Adam Genn

Previous Entries

March 3rd

March 18th, 2008

Most sports fans will tell you, including many members of our team, the past week was one of great importance to the NCAA.  Conference titles were on the line, and while we played six games against our UAA competitors, the eyes of the nation rested on the SEC and the Cinderella Georgia Bulldogs, the ACC, the Big East, and the other division one-powerhouse conferences to see who would make it to the big dance. 

Under the lights at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, we too were fighting for a conference title.  With a 3-0 start winning against Washington University on Tuesday, Brandeis on Wednesday, and University of Rochester on Thursday, we were pumping on all cylinders.  The second contest against Wash U started as a pitchers duel, but in the top of the fifth, the Bears put up five runs.  We quickly answered in the bottom of the sixth inning with five runs of our own.  Unfortunately, the bears put up single runs in the remaining three innings to take an 8-5 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, and as those who follow this team know, we fight until the end, and on that overcast Friday in Sanford that is exactly what we did. 

We scored two runs off Wash U errors, then with two outs, Steve Bralver came to the plate with Frank Pfister on second and Dave Hissey on third.  Bralver’s at bat in that game was reminiscent of the entire day: he fought until the very end, launching a ball to deep center field eliciting cries from the bench and stands.  The outfielder ran back to the wall and with only one foot left on the warning track, caught the fly ball to end the game.

On Saturday we played a double header against Brandeis and Case Western.  We ended up splitting the games and tying for first in the UAA with Brandeis.  While we did not win outright, we have now won the UAA championship three years in a row, and there is little better than an eight-hour bus ride home with a conference title.

Over the week there were many great performances by pitchers and hitters alike.  Matt Ryckman started against Washington University on Tuesday and Case Western on Saturday, earning wins in both games and throwing eleven innings while striking out fourteen.  On the mound, freshmen Patrick Sandman earned his first win in his first collegiate appearance, Brian Cournoyer and Charlie Robbins both recorded saves, we saw a very gutsy performance by Matt Katten, and J.B. Meyer make his first appearance for the eagles.

On the offensive side, we scored 52 runs in six games, with seventeen of them coming on Saturday.  We saw clutch hits from nearly everyone on the team including home runs by Frank Pfister (5), Joe Roth(2), Steve Bralver (4), Dan Molnar (1), and two freshmen bombs by Andrew Cohn and Jeremy Bolian, the first of their careers. 

In tournament play such as last week, a team can only be successful if every member contributes.  Last week, every player on our team had an impact and we fought as a team from the bench and the bullpen, to the field.  The support of our friends and family at the tournament did not go unnoticed.  Parents did a great job supplying us with food and their support, and alumni such as Tim Cournoyer and Dave Murchison made appearances to cheer us on.  Your support is greatly appreciated by the whole team.

As you fill out your brackets for the NCAA tournament this week, don’t forget we will be squaring off against Purchase, Centre, and a two game set against a tough Rhodes team over the weekend.  Until next time, see you on the field.

Adam Genn is a sophomore from Baltimore, MD. He would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.