Webster University Athletics

The Gorloks are coming off a 2009 campaign that saw them complete a perfect 24-0 mark in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC), and an overall record of 28-14. Webster won its third consecutive SLIAC title and landed twelve players on the All-Conference team.

Webster returns a strong core of experienced players, with ten seniors leading the charge. The Gorloks swept through the SLIAC, but stumbled in the conference tournament.  They look to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2010, after making four consecutive NCAA appearances from 2005-2008.

Head Coach Bill Kurich enters his fourth year at the helm with a 90-44 record at Webster. Kurich’s teams have broken the school record for wins in a season twice (2007, 2008), and recorded the first undefeated season in conference (24-0 in 2009). To go along with a sweep of the SLIAC, the 2009 Gorloks had impressive victories over Keystone College (40-5), who finished the season ranked 11th nationally, and Illinois Wesleyan, a consistent NCAA Tournament participant. 

In three seasons, Coach Kurich has elevated the program from a conference powerhouse into a national contender. With this group of returning players, along with a few key recruits, he sees this season’s end finding the Gorloks in Appleton, Wisconsin, home to the Division III World Series. “Our players have truly embraced the program and what it is going to take to compete at the national level. They have bought into the system 100%. Their willingness to work hard and take care of business the right way, everyday, has brought the program to this point. They deserve the success they have had, but they are not content and still want to achieve at a higher level” said Kurich.

“It will be tough to replace the players we lost from last year’s squad, but our group is experienced and ready to win now. With an older team led by ten seniors, they know that the time is here and now to make a statement and reach that ultimate goal of playing in the World Series. Nothing will be given to us and we are going to have to work harder than ever. Our guys have a goal in mind and the determination to reach that goal” stated Kurich. “We have more talent than ever before, but it’s a matter of going out and playing with an attitude that will determine our success this year.”


Pitching

The Gorlok staff is coming off a year in which they led the conference in six different categories, including ERA (4.22), strikeouts (295), opponents batting average (.262), and wins (28), is back with more experience than ever before. The staff will have a new leader as Logan Johnson takes over for Mike Stawski, who took a head coaching position at Spalding University. This will be Johnson’s second year on the staff, and first as the Head Assistant and Pitching Coach. The Gorloks will lose innings and experience from Eric Broughton, a first team all-conference selection, as well as Pete Quintus, a staple in the rotation as well as the bullpen. “Eric and Pete brought tremendous experience, leadership, and production to our staff and it will be tough to replace their output, but we have other guys that are ready to step in and compete right away” stated Coach Johnson.

The Gorloks have four seniors that are ready to lead and contribute right away. John Duhadway (SR., St. Louis, MO), Will Savage (SR., Lisle, IL), Bryan Stanley (SR., Elgin, IL), and Bryce Law (SR., Rochelle, IL) are all going to contribute in major roles this spring for the Gorloks. “All four of these guys have the ability and experience to be number one pitchers, and each one of them will contribute to our success this year. John and Will saw significant innings as starters last year, and we will only see them continue to improve. John is a power arm with a good breaking ball that will pitch in big games this year. Will is battling an injury from last spring, but will be ready to pitch as one of our top guys. Bryce was a key to our success both as a spot starter and also out of the pen, and he is versatile enough to continue doing both for us. Bryan was arguably our best arm last year, and led the team in innings pitched out of the bullpen. The kid is a bulldog that can throw everyday” stated Coach Kurich.

Also returning to the staff is left handers Mike Gebhardt (SO, St. Charles, MO) and Carlos Burgosmorey (JR., Ballwin, MO). “Mike and Carlos are going to provide valuable innings in big games this spring. Mike will be a spot starter and will get the ball out of the pen. He’s continued to work hard and will be in some big spots for us this year. Carlos will provide depth in the bullpen and the ability to get people out late in games” said Kurich. Other some key arms from last year’s squad are right-handers Chris Cravatta (JR., Streator, IL), and Pat Amrhein (SO., Glen Carbon, IL). “Chris and Pat have grown a lot in the past year and they will be looked to for a lot of big innings this year. Chris has developed tremendously since coming to Webster, and will be given the ball late in games to shut the door. Pat is continuing to learn how to pitch and has the ability to throw three pitches for strikes. He is going to see key innings late in games for us this spring,” Kurich added.

Webster has also landed some key additions to its staff. David Mueller (SO, Webster Groves, MO) transfers from Florida Technical College, where he had a 6-5 record as a freshman. A.J. Sarantopulos (FR., Geneva, IL) is a highly touted recruit out of high school. “These guys are going to play a big part in our success this year. David has the stuff of a ‘number one’ guy, and will get the baseball when we need big wins. A.J. is going to be a valuable asset to our bullpen. He has a good arm and will learn a lot this year in game situations. He will be asked to pitch quality innings right away as a freshman” said Kurich.

“We are more experienced and mature than we have ever been on the mound” noted Kurich. “As always, pitching will be the key to our success and is going to give us a chance to compete and win at a national level. With our group of returning players as well as our incoming recruits, this staff has the makings to be the best we have had at Webster. With continued hard work and leadership from these players, there is no ceiling to how good our pitching can be this spring.”


Infield

The 2010 Gorloks will have a veteran infield anchored by six returning players, three of them seniors. The Gorloks lose one senior, Kyle Starnes, from last year’s infield and hope to be able to replace his production and leadership this year. “Kyle was a valuable player to our program and contributed in major ways on and off the field. We hope to find people to step in and fill his role, but replacing Kyle will be a tough task” states Kurich. Returning middle infielders Zach Little (Sr., St. Louis MO) and Aaron Senzell (Sr., Evansville IN) will once again be leaders and major contributors up the middle. Little and Senzell both transferred last year from junior colleges and made immediate impacts. “Zach and Aaron worked extremely well last year with one another and both are looking to have excellent senior seasons. Zach has the ability to be the top shortstop in the Midwest as his range and arm strength are two attributes rarely seen. Aaron was solid last year at second and his ability to defend and produce offensively help us tremendously. I expect both of these guys to produce and contribute in major roles this spring” comments Kurich.

Also returning to the infield are second baseman Kyle Wheeler (Sr., St. Louis MO) and utility infielder Nathan Shelton (Jr., Dittmer MO). Nathan and Kyle have both impacted the program during their time at Webster, and each will look to expand their role more this year. “Both of these guys have made an impact in our program that reaches far beyond the field. Nathan won the starting third baseman job last year and will continue to battle at that position as well as play all over the field. He’s been a huge asset as his abilities allow him to defend and produce at numerous positions. Kyle will have the chance to see innings this year at second base, and his leadership skills will be invaluable to the program this season. He works as hard as anyone in the program, and his dedication and consistency is unmatched” states Kurich.

The Gorloks will also return first baseman Joe Biagini (So., Glen Ellyn IL) as well as first baseman and catcher Craig Schaefer (Jr., Carterville IL). Both players were huge offensive contributors last season, as they split time between first base and designated hitter. These players will be looked to lead the Gorloks’ offensive attack again this year as staples in the middle of the order. “Joe and Craig are both power hitters with the ability to hit the ball out of the park at any time. Each of them contributed in a huge way to the success of our offense, and they will continue that trend again this year. Joe has grown as a player since the time he arrived at Webster, and is poised to produce and defend at a high level again this year” states Kurich. “Craig has produced offensively since he came to campus as a freshman, and he has excelled at the plate while playing different positions defensively. His production and versatility will be a key to our success again this spring.”

The lone newcomer to the Webster infield is Anthony Genna (Jr., Willow Springs IL), a third baseman transfer from Lincoln College. Anthony had a successful career at Lincoln as a shortstop, but has made the transition to third base. He provides more experience on the field as well as at the plate and will be looked to compete and produce this spring. “Anthony was an excellent junior college shortstop but has made the move to third base flawlessly. He has a huge upside and provides solid defense and consistent contact at the plate. We expect Anthony to play a big role for us this year” comments Kurich. “When we started here at Webster we were very much an offensive squad. Now we have become very good defensively while maintaining our solid offense. With this group of experienced players we are poised to be very good in the infield this spring and win a lot of games.”


Outfield

The Gorlok outfield will see some new faces this spring, with both returning and incoming players. With the loss of All-American outfielders Andrew Fuiten and Alex Raetzloff the Gorloks will look for production from some new sources this year. Andrew Fuiten was the two-time Player of the Year in the conference as well as an All-American in his senior season. He holds career records for home runs and batting average at Webster. Raetzloff was a two time all-conference selection and an All-American during his junior campaign. He holds records for steals and RBI’s, and also ranks second in batting average. “Losing these two players would be tough for any team, and what these young men did in their time here is remarkable. Their contribution to the program is immeasurable, but we will move forward and are excited to have some other players step in and fill these open positions” states Kurich.

Leading the group of outfielders this spring will be Dakota Huey (Sr., Highland IL). Dakota has been a two year starter and will once again man centerfield as the Gorloks take the field. His experience and production will continue to develop and his leadership will be invaluable this year. “Dakota has been a solid outfielder since he arrived on campus as a freshman. His abilities to defend have been excellent, and as he started to produce offensively he has become a top tier outfielder in the conference. His leadership and experience will be heavily relied on this spring as he leads a group that will look to him for guidance and direction” states Kurich. Joining Huey will be Victor Valdez (Sr., Wheaton IL), a transfer from St. Joseph’s College in Indiana. Valdez has transferred to Webster for his senior season and will play right field and hit in the middle of the order. He has the ability to play at the next level, and will provide instant experience and offense to the outfield. “Victor is a young man that has the tools to continue playing beyond college, and his defensive abilities as well as his power at the plate will make him a force in the middle of the order. His production will be vital to our success this year.”

The Gorloks will also have a number of players competing for the third outfield spot. Paul Kienker (Jr., Eureka MO), Chris Bielanski (So., Glenview IL), and Cody Stevenson (Fr., Centralia IL) will all compete and contribute in the outfield this spring. All three players bring a different strength to the outfield, and each will provide defensive stability and offense to the Gorlok lineup. Kienker is a power hitting outfielder with a big upside and a tremendous work ethic. He works as hard as anybody to improve and get stronger, and his efforts will show up on the field. Bielanski is a left-handed hitting outfielder that defends well and has pop at the plate. He is versatile and can play all three outfield positions. Stevenson is an excellent defensive outfielder that has superior speed and a knack for getting on base. “All three of these players will contribute this spring, and we need all three of them to be successful. Paul is a physical specimen that works hard to get bigger and stronger. He gets better as a hitter everyday and we look for him to put up big numbers. Chris is a good hitter and continues to improve at the plate as well as in the outfield. Hitting from the left side is a huge advantage for Chris, and he will get better every day and will play a big role for us in the spring. Cody is one of the fastest players in any sport that I have seen. His speed gives him an advantage that few other college players possess. He defends well and has excellent range. He grows as a hitter each day and his ability to create havoc on the base paths will be a huge asset this spring” states Kurich.

Although there will be some different players in the outfield this spring, Coach Kurich believes that his players are up to the challenge. “Our outfield will have some new faces this year, but we think we will continue to defend and produce offensively at the same level that we have in the past. We have some excellent athletes that are going to work hard and push each other which is going to give us an excellent chance to win a lot of games in the spring.”


Catchers

The Gorloks will return all three catchers from the 2009 campaign. John Combs (Sr., Macomb IL), Dustin List (So., Mason City IL), and Craig Schaefer (Jr., Carterville IL) will all share time behind the dish during the spring. Combs, the three year starter for the Gorloks returns for his final year after being injured early last spring and receiving a medical redshirt. He will be counted on to do a majority of the catching in the spring, as well as provide leadership behind the plate. Dustin List has a very good throwing arm and continues to improve as a player every day. He continues to work and become a leader each day and he will play in big games this spring. Craig Schaefer will also split time between first base, designated hitter, and catcher. Schaefer caught early in his career, but looks to spend more time in the infield this spring.

“John, Dustin, and Craig are three excellent examples of hard work and dedication. John is one of our leaders on the field and is able to control the game from behind the plate. His role on the team will be extremely difficult to replace after this spring. He is a special player and has been an excellent example of perseverance as he has recovered from his injury” states Kurich. “Dustin has a very good arm and continues to improve in other areas of his game each day. He has improved defensively and at the plate since he arrived as a freshman, and this continued work will earn him valuable time behind the plate this spring. Craig has been a solid catcher for us since he got here, and he will continue to be versatile as necessary. He continues to work on his game every day, and having a player that is able to play multiple positions is a factor that will allow us to be successful this year.”

“Catchers are supposed to be leaders on and off the field, and our group is going to do an excellent job leading our team. Vocal leadership from Combs will help direct and guide the entire team in a positive direction and help us to play to our potential. Our catching staff will definitely help us win games.”


Schedule Highlights

The Webster University Baseball team will open its season in Winterhaven, Florida, where it will take part in the RussMatt Invitational Tournament, from March 6-13. The Gorloks will face a tough eight-game schedule while in Florida, including Rensallier, ranked 16th nationally in pre-season polls, and Mount Union College and Aurora University, both perennial NCAA tournament participants. Returning home from the spring trip, Webster will host the Rawlings Invitational Tournament. This tournament will feature some of the toughest competition in the Midwest, including Franklin College, ranked 29th nationally in pre-season polls. Webster will play a forty game schedule overall, including the twenty-four game SLIAC schedule. The St. Louis Intercollegiate Conference tournament starts on May 13th in Highland, Illinois and the NCAA Championships begin on May 19th in Appleton, Wisconsin.