May 6, 1999
Fairfield, Conn. - The 1999 baseball season was a year that saw several records fall in the Fairfield baseball record books. It was a season that saw a relatively young team show that it could play with anyone it went up against. This season was filled with memorable last at bat victories as head coach John Slosar watched his youthful squad develop into a group of seasoned veterans that would never say die and fought until the final out of every game.
Fairfield finished the season with a 23-23 overall mark, the first time the Stags have been at the .500 mark since 1996. The 23 wins also represented the most ever in a single season, tying the all-time mark held by the 1992 and 1995 teams. They also finished 13-13 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play, just two games out of a playoff spot. This, in a year in which eight of ten teams were vying for a berth in the MAAC Tournament up until the final weekend of play and in the same year that seven of ten teams finished with at least 20 wins. Fairfield fans got to see the Stags leave everything they had on the field as they pulled off several thrilling come from behind victories and won 11 games decided by two runs or less.
All this was accomplished by playing an aggressive style of baseball that Slosar will look to continue in the spring of 2000. The Stags used everything they had; power, speed, finesse, defense and pitching, to create what turned out to be an exciting season. As a team, the Stags stole 120 bases, eclipsing the old program record of 118 set by the 1977 team. Their running game was complemented by an offense that batted a solid .296 and cracked 30 home runs, the third highest single season total in school history. Opponents got to see some nifty defense as well as Fairfield also posted one of its best fielding percentages ever at .952 (3rd in MAAC) and turned 37 double plays.
Several individuals also enjoyed outstanding seasons. Right fielder Tom Lopusznick led the Stags in batting (.333), home runs (10), RBI (42), slugging percentage (.585), on base percentage (.446) and stolen bases (33). The junior's 10 home runs set a new single season record at Fairfield, surpassing the old standard of nine, and he finished the season tied for first in all-time round trippers with 25. To top it off, Lopusznick showed his prowess in the outfield by recording four assists and handling all 80 chances without making an error. Senior second baseman Cristian Jung finished his career with a solid season by batting .331 and leading the team with 53 hits. The Stag captain went the first 24 games without making an error and finished the year with a .970 fielding percentage.
The list continues with Tom Lopusznick's fraternal twin brother, Jim Lopusznick, who proved he can get it done on the baseball diamond as well as the football field. The junior nearly matched his brother's batting average at .331, led the team with 29 walks in the lead-off spot and added 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts. Sophomore short stop Ed McCrann flashed his leather again with a .945 fielding percentage, but also showed he can swing the stick as he upped his average to .313 and was second on the squad with 11 doubles. McCrann finished the season by going errorless in his final 11 games and making only two errors over the last 20 games.
Showing that you build a team up the middle, the Stag's catching tandem of freshman Sean Easton and junior Paul Macchio flexed their muscle behind the dish and in the batter's box. Easton came on strong to finish the season at .297 and struck fear into opponents with his arm as well by throwing out close to 40% of attempted base stealers. Macchio batted .292 and finished second on the team with a career-high six home runs. In a three day span, the duo set and tied several single game records with their bats. On April 5 in a win over Manhattan, Macchio set a new record with eight RBI. Three days later against C.W. Post, Easton tied that record with eight of his own and Macchio tied another record by getting five hits in the same game. Each player also scored five times against the Pioneers, which yes, tied yet another single game record.
Enough said about the Stags' offense and defense, the pitching was right there with the bats. The 1999 staff kept the Stags in nearly every game. They accomplished this not with power, but finesse. Control was key on the mound as Stag pitchers walked just 135 batters in 332.1 innings. Atop the indivual list was Steve Colcord who walked just five batters in 62 innings. The sophomore finished with the team's best ERA among starters at 4.21 and recorded a 5-4 mark, usually going head-to-head with the opponent's number one pitcher. Classmate Ryan Holsten gave coach Slosar a potent 1-2 punch as he finished 6-1 on the year with a 5.67 ERA. Juniors Dave Catelotti and Joe Bruderek also always gave the Stags a shot to win. Catelotti posted a 4.85 ERA and won three games. He allowed just four extra base hits in 39 innings pitched. Bruderek got off to a slow start, but settled down to earn three wins including a momentous 5-4 win over Big East and intra-state foe UConn. Freshman righty Dan Krines also showed flashes of brilliance earning two wins and senior Mick Feeley closed out his career with a three-win season, including a 10-inning victory over Central Connecticut State.
Not bad numbers for a team that started 1-8 on its southern trip. Looking past the slow start, the Stags were one of the best teams in the MAAC. Their 10-10 non-conference mark was impressive enough, but a 9-2 non-league record against programs in the northeast is evidence that this team came to play every day. If you look at the classes that preceed the names, the Stags are yet to reach their full potential and anyone can see that the future of Fairfield baseball looks bright. Overall, Slosar will return seven starters from this potent lineup as well as his top five starters on the hill. Add in outfielder Matt McGoldrick who went down with an injury early in the season, and the numbers of first baseman Ryan Bittner (.280, 12 2B's) and outfielder Matt Fratturelli (.266, 2 HR's), and Slosar has good reason to look forward to the 2000 season.
