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2011 Outlook
The 2011 Geneva College baseball team will be attempting do something that not many teams have had to do in the last quarter century on College Hill. Following a disappointing 16-20 season a year ago, the Golden Tornadoes will be looking to rebound from only the third losing season in 24 years. “Last year was not a whole lot of fun for anyone,” says head coach Alan Sumner. “From every player to every coach, we have made a commitment to turn this thing around and get back to the standard that has been set for Geneva College baseball.”
Despite losing a handful of key components to graduation, Geneva still has a very strong nucleus of players returning to the fold in 2011. The senior nucleus of Jon Jurinko, Matt Baer and Sonny Bozza will get a boost from the return of Justin McGurgan after a year absence. Joel Gatti will also be returning to the line-up after suffering a season ending injury in Florida last spring. “We are very fortunate in that we do have a lot of experience at several key positions,” says Sumner. “Not only with our seniors, but with all of our underclassmen. We are looking forward to being another year older and a lot healthier.”
Joining the group of upperclassmen being looked at for production will be juniors Mike Suluva, Jon Bushmire, Adam Scheider, Herbie Pegg and Noah Medich. They will be joined by sophomore Bryan Visingardi as a strong group of returning position players looking to strengthen our defense and re-energize the offense.
While Matt Baer will look to be the central focus of the pitching staff as its lone senior, junior Mike Trn and sophomores Doug Sanson, Tad Forsythe and Ryan Nolt will all look to eat up innings in 2011. “If you don't get pitching production as this level, you really don't have much,” says Sumner. “We feel pretty good about where we are and what we can be as a pitching staff. We have more experience on the mound than we did a year ago and we also have some nice prospects that are joining the program this year.”
A total of ten freshmen will be joining Geneva’s program this spring with three of those youngsters looking to help the pitching staff. “We are excited about our newcomers,” says Sumner. “We have to continue to turn this program over with an influx of talent every year and we are very pleased so far with the progress our young guys are making as they transition to the college game.”
The Golden Tornadoes begin their road to turning things around in March with the annual pilgrimage to Florida. This year, Geneva will be spending the majority of its time in Clearwater, FL as they will be packing an 11 game schedule into 10 days. “The Florida trip is always an exciting time of year for our program,” says Sumner. “Obviously we have been coming down here for years and it always gives us a very good barometer of where we are as a team and what needs to be looked at before we head north for our conference schedule.”
The schedule certainly doesn't get any easier once Geneva returns to Beaver Falls. A rigorous Presidents’ Athletic Schedule will feature the likes of Thomas More, Thiel, Saint Vincent and Bethany to name only a few. The 2011 season will be the last campaign before the Golden Tornadoes are eligible for NCAA post-season play as a full-fledged member of the PAC. Following its four-year provisional period, the Golden Tornadoes will be facing a new challenge in 2012. “We are certainly excited about having the opportunity to compete in the PAC tournament next year, but our focus is squarely on the task at hand in 2011,” says Sumner. “The NCCAA has been an outstanding affiliation for us and it gives our program something to shoot for this year.”
As Geneva puts its 2010 campaign in the rearview mirror and looks forward to the prospects of 2011, the Golden Tornadoes and its mix of upperclassmen and newcomers are all on the same page about what it will take to be successful. “It’s just about hard work,” says Sumner. “Up to this point, our guys have worked extremely hard in the off-season and during pre-season workouts. All that’s left is to execute on the field when that first pitch is thrown. We have a new lease on life and are ready to take advantage of that opportunity.”
Following its trip to Florida, the Golden Tornadoes will return home to begin the northern portion of its schedule on March 19th with a home doubleheader scheduled with Mt. Aloysius. Geneva will enjoy a total of ten home dates at 33rd Street Field in 2011.