Baseball

Batting Order, in the Field and in the Dugout

By: Matthew Florjancic

BEREA, OHIO -- Every good baseball team has a solid leadoff hitter. In the mid 1990’s, the Cleveland Indians had Kenny Lofton. The New York Yankees have shortstop Derek Jeter. For the 2005 edition of the Baldwin-Wallace College baseball team, the man in the leadoff spot was senior shortstop Jason Albright.

Albright started 29 games at shortstop for the Yellow Jackets this season. He was a big reason why B-W finished the year with an 18-12 overall record. The Jackets tied Muskingum College for fifth place in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 10-8 conference record.

This year, Albright batted .310, collecting 35 hits in 113 plate appearances. Albright finished the 2005 season with a .350 on-base percentage. In addition to those numbers, Albright had five doubles, 15 runs batted in, 40 total bases and four sacrifice hits. He also got the job done in the field for the Jackets.

Albright tallied 38 putouts and 78 assists. In 125 chances, he committed just nine errors. He ended his senior season with a .928 fielding percentage.

Albright’s career numbers are just as impressive.

Albright’s career batting average stands at .336. In 268 trips to the plate, he tallied 90 hits, seven of which went for extra-bases. He drove in 41 runs and stole four bases without being caught.

In the field, he collected 98 putouts and 168 assists against 18 errors. Albright’s career fielding percentage is .937.

Albright’s favorite college baseball memory came when the Jackets split a doubleheader against perennial OAC and national power, Marietta College, on April 16th.

"Beating Marietta was a good feeling," he said. "Since I have been here, we have only beaten them once and that was my freshman year."

"They are always nationally renowned," he added. "To put up a good game against them in our place with a bunch of people looking on was a good feeling."

Albright, a 22-year-old Sport Management major from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, was introduced to the game at a young age.

"[I started] playing catch in my backyard and going to games with my dad," Albright said. "I liked the sport."

Albright took this passion for baseball to East Pennsboro High School of the Mid-Penn Capital Division.

While at East Pennsboro, Albright played baseball for four years and earned three varsity letters. During his junior season, he batted .337. Albright also drove in 19 runs and hit two homeruns.

It was during his junior year that Albright experienced one of his fondest baseball memories.

"We just opened a brand new field [in high school]," he said. "One of my best friends in high school and I hit back to back home runs in the first inning."

As a senior, Albright tallied 18 RBI and batted .333.

His statistics and performance on the field garnered this avid Baltimore Orioles fan some impressive honors.

During the 2000 season, Albright was a Mid-Penn All-Star, Honorable Mention All-Sentinel team, and a Cumberland County Legion All-Star. Before his senior year in 2001, he was an MABCA Pre-Season All-State team selection.

Albright appreciated the honors but was excited to be on good teams.

"My sophomore, junior, and senior years, we made it to the second round of the district playoffs," Albright said. "We had solid teams every year."

However, Albright’s senior season ended on a sour note.

"We had a couple of heartbreaking losses," he said. "We lost [in the playoffs] in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs."

Despite losing in the playoffs, Albright says he has "no regrets from high school."

His interest in B-W was enough to attract the attention of the Yellow Jacket baseball coaches.

"We had not seen him play in high school," said veteran B-W head coach and member of the 600 win club, Bob Fisher. "It was a matter of interest and making a nice fit for a kid who needed a place to go to school and play ball."

After looking at several colleges in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland, Albright decided on B-W.

"I came out on a tour and all the people and coaches were great," he said. "I liked the facilities and the area of B-W."

When he got to B-W, Albright noticed there were differences between the high school and college lifestyles.

"The toughest part [of the transition] was adapting to a new area," he said. "I came out here not knowing anyone because no one from my high school went here."

Albright feels baseball made the move from high school to college much easier.

"The easiest part was playing baseball," he said. "I got to meet all of the guys and we are still good friends to this day."

The first time Albright put on the brown and gold of the Jackets, he was happy to be playing in college.

"I was proud to say that I made it on the team and [was] playing at this level," he said. "As a freshman, I was honored to play on the varsity team."

Albright certainly made an impact on the team. He played in eight games, and started two of them, as a rookie. In 13 plate appearances, he tallied six hits and scored eight runs. Albright drove in five runs, stole a base, and had five defensive assists.

During his sophomore year, Albright continued to serve as a backup middle infielder. In 11 varsity appearances, he garnered four hits, two runs scored, and two RBI. In the field, he had 11 putouts and eight assists, against just two errors. This gave him a fielding percentage of .905.

Coach Fisher feels Albright benefited from playing behind veteran ball players throughout his first two years in the program.

"He is a pleasure to coach," said Fisher. "He worked on his game and tried to learn as much as he could from Jimmy [Leffler] and people around him."

After two years of playing behind veteran shortstop Jim Leffler, Albright was ready for a breakout season.

As a junior, Albright played in and started all 33 games for the Jackets. In 124 trips to the plate, he had 45 hits. His batting average of .363 was third on the team. Albright scored 25 runs and hit five doubles. In addition to those outstanding numbers, he drove in 19 runs, stole two bases and had a .954 fielding percentage.

These numbers earned Albright a spot on the second team All-OAC squad.

Albright was happy to be an All-conference player but wanted to improve his skills.

"It was a good feeling," he said. "I knew I had more to prove this year and I wanted to show what I could do."

His on the field performance captured the attention of his teammates and coaches.

"As infielders, we have gotten to work with each other since freshman year," said fellow senior and captain for B-W Mike Turchan. Turchan split time as a third baseman and pitcher during his varsity career. "Watching him and picking up little things that he does makes me better as a baseball player."

"Jason is an outstanding defensive player with very quick hands and a strong arm," said Fisher. "Offensively, Jason can do a number of things, but what we have asked him to do is bat lead-off for us."

"He is not the typical lead-off hitter, but he gets the job done," Fisher added. "He makes some things happen."

Albright, whose brilliant career came to a close when the Yellow Jackets split an OAC doubleheader with the Wilmington College Quakers on May 7, wants to be remembered as a good player who gave everything he had to the team.

With the statistics he tallied and leadership Albright displayed on and off the baseball diamond, it is likely his impact on the program will be felt for years to come.