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Looking Back At The 2020 Hampden-Sydney Baseball Season – Webb Ties for First in Saves

   Written by on May 14, 2020 at 8:41 am

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY – Hampden-Sydney Baseball was off to its best start in six years at 12-4 overall, including 2-0 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), before the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The Tigers won nine of their last 10 games played and no doubt would have advanced to their fifth-straight and 16th overall appearance in the ODAC Tournament in 17 seasons under head coach Jeff Kinne. Unfortunately, the promising campaign will be one remembered for what might have been … perhaps H-SC would have claimed its third ODAC Baseball Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history.

“This team had the talent and chemistry to go a long way,” said Kinne. “During the last two weeks we really found out how good we could be. The guys were playing well in all aspects of the game. It is sad that it had to end the way it did, but I am so glad to be a part of this group of guys.”

The Tigers seemed poised to make their way into the national rankings following an early-season road win at No. 25 Christopher Newport (15-7) on February 18, a home sweep of ODAC opponent Roanoke (7-2, 3-2) on March 7, and a road win at Piedmont (9-0) on March 11 in what proved to be their final game of the season. The Maroons, picked in a tie for second in the ODAC Preseason Poll, as well as the Lions, each garnered votes in the early weeks of the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 rankings.

H-SC finished the shortened campaign first in the ODAC in total hits (183), while among the conference leaders in doubles (tie-second, 30), batting average (third, .319), on-base percentage (fourth, .414), RBIs (tie-fourth, 97) and slugging percentage (fifth, .408). On the mound, the Tigers ranked second in the ODAC in strikeouts (140), while third in earned run average (3.36), innings pitched (142.0) and fewest walks allowed (40). H-SC ranked fourth nationally in shutouts (3), while sixth nationally in hits.

Senior catcher Andrew Kasiski/Chesapeake (.491) led the ODAC in batting average (.491, 28-57) and hits (28), while fourth in on-base percentage (.547), tied for fourth in doubles (6), sixth in slugging percentage (.596), tied for 10th in stolen bases (5) and tied for 16th in at-bats (57). Senior second baseman Chase Counts/Virginia Beach (.309) tied for the ODAC lead in at-bats (68), while tied for seventh in home runs (2), tied for 11th in hits (21) and RBIs (14), tied for 15th in stolen bases (4) and tied for 19th in runs (13). Junior third baseman Ryan Clawson/Moseley (.275) tied for seventh in home runs (2). Junior first baseman Nick Grohowski/Chesterfield (.393) tied second in hits (24), tied for eighth in doubles (5), tied for 11th in at-bats (61), was 13th in batting average, tied for 17th in RBIs (13) and was 19th in on-base percentage (.465). Freshman shortstop Ryan Boyce/Suffolk (.390) ranked 13th in batting average. Senior outfielder Josh Duimstra/Montpelier tied for 15th in stolen bases (4).

On the mound, senior team captain and right-hander Bradford Webb/Charlotte Court House tied for first in the ODAC in saves (3). Senior right-hander Chase Mayberry/Appomattox was second in earned run average (1.20) and strikeouts (38), while third in innings pitched (30.0) and tied for third in wins (3). Sophomore right-hander Trenton Tiller/Powhatan tied for third in wins (3), while seventh in earned run average (1.93), tied for 10th in innings pitched (23.1) and tied for 13th in strikeouts (21). Senior right-hander Jonathan Triesler/Chesterfield ranked eighth in innings pitched (25.0), while tied for 10th in wins (2) and was 11th in strikeouts (23). Sophomore right-hander Nick Graziano/Virginia Beach ranked 19th in earned run average (3.32).

Kasiski ranked eighth nationally in hits and 99th in batting average, while Grohowski was 36th in hits. Triesler tied for first nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (23.0, 23 strikeouts, one walk), while Webb was sixth in saves, Mayberry was 15th in strikeouts and 16th in wins, with Tiller also ranking 16th in wins.

Triesler earned ODAC Pitcher of the Week honors for the period Feb. 24-March 1 after tossing 8.0 scoreless innings during a 3-0 home shutout past Southern Virginia on Feb. 26, scattering three hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. He faced 28 batters and allowed no extra-base hits, equaling his season-high with the nine strikeouts.

Mayberry ranks third in H-SC career strikeouts (194), fifth in innings pitched (218.1) and tied for ninth in wins (13). Triesler ranks fifth in career saves (6), while Webb is tied for sixth in career saves (5).

Counts ranks eighth in H-SC career hits (150), while senior team captain and first baseman/outfielder Matt Spagnolo/Glen Allen (.286) ranks ninth in career batting average (.353, 97-275).

H-SC also earned wins against Brevard (NC), Greensboro (NC), Ithaca (NY), Moravian (PA) (2), St. Mary’s (MD) and William Peace (NC). Coach Kinne was assisted by Robbie Bailey ‘10, Billy Catron, J.R. Allen and Taylor Lockhart. The Tigers could return as many as 28 lettermen for the 2021 campaign.

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