Marshall University Athletics
Wrapping Up @HerdBaseball's Historic 2015 Season
5/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- When the 2015 Marshall baseball season broke a Conference USA record during Opening Weekend in February, things looked like they would be in the Herd's favor this season. But then the squad hit a rough patch, losing four times for every win, and it looked like all the excitement was short lived.
It wasn't. The Herd fought back through the adversity, and at its halfway point in conference play, became a team other C-USA schools should fear.
Led by all-conference second team pitcher Chase Boster on Friday nights, Marshall went on to win three straight C-USA series, including taking two of three from then-first place Middle Tennessee. The Herd won five of its last six series in league action, only falling to Southern Miss, which went on to win 13 straight games and 15 of its last 17.
The five league series victories is the most for the program since joining C-USA, and Marshall finished a one game (and more or less, 90 feet) from its first postseason berth in five years.
The team finished first in C-USA games in fielding percentage with a .979 fielding percentage, and second overall at .971. This was the highest fielding percentage for the Herd since the 1970s. Junior right fielder Robert Fajardo led the league with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
2015 Highlights:
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Marshall defeated Florida A&M 24-2 in its first victory of the season on Feb. 14. The Herd collected 31 hits in the contest, setting not only a new program record, but also recording the third-most ever in C-USA and the most since 2005. Several Herd and career firsts were recorded.
- Â Â Â Â Â Â With the win against FAMU to begin 2015, Boster became the first Marshall pitcher in history to pick up the first win of the season in three consecutive seasons (2013, 2014, 2015).
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Boster earned his first postseason recognition, garnering All-Conference second team honors as well as being named to the C-USA All-Academic Team. He finished the season tenth in C-USA with a 2.95 ERA, eighth in opponent batting average at .233, fourth in wins (7) and fewest earned runs allowed (18), third in fewest hits allowed with 48, and second with fewest runs allowed (20).
- Â Â Â Â Â Senior first baseman TJ Diffenderfer was named to the College Sports Madness Second Team All-C-USA.
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Seniors Kolin Stanley, Josh King, and Matt Margaritonda each made climbs in the record books:
-           Stanley appeared in 29 games this season, tying his self for fifth all-time in single season appearances. Additionally, he made 92 appearances      during his four years with Marshall, becoming second all-time in career appearances. He was three shy of the all-time record.
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â King follows right behind Stanley, making 12 pitching appearances in 2015 and finishing third all-time with 85 appearances. After he picked up his 10th career save in the Herd's extra-inning 7-6 victory vs. UAB in March, King moved into third place all-time in saves.
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Margaritonda, after starting the season in the weekend rotation, became the Herd's closer and picked up four straight saves before missing the rest of the season with injury. Margaritonda moved into fifth place all-time in saves with eight after collecting four during his sophomore season.
- Â Â Â Â Â After a pinch-hit single on Opening Day versus Florida A&M, King became the first Herd pitcher to record a hit since 2007. The next day he made his first career-start at second base, going 3-for-4 with five RBI as he hit his first career homer. King finished the season tied for second on the squad with three home runs.
- Â Â Â Â Â The Herd had a historic season for home runs; the team combined for 21 home runs, surpassing the sums from 2012, 2013, and 2014. Five different MU players homered multiple times -- Diffenderfer (4), King (3), freshman Tyler Ratliff (3), senior Sergio Leon (2), and sophomore Matt Reed (2). Seven other players had one apiece.
- Â Â Â Â Â Junior transfer DJ Gee finished the season second in the league in C-USA games with 10 stolen bases. He finished seventh in the league overall with 12, only getting caught stealing once all season.
-     \ The other two arms in the Herd's weekend rotation, juniors Michael Taylor and JD Hammer, also finished high in C-USA rankings: Taylor was twelfth in ERA (3.19), tied for twelfth in strikeouts (56), fifth in batters struck out looking (22), seventh in fewest earned runs (21), and fifth with fewest hits allowed (54). Hammer was tied with Taylor for twelfth in strikeouts (56), ninth in opponent batting average with .235, eighth in innings pitched (80), and third in batters struck out looking (23).
- Â Â Â Â Â Â As a catcher, Reed finished the season second in the league with 18 runners caught stealing. His .439 caught stealing percentage was fifth in the nation prior to postseason play.
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Shortstop Leon and fellow infielder, senior Andrew Dundon, were two of 10 players in the nation to start 155 or more consecutive games. Leon finished the season fifth on the list prior to postseason play with 194, and Dundon was at 187 before making a pinch-hit appearance on April 11. He finished with 191 starts in his career.
