The goal of an NCAA Tournament berth may lie just ahead for a team which won 25 games last season without a senior on its roster. Armed with two All­ Region players and several standout returnees and recruits, the Mazy Washington College baseball team has already sent the message throughout the South Region...and is poised to spread it nationally.

Coming off a season which included wins over Division I William and Mazy and Division III power Methodist, MWC looks to reach the NCMs for the first time in its brief four-year history, after a pair of appearances in the ECAC South Region Finals. Last season, the Eagles were ranked 10th in the preseason by Collegiate Baseball and in that publication's Top 25 much of the spring.

Strength up the middle should again key the Eagle success. The double-play combination of Joe Kruper (Jr./Milton, PA) and Ray Stapleton (Jr./Staunton, VA) is first-rate both with the glove and at the plate. Kruper led MWC in doubles (12) and triples (five) and hit .351 while Stapleton hit .375 with 27 RBI, three home runs and a team-high 18 stolen bases en route to third-team All-Region honors. Another All-Region performer was first baseman Dan Beverly (Sr./Fredericksburg, VA), who led MWC with a .480 average (sixth-best in NCM Division III). Beverly was the unanimous choice for ECAC South Region Player of the Year in addition to his first-team All-NCM South Region honors. Jeff Tidwell (Fr./Georgetown, DE) showed talent and poise at third base in the fall season while taking the place of Marty McConagha (Jr./Jefferson, MD; .356 in 1990), who looks to return in the spring while recovering from a knee injury. Freshmen TJ. Jones (Fairfax, VA), Brian Stigall (Richmond, VA) and Chris Sincavage (Plains, PA) are also pushing for infield action, as are Brian Cropp (Woodbridge, VA), Eric Thome (Malvern, PA) and Charlie Crawford (Paoli, PA).

Strength up the middle continues with centerfielder Don Purcell (So./Devon, PA), a fine fielder who also hit .294 as a freshman. Purcell hit .351 in the fall season and finished second in RBI with eight. Steady veteran Rob Menefee (Jr./Fairfax, VA) batted .279 and ranked third on the team with 25 RBI as the regular left fielder in '90. Also battling for starting outfield berths will be: Jay Glover (So./Toms River, NJ), who stole 14 bases as a freshman; Shane Harris (So./Alexandria, VA), who also is a capable right-handed pitcher; Bill Hadley (Fr./ Oil City, PA) and Jeff Hood (Fr./Macungie, PA). Brian Ranney (Fr./Fairfax, VA), Scott Stanton (Woodbridge, VA) and Greg Sokoloski (Fr./McLean, VA) provide quality outfield depth as well.

Behind the plate, the “middle strength" continues with strong-armed junior Mark Meberg (Cresskill, NJ), a .299 hitter last season. Catchers Doug Sheldon (So./ Westfield, NJ) and Tim Madden (So./Teaneck, NJ) were key contributors last year as well; Sheldon hit .432 in part-time duty as a freshman and will likely be the Eagles' starting designated hitter. Freshman Brian Abel (Marion, VA) is a quality hitter who will vie for time behind the plate or at the DH spot.

“The competition for almost every starting spot is very intense this year because of our overall depth," said Sheridan. “We have more speed than ever before...at least seven starters will be capable of stealing bases consistently."

Sheridan may field his deepest pitching staff since the program started in 1987. Southpaw Jason Pierson (So./Berwyn, PA) -who set an Eagle record with 69.2 innings pitched while recording a 4-3 record - anchors a solid rotation. Juniors Kruper - the team's top pitcher as a freshman before suffering a shoulder injury - and Menefee are proven veterans, as is sophomore David Williams (Falls Church, VA; school-record 52 strikeouts in 37.1 IP en route to a 5-1 record). Freshman Mark Matthews (Belmont, MA) was impressive in several appearances this past fall, while Mark Bouck (So./ Annandale, VA) looks to again crack the rotation after a 3-1 mark in 1990. Tim Rice (So./New Market, VA), Mike Greiner (Fr./Flanders, NJ) and T.J. Jones are quality right-handed hurlers as well, according to Sheridan. Mike O'Donnell (Sr./Springfield, VA; 4-1, four saves in 1990) has been the bullpen stopper the past two seasons. Providing additional mound depth will be Brian McRoberts (Fr./Turbotville, PA), Tom West (So./ Spotsylvania, VA), John DiMeglio (Fr./Medford, NJ) and Sal Failla (Fr./Piscataway, NJ).