SLIAC Baseball: Highlanders Riding High
We wrap up our look at the history of SLIAC spring sports with this week's sport, baseball. We will examine sport over its 30 years of SLIAC history, and wrap up the week with a send-off for SLIAC seniors.
Our first look at SLIAC baseball begins in the '90s and with one institution; MacMurray College. MacMurray claimed six regular-season titles and four SLIAC tournament championships during the decade, becoming the first SLIAC program to reach the NCAA Division III National Tournament. The Highlanders won 262 games during the decade, winning at least 24 games each season with four straight 30 win seasons. They are one of just two programs in SLIAC history to go through conference play undefeated and are the only ones to do so in back-to-back seasons, accomplishing the feat in 1996 and 1997. MacMurray head coach Marc Ziegler (1991-94) and Tom Lenz (1995-98) are the two winningest coaches in program history and combined to win five SLIAC Coach of the Year awards.
The Highlanders were led by players such as Tony Killeen, a four-time First Team All-Conference player and the 1996 SLIAC Newcomer of the Year, Kevin Callans, Joe Foster, Dan Garofano, Ryan Kell, Jeff Lane, Mike Sabo, Brian Smith, Jason Trybom, and Brad Whitlow. With a deep roster, the Highlanders reached the national tournament in both 1996 and 1997, winning a combined three games during their tournament trips.
Maryville University actually holds claim to the first SLIAC regular-season title, winning in 1991, and added another to close out the decade in 1999. The Saints' only SLIAC Tournament title came in 1992.
The only other school to claim a regular-season title in the '90s was Fontbonne University, winning the programs first title in 1998 with head coach Darin Hendrickson leading a Griffins roster that included Dusty and Ryan Bauer. Dusty would go on to be named the SLIAC Newcomer of the Year that year while the two shared Tournament MVP honors. Ryan Bauer would go on to become the first SLIAC player to be drafted in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, going in the 26th round of the 1998 draft to the San Diego Padres.
While Westminster College was never able to grab a regular-season title in the decade they did put it together in the post-season, winning three SLIAC tournament titles. The Blue Jays took home the 1994, 1995, and 1999 titles with players like Tournament MVP's Dan Bean, Sean Rogan, and Rich Sturm leading the way. The 1999 title was particularly special as they were seeded #5 in the eight-team tournament field and to this day remain the lowest seed in SLIAC history to win a championship.
The decade also saw the first All-American recognition for a SLIAC player with Eric Stack, from Webster University, being chosen as a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1991.
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