, including four all-conference performers from 2008, the Wentworth baseball team has turned the corner and should be in contention for a conference championship in 2009.

Schedule

The baseball team plays a 40-game spring schedule, which includes an eight-game trip to Florida during Spring Break. Included in CCC play are games against Curry, Colby-Sawyer, Endicott, Salve Regina and Roger Williams. The non-league schedule is highlighted with games against Mass. Maritime, Babson, and MIT. In addition, a non-traditional segment is played during the fall.

History

Since 1985 the baseball team has won three CCC championships (1989, 1990, 1996) and reached the semifinals of the ECAC Tournament in 1995. The 2008 squad shattered the school record for wins by going 30-14, reaching the finals of the conference tournament for the first time since 1996, and making an ECAC Tournament appearance for the first time since 1995.

Steve Studley (Castleton State '94) is entering his sixth season as the Leopards' baseball coach. Prior to being named Wentworth's head coach, he had served for four seasons as an assistant coach at Stonehill College. He is assisted by Billy Sittig (Stonehill '06), Matt Moyen '06, and Brian Nelson (Stonehill '06).