The College of Wooster lived up to its preseason hype during its annual spring trip to Port Charlotte, Fla., where the No. 2 ranked Fighting Scots won 11 of 13 games, including two against fellow top-10 teams. After drilling host LaGrange College 18-5 on its way to Florida, Wooster took down No. 9 Carthage College 14-10 in a rematch from last year's NCAA Div. III Baseball Championships.
The Scots proceeded to pick up three key victories against fellow Mideast regional opponents before splitting back-to-back match-ups with fourth-ranked Kean University. Wooster took the first 4-1, behind eight strong innings from Matt Barnes, however, its 16-15 setback may have been more memorable as it saw the Scots nearly pull off a remarkable comeback. They fell behind 13-1 after just three innings only to claw back into it with a seven in the fourth and five in the seventh, nearly overcoming the 12-run deficit.
A day later, Wooster pounded Becker College 16-5 and then won a marathon 13-inning affair with Skidmore College 3-1 via a Greg Van Horn walk-off home run. Van Horn was also the winning pitcher that game, working three scoreless innings in which he yielded just one hit and one walk.
The last two days of the trip were the most important, as it marked the beginning of divisional play within the North Coast Athletic Conference. The Scots swept Kenyon College in the squads' initial doubleheader, combining for 38 runs in a pair of routs – 13-7 and 25-8 – while the second twinbill saw the Lords bounce back via a 3-0 shutout to set up an important fourth game. Wooster rose to the occasion in securing a 9-0 triumph, thanks in large part to six shutout innings from Matt DeGrand, and took the overall series.
The Scots' offense, led by the trio of Matthew Johnson, Matt Groezinger, and Greg Van Horn, was clicking throughout most of the trip, as they hit .341 as a team and put up 10.6 runs per outing. Groezinger batted an even .500, ripping six doubles and three home runs while driving in 23 runs along the way. Two of his homers came in the second game versus Kean. Van Horn's numbers are nearly identical, as the transfer from Princeton University is at .477 with eight doubles, two home runs, 21 RBI, and nine stolen bases. Johnson, the team's leadoff man, batted right around the .400 mark (.393), highlighted by three triples, and he's scored a squad-high 23 runs.
Wooster also has received nice production from the bottom of its order with No. 9 hitter Chris Wood coming through via a .424 average, while back up at the top, fellow outfielder Luke Sutton, has been contributing a .372 average out of the No. 2 spot to go with 11 walks. Stu Beath, the third outfielder, batted .333, and the other regular starters were designated hitter Michael DeBord (.282), third baseman Zack Vesco (.263), and catcher Shane Swearingen (.171).
On the mound, returning All-American Justin McDowell led the way, winning all three of his starts, highlighted by striking out 12 without a walk during eight innings of a 6-2 victory over Wilmington College. To go with his 3-0 record, McDowell finished the trip with a 2.95 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 21.1 innings – all staff highs. The second-most work went to Tyler Fugate, who went 2-0 with two saves while compiling a 3.32 ERA over six appearances and 19.0 innings pitched.
Barnes and DeGrand were the other regular starters, with each having one bad outing and then each responding in strong fashion. They're both 1-1, and Barnes has a 5.00 ERA and DeGrand's is 6.32.
The Scots' early challenging schedule continues Tuesday when they make their 2010 home debut against regional rival and No. 13 ranked Marietta College (8-2) at 3 p.m.