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Senior starting pitcher Kyle Foster pitched a complete game and nabbed the win in his final career start as a Piper. The win improved Foster’s season record to 7-5. The starter allowed four hits, two earned runs, struck out six, and walked four.

In game two, another Piper senior playing in his final game, Derek Rundquist, ended his career with a strong performance. Rundquist was all deuces. The senior was two for two in the game with two doubles and one RBI.

Junior pitcher Josh Roiger received his fifth win of the season (5-2) after pitching five innings, striking out three and only walking one batter. Fellow junior Brian Martin relieved Roiger. Martin threw two innings of scoreless baseball, insuring the Hamline win.

The 2007 season began with high hopes and expectations for a baseball program that is looking to change the reputation of Hamline baseball and athletics as being perennial losers. Despite winning their final two games of the season, the Pipers find themselves on the outside looking in when the MIAC Tournament started this week. The Pipers went all the way to the MIAC Championships last year after winning 26 games on the year; success that they were not able to recreate in 2007. Hamline defeated baseball juggernaut St. Thomas 4-1 in 2006 before losing 3-2 to St. Olaf in the championship game.

“We had a lot of guys have career type years [last year],” said head baseball coach Jason Verdugo. Sometimes players have breakout years and sometimes players have years that they will never be able to recreate statistically. The Pipers had quite a few players play better than anticipated in 2006.

In addition to losing a few key players to graduation from the 2006 Pipers, in 2007 the Pipers found themselves in a conference with much parity. The top three teams in the conference-St. Olaf, St. Thomas, and Gustavus all finished the season with 14-4 records. The competition improved this year and the Pipers weren’t able to win those close games that they won last year.

“We lost five conference games by a run,” said Verdugo. Those five games could have meant the difference between a playoff season and a respectable season. The frustration of losing close games created other problems for the Pipers to deal with for much of the season.

“I think we some chemistry issues a little bit, having 27 different personalities and trying to get them to gel as one, as a team. I think some of that was frustration that we didn’t win those one-run-games and a year ago we did,” said Verdugo.

Overall, it was a very respectable season for the Pipers. The team finished sixth in the conference standings. The top four teams with the best record make the post-season, but Hamline gave them a run for their money. In the MIAC Hamline’s record was near .500 (8-10) and their overall record of 20-18 is a winning record nonetheless. This year, coach Verdugo recorded his 100th win as the Pipers’ skipper; an impressive feat for such a young coach.

“Defensive and pitching have been our thing all year,” said Verdugo. On the field, the Pipers had the third best fielding percentage of the conference and the third-best earned run average.

Next year, the Pipers will be without seniors Aaron Thompson, Kyle Foster, Same Wiener, Derek Rundquist and Jason Juntunen. All are integral cogs in the Hamline machine and will be missed. Coach Verdugo is confident that replacements for such core players are already in place on the team.

The MIAC Playoffs begin on May 11 sans the Pipers.