Willamette Baseball Team Defeats Alumni,11-5

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University baseball team defeated the Willamette Alumni, 11-5, on Sunday, Sept. 25 at John Lewis Field. The alumni put together a large squad with 22 former Bearcats participating in the event.

The oldest alum was Jason Muth from the 1994 Willamette team. Other notable former WU players who returned to Salem for the Alumni Game were Nik Lubisich, Matt Kosderka, Jason Searle, Doug Bloom, T.C. Lee, Kyle Stalker and Max Stepan. Willamette's new athletic director, David Rigsby, also participated. He was a member of the Willamette baseball team while attending WU as an undergraduate.

Kosderka is Willamette's all-time leader in pitching victories with 30 and Lubisich is third with 26 wins. Lubisich also holds fourth place in career ERA at 2.75, while Kosderka is seventh with a 3.60 ERA.

There was plenty of home run power for the alums with five of Willamette's top 10 career home run hitters participating: Stalker (#1, 51 homers), Lee (#2, 34), Stepan (#3, 25), Searle (#5, 18) and Lubisich (tied for #6, 17). Four of the top 10 leaders in career batting average were competing for the alums: Lee (#2, .368), Lubisich (#4, .351), Stepan (tied for #8, .341) and Stalker (#10, .339).

"The Alumni Game was a success," said WU Head Coach Aaron Swick. "It was great to see so many former Bearcats back on the field and it was a good experience for our current players."

Willamette, which finished last season at 22-17-1, will open the 2012 schedule with a three-game series at Simpson University from Feb. 10 through Feb. 12. The Bearcats will play a total of four games at College of Idaho on Feb. 17-18, before opening the home schedule against crosstown rival Corban University in a single 9-inning game on Feb. 24.