2004

Emory University’s baseball team finished the 2004 season with a school-record 42 wins and ended the year with a third-place finish in the NCAA Division III regional tournament.

The Eagles, who were ranked ninth in the final American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball Division III poll, also won their fourth University Athletic Association (UAA) conference title in the last six years and sixth in 11. This is the second year in a row Emory has finished in the year-end top 10 and tied for the team’s second highest ranking ever.

Two players, third baseman Andrew Pinckney and starting pitcher Will Carr, were named to the All-American team. Pinckney was a first team selection and Carr was picked to the second team. Carr also was named regional co-pitcher of the year.

Emory started the season with 26 consecutive victories, the most in its history, rising as high as no. 2 in the nation. The Eagles were a perfect 6-0 in conference play, scoring at least 11 runs in four of those games. Pinckney and shortstop Rob Segear were named co-Most Valuable Players at the UAA tournament.

The Eagles’ 42-6 record (.875 winning percentage) is the best mark in team history. The previous record for wins was 37, set in 2003. The 2004 campaign marks the ninth straight year Emory has topped 25 wins.

Following are some individual honors gathered by Emory players this season:

Josh Barrett
In his first year as a full-time starter, Barrett set career highs in most major offensive categories and was named second team all-region and second team all-conference. Barrett finished fourth in the nation for most stolen bases. His 50 steals set an Emory season record, besting the previous mark by 20 steals. Barrett's 19 multi-hit games was third on the team in 2004, and on March 31 against LaGrange (Ga.), he went 5-for-5 with four stolen bases and three runs scored. Those five hits and four steals each tied an Emory single-game record. Three times Barrett was named UAA Player of the Week: March 29, April 19 and May 10. No other Eagle was honored more than twice.

Will Carr
Carr was named second team all-America, regional co-pitcher of the year, first team all-region, and first team all-conference. He had a 13-0 record, placing him second in the nation for most wins in Division III, one behind the eventual World Series MVP. Carr was one of two pitchers in the nation to compile a perfect record with 10 or more wins this season. Carr’s 13 victories were an Emory single-season record and in three years on the team he has never registered a loss (his career record is 23-0). In addition to leading Emory in wins, Carr was first in innings pitched and threw the team’s only two complete games of the season. He is fifth all time in the Emory record book for career wins. At the conference tournament, Carr went 2-0, winning games both as a starter and reliever.

Bryan Langbord
Langbord was named to the all-region second team. He led Emory in hitting with a .418 batting average, the 10th highest ever by an Eagle, and a major leap from his previous season best of .306. Langbord was second on the team this season in RBI, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. His 54 RBI are fourth-best all time in Emory history. He complied a 29-game hitting streak, Emory’s longest of the season, in which he hit .450. Langbord was 28-for-31 (.908) in getting runners home from third with less than two outs. Overall, he batted .449 with runners on base. Defensively, Langbord, the Eagles’ starting right fielder, was perfect in 86 fielding chances.

Keith Meizler
Meizler finished third in the nation with 10 saves, one behind the co-leaders. His 10 saves also set an Emory single-season. He received honorable mention in voting for the all-region team. Meizler was 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA in 23 appearances, all in relief. He held opponents to a .213 batting average and struck out 30 batters in 39.2 innings.

Tom Mieczkowski
Mieczkowski was named second-team all region. He finished 18th in the nation with a 1.68 earned run average and 39th in wins with an 8-1 record. His 1.68 ERA was the fifth best in school history. He was second on the team in strikeouts and fanned a career-high nine batters in his first start of the year, Feb. 18 against Washington & Lee (Va.). He didn’t allow a run in his first 15 innings of work on the season.

Andrew Pinckney
Pinckney became the third Emory player, but the first position player, to be named a first-team All-American. Pinckney was also was named first team all-region and took home co-MVP honors for the University Athletic Association (along with teammate Rob Segear). He finished among the national leaders in three statistical categories, placing 33rd in doubles, 35th in triples and 38th in RBI. Pinckney subsequently was drafted in the 34th round by and signed with the Boston Red Sox. He batted .415 with 21 doubles, seven triples, seven home runs and 60 RBI in 48 games. Pinckney is the third Eagle ever to hit .400 or better in consecutive seasons. At the conference tournament, Pinckney batted .417 with a home run and five RBI. In just two years on the team, Pinckney finished in the top 10 in school history in numerous categories, including first in batting average (.433), first in slugging percentage (.726), second in on-base percentage (.499), second in triples (14), fifth in home runs (13), sixth in doubles (42), eighth in RBI (115) and eighth in total bases (270).

Aaron Rosdal
Rosdal was named second team all-conference. He batted a career-high .319 this season. At the conference tournament, Rosdal batted .343 in 17 at bats with four runs scored and four RBI. His bases-clearing triple led Emory to a conference victory against Brandeis (Mass.), March 8. For the season, Rosdal’s 15 steals (in 16 attempts) were fourth best on the team.

Adam Schorr
Schorr, one of four co-captains, was named first team all conference. His seven RBI at the conference tournament led all Emory players. Schorr finished third on the team in RBI and tied for third in home runs. He went 4-for-4 in a season opening win against University of the South (Tenn.), Feb. 17. He graduates in the top 15 in school history for career home runs, RBI and doubles.

Rob Segear
Segear was named to the all-region second team. He set career highs in batting average, slugging and on-base percentages, RBI and doubles. He batted .400 making him the 11th Eagle ever to attain that season plateau. Segear was named the University Athletic Association’s co-Most Valuable Player (along with teammate Andrew Pinckney). He batted .550 (11-for-20) at the UAA tournament, the highest average among all conference players, scored eight runs and drove in five runs. Segear hit two home runs against Iowa Wesleyan March 17 to finish the day with seven RBI and 10 total bases--all team season highs. The two homers and seven RBI tied team Emory single-game records. Segear graduates ranked seventh in school history in career stolen bases (46), ninth in career batting average (.350), and 10th in career runs scored (118) and career hits (174).

Steve Zaychik
In his first season as a starter, Zaychik won six games in 2004, twice as many as he had in his previous two seasons combined, and was named all-conference second team. At the conference tournament, Zaychik earned a win in his one start, allowing one earned run in 7.2 innings while striking out seven. On the season, his 56 strikeouts tied for the team lead.

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Written by Eric Rangus, Senior Editor, Emory Report.