The Loudmouth Brigade and other home fans know that the Dartmouth baseball team relied on strong teamwork and contributions from the entire team to win the Red Rolfe title this season, but the Ivy League coaches also noticed something special about the Big Green squad. After spectacular seasons at the plate and on the mound, Ed Lucas '04 and Steve Perry '07 received much due honors Thursday. Lucas was named Ivy League baseball Player of the Year, and Perry was awarded Rookie of the Year.
In addition to garnering two of the three major awards from the conference, 10 Dartmouth players enjoyed first team, second team or honorable mention honors for their performance this season. More Dartmouth players were acknowledged for their extraordinary play than those from any other team in the league. Lucas unanimously made the first team at shortstop. Teammates Tommy Myette '06 and Josh Faiola '06 also made the first team as third baseman and pitcher, respectively. These are the first All-Ivy honors for both sophomores. Harvard also had three players on the first team, with Trey Hendricks making the team at both first base and starting pitcher.
Perry and captain Tim Grant '04 were the starting pitchers named to the All-Ivy second team. Josh Bailey '05 at second base and Will Bashelor '07 in the outfield were also recognized with places on the second team.
Honorable mentions were picked up by Brian Zurhellen '05, Jeff Speights '05 and Scott Shirrell '04 behind the plate, at first base and in the outfield.
Lucas' award comes after an explosive offensive season. This is the third straight year Lucas has been named to the first team, making him only the 15th Ivy League player to receive first team honors three times. He finished with a .405 batting average overall.
Lucas focused on the team's accomplishments when asked about his own.
"First of all, it's exciting to see so many of the guys get recognized for their accomplishments this year. I couldn't have had a decent year if it wasn't for the other guys in the line-up and the support I received from my friends and teammates," Lucas said.
Perry finished with a 4-0 record and 2.36 ERA in Ivy League play. He is the first Dartmouth pitcher to lead the Ivy League in conference ERA since Jim Beattie in 1975. Perry's last regular season game was his most notable. He pitched a complete game against Harvard to win the Red Rolfe division title. Perry held Harvard scoreless until the top of the ninth when Harvard picked up two runs. Dartmouth went on to win the game 7-2.
"As the season progressed I felt more and more comfortable on the mound and was able to go right at hitters, knowing that my defense would do a great job behind me. The game against Harvard was the first game I pitched all year where the pressure was really there, and it was crucial to get a win," Perry said.
Faiola finished with a 5-1 record and a Dartmouth leading 3.43 overall ERA. He led the Ivies in strikeouts with 39 in league play.
As usual, Faiola was modest about his achievement. "Any award that was given out this year is thanks to our coaching staff and the rest of our players because we would be nothing without each other. Being on the first team was a huge surprise but every one of our players deserves to be on it, Faiola said."
Myette had the second highest batting average on the team with a .393 and ended the season with a 15-game hitting streak.
Grant received second team honors for the second time in his career. He led the conference with five complete games and went 4-1 with a 3.09 ERA in Ivy play. Bailey led the team in on base percentage with .478 and Bashelor hit .323 in his rookie season.
Speights' offensive tear this season set the single season Dartmouth record with 52 RBIs. Zurhellen finished the season with six home runs and a .308 batting average. Shirrell had a record-breaking season as he surpassed career marks in hits, runs, RBIs and doubles throughout the season. Shirrell led the team with 48 runs scored. Shirrell made the first team for the past three seasons and won Rookie of the Year in 2000.
Despite a rocky start in Florida, the Big Green finished 25-17 overall and won the Red Rolfe division with a 15-5 conference record. Dartmouth lost the Ivy League Championship series to Princeton last weekend.
Next year, on and off the field, the team will suffer from losing five critical seniors.
Considering his final season at Dartmouth, Lucas said, "It's a little bittersweet. Obviously the season didn't end exactly how we would have liked, and any one of us would gladly trade any awards we've received for a ring or another shot at Princeton. We had high expectations this year, and it's hard to think of the season as a success when we didn't reach our ultimate goal."
Faiola reiterated the importance of the cohesive nature of the team. "Any award that was given out this year is thanks to our coaching staff and the rest of our players because we would be nothing without each other," Faiola said.
Perry expressed confidence that the team will come back next year hungry for the championship.
"I know that the team is already gearing up for next season and hopefully another Ivy run," he said. "I was glad to be a part of such a great team, and I know we will have very competitive teams for the next few years."
Baseball fans can rest assured that the Big Green will continue to beat up on the lesser Ivies for years to come.
