The Bucks baseball team is gearing
up and preparing to defend their championship
title.
Last season, the men’s team enjoyed
an exhilarating late season run highlighted
by three straight victories that
helped propel Bucks into the Eastern
Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference
playoff tournament.
Their winning streak continued
through the tournament, as Bucks
defeated Lehigh-Carbon in the semifinal
match 11-5, and eventually defeating
Luzerne in the championship game
9-5, to win the EPCC tournament.
Bucks Coach Mark Bohling understands
the increased expectations on
the upcoming season and title defense.
“Our goal is to continue with the success
we had at the end of last season. It
is not very often that teams go back-toback;
the expectation is obviously to
shoot for it. Last year’s success was a
total team effort, and the players coming
back want that championship feeling
again,” he said.
How will the players respond this
year? “We are a very confident group,
not cocky. We will not be waving the
championship in people’s faces; it’s
more motivating than anything.”
Last season was Bohling’s first year
coaching the Bucks squad. Bohling
wanted to install an offensive mindset
into his players in order to be competitive.
“Last year was a big hitting basis;
we needed to put up a lot of runs in
order to be competitive.”
Versatility and coaching were major
components to last year’s success.
This offensive approach paired with
Bohling’s coaching style paid the necessary
dividends. “I wanted to make the
game as simple as it could be for the
players, to get back to the purest form
of baseball. I wanted to get back to the
basics.”
Out of the 12 total players on last
year’s team, seven will be returning
this season. With the team having only
12 players, each player was asked to
play multiple positions, and often times
pitch.
“The seven players coming back can
play anywhere on the field. They are
always looking to get better in a new
position,” Bohling said. This flexibility
was welcomed last year; having
options makes a baseball team’s success
much more attainable.
For this year, Bohling wants his team
to concentrate on increasing the overall
speed, offensively and defensively. “I
want a fast team. I find that our basic
fundamentals are there, we will look to
increase our base stealing and our ability
to track down balls in the field.”
Bohling is expecting as many as 24
players total, 17 of them being new
players. “The majority of our infield is
returning, and we have great cohesion
there. The core of our infield will not be
changed. We welcome the competition
for all positions. Competition will only
help to make us better as a team.”
The team will also be welcoming
back its top pitcher from last year,
Craig Kieffer. Kieffer is a 6-foot 3-inch,
left-handed pitcher. According to
Bohling, Keiffer has been really working
on his game and has recently been
clocked throwing at speeds as high as
90 mph. “In our league pitching is
huge; it’s a big step to being successful.”
With the team in its second year
under the direction of Bohling, and the
increased overall talent level of the
players, Bucks looks again to challenge
for the National Junior College Athletic
Association crown, and ultimately the
EPCC championship.
“I am seeing a lot of size and a lot of
speed in this year’s team in the early
stages here,” he said.
The team will be a lot of fun to watch
this year as it gears up and prepares for
the 2009 season. Come on out and help
support the Bucks championship baseball
team. The schedule is available on
the Bucks website at
bucks.edu/life/athletics/baseball.
If you are interested in information
about the team, you can also contact
Bohling in Gym 107 or at (215) 968-8443
or e-mail [email protected].