The Eagles turned in another quality season in 2006, racing to a 26-10 overall record. UMW, traditionally a very strong starter, continued that trend last spring, as the Eagles won 12 of their first 13 games. Tom Sheridan’s Eagles topped Eastern Mennonite, 10-1, in the opener, behind an offense that pounded out 13 hits, then won four straight games against NCAA Tournament teams, sweeping a pair from Gwynedd-Mercy College and then topping Frostburg State University, 14-1, and Bridgewater College, 6-0. Three straight doubleheader triumphs followed, as the Eagles moved to 11-1 by sweeping Gettysburg College, SUNY New Paltz, and Villa Julie College. UMW extended its winning streak to 11 with a 9-6 win at Washington & Lee University.
The Eagles then proceeded into conference play, where they eventually finished one game out of first place. After dropping a 17-14 decision at York, UMW hosted the Spartans three days later, and won, 14-1, at Dickinson Stadium. Junior Brett Diamond eaned the decision in a 22-5 win at St. Mary’s College, and Kevin Foeman moved his record to 6-0 after a 13-5 win over the Seahawks at home. After a loss at Bridgewater, the Eagles, who were ranked eighth in the nation, won three straight, including a 14-3 win at Randolph-Macon College.
Playing without all-region catcher Lee Rubin, who missed six games due to injury, the Eagles offense went quiet the next week, dropping games to Salisbury University and Christopher Newport University. With Rubin back in the lineup, the offense surged over the next three games, topping Catholic University, 14-9 and 23-12, and defeating Randolph-Macon, 16-3.
The Eagles opened play in the Capital Athletic Conference tournament with an 11-2 win over Catholic University. Freshman Wes Hayden won his fourth game of the season in the victory, allowing just six hits and one earned run in seven innings. Mary Washington then visited York College in the second round and came away with a 9-7 win. All-region outfielder Eric Fitzgerald homered twice, and Chase Townsend added another homer as the Eagles overcame a 3-0 deficit in the fifth inning to capture the win and remain undefeated heading into the weekend portion of the tournament.
Playing at top-seeded Salisbury in the semifinal round, the Eagles fell behind early and never caught up in a 10-8 loss. All-CAC third baseman Chris Anderson had three hits for the Eagles. The remainder of the day’s games were rained out, and due to CAC rules, the undefeated team (Salisbury) and the next highest seed (York, whom UMW had defeated two days earlier) advanced to the championship round, and the Eagles were eliminated from the double elimination tournament with just one loss, due to the weather.
After falling at nationally-ranked Johns Hopkins University, UMW closed the season by winning three of four games, including taking two of three from a very strong Keystone College team that won 30 games.
The Eagles lost three key players from the 2006 team to graduation. Catcher Lee Rubin, an all-region selection, batted .384 last season, with five home runs and 29 RBI in 99 at-bats. First baseman Brandon Cole hit .341 with two home runs and 30 RBI. He also ranked as the toughest player to strike out in all of NCAA Division III, as he struck out just twice in 135 at bats. Right-handed pitcher Kevin Foeman closed his career as the winningest pitcher in school history with 33 career wins, and as the all-time leader in strikeouts, with 360.
Among those looking to return to the starting lineup in 2007 are all-region selections 3B Chris Anderson (.383, 3 HR, 42 RBI) and center fielder Eric Fitzgerald (.401 with three home runs and 42 RBI). Fitzgerald broke the school record for career hits in his junior season, and carries 180 hits into his senior year. All-CAC pick Chase Townsend (.357, 3 HR, 42 RBI) returns to the fold as well.
The Eagles will have a senior-laden squad in 2007. In addition to Anderson and Fitzgerald, veteran infield starters Ray Moore (.364 in 2006) and Tom McDermott, outfielders Mike O’Donnell and Mike Murphy, and pitchers Craig Miles, Eric Wilkins, and Brett Diamond will return for their senior years.
Other key contributors returning include outfielders Ben James and Riley Gorman and pitchers Seth Kaas (3-0, 1.37 ERA) and Nate Hartman (4-1, 2.98 ERA). Kaas was very effective in 12 relief appearances in 2006, allowing just three earned runs in 19.2 innings of work. Hartman filled in admirably as the staff ace when Foeman was injured through the middle and late stages of the seasons, as he went 4-1 in 12 appearances, including wins over Washington & Lee, Catholic, Apprentice, and Keystone. Freshman Wes Hayden went 4-2, and became a key member of the rotation during his first collegiate season in 12 appearances, including nine starts.