Recap: Baseball Completes Inaugural Season
In January of 2017, Bryant & Stratton College hired Head Coach Mike Zolecki to lead the launch of the first-ever Wisconsin baseball program and May 8, 2018 marks as the day...
WAUWATOSA, WI (May 9, 2018) - In January of 2017, Bryant & Stratton College hired Head Coach Mike Zolecki to lead the launch of the first-ever Wisconsin baseball program. May 9, 2018 marks as the official day the season can go down in the books.
Finishing 2-28 overall and 2-24 in region competition, the Bobcats record does not reflect on the success of the program this season.
"Starting a program is about laying a foundation and I think this year's team did just that; not all foundations are an easy lay down," Bobcats head coach Mike Zolecki said. "This year's team members took a chance to be a part of a new program and that choice will pay off for years to come. The lumps that were experienced this year were hard to take mentally and physically but our team and program will become stronger because of the things that we had to deal with this year."
As a team, the Bobcats scored a total of 93 runs and finished with a .224 overall batting average.
After an 0-6 start, the Bobcats were able to capture their first-ever win on March 25 vs Morton College.
"Our success for year-one is not measured in wins and loses; it is measured on our players progressing and continuing to improve on and off the field," Zolecki said. "For the most part each player took strides. These are accomplishments that don't show up in the record books but they show up in building a strong foundation of a program. The lumps experienced in year-one should only help us get to where this program needs to be which is fighting for region championships and getting good grades in the classroom."
A roster dominated of freshman, the Bobcats will look forward to having a year under their belt and make some serious noise in the region next season.
"We asked a lot out of our guys with the small roster size," Zolecki said. "They dealt through injuries and fatigue every time out there this year. Having our players experience a season like this can only help them grow and improve."
Individually, the Bobcats had some standout players this season. David Paleo (2B) finished the season leading the team with .286 batting average including 24 hits, eight RBI's and six stolen bases. Center Fielder, Malik Hill, recorded a .275 batting average with 22 hits and five RBI's.
Zolecki and his staff will remain on the recruiting trail this offseason and continue to build a foundation in order to move forward in the right direction.