Loyola’s baseball team rebounded from a rough start to the season to win 10 of its last 15 games, including the final nine conference games.

Many agree that the slow start was due in part to having to adjust to new coach Gregg Mucerino.

“We had problems adjusting to the new coaching style,” said Gian Balsamo, psychology sophomore. “We started playing as a team in the second half.”

Ryan Moity, communications junior, admitted that the adjustment to the new system was difficult.

“It wasn’t easy in the beginning. He’s trying to teach and we’re trying to learn a new system of baseball.”

After the team adjusted, it began to win but could not keep the momentum going, as it bowed out quickly in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament with two straight losses. The team finished with an 18-33 record.

In the first game of the tournament, the ‘Pack fell 11-0 to Mobile.

The Rams’ Bubba Dodson allowed only four Loyola hits in his complete game effort.

Scott Schenck, management senior (4-8), pitched three innings and allowed four runs in taking the loss.

William Carey eliminated the ‘Pack from the tournament with a 5-1 win, ending any hope of successfully defending the GCAC championship.

Tory Western, biology sophomore (4-5), pitched seven innings for Loyola, giving up four runs, three earned and struck out eight. But he only got one run of support.

Biology sophomore David Greiner provided the last thrill of the season for the Wolfpack with a two-run homerun in the top of the fifth at Alex Box Stadium against the 10th-ranked LSU Tigers on Tuesday.

The homer narrowed the Tiger lead to 8-5 before the home team strung up 13 straight runs in a 21-6 win.

“It was a really great feeling,” Greiner said. “It was a really memorable experience.”

Greiner said that although the season didn’t go as well as he and the team wanted it to, the experience of playing at LSU was fun.

Moity, who was named to all-conference team, agreed.

“It was an unbelievable experience. The outcome didn’t matter because it was a dream for us to play there.”

Moity said he was disappointed in the season as a whole, but is optimistic about next year.

“In a season like we had this year, the individual rewards don’t really mean anything,” he said. “This season is not what we practiced for all fall. We have our core group of guys coming back. The program is going in a new direction.”

– with reporting by Nicole Haase

(Ignacio Chacon)

(Ignacio Chacon)

(Ignacio Chacon)