Engineers baseball splits opener at Texas Lutheran
MIT baseball started off the season on Mar. 5 with a double-header against the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs. The Engineers finished with a .500 record after Sunday’s games, winning the first 3–2 and dropping the second 4–8. The games showcased an impressive freshman class, featuring catcher Thomas Allison and third baseman Tony Rice.
The Engineers initially fell behind by two runs in the first inning of the morning’s game. David Hesslink ’17 shut down the Bulldogs after the first, eventually pitching all seven innings and striking out five. He heads home with a 2.0 ERA and a 1–0 record. David Heller ’18 hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to bring home the go-ahead run. MIT took charge of the game with two home runs by Jared Schwait ’19 and Austin Filliere ’18 in the sixth.
In the second game, the Engineers got on the board early in the first. MIT stole two bases and right fielder Matt Johnston ’20 drove in two runs with a double to left. The second game was a true test of stamina. The game lasted nine innings, during which five Engineers threw for five strikeouts total. The Bulldogs showed their offensive endurance, putting up eight runs.
A third scheduled game was suspended prematurely due to rain. Jared Tramantano ’20 was scheduled to start.
MIT finished last season as ECAC Division III champions and have high hopes for the coming year. The freshman class brings in a lot of new talent to supplement the strong veteran squad. Players are optimistic that they can repeat the success of last year, if not improve on it. Following Sunday’s games, MIT received a vote for D3baseball.com’s top 25.
Games last week were postponed. This week, the Engineers will travel to Georgia to face a Friday game against Stevens Institute of Technology and a three-game series at Oglethorpe.
Hannah Gaudet is a member of the class of 2019.