Cornell University Athletics

Cornell Baseball in the NCAA Tournament
1977, 2012

1977 - Co-EIBL Champions (29-15, 11-3 EIBL)

5/26/1977 vs. St. John's | Palmer Field, Middletown, Conn. | W, 10-7 (12 inn.)

Courtesy of the Ithaca Journal

By Kenny Van Sickle | Journal Sports Editor

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Gary Gronowski owes Gary Kaczor and Joe Guarascio a debt of gratitude. And don't think he isn't aware of it.

The big right-handed senior from Titusville, Fla., constantly got himself in jams by giving up two-out, two-strike hits. But his offensive-minded buddies came up with clutch hits to recoup and Cornell staggered to a 10-7 victory over St. John's in 12 innings at Palmer Field Thursday afternoon.

This was the Big Red's debut in the NCAA Division I postseason play and it responded well, although it had a difficult job convincing the battle-tested Redmen from Jamaica, Long Island.

It was Cornell's 28th victory of a season that began back on April 2 in San Antonio, Texas, and that will continue this afternoon. St. John's saw its record slide to 29-9.

• • •

Ted Thoren's charges seem to thrive on adversity, and they had plenty of it through the long afternoon; the activity lasted three hours, 28 minutes and delayed the starts of the two other contests.

On the other hand, Gronowski and Co. couldn't stand prosperity, like early two-run leads. Cornell was up by 6-5 only to give up a run with two out in the ninth.

The situation was similar in the 11th.

And both times lanky Don Troyan, 6-foot-7 first baseman, lashed long extra-base hits to knot things.

Cornell had gone up in the top of the 11th when Kaczor, getting his first hit of the day, lined a triple to left-center. He scored on Mike Fleury's grounder. Zane Gramenidis did a good job taking out the shortstop on a possible DP ball.

• • •

In the bottom of the 11th, Gronowski, after getting two outs quickly, and as quickly, getting two strikes past Troyan, was tagged for a double.

Troyan was cut down at third trying to stretch it.

Guarascio opened the 12th with his fourth hit of the day. He “died” at second when Bob Johnson's bunt was played there. Catcher Joe Roche singled and Kaczor doubled and the Red was on top again.

This time it got some insurance, two more runs scoring on a Gramenidis Texas League single.

Gronowski, in posting his 10th decision, compared with two defeats, pitched his best when he was in trouble. He gave up 12 hits, fanned six and walked seven.

5/27/1977 vs. UConn | Palmer Field, Middletown, Conn. | W, 9-7

Courtesy of the Ithaca Journal

By Kenny Van Sickle | Journal Sports Editor

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — The Cornell baseball team's best defense is its offense.

It displayed it here at Palmer Field again Friday, blasting 18 hits to beat the University of Connecticut, 9-7, and taking another step toward its big goal, participation in the College World Series in Omaha.

The Big Red blew 5-0 and 8-4 leads but never trailed as it won its second NCAA Northeast Regional tourney game, and boosted its record to 29-13.

Pitcher Bob Dutkowsky, the starter, couldn't stop UConn. Joe Lerew, who entered the game in the fourth, had his difficulties.

But Mike Murphy, the handsome left-hander from Oneonta, was in rare form as he came on in the seventh with two out and pitched to only seven batsmen. He gave one UConn batter a walk in the eighth, but the runner was erased in a double play, started by shortstop Mike Fleury.

• • •

Connecticut, whose pitching carried it to the New England championship and to a final 28-8 log, couldn't stop the Big Red bats. The Ithacans gathered their 18 hits in the first seven innings.

When Cornell beat St. John's in the first outing on Thursday, 10-7, in 12 innings, the Red had 12 hits.

Fleury and Gary Kaczor had three hits apiece in the Friday win, with Fleury batting home two runners, with a double.

Dave Johnson capped the run-scoring in the seventh with a 400-foot solo homer, over the center-field fence.

Tom German, senior right-hander, with a 10-1 record, was the first victim of the Cornell assault.

He was rapped for seven hits and five runs in the first 1? innings.

His successor, Rich Norell, had to be removed when he injured himself diving for Zane Gramenidis' popped-up bunt in the fifth. Dennis Long then took his whackings; he had gotten the loss in the tourney's first day, in a defeat at the hands of Temple.

Fleury bounced a high-hopping single over the shortstop to start things in the first. The bags got crowded on a Ken Veenema single and a walk to Joe Guarascio. Hawk Caputi drilled a single to right, to score two.

Cornell managed four successive hits in the second, to build the margin to 5-0. Gramenidis batted in one with a single and Fleury two, with a double.

Dutkowsky staggered through the first. A double play helped him out of the second. The UConns began shelling him in the third. Catcher Matt Hukill batted in one and left fielder Randy LaVigne two. That made it 5-3.

Guarascio doubled home Johnson, who had walked, in the fourth.

But UConn couldn't be shaken. It battled back to within 6-4 and then 8-7. But Murphy, with his pitching, and Johnson, with that one final blast, put a quietus on the host club.

5/28/1977 vs. Temple | Palmer Field, Middletown, Conn. | L, 6-9

5/28/1977 vs. St. John's | Palmer Field, Middletown, Conn. | L, 9-11

Courtesy of the Ithaca Journal

By Kenny Van Sickle | Journal Sports Editor

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Shortly before midnight Saturday in Middletown, Conn., Cornell, a Cinderella team in the NCAA Northeast Regional baseball tournament, turned into a proverbial pumpkin.

After a three-day, four-game, 34-run, 57-hit break even experience, the Big Red bowed out of the College World Series qualifier by losing to St. John's, 11-9.

Earlier in the day it had been nipped by Temple, 9-6. It scared the Owls with a great comeback effort after being down 8-0.

Cornell had beaten St. John's, 10-7, in 12 innings in the first game of the competition on city-owned Palmer Field. The Jamaica Redmen battled back by taking Seton Hall on Friday and then Catholic U. on Saturday, 8-3. But their fond hopes were dashed Sunday when they were taken by Temple, 8-6.

Thus Temple, 4-0 in the tourney, 34-7 overall and winner of 17 straight, will represent this sprawling area at Omaha. The nationals will open June 10 against the best from the Midwest area. The Owls are East Coast Conference champions. They have been in the regionals five of the last six years and the only other time they got to Omaha, in 1972, they finished third. That was one of the East's best showings ever.

Cornell, a rookie in this tournament business, closed out a splendid year, nevertheless. It was 29-15 and captured the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League (EIBL) championship. The only other time Cornell won the title outright in the league's 47-year history the league didn't include Army, Navy, or Brown. That was in 1940. It tied for the title in 1939 and in 1952 it won the Southern title. Brown won the North, and there was no playoff.

This marked the Red's debut in postseason play.

It had had the experience of playing many games over short spans. When it was in Texas at the season's start it played 13 games in eight days, going 5-8. Then the northern portion of the season was no bed of roses.

But these were pressure games and had telling effect of pitching staffs, not only Cornell's, but everybody's. Even the so-called stars got rocked.

The Red flinger with the best record, Gary Gronowski, had trouble weathering the first game storm when St. John's kept coming back on him. Working overtime the way he did taxed him so much that it would have been difficult to tell whether he would have been sharp for Sunday if Cornell had had a “Sunday.”

Coach Ted Thoren started junior John Nurthen twice Saturday. The Ridley Park, Pa., right-hander was bombed by Temple. The Owls continued their assault on Joe Lerew. Then young Dana Drisko, a freshman from North Syracuse, who had totaled two-thirds of an inning of work in two games in Texas, came on and did a fine job. Thoren said he would have given Drisko more pitching work during the season but that the lad preferred outfield and DH duty. And he didn't get much of that.

Nurthen had his tourbles again in the nightcap. So did Bob Dutkowsky. Finally Mike Murphy entered to douse the St. John's fire. But the damage was done.

“Guess I should have gotten Murphy in there earlier,” said coach Thoren, long after the die had been cast.

“We would have been better off with our pitching if Tony Crump hadn't developed that elbow problem,” Thoren said. Tony missed several late-season games. Hopefully he will be back when the autumn drills start.

Cornell was strong at the plate, and for the most part, did a good field afield. An 8-run, 14-hit average for four games in tournament company is regarded excellent.

Down 8-0 to the Owls, Cornell kept pecking away and was within 8-6 when disaster struck in the eighth. Temple came up with a triple play. Cornell had loaded the bases with none out. Zane Gramenidis doubled and Mike Fleury and Dave Johnson both singled. Ken Veenema banged what appeared to be a hit over the shortstop's head. But Pete Dempsey made a sensational save, firing to second after the catch and the relay went quickly to first. It was a bang-bang sort of thing that usually is good for two on a ground ball. But this was for three.

Temple suddenly gained new life and the spark went out of the Ithacans.

• • •

Hawk Caputi's sacrifice fly had gotten Cornell its first run. Gary Kaczor, in two successive at-bats, stroked homers, one to left and one to center. The first one stared a five-hit, three-run fifth. Fleury and Veenema batted in other runs. Kaczor's second round-tripper came in the sixth.

Cornell went down one-two-three in the ninth.

Cornell opened the night game with four in the first on three hits, including a Gramenidis triple, and two walks. Jim O'Connor's two-run homer got the Redmen on the board in the second. He knocked in one, then scoring on an infield out.

Veenema tripled home a run in the fifth, then crossed on an error. That made it 7-3. But the Redmen got to Nurthen. O'Connor and Bill Sheridan socked homeres and Nurthen got the hook. St. John's continued the assault on Dutkowsky in the seventh and eighth to wrap it up. A walk, a single, and Art Moossman's hit did it.

Mickey O'Connor, whom Cornell had shelled in the fist game, mowed 'em down in the late innings to get the win.

• • •

Cornell's attack was stalled by four St. John's double plays. Cornell's over-zealousness on the basepaths led to two of them.

For the four games, Kaczor had 7x15 for .467. Joe Guarascio was .471 with 8x17. Fleury and Veenema were both 7x19 for .368.

2012 - Ivy League Champions (31-17-1, 14-6 Ivy League)

6/1/2012 at North Carolina | Boshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill, N.C. | L, 4-7

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Brian Billigen hit his 20th career home run, shortstop Marshall Yanzick made two miraculous defensive plays, and the baseball team outhit the sixth-ranked team in the country. But the efforts weren't enough to secure a major upset, and the Big Red lost 7-4 to host North Carolina at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional on Friday.

Making its second NCAA appearance in the program's 143-year history, the Big Red held its own against the powerhouse Tar Heels. Despite falling in a 5-0 hole after four innings, Cornell fought back to close its deficit to 5-3 in the sixth. Billigen hit a two-run home run, his sixth of the season, then Kevin Tatum drove in Brandon Lee to score the third run of the frame. The Big Red stayed close to the end, bringing the tying run to plate three times in the ninth inning before finally being closed out by North Carolina. Cornell had 13 hits compared to UNC's 11, with both teams leaving 12 runners on base.

“I was pleased with the effort our guys gave today. We hung with them offensively,” said Bill Walkenbach, the Ted Thoren Head Coach of Baseball. “I thought our pitchers did a good job keeping them off balance. If we make a few more plays, I think the game is a little closer and maybe we can get out in the end.”

Cornell went down 1-2-3 in the first inning, then Billigen set the team's feisty tone by making a diving catch on Chaz Frank's fly ball to center for the first out. Starting pitcher Rick Marks then induced a pair of groundouts around a base hit to get out of the inning, with Yanzick making a strong throw from deep in the hole for the third out.

Lee had the Big Red's first hit with a two-out single through the right side of the infield in the top of the second, but he was left on base. He finished a 3-for-5 day with two runs scored.

UNC (45-14) immediately countered and got on the board with a run in the second. The Tar Heels loaded the bases with no out after Brian Holberton drew a leadoff walk and Cody Stubbs singled. Michael Russell then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, but he was allowed to reach on a fielding error.

That set the stage for Parks Jordan, who blooped a ball down the third baseline that looked like trouble right off the bat, but Yanzick made the long run and laid out to make the diving catch for the first out. Adam Griffin followed with a ground ball to short. Yanzick tossed to second baseman Brenton Peters for the second out, but Griffin beat out Peters' throw to first and allowed Holberton to score the game's first run.

The Tar Heels broke through with four runs in the fourth. With everyone in attendance anticipating imminent rain, they saw a deluge of UNC hits in the inning instead – six, to be exact – giving the home side a 5-0 lead. A pair of attempts at diving catches by Big Red fielders narrowly missed, deflecting off gloves to lead to RBI hits.

The Big Red responded with three hits in the top of the fifth, but couldn't push a run across. After back-to-back hits from Tom D'Alessandro and Kevin Tatum, Peters smacked a two-out hit through the right side. D'Alessandro tried to score from second, but the throw from the rightfielder was on the money and the easy tag was applied.

Freshman Nick Busto relieved Marks as the rain intensified to record the final out of the fourth inning, then he got through a scoreless fifth inning.

Yanzick led off the sixth inning with an infield hit to his positional counterpart. Billigen took two balls to start his at-bat, then cranked a two-run homer over the 355-foot mark on the fence in right-center field to get the Big Red on the board and cut the deficit to 5-2. The home run brings Billigen into a tie for second place for home runs in program history, one off the pace set by Walkenbach, a four-year starter at shortstop before his graduation in 1998.

“I was able to get into the hitting count. He got ahead of me in those first two at-bats,” Billigen said, referring to a pair of strikeouts in his first trips to the plate. “I was fighting, and I was able to get to 2-0 and saw a fastball. He left one up and in, so I got a nice swing on it.”

Billigen's blast spelled the end of the day for UNC starter Hobbs Johnson, but lightning within the darkening skies then forced a stoppage of play before reliever R.C. Orlan could complete his warm-up pitches.

The delay lasted 1 hour, 11 minutes, but the Big Red bats didn't cool off over the break. Lee and D'Alessandro had back-to-back singles, then Tatum guided a two-strike pitch through the right side to score Lee. Ben Swinford then drew a walk to load the bases, but that's how the threat would end with Orlan getting a strikeout to set down the side.

“I think Cornell showed you what it's like playing in the NCAA Tournament after (35) years. with the excitement of being here,” said North Carolina head coach Mike Fox, who won his 51st NCAA tournament game. “I thought they played terrific. They'd probably like to have a couple walks, a couple ground balls back and that game is entirely different.”

“I don't want to take anything away from our team because the first game in a regional is always that one you just have to work really hard to get the win and get past this one, but I really thought Cornell just played outstanding,” Fox added.

The Tar Heels extended their lead to 7-3 by plating a pair in the bottom of the sixth. A walk and a pair of singles chased home the first run of the inning, then Houston Hawley emerged from the bullpen. For the second time in the game, UNC executed a sacrifice bunt only to have an error allow the runner to reach and load the bases with no out.

Hawley – from nearby Apex, N.C. – responded by striking out the next batter swinging, then got some help when a ball hit on the screws was snagged by a diving Yanzick for the second out. The play was so impressive that it induced a standing ovation from several of the 1,677 fans in attendance, even though most were pulling for the home side. The Tar Heels were able to score their second unearned run of the game on the Big Red's fourth error before Hawley struck out the next batter to leave the bases loaded.

Cornell got one more run in the eighth in an inning which featured three UNC pitching changes. Lee led off with his third single of the day. Tatum drew a one-out walk, but was then retired on a fielder's choice for the inning's second out. Peters followed with a single to left-center, plating Lee and making the score 7-4.

The Big Red didn't go down without one last fight. Against UNC closer Michael Morin In the ninth inning, Billigen scrapped out a leadoff walk, then moved to second when Chris Cruz followed with a single through the right side. But Morin retired the next three batters consecutively, leaving the Big Red on the ropes coming into Saturday games. Cornell has twice come out on top in do-or-die games this season, both times in extra innings.

6/2/2012 vs. East Carolina | Boshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill, N.C. | L, 6-10

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Brandon Lee had his second consecutive three-hit day, but the baseball team's historic run into the NCAA Regionals came to close on Saturday with a 10-6 loss to East Carolina at North Carolina's Boshamer Stadium.

Lee was 3-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a walk, and Tom D'Alessandro was 3-for-5 with a run and two RBI on another day in which the Big Red bats put a dent in a pitching staff of national prominence. Ben Swinford also had a pair of RBI from the No. 9 spot of the order, giving fourth-seeded Cornell a total of 25 hits over its two days at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. Eleven of the Big Red's 12 hits on Saturday came against East Carolina ace Kevin Brandt. The lefty entered the game with an ERA of 1.85, but Cornell tagged him for six runs – four earned – before he was chased in the fifth inning. Lefty reliever Tyler Joyner earned the win with 4.2 innings of scoreless relief, surrendering just one hit.

"It's a disappointing end to our season. We want to play as long as we can, but we ran into a little better team today," said Bill Walkenbach, the Ted Thoren Head Coach of Baseball. "We didn't do a couple little things here and there to keep them from scoring runs. I was pleased with the way we swung the bat, very pleased with the effort of our team. I was pleased with the energy and determination they showed and what they showed all season. It was no surprise to me that we would come out, do well, and compete hard.”
 
After a quiet first inning, both teams were able to put three runners on base in the second – though none of them scored. A pair of one-out singles were followed by a four-pitch walk to load the bases for East Carolina. Cornell starter Brian McAfee was able to settle down from there, getting a first-pitch flyout to shallow right from Jack Reinheimer for the second out and a flyout to right-center from Mike Ussery to retire the side. Frank Hager had Cornell's first hit in the bottom of the frame on a line-drive single up the middle, but he was erased by Brandt's ninth pickoff of the season. Lee and D'Alessandro followed with singles on consecutive pitches before a flyout ended the inning.

“I was seeing the ball well today," Lee said. "I was fortunate to have some balls fall for me. Myself and my fellow seniors set out to change some things and change how we play the game. Obviously it's disappointing to come here and lose two games like that where we had some dogfights. It's a little bittersweet. It's been a great year, and a great time at Cornell." 
 
The Pirates got on the board in the third on a home run from Drew Reynolds. It was just the eighth long ball surrendered by the Big Red on the season. But McAfee was once again able to buckle down with runners on base to minimize the damage, inducing a double play to get out of the jam. East Carolina tacked on another run in the fourth, but McAfee nabbed a comebacker to record the final out in the top of the fourth to leave a runner stranded at third.
 
Cornell came back with a big bottom half of the inning, scoring four runs in methodical station-to-station baseball to take its first lead of the regional. Brian Billigen led off with an infield hit, then Chris Cruz was plunked with a pitch. Frank Hager laid down a sacrifice bunt, but an error on the fielder allowed him to reach first and load the bases. That brought Lee to the plate for the first of seven consecutive at-bats in the inning with the sacks full. Lee drove in the first run with single to left-center. After a lineout, Ben Swinford singled up the middle to tie the game – improving his mark with the bases loaded to 4-for-6 on the season. A fielder's choice accounted for the second out, then Marshall Yanzick drove in the fourth run by getting plunked with an 0-2 pitch.
 
The lead was shortlived, though, as East Carolina countered with a five-run fifth to take a 7-4 lead. Three of the runs were unearned after the Big Red's third error of the weekend while fielding a bunt, this play allowing the first run of the frame to cross the plate. The next two batters were retired, but earned they each earned an RBI by pushing runners home from third. Four straight two-out singles followed to plate the Pirates' seventh run before Connor Kaufmann – making his first relief appearance of the season – retired the 10th and final batter of the side.
 
But, just like the day before against North Carolina, Cornell would not go away quietly. Cruz led off with a single to right, then Lee hit a one-out double to give the Big Red two runners in scoring position. For the third straight time, D'Alessandro singled on the first pitch of his at-bat – this time driving in Cruz . Next up was Tatum, who drew a walk to load the bases again. East Carolina pulled Brandt at that point in favor of Joyner. For the second time on the day, the Big Red would then drive in a run by getting hit by a pitch when Swinford took one off the ankle.
 
The left-handed Joyner then settled into a groove and retired the next eight Big Red batters, allowing the Pirates to once again rebuild a lead with three unearned runs in the seventh. That proved to be enough of a cushion, even as the Big Red put two runners on in the ninth before the final out was recorded. Freshman Kellen Urbon finished the game on the mound for the Big Red, working 2.2 innings while surrendering only an unearned run.

“Both games this tournament, we needed that extra base hit with bases loaded to put us over the top," Walkenbach said. "We just didn't get it. That's baseball for you."

Cornell closed its season 31-17-1, setting a program record for victories in a season. It was just the second time in the team's 143-year history that it advanced to the NCAA tournament.