NCAA Tournament Sidebar - by Ray Cotrufo '98  

Game Story

Mansfield, CT --- WPI had every reason to feel good heading into its first ever NCAA Tournament on Wednesday. The Engineers have had a storybook season up until this point, setting the school record for wins in a season (29 and counting), winning the team's first ever regular season conference title and the ECAC New England Tournament championship. WPI overcame a tough schedule and registered several key wins on its way to the NCAAs, including a win at defending national champion Trinity and two wins at national powerhouse and conference rival Wheaton College.

The Engineers could easily have been nervous appearing in its first NCAA tournament, as the only NCAA Tournament experience on the roster came from head coach Mike Callahan as a player with Franklin Pierce in 2003. The team exhibited confidence however, knowing that they feature a potent offensive attack led by senior and first team all-conference Scott McNee. They also had their ace, Conor Fahey, going in the tournament opener. Fahey has been nothing short of dominant this season, putting together an 8-1 record with a miniscule 1.40 ERA in 15 games (12 starts), striking out a whopping 10.74 batters per nine innings of work.

However, despite another in a long line of strong pitching performances from Fahey on Wednesday, WPI picked up its first NCAA Tournament win, a 7-6 triumph over Suffolk (30-10), on the shoulders of two unlikely sources: junior catcher and team co-captain Joe Walsh and first-year pitcher Sean Minor. Despite some key contributions from each player throughout the season, Walsh and Minor would perhaps not be the first ones expected to deliver the biggest win in school history. Walsh, batting .235 on the season, had to overcome a difficult afternoon to pick up his teammates. The catcher had an 0-for-3 day going at the plate and was victimized by two passed balls and a throwing error during the first eight innings.

Walsh stayed within himself however, not allowing his previous difficulties affect his approach in a key situation. After Suffolk tied the game at 6-6 with a four-run outburst in the eighth, Walsh stepped to the plate with the go-ahead run in first baseman Bryan Watkins in scoring position. Needing just a single to potentially win the game, Walsh delivered, dropping a bloop base-hit down the right field line that lifted WPI to the lead, fired up the Engineer bench and instantly erased the troubles he faced earlier in the game.

"All year it's been a total team effort led by our team leaders McNee and Fahey and I thought it was great today that I could step up and help out when our team needed it most," Walsh said after the game. "Watkins did a great job starting us off with a hit and Cody (McGregor) did his job moving him over, and I was just trying to get the barrel on the ball, I guess."

Although Walsh's clutch base-hit gave WPI a 7-6 lead heading into the ninth, the game was far from over. The Engineers needed to record three outs for the win, and needed to get through the top of the Suffolk order  without its ace Fahey and closer Thomas Whiting, who were already out of the game. Needing a lift from the bullpen, Callahan and pitching coach Dan Generelli turned to third starter Sean Minor, a Los Angeles native in his first year with the Engineers who is normally a starting pitcher.

"We just thought that his style of pitching would help in that situation," said WPI head coach Mike Callahan. "(Pitching) coach (Dan) Generelli decided to go with Minor regardless because he thought he could give us more than one inning if necessary and still be able to pitch in game three."

Minor has had a productive first season at WPI, going 5-2 with a 4.23 ERA in 10 appearances (eight starts) . The freshman could not have been prepared for what he would face in his first NCAA Tournament however, needing to come on in relief and get out of a ninth-inning jam to preserve WPI's first tournament win in school history. Minor's task became more daunting immediately after he took to the hill, as his first pitch sailed away and nailed Suffolk left fielder Nick Travelyn leading off the ninth inning.

Later, with one out and Travelyn at third, Minor delivered what may have been his biggest pitch of the season, getting Rams second baseman Paul Vittozzi to hit a sharp grounder to short with the infield drawn in. Shortstop Paul Galligan fired home and cut down Travelyn at the plate for the second out of the ninth. Minor then retired right fielder Keith Carter on a fly out to preserve the win. "I just came out trying to throw strikes," Minor said. "It started out a little sketchy there with the hit batter, but I tried to stay low and got my outs. It definitely feels great to be out here and we're going to keep giving it our best."

Minor will likely be the starting pitcher in the Engineers' third game of the tournament on Friday, likely benefiting a great deal from getting his first NCAA Tournament jitters out of the way. Before that happens, Minor, Walsh and the rest of the Engineers will look to keep their dream season going on Thursday when they will face their NEWMAC rival Babson in day two action. Starter Nolan Murphy will take the ball against the Beavers, looking to lead WPI to its 30th win of the year. WPI is 2-0 versus the Beavers this year, sweeping a doubleheader at Babson 2-0 and 7-1.

Story by Ray Cotrufo '98 - WPI Sports Information