Emory University's baseball team finished the 2004 season with a school-record 42 wins and ended the year with a third-place finish in the NCAA Division III regional tournament.
The Eagles, who were ranked ninth in the final American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball Division III poll, also won their fourth University Athletic Association (UAA) conference title in the last six years and sixth in 11. This is the second year in a row Emory has finished in the year-end top 10 and tied for the team's second highest ranking ever.
Two players, third baseman Andrew Pinckney and starting pitcher Will Carr, were named to the All-American team. Pinckney was a first team selection and Carr was picked to the second team. Carr also was named regional co-pitcher of the year.
Emory started the season with 26 consecutive victories, the most in its history, rising as high as no. 2 in the nation. The Eagles were a perfect 6-0 in conference play, scoring at least 11 runs in four of those games. Pinckney and shortstop Rob Segear were named co-Most Valuable Players at the UAA tournament.
The Eagles' 42-6 record (.875 winning percentage) is the best mark in team history. The previous record for wins was 37, set in 2003. The 2004 campaign marks the ninth straight year Emory has topped 25 wins.
Following are some individual honors gathered by Emory players this season:
All-America (American Baseball Coaches Association) | ||
First Team | Andrew Pinckney | Atlanta, GA (Pace Academy) |
Second Team | Will Carr | Salt Lake City, UT (Highland) |
Regional Honor (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) | ||
Co-Pitcher of the Year | Will Carr | Salt Lake City, UT (Highland) |
All-Region (American Baseball Coaches Association) | ||
First Team | Will Carr | Salt Lake City, UT (Highland) |
First Team | Andrew Pinckney | Atlanta, GA (Pace Academy) |
Second Team | Bryan Langbord | Virginia Beach, VA (First Colonial) |
Second Team | Josh Barrett | Racine, WI (Prairie) |
Second Team | Rob Segear | Cranford, NJ (Cranford) |
Second Team | Tom Mieczkowski | West Chester, PA (Unionville) |
All-Conference (University Athletic Association) | ||
Co-Most Valuable Player | Andrew Pinckney | Atlanta, GA (Pace Acdemy) |
Co-Most Valuable Player | Rob Segear | Cranford, NJ (Cranford) |
First Team | Will Carr | Salt Lake City, UT (Highland) |
First Team | Andrew Pinckney | Atlanta, GA (Pace Academy) |
First Team | Adam Schorr | Canandigua, NY (Canandigua) |
First Team | Rob Segear | Cranford, NJ (Cranford) |
Second Team | Josh Barrett | Racine, WI (Prairie) |
Second Team | Aaron Rosdal | Englewood, CO (Cherry Creek) |
Second Team | Steve Zaychik | Duluth, GA (Duluth) |
All-Tournament (NCAA Division III Regionals) | ||
(only one team) | Bryan Langbord | Virginia Beach, VA (First Colonial) |
(only one team) | Andrew Pinckney | Atlanta, GA (Pace Academy) |
Team Awards (Emory University) | ||
Best Offensive Player | Andrew Pinckney | Atlanta, GA (Pace Academy) |
Best Offensive Player | Bryan Langbord | Virginia Beach, VA (First Colonial) |
Best Defensive Player | Josh Barrett | Racine, WI (Prairie) |
Best Pitcher | Will Carr | Salt Lake City. UT (Highland) |
Most Improved Player | Keith Meizler | Woodmere, NY (George W. Hewlett) |
Josh Barrett
In his first year as a full-time starter, Barrett set career highs
in most major offensive categories and was named second team
all-region and second team all-conference. Barrett finished fourth
in the nation for most stolen bases. His 50 steals set an Emory
season record, besting the previous mark by 20 steals. Barrett's 19
multi-hit games was third on the team in 2004, and on March 31
against LaGrange (Ga.), he went 5-for-5 with four stolen bases and
three runs scored. Those five hits and four steals each tied an
Emory single-game record. Three times Barrett was named UAA Player
of the Week: March 29, April 19 and May 10. No other Eagle was
honored more than twice.
Will Carr
Carr was named second team all-America, regional co-pitcher of the
year, first team all-region, and first team all-conference. He had
a 13-0 record, placing him second in the nation for most wins in
Division III, one behind the eventual World Series MVP. Carr was
one of two pitchers in the nation to compile a perfect record with
10 or more wins this season. Carr's 13 victories were an Emory
single-season record and in three years on the team he has never
registered a loss (his career record is 23-0). In addition to
leading Emory in wins, Carr was first in innings pitched and threw
the team's only two complete games of the season. He is fifth all
time in the Emory record book for career wins. At the conference
tournament, Carr went 2-0, winning games both as a starter and
reliever.
Bryan Langbord
Langbord was named to the all-region second team. He led Emory in
hitting with a .418 batting average, the 10th highest ever by an
Eagle, and a major leap from his previous season best of .306.
Langbord was second on the team this season in RBI, on-base
percentage and slugging percentage. His 54 RBI are fourth-best all
time in Emory history. He complied a 29-game hitting streak,
Emory's longest of the season, in which he hit .450. Langbord was
28-for-31 (.908) in getting runners home from third with less than
two outs. Overall, he batted .449 with runners on base.
Defensively, Langbord, the Eagles' starting right fielder, was
perfect in 86 fielding chances.
Keith Meizler
Meizler finished third in the nation with 10 saves, one behind the
co-leaders. His 10 saves also set an Emory single-season. He
received honorable mention in voting for the all-region team.
Meizler was 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA in 23 appearances, all in relief.
He held opponents to a .213 batting average and struck out 30
batters in 39.2 innings.
Tom Mieczkowski
Mieczkowski was named second-team all region. He finished 18th in
the nation with a 1.68 earned run average and 39th in wins with an
8-1 record. His 1.68 ERA was the fifth best in school history. He
was second on the team in strikeouts and fanned a career-high nine
batters in his first start of the year, Feb. 18 against Washington
& Lee (Va.). He didn't allow a run in his first 15 innings of
work on the season.
Andrew Pinckney
Pinckney became the third Emory player, but the first position
player, to be named a first-team All-American. Pinckney was also
was named first team all-region and took home co-MVP honors for the
University Athletic Association (along with teammate Rob Segear).
He finished among the national leaders in three statistical
categories, placing 33rd in doubles, 35th in triples and 38th in
RBI. Pinckney subsequently was drafted in the 34th round by and
signed with the Boston Red Sox. He batted .415 with 21 doubles,
seven triples, seven home runs and 60 RBI in 48 games. Pinckney is
the third Eagle ever to hit .400 or better in consecutive seasons.
At the conference tournament, Pinckney batted .417 with a home run
and five RBI. In just two years on the team, Pinckney finished in
the top 10 in school history in numerous categories, including
first in batting average (.433), first in slugging percentage
(.726), second in on-base percentage (.499), second in triples
(14), fifth in home runs (13), sixth in doubles (42), eighth in RBI
(115) and eighth in total bases (270).
Aaron Rosdal
Rosdal was named second team all-conference. He batted a
career-high .319 this season. At the conference tournament, Rosdal
batted .343 in 17 at bats with four runs scored and four RBI. His
bases-clearing triple led Emory to a conference victory against
Brandeis (Mass.), March 8. For the season, Rosdal's 15 steals (in
16 attempts) were fourth best on the team.
Adam Schorr
Schorr, one of four co-captains, was named first team all
conference. His seven RBI at the conference tournament led all
Emory players. Schorr finished third on the team in RBI and tied
for third in home runs. He went 4-for-4 in a season opening win
against University of the South (Tenn.), Feb. 17. He graduates in
the top 15 in school history for career home runs, RBI and doubles.
Rob Segear
Segear was named to the all-region second team. He set career highs
in batting average, slugging and on-base percentages, RBI and
doubles. He batted .400 making him the 11th Eagle ever to attain
that season plateau. Segear was named the University Athletic
Association's co-Most Valuable Player (along with teammate Andrew
Pinckney). He batted .550 (11-for-20) at the UAA tournament, the
highest average among all conference players, scored eight runs and
drove in five runs. Segear hit two home runs against Iowa Wesleyan
March 17 to finish the day with seven RBI and 10 total bases--all
team season highs. The two homers and seven RBI tied team Emory
single-game records. Segear graduates ranked seventh in school
history in career stolen bases (46), ninth in career batting
average (.350), and 10th in career runs scored (118) and career
hits (174).
Steve Zaychik
In his first season as a starter, Zaychik won six games in 2004,
twice as many as he had in his previous two seasons combined, and
was named all-conference second team. At the conference tournament,
Zaychik earned a win in his one start, allowing one earned run in
7.2 innings while striking out seven. On the season, his 56
strikeouts tied for the team lead.
Written by Eric Rangus, Senior Editor, Emory Report.