Baldwin-Wallace College Yellow Jacket Baseball Team
By: Matthew Florjancic
BEREA, OHIO — It has been said that behind every good man is a great woman. In terms of baseball, behind every good pitcher has to be a great catcher.
For the Baldwin-Wallace College baseball team, 5-3 overall entering a Saturday (March 26) doubleheader at Ohio Athletic Conference rival Mount Union College, the man behind the plate is senior catcher and Wooster High School graduate Pat Gallagher.
Gallagher, a 22-year-old native of Wooster, is currently batting .273 with a .385 on-base percentage and split time behind the plate with fellow senior Adam Pajakowski (South Bend, Ind.). He has three hits and scored a run for the Jackets who will host nonleague rival The College of Wooster at Heritage Field in Berea on Thursday, March 31. When Gallagher has led off an inning, he is hitting .750.
Gallagher’s defense has also been strong for the Brown & Gold. He has 13 putouts and five assists against zero errors. He has also thrown out the only two runners who have attempted to steal on him while B-W was on its annual spring break trip to Ft. Myers, Florida.
Gallagher’s passion for the game of baseball began a long time ago.
"I have loved the game [of baseball] for as long as I can remember," Gallagher said.
He took this love of baseball to Wooster H.S. where he experienced much success. During his freshman year at Wooster, the Generals made it to the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) State Final Four. As a member of the Generals, Gallagher participated in two sports, football and baseball.
He played both sports for four seasons and earned three varsity letters in football and four in baseball. In addition to these honors, Gallagher was a second team All-Federal League pick in baseball as a senior.
Gallagher enjoyed his high school days and when he was a junior, he had one of his fondest high school memories.
"I got the chance to play a lot of games and learn about the game," Gallagher stated. "My junior year, I really enjoyed hitting a towering home run off my current teammate, Matt Wilson, from Canton Jackson High School."
Gallagher not only shined on the field, but in the classroom as well. He was a member of the National Honor Society and was selected as a Scholar-Athlete.
His statistics and style of play attracted the attention from the B-W coaching staff.
"We felt he was a good high school catcher out of Wooster," said 39-year veteran Yellow Jacket Head Coach Dr. Bob Fisher, who won his 600th career game on the recent trip to Florida. "You are always looking for good middle defenders. Catching, middle infield, and centerfield are the kids that make or break your team.
The thing that stands out about Pat is his outstanding ability to lead," said Fisher, who was a catcher himself many years ago. "Pat leads by example and is a vocal leader. When he wants something done, he let’s you know about it."
Since Gallagher’s graduation, the Generals moved from the Federal League to the Ohio Cardinal Conference.
When it came time for him to choose a college, Gallagher looked several colleges including Dartmouth, Mount Vernon Nazarene and the Ohio State University. However, Baldwin-Wallace’s location seemed like a good fit.
"I chose B-W because I did not want to be too far from my family," said Gallager. "This gives my family a great opportunity to see me play and it is not too far if I want to go home for a day or more. I have felt very comfortable here."
Gallagher played on the junior varsity team his freshman year and made many new friends.
"I felt it was very easy to make plenty of friends," Gallagher stated.
As a sophomore, Gallagher got the call up to the varsity. When he played, Gallagher started four games and participated in 17. In the field, he tallied 30 putouts and six assists against two errors. He was second on the team in runners caught stealing. Gallagher threw out five runners while giving up just two stolen bases.
The statistics he put up caught the attention of his teammates and coaches.
"Pat is dedicated to making the team better," said B-W junior second baseman Kevin Brown. "Pat puts his teammates in front of himself and genuinely loves the game of baseball."
"Pat is the kind of guy that every team needs," stated senior outfielder and relief ace Nick Slater, a resident of Wooster and a graduate of Norwayne High School. "His ability to be the leader behind the plate is hard to find."
"Pat is a terrific catcher," said Fisher. "I think all of the pitchers like throwing to Pat.
"Pat’s leadership is key [to the team]," Fisher added. "Some of that [leadership] comes from his practice attitude and his enthusiasm."
As a junior, Gallagher had better numbers in the field. He totaled 59 putouts and 12 assists. He was tied for first on the team in fielding percentage with a 1.000 mark. Gallagher did not commit an error the entire season. He also caught six runners trying to steal a base. On the offensive side of the ball, Gallagher registered six hits, six runs scored, and drove in five runs.
The younger members of the team have grown to appreciate Gallagher’s abilities on and off the field.
"Pat is very smart," said freshman catcher Dominic Palmucci of West Holmes High School. "He is always willing to help anyone with homework or anything they need.
"He has helped me out many times so far this year," Palmucci added. "It is disappointing that he won’t be around next season. The team will not be the same without him."
Gallagher lists a former baseball coach, Dan Wyand, as one of his biggest influences in the game.
"Coach Wyand is one of the most competitive men I have ever met," Gallagher said. "I think my strong desire to win comes partly from him."
As the season continues, Gallagher has set goals for himself and the team.
"I want to have tons of fun and maybe be seen by a scout or two," he said. "I want to see our team win the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season and OAC Tournament titles and move on to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. We have plenty of talent, but it may come down to pitching, and a catcher can have a great influence on a team’s pitching. I am looking forward to the challenge of both playing Wooster and the OAC schedule.
"Wooster is an outstanding program," said Gallagher. "Each time we play the Fighting Scots, it is special to me and Nick (Slater). In addition, the OAC is such a balanced league and every team is good. You cannot play a game and overlook an opponent. It is a great baseball conference."
Anyone who has known Gallagher knows he loves the game of baseball. He gets a lot of enjoyment out of the game.
"I am motivated by the way I feel when I am playing the game," he said. "Not many things make me happier."
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Nick Slater also has made his presence felt at B-W the past four years as a backup outfielder and relief pitcher as well as its designated base stealer. This season, Slater has made a pair of appearances on the mound and is 1-0 with a 0.00 earned run average in six and two-thirds innings pitched. He has allowed five hits with six strikeouts and two walks. At the plate, Slater has played and started twice and is hitting .111 with a run scored, an RBI and two stolen bases in three attempts.
"Nick is an outstanding all-around athlete with a super arm," said Fisher. "He had a solid spring trip and we are hoping that he can be a key player for us in terms of his outfield play and as a pitcher. Nick has been a part of our varsity team each of the last four years along with Par (Gallagher)."
This spring, Nick Slater is joined on the Yellow Jacket varsity by his brother, freshman outfielder Shaun Slater. The younger Slater has already made an impression on the coaching staff by hitting .400 on the spring trip (six-of-15) with four runs scored, a double, two homers and nine RBI.
"Shaun certainly made an impression on the spring trip," said Fisher. "We knew that he was a very takented newcomer and he showed that on the trip. We are looking forward to his play for the next four years."
In addition Dom Palmucci of West Holmes, freshman first baseman Cory Bishop (Orrville) and freshman pitcher Justin Miller (Medina/ Senior) are members of the Yellow Jacket junior varsity team.
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When B-W and Wooster play in Berea on March 31, local radio station WQKT of Wooster plans to broadcast in addition to B-W campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM. Fans also can listen to the game via the internet at www.bw.edu/athletics.
275 Eastland Rd.