Going, Going, Gone
Peter Martincek
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Sports
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"I'm going to miss being around the girls," Shaffer said. "I've met a lot of great people being on the softball team, and a lot of those girls are my good friends. I have had great teammates while being here."
The baseball team is losing two players this spring third baseman Ryan Streno and outfielder Gino Moio. The softball team is losing Shaffer, outfielder Kelsey Lloyd, first baseman Jamie Stumme, outfielder Missy Meighan and second baseman Sarah Plocki. The softball and baseball teams took divergent paths in the record books this year, with the baseball team currently having a 7-27 overall record and an American Mideast Conference (AMC) record of 4-20. The softball team stands at a 20-12 overall mark, with an 8-8 conference record. Both teams are losing quality players that have contributed to their respective teams.
Through April 12, Moio has started 15 games for the Pioneers this year and posted a .333 batting average, which ranks him fourth on the team and his 11 runs scored rank him sixth. For a team that has been plagued by errors this year, Moio has been impressive in the field with a 1.000 fielding percentage. Streno has a .179 batting average on the year, with a double, five runs scored and five RBIs.
"I wish we could have done a little better this year, but I still had a good time with my teammates," Streno said. "We have a lot of young talent, so I wish them well in the next couple years. I'm friends with a lot of the guys on the team, and it has been good to get to know some of the younger guys on the team. I'm going to miss playing the game the most though."
Through April 12, Shaffer had a .167 batting average, two runs scored and an RBI. Shaffer had a 1.000 fielding percentage as well. Lloyd has hit for a .200 average this year, with a home run, an RBI and two runs scored.
Stumme had a .143 batting average to go along with two runs and a double. Meighan had a .272 batting average, tying for the team lead with 17 RBIs. Plocki had a .176 average with one home run and is tied for the team lead in games played with 31.
Both teams are losing players who contributed to the team and offered valuable leadership. The camaraderie of being on a team together and getting to play a sport with their friends is hard for the players to let go of.
"This has been such a good year for us as a team," Stumme said. "We are playing the best we have since I have been here. I'm going to miss a lot of this. Just being around the girls and traveling with them has been fun. I'll miss our spring break trips a lot. They were great opportunities to get away from the city for a little and for us to hang out as a team. I'm going to miss that stuff a lot."
Streno concedes that having a losing record in his senior season was a little disappointing, but he said that being with his teammates for the year has made it worth it.
"I wouldn't call it bittersweet, me ending my career on a losing note, but I wish we could have done a little better," Streno said. "We are a young team though, and they will be good at some point down the line. I had a great time playing for this school and I hope the program continues to get better in the future."
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