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Adam Keller

The Wittenberg baseball team put the finishing touches on its season by going through a three-day span that serves as a perfect synopsis of its season.

On Sunday, rain forced the cancellation of a doubleheader at Thomas More, the third time this season the two teams were unable to play a scheduled game. On Monday, the Tigers pitched beautifully in sweeping a doubleheader against visiting Kenyon, winning 3-1 and 1-0. Then on Tuesday, the Tigers were beaten 13-1 by NCAA Division I University of Dayton in the season finale.

So goes the rollercoaster ride of spring baseball for a young team in the state of Ohio. In 2004, Wittenberg suffered numerous setbacks at the hands of Mother Nature, bounced back time and again behind a up-and-coming pitching staff, but against the top teams on a very challenging schedule, the Tigers sometimes found themselves overmatched.

It all adds up to a good learning experience, and now the Tigers can point toward 2005 knowing they will have their new stadium and no excuses - Wittenberg will be a veteran team expected to make a breakthrough back to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference. With just five seniors departing, including just one starting position play, and most of the aforementioned pitching expected to return in 2004, the outlook is unquestionably bright.

This update opens with last Thursday's 7-5 loss at Ohio Northern. Sophomore Adam Keller (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg) provided the majority of the offense with two hits, including a home run, and three runs batted in. Sophomore Darren Schneider (Cincinnati, Ohio/Northwest) made his first career pitching appearance. He went four innings and allowed five runs, just one of which was earned.

Against Kenyon, senior Tom Fox (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) picked up the win in Game 1, allowing just one earned run on six hits and three walks. It was his third complete-game of the season in his sixth start. Fox was one of three pitchers on the staff to make a team-leading 11 appearances.

In the nightcap, sophomore Steve Less (Sheffield, Ohio/Elyria Catholic) tossed his second complete game and first career shutout, making an unearned run in the sixth inning stand up for a 1-0 victory. Less struck out eight batters to finish the season with a team-best 39, and the victory was his sixth of the season, one of the top totals in the NCAC and best on the team.

Offensively, the story of the season was unquestionably the emergence of junior second baseman Jon Komperda (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay), who was nothing short of spectacular in the lead-off spot. After collecting three hits in four at-bats in the loss to Dayton, Komperda raised his average to a team-leading .441, which ranks No. 2 in the NCAC and sixth in Wittenberg baseball history. His batting average, 56 hits, 67 total bases, .528 slugging percentage, .489 on-base percentage and 12 stolen bases were all tops on the team.

In addition, junior outfielder Matt Foster (Granville, Ohio/Granville) led the team with five home runs and 33 RBI, in addition to 29 walks and a terrific on-base percentage of .486.