Rutgers just misses a Big East berth — again
Disappointment ends otherwise successful campaign

The Rutgers University baseball team had some high hopes entering this season.

The Scarlet Knights hoped, at the very least, to make it back to the Big East Tournament, after missing out on the tourney last year for the first time since Rutgers joined the conference in 1996.

That put quite a bit of pressure on senior right-hander Aaron Kalb, who got the ball on Saturday against Seton Hall in a game that could have determined their playoff fate. With a win, and a loss by Note Dame to West Virginia, the Scarlet Knights would indeed return to the Big East Tournament, joining regular-season champs St. John’s, Boston College and Pittsburgh.

Simply put, Kalb delivered, but it wasn’t enough. Kalb delivered a strong seven-inning effort, allowing just four runs on eight hits while striking out eight, in leading the Knights to an 8-4 win over Seton Hall in the first game of a doubleheader.

But Notre Dame didn’t cooperate, beating the Mountaineers, 7-3, to clinch the final spot in the conference tournament.

The Irish win deflated the Scarlet Knights, who went on to lose the second game of the doubleheader, 10-4, as well as their season finale on Sunday, 8-1.

With the disappointing finish, the Scarlet Knights season ended at 32-21, and 12-12 in Big East play. On paper, it looks like another solid season. But this Rutgers team expected more of itself.

The team’s offense played consistently well all season, thanks in large part to the great hitting of Johnny Defendis (.370), Cory Rodriguez (.342), Colin Gaynor (.341), Vic Cegles (.333), Jeff Gross (.317), Ryan Hill (.315), Dave Williams (.312), Jon Gossard (.306), Tim Querns (.303) and Todd Frazier (.295). The team hit 49 home runs, 18 of which came off the bats of Todd Frazier (9) and Steve Hook (9). Defendis led the team with 47 RBIs.

Rutgers’ pitching didn’t fare quite as well as the offense did, but there were still some great seasons worth mentioning. Ryan Bradley, Mark Lampariello, Tim Woodhull and Jim Jansen all kept their earned run averages under 4.00. Mark Lampariello, Jim Jansen, O.J. DeChristofano and Steve Holt all pitched complete games, with Lampariello actually registering two complete games.

Rutgers definitely has the potential to be a solid team next year, although they will lose first baseman Rich Canuso, catcher Gaynor, shortstop Jason Grover, Kalb, pitcher Tom Malafronte, and most notably, Rodriguez.

However, they still will be returning enough good players to have a solid year next year, when the Rutgers coaching staff will be anxious to see how much better freshmen Vic Cegles, Frazier, Hill, Lampariello, Tony Wargo and Woodhull will get with a year of collegiate baseball under their belt. The team should be carried by its upperclassmen, including juniors, Williams, Gossard, Holt and Querns, and seniors Hook, Jansen, Bradley, DeChristofano, Defendis and Grose.

— Mike McDonald