COLLEGE BASEBALL: Speaker steals record at Alfred State

By Jonah Bronstein
Niagara Gazette

Starpoint graduate Derek Speaker is currently on the mend, hoping to resume his record-setting baseball career at Alfred State.

Speaker said he developed Achilles tendonitis and sustained a shoulder injury that may require athroscopic surgery during Alfred State’s spring training tour of Florida last month.

“He’s in a walking boot and taking anti-inflammatories,” said coach Tom Kenney, who doesn’t know whether Speaker will be able to play again this season. “We hope to get him back. He’s the guy who sets the table for us.”

Prior to getting hurt, Speaker set the Pioneers’ all-time record for stolen bases. Gary Pitcheralle, who now plays Division I ball at Albany, held the old record of 51. Speaker tied and then broke the mark in the same at-bat, stealing second and third.

“When I got here, I was never a real stolen bases kind of guy,” Speaker said. “But I was one of the faster guys, and coach put me in the leadoff role. All of the sudden after the first year I look up and I had 37 steals, and I thought that’s pretty close to the record. So I set that as a goal in my mind.

Speaker, a 2007 All-Greater Niagara Newspapers selection, has signed on to play at St. Bonaventure next season.

“He’s the type of kid who always reaches his potential,” Kenney said. “You can always count on him to do what he needs to do to get better. He’s going to keep getting better at the next level.”

Speaker said he was planning to go to Division III Fredonia State before opting for a junior college in the hopes of attracting Division I offers.

“It’s big to know I could’ve been playing Division III ball for three years, and now I’m going to be playing at the Division I level,” he said.

Kenney said Speaker had a “a little bit of a looping swing” coming into college, but he’s worked to make himself better at the plate. As a freshman, Speaker hit .352 and scored 48 runs, a team high.

He also stole 37 bases in 40 attempts. He had ten more steals during the fall season, and had nine this spring prior to getting hurt.

In the field, Speaker played at every position except catcher and first base, and was even called upon to pitch on occasion.

Prior to this season, Speaker was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Preseason All-America First team. Danny Almonte, the controversial figure from the 2001 Little League World Series, was also on the team.

Speaker has also put together a case for academic All-America. His 3.8 grade point average prior to the spring semester was the highest among sport management majors at Alfred State. Speaker will be awarded for his academic achievement at a ceremony on Sunday.

“His father (Chuck) and I are so proud of him,” said Speaker’s mother, Judy. “All of his dreams are coming true and he’s working so hard at his academics.”

Speaker will play for the Hornell Dodgers of the New York Collegiate Baseball League this summer, pending his health. The Dodgers visit Sal Maglie Stadium to play the Niagara Power on June 14 and June 26.

Speaker said he’s hoping to be able to be a designated hitter for the final portion of Alfred State’s season.

“I won’t be able to throw, but I will be able to hit,” he said. “And I’d like to steal some more bases.”

                           

                                                 DEREK SPEAKER

Eight members of the Alfred State College baseball team have been named to the Region III Division II All-Region team.  Kevin Underhill (Somers), Derek Speaker (Starpoint), and Bruno Saraceno (Binghamton) were first team selections while Andrew Foster (Clarkson, ONT.), Craig Kosnikowski (N. Tonawanda), Kelvin Espinosa (George Washington), Adalberto Vargas (Norman Thomas), and Yordis Veras (Newtown) were second team selections.

Underhill hit .412 (54 for 131) this spring as he played 1B, 3B, RF, LF, and even pitched for the Pioneers.  He collected ten doubles, drove in a team high 35 runs, and scored 28 runs.  He was 11 for 12 stealing bases and committed just one error in 223 chances in the field.  On the mound he tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless work.  Underhill started in all 39 games for the Blue and Gold.

Speaker hit .365 (46 for 126) in the leadoff spot for A-State.  He started in all 39 games and collected eight doubles, a homerun, and 23 RBI while scoring a team high 34 runs.  Speaker led the team with 26 stolen bases in 28 attempts.  On the mound, Speaker was 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA in nine innings of work.

Saraceno played in 33 games in LF for the Pioneers.  He finished the year with a .443 (39 for 88) batting average and 24 RBI.  He collected three doubles, a triple, and scored 28 runs.  He was 7 for 8 on the year stealing bases.  Saraceno also led the team with a .524 on base percentage.

Foster was 3-4 on the mound with a 3.18 ERA in 51 innings of work this spring.  Opponents hit just .202 versus him on the season.  He allowed just 38 hits on the year while striking out a team high 56 batters.

Kosnikowski was 5-2 this spring with a 3.78 ERA in 47.2 inning of work.  He made eight starts and tossed three complete games.  He allowed 41 hits, 20 earned runs, and opponents hit .228 versus him on the year.  He finished with 28 strikeouts.

Espinosa was behind the plate in 36 of the Pioneers 39 games on the year.  He finished the year with a .343 (34 for 99) batting average and a .476 on-base percentage.  He collected nine doubles, a triple, and a homer while driving in 27 runs.  Behind the plate he threw out eight base runners.

Vargas hit .340 (35 for 103) with ten doubles, a triple, and a team high two homeruns this spring.  He saw action in 38 games and scored 27 runs, drove in 21 runs, and was 6 for 6 in stolen bases.

Veras started 38 games in the middle infield for the Pioneers.  He hit .303 (30 for 99) with eight doubles, three triples, 11 RBI and 32 runs scored.  He drew a team high 29 walks and was hit by a pitch nine times.  On the base paths, Veras stole 19 bases in 23 attempts.

The Pioneers concluded the spring season with a 23-15-1 mark and was the #2 seed in the Regional Tournament where they lost two heart breaking games in the 9th inning.