The Cardinals took to the field for the final two games of the 2004 season Saturday, facing Division III’s tenth best team, the Trinity Bantams. Splitting an intense double-header, 4-5 and 4-3, the Cards pulled out a win to end their rollercoaster season with a final record of 11-22-1. Wesleyan also said goodbye to four-year member and team captain, Angus Fredenburg ’04.
Game one just barely got away from the Cards, who went out strong against their in-state rival. Tom Bloss ’05 pitched his sixth complete game of the season and improved his ERA to a team-best of 2.45. Putting themselves in a comfortable position, the Cards scored four early runs, two in the team’s first at-bat.
It was not until the sixth inning that the Bantams would even make the board, but unfortunately, they came up big with three runs. One more Bantam run in the final inning of the opener saw the two teams tied at 4-4, forcing extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Trinity’s Andrew Fries hit an RBI sending in the only run needed to secure the victory. Wes had a man in scoring position in the bottom of the inning, but Trinity pitcher Jon Rapport forced the ground out to end the game.
“I think we showed everyone yesterday that we’ve got what it takes to beat any team. Even though we lost the first game, we dominated Trinity all day,” said Ed Wdowiak ’06.
After having victory snatched away from them, the Cards were not about to watch their season end on a similar note. Returning from an injury suffered for the duration of this season, Wdowiak pitched a gem. Throwing seven strikeouts and holding the Bantams to a mere seven hits and two runs, his performance was just what the Cards needed to pull out a victory.
“Yesterday I was able to throw different pitches for strikes, which I think threw off a lot of their batters and kept them guessing. With our lineup hitting the way they did and my injury improving, it was real easy to go out every inning with confidence, something that I think we’ve lacked all season. I mean, our record would indicate that we were a sub-par team, but we were young and inexperienced. Yesterday was a good indicator of how we’re going to come out at the start of next season, and I’m looking forward to it already,” Wdowiak said.
Heavy hitting from the usual suspects, Alexander Brooks ’06 and Jeff Maier ’06, put the Cards on the board. Brooks played outstanding for the duration of the series, getting three RBI’s and scoring three runs of his own, going 4-for-7 against the Bantams. Maier, who ended his season with a team-high batting average of .409, went 3-for-6, hitting a big triple with two out in the fifth that set up Brooks to send him home for a run, putting the Cardinals ahead 3-2. Alex Mautone ’07 hammered an RBI that would prove to be the game-winner. Trinity made a run for it in the top of the seventh, but only managed one run, leaving Wesleyan victorious with a final score of 4-3.
“Beating a team of that caliber was very exciting,” said Rob Coughlin ’07. “We really showed how good of a team we can be. We made every play, we hit their ace, and Eric pitched an unbelievable game. I know that even though we didn’t make the playoffs, winning against Trinity made a lot of the guys’ season.”
One team member especially gratified by the win was the sole senior on the squad, co-captain Angus Fredenburg. Scoring the deciding run off of Mautone’s bat and getting a hit of his own, Fredenburg not only showed his stature as he had all season long.
“I don’t think anyone can say enough about what Angus means to this team. We had a tough record this year and there were times when the team could have fallen apart. Gus made sure that didn’t happen. He also anchored the team in the field, making every play at short and always getting clutch hits. He’s the only senior we’re losing, but the loss is as big as any team could have. We’re going to sorely miss him,” Coughlin said.
“It was real nice to see Angus end his career at Wesleyan with one last hit. He’s a very talented and dedicated player and he’s been a great leader for the team this year. He’ll be missed by all the guys,” Wdowiak said.
Fredenburg expressed similar sentiments towards his 2004 squad.
“I want to thank my teammates for being such great guys this year. The camaraderie on the team was something special. I’ll miss having a team.”
As far as life after Wesleyan baseball is concerned, Angus expressed slight nostalgia, but for the most part, he is looking in the right direction: forward.
“Wesleyan baseball has been an enormous part of my life for the past four years. It’s really emotional to come to the end of something that I’ve cared so much about and invested so much time in. While it’s a big let down, I think I’m actually ready to be done. It’s time to move on and do other things,” Fredenburg said.
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