May 9, 2000
Tom Lopusznick entered his freshman year at Fairfield with the skills to make him an impact player from the beginning. But, when he stepped on campus, could he have imagined the numbers that he posted would place him among Fairfield baseball's all-time greats? "When I first got here," said Lopusznick, "I thought I could do well, but I wasn't trying for any records. It just worked out that way."
Before seeing one pitch his senior year, he already ranked among the program's top three all-time in home runs, RBI, and stolen bases. Those totals merited his selection as the MAAC Pre-Season Player of the Year in the league coaches' poll, Baseball America tabbed him with the same honor. Now, as this final go-around nears the end, Lopusznick has shattered two of those records: homeruns (35) and RBI (164). Lopusznick is also closing in on one more record, as his 191-career hits are just 18 shy of the goal.
It didn't take long for opponents to see what the slugger could do. As a freshman, he broke a single season school record with nine home runs, knocking in 43 runs, stealing nine bases and batting .307. "I felt pretty good about my numbers that year, but I wasn't satisfied with the .307 batting average and wanted to pick that up," said Lopusznick, who was named 1997 MAAC South Rookie of the Year.
Lopusznick worked hard on refining his mechanics during his first collegiate off-season. This training paid off. During his sophomore season, he batted .377 (one of the top ten single season averages in program history), had 44 RBI (the third highest total for a single season by any player ever at Fairfield), and swiped 17 bases.
For many players, the success of those first two years would make a career and they would be satisfied. But not Lopusznick. He continued to work hard at his strength and speed, using wooden bats in the off-season and playing against the best competition around. Once again, that work ethic was reflected in his numbers. His junior season, opponents began to pitch around him and he walked a career-high 27 times. When they pitched within the strike zone, he cracked a single season program record of 10 home runs, and drove in 42 more on his way to All-MAAC South honors. He also nearly doubled his stolen base total from the previous season, recording 33 on a team that set a new program record with 120 stolen bases.
But that's not all. Lopusznick made himself into a complete ball player, finishing the season perfect at his right field position, handling all 80 chances without an error and using his arm strength and accuracy to gun down four base runners.
With at least one more weekend left and the possibility of post-season play, Lopusznick won't rest on his laurels. To go along with his team-leading 35 RBI this season, he has tied his own single season home run record with 10 and has added four more assists from the outfield as the Stags stand right in the thick of the MAAC play-off race at 14-8 (3rd) and 22-19 overall. With most of the records in his rear-view mirror, Lopusznick is focused on the team goal of a MAAC championship.
"Whatever I can contribute to help the team win, whether it's driving in runs, getting on base, or throwing a runner out, those are my individual goals which will help the team reach the ultimate goal," said Lopusznick. "We have the talent, a great lineup, solid defense, and the pitching has done a tremendous job. We want to win the MAAC championship."
