In the Cards’ Sunday doubleheader losses to Middlebury (5-1 and 8-2), Jeff Maier ’06 played the way he always does—as hard as he can. By the third inning of the second game, Maier had tied the Cardinals’ all-time hits record, with 168 for his collegiate career.
“I was excited when I was standing on first base with my teammates and fans applauding for me, but after a couple seconds, it was time to refocus on the game,” Maier said.
In the two games on Andrus Field, the third baseman got on base eight times in 12 at-bats, notching four hits while getting hit by two pitches. Maier also reached first base two more times on Middlebury errors.
The 250 people who attended Saturday’s second game were treated to an exciting match-up. Wesleyan and Middlebury played an intensely close game where no team led by more than a run until the game reached extra innings. Andre Sternberg ’07 pitched spectacularly, only giving up one earned run in the seven innings he threw.
The score remained tied until the top of the eleventh inning. At that point Middlebury’s offense, which had been largely dormant throughout the game, came to life. While the Cardinals were able to scrap together the inning’s first two outs without letting in a run, they then fell apart, letting in six runs before finally ending the inning.
That inning proved to be a disappointing end to a disappointing day for Wesleyan. In the first game the Cardinals looked sluggish in a 5-1 defeat, with the only real bright spots being Maier’s three hits and Jon Sargent’s ’09 tremendous pitching.
In relief, Sargent pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings, bringing his ERA to an impressive 0.66.
“Those two games we could have won,” Sargent said. “But we were not able to put all the aspects of the game together. It’s great to see that Jeff has now cemented his place as a major part of that tradition with a record that I consider to be one of the most (or the most) important hitting records.”
Maier’s accomplishment was additionally poignant, considering his history with the player with whom he shares the record, Bill Robinson ’03. Robinson was the captain of the baseball team Maier’s freshman year, and Maier said Robinson had a large effect on him.
“He played the game as hard as he could, and set a standard for the rest of his teammates,” Maier said. “He was the kind of player that other guys should emulate. It is an honor to be chasing records that he has set.”
This chase will continue Wednesday, as the Cardinals play again at home, this time taking on the Bates Bobcats. The game will be carried onweb (http://condor.wesleyan.edu/openmedia/webcast/athletics.qtl) as listeners can anticipate Maier’s record-breaking 169th career hit.
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