Baseball

All-American candidate who will likely bat leadoff while making the transition to centerfield … One of the fastest players to ever come through the program, already ranking seventh in school history with 61 steals … Also could end up among the Scots’ career top-10 lists in batting average, runs scored, hits, doubles, and triples with a big senior season … 2008: Breakout year resulted in secondteam all-Mideast Region and North Coast Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Year honors … Led the NCAC in hits (73), runs (49), doubles (17), and stolen bases (25), while also ranking second in RBI (47), third in slugging percentage (.646), tied for third in home runs (7), fourth in batting average (.417), and sixth in on-base percentage (.475) … Spent significant time at both first base (27 starts) and left field (19 starts) … Was 5-for-15 (.333), including a solo home run, during the NCAC Tournament semifinal series (May 3-4) … Reached base three times, singling and walking twice, in four plate appearances and stole two bases at NCAA Div. I Kent State (April 8) … Hit .500 (27-for-54) during the spring break trip, and was still batting .506 through April 5 … 2007: Overcame shoulder surgery in the fall to serve as the Scots’ third-leading hitter with a .356 average, starting at designated hitter 17 times and in left for nine games … Tied for fifth in the NCAC in stolen bases (17) … Thirty of 36 hits were singles, and he also reached base 20 other times via walks (14) and hit by pitches (6) for a .459 on-base percentage … Was batting .405 (30-for-74) through first 27 games played … 2006: Regular starter in left field (28 starts) and played in 39 of 47 games overall … Batted .305 with 35 runs, 11 extra-base hits (seven doubles, one triple, three home runs), and 21 RBI, while stealing 19 bases to rank fourth in the conference in that category … Also drew 12 walks and was hit by pitches nine times for a .414 on-base percentage … Endured a late-season slump at the plate (6-for-32; .188), which caused him to serve as a pinch runner-only at the NCAA Mideast Regional … 2005: Did not play due to injury … Prior to Wooster: Garnered all-conference and all-section honors as a senior shortstop at Peter Twp. High School, when he helped lead the Indians to the state finals … Was a three-year letterwinner, while hitting around .400 for his career … Personal: Born on Dec. 30, 1985 … Son of Jay and Fradelle Karpen … Majoring in biology … Holds a black belt in karate.