After a year off, The Uniform Project is back this summer. And what better sport to start with on this July 4 weekend than our national pastime?

Baseball is often criticized for its slow pace of play, but how about the slow pace of uniform change? Baseball made its debut at Muhlenberg in 1914, and more than a half-century later, although the caps changed every few years, the uniforms looked pretty much the same, with “Muhlenberg” in an arc across the chest of a button-down shirt.

Proof that a classic look never really goes out of style – the new uniforms worn by the Mule softball team in 2014 are very reminiscent of those early baseball unis (though not flannel).

The most significant uniform development until the 1970s was the presence of a bird in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Yes, for a few years the men in Cardinal & Grey were known, at least informally, as the Cardinals. “Mules” was not adopted as the official nickname until later on.

As if making up for lost time, the uniform changes have been numerous in the last 40-plus years. The buttonless, beltless uniforms that came into vogue in the 1970s found their way to Allentown. Color tops – and bottoms – were introduced too. Sam Beidleman, head baseball coach from 1970 to 1992, loved to tell the story of visiting the mound during a game while wearing a red pullover uniform top and red uniform pants. “Hey, there goes The Great Tomato!” remarked one heckling fan.

Buttons came back in the 1990s, and there has been an explosion of new uniforms in the past few years. Like many college teams, the 2014 Mules had three options for gameday tops: red, gray (rarely worn) and the popular digital camo.

What team should we feature next Thursday? Leave a comment below or tweet us at @Muhl_sports.

Men’s Lacrosse vs. York (Pa.) (Saturday, 12:00)

Field conditions permitting, the Mules will make their home debut against a York squad coming off an overtime loss to defending national champion Stevenson. Muhlenberg opened its season with an 11-7 loss at Montclair State. The Spartans, who set a school record with 13 wins last year, are part of a grueling schedule for the Mules: their 14 opponents combined for a .607 winning percentage in 2013. York won last year’s meeting, 15-10.

live stats

Women’s Basketball vs. Ursinus (Saturday, 2:00)

The Mules closed out their regular season looking to take some momentum into the playoffs. For a change, they already know who and where they’ll play in the postseason: Muhlenberg (15-9, 11-6) is the fourth seed and will host fifth-seeded Gettysburg on Wednesday.

Ursinus (11-12, 8-9) won five in a row to put itself in contention for a playoff spot before getting eliminated with a 73-36 loss to Haverford on Wednesday.

The Mules have won 11 straight meetings against the Bears, including a convincing 67-43 victory in Collegeville last month, part of their current stretch of nine wins in 11 games.

live stats | live video

Men’s Basketball vs. Ursinus (Saturday, 4:00)

Muhlenberg (15-9, 10-7) has clinched a playoff berth and is locked into the 4-5 game. The Mules need a win and a Johns Hopkins loss at Washington to host the game; otherwise they will travel to Franklin & Marshall, McDaniel or Johns Hopkins for their first-round clash.

Winless through their first 10 games of the Centennial Conference season, Ursinus (6-18, 4-13) has caught fire of late, winning four of its last seven. The Bears come into Memorial Hall on a three-game winning streak, which includes a 61-56 defeat of F&M.

Muhlenberg won 82-66 when the teams met a month ago for its fourth straight series win. Last year, the Mules swept the Bears in a season series for the first time since 1999-2000.

live stats | live video

Wrestling at Centennial Conference Championships (Saturday, 10:00)

Two Muhlenberg wrestlers are expected to travel to Ursinus to compete at the conference meet. Freshman Jaryd Flank was 4-4 in the CC in a tough 125-pound field that includes two of the top-ranked wrestlers in the country. Sophomore Che Chengsupanimit was 2-6 at 149.

tournament site

Indoor Track & Field at Haverford’s Keogh Invitational (Saturday, 11:00)

After losing a meet to the weather last weekend, the Mules teams have their final tuneup for next weekend’s Centennial Conference Championships.

live results

Women’s Tennis at Vassar (Saturday, 12:00)

The Mules open their spring season against a Vassar team that was ranked 10th in the Northeast Region in the ITA preseason poll.

Baseball at Gallaudet (Sunday, 12:00 doubleheader)

Muhlenberg will get in the second half of its scheduled opening weekend four-game trip (Saturday’s twinbill at Shenandoah was rescheduled as a single game for Sunday, March 23). The forecast calls for weather in the mid-50s in Washington on Sunday – not bad at all. The Mules were 20-20 in 2013; Gallaudet, coached by former Major Leaguer Curtis Pride, went 20-21 and opened its 2014 campaign with a 14-4 win against Marymount on Wednesday.

The Mules opened their last three seasons with doubleheader sweeps of the Bison, winning last year’s games 8-4 and 4-3.

Gazzillo and 11 of his Mule teammates took part in a polar bear plunge at Scott Park in Easton, braving the frigid waters of the Lehigh River on a chilly Saturday morning.

“We all just ran into the river,” Gazzillo recounted. “Most of us, like myself, ran out as soon as we dunked our heads in. Some brave – and stupid – guys swam all the way out to the safety boat. There are no words to describe how cold it really is. It’s not as bad going in as going out. It is really more shocking than anything when you go in, but coming out your muscles tense up and it becomes hard to move. It’s overwhelming and exciting at the same time.”

Polar Bear Plunge movie

The reason Gazzillo and his teammates were there certainly helped to warm them up.

The event was held to benefit Special Olympics Pennsylvania, for which the Muhlenberg baseball squad raised more than $2,000. Each plunger was responsible for $50 in order to participate, so the Mules created a team web page to facilitate online donations. One player – freshman Jakob Cayne, managed to raise $1,650 himself, a huge boost to the thousands of athletes who take part in Special Olympics events around the commonwealth.

“We worked together and advertised it to our team as a way to help those who don’t get the same opportunity we do,” Gazzillo said. “We get to play 40 games a year, compete, have fans watch us and feel something special that every athlete feels. The guys really responded to this and we had a lot of people who wanted to help and jump in. Giving others who don’t have the same physical capabilities as us a chance to do the same feels great.”

Gazzillo, a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), took the plunge last year with two other baseball players. This year, with more time to plan, Gazzillo and his SAAC mates made the event bigger. In addition to the 12 players who dove into the icy waters, 10 of their Mule teammates came out in support, along with other members of the school’s athletic department.

Though Gazzillo won’t be around to organize the plunge a year from now, he is confident that participation will only continue to grow.

“We want to have as many people do it as we can,” Gazzillo said. “It’s such an important cause, and even though I won’t be there next year, I know my teammates are going to do a great job with it.”

With field hockey coach and SAAC advisor Megan Eddinger and teammate Matthew Lawsky, a fellow SAAC member, around to take the reins next year, the Mules’ future plungers are in good hands.

“I really can’t say enough about the effort that Coach Eddinger and Matt Lawsky put in. After doing it last year I – along with Nick Kennedy and Matt Clarke – know this is something we can do for years to come.”

For more on the Division III partnership with Special Olympics, please click here.

As part of the Year in Review, here are some of the best responses in the Q&A profiles from the winter and spring athletes.

Matt O’Hara, Men’s Basketball

If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Truthfully, in a completely non-weird way, I’d love to be on the girls’ basketball team. They have the best team chemistry at this school and some of my best friends are on that team: Julie Kelly, Alita Zabrecky and Kate Clawson, plus the whole sophomore class. They are a great team with great girls who have a ton of fun together.

Ryan Lagomarsino, Men’s Basketball

What was it like student teaching this past fall semester? Student teaching and playing basketball was an enjoyable hell. I would wake up every morning at six and hang out with a bunch of little prepubescent eighth graders. It was great because they would actually get my jokes and appreciate me acting like an idiot for their entertainment. After I was done yelling at those little whirling dervishes, and maybe teaching them a thing or two about the Mayan Empire, I would drive back to school, shove food down my throat and then get yelled at during practice. In the midst of all of this chaos, I would somehow do homework and sleep (sometimes during practice…) and I eventually became a master of the chaos. The worst part about all of this running around was that I loved every second of my time being Mr. Lags.

Alita Zabrecky, Women’s Basketball

What’s the most memorable game of your Muhlenberg career? My most memorable game was, by far, my freshman year at Gettysburg. For some reason Coach had both Kate Clawson and I on the floor late in the game, down by one, with just seconds to go. We had the ball on the sideline out of bounds and our play was designed to get either Kelly [McKeon] or Alex [Chili] the ball so they could shoot, but they were not able to get open so by default, they had to pass to me. I started dribbling toward the basket and the next thing I know I am dribbling the ball off of my foot, thankfully right in the direction of Kate who snatched it up off of the floor. Once Kate had secured the ball I figured my best bet was just to stay out of the way and run to the basket to grab a rebound if someone missed a shot. After almost turning the ball over, I figured I probably should not be taking the last shot of the game. Kate now throws the ball into Sheila Cook in the post, and as I am making my way to the basket, Sheila throws the ball to me, assuming I am making a cut and that I wanted the ball (which I did not). It bounced off my chest, and I caught it and laid it in for the game-winning bucket. This play was by far the most dysfunctional game-winning play I have ever been a part of. I am just thankful that I made the layup given my track record of missed layups.

Ted Albanese, Men’s Lacrosse

How did you get started playing lacrosse? I started playing lacrosse when I was 10 years old and in fourth grade. My career conveniently started when my baseball career ended (I didn’t make the travel team). It’s a funny story actually. The night I found out I didn’t make the baseball team, I also found out my pet hermit crab died, so that was a rough night.

Michael Carpetto, Men’s Lacrosse

What was it like playing with your brother at Muhlenberg? Since I was born, my brother was always right there at my side … By the time I was a senior in high school, … the only one I had in mind was Muhlenberg so I could play with my brother. When spring of my freshman year finally came, it felt like Christmas came early. As the team hit the field for the first time, I just saw my brother and I walking out to the backyard to have a catch. When lined up to guard him in practice, he’ll say he got the best of my every time, but he doesn’t want to admit his little brother came in as a freshman and put him on an island day in and day out. It was one thing to practice together, but to play in the games with each other made it even more special. Hearing, “Carpetto brothers you’re next on defense” was something that gave me chills every game.

Jack Reilly, Men’s Lacrosse

What’s one possession you couldn’t live without? The possession I can’t live without is the bond and relationships I have developed with my teammates. This outweighs any material possession I own and is something that will last a lifetime.

Angie Sisco, Softball

What’s one thing on your bucket list? To go to the Everglades and finally see and/or wrestle an alligator … I’d be okay with either.

Elizabeth Sullivan, Softball

Describe Coach DeStasio in one word. I would describe Coach DeStasio as a “non-hugger.” This year we divided our team into “huggers” and the “touch me and die” group, otherwise known as “non-huggers.” Having grown up with the president of the “huggers,” Angie Sisco, I am definitely part of the “non-hugging” group and it’s great to have a coach that shares my views on this matter.

Jessica Klein, Women’s Tennis

What off-the-court accomplishment are you most proud of? One off-the-court accomplishment I am proud of is getting into Muhlenberg. I worked hard to get here, and it has been a remarkable journey that I am so privileged to have had.

Amanda von Taube, Women’s Tennis

This is your second year as team captain. What has been the most rewarding part of leading the team for two years? The most rewarding part of being captain is being able to see all of my fellow teammates grow not only as tennis players, but as people – on and off the court. On the court especially, I have seen so many of my fellow teammates get more and more confident in their games and play some truly amazing tennis. Every one of them motivates me to be a better tennis player and even though I am captain, I think I look up to them for all that they do and their tennis skills. We spend so much time together during the season and I feel really lucky to have met such a smart, fun, loving group of girls … I am so honored to hold this position for my team.

Alexandra Franck, Women’s Lacrosse

Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions? My teammates will call me the most superstitious person on the team, and I’d have to agree. I’ve been wearing the same bow in my hair for game day throughout my four years here. I have two main rituals – one is taking a shower before every game. I started doing this my freshman year and when I started having success on the field, I knew I had to keep it. It’s a way of thinking about the game and what I want to accomplish. The second ritual also started my freshman year – a senior at the time (Alyssa Bascelli) told me about her pregame ritual of eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream the night before every game. She informed us that someone had to do it with her so that when she graduated, it would get passed down. I was the willing (and maybe not so intelligent) freshman who said, “Sure!” and proceeded to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream the night before every game. I have for all four years and now that I am graduating, I have passed the ritual down to freshmen Rachel Pedersen and Casey Armstrong. You guys better not disappoint me!

Ali Gabriele, Women’s Lacrosse

Your middle name, Zoe, is pretty unique. Were you named after someone? I am named after my Greek grandmother (my Yiayia) whose name was Bessie Zoe Athanasiou. Zoe means “life” in Greek and was the perfect portrayal of my Yiayia who is sadly no longer with us. We also both had only one dimple on our left cheeks. This was something we shared and something she always loved about the two of us. I am honored to be named after my Yiayia, and her spirit lives on and will continue to live on through me as I share her name.  

Molly Davin, Women’s Lacrosse

What’s it like having six siblings? Are you the youngest, oldest or in the middle? I am the third oldest of seven. My brother, Joey, is the oldest, then I have one older sister, Kelly, and four younger sisters, Erin, Mary Kate, Maggie and Tara. People generally feel sorry for my brother for being the only boy, but they shouldn’t because he is treated like a king (and acts like it). The biggest issue with having six siblings, and especially five sisters, is that you cannot leave any personal items unattended, especially clothing, because you will never get it back.

Ryan Rechten, Baseball

Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions? I have way too many superstitions and rituals to even name them all – from the way I put on my cleats to the made-up gibberish language our catcher Brett Rosen and I use to communicate before I pitch. The most meaningful and consistent ritual I have revolves around the word “trust.” The importance of this word was instilled in me by my high school coach. Before the inning begins he would tell me to clear off the mound and envision the word trust printed on the rubber. This year I printed it on the brim of my hat. It has served as my anchor, allowing me to take all the emotion out of the situation and focus on doing my job for our team.

Tim Velys, Baseball

How is it being teammates with Ryan Rechten? As a player, Ryan is one of the more loose and goofy kids on the team – he always has something ridiculous to say. The best part about this is that it makes everyone around him relaxed and reminds us that baseball is just a game and that we must treat it that way if we want to be successful. What I commend him for is his ability to joke around and have fun in the bullpen for six innings of the game and then turn it on right around the sixth knowing that it is his job to come in late and shut the door against the opposing team. I couldn’t think of a better person to have in this role as I have all the confidence in the world that he will come in and get outs in a hurry.

Rob Shannon, Baseball

What’s it like having nine older siblings? Having nine older siblings is the most incredible thing in my life. It is something that I truly treasure. I am so blessed to have them because they have truly made me into the person I am today. They mean more to me than words can capture. I wear the number nine to represent them.

Robert Appleby, Baseball

How did you get started playing baseball and what’s your first memory of playing?I’m not really sure how I got started but when I did start playing at the age of 4, I was instantly obsessed. My first memory of actually playing baseball was my first year of tee ball. The league rules were that there were no outs and each team got to hit through the lineup every inning. I remember being at shortstop when this kid hit a line drive to me, which I caught and doubled off the runner at first base. Even though I made the play, he still got to stay on base. I remember how excited I was when I was old enough to play in the league where you could actually get people out. As a hitter now, I take back ever thinking that.

The buzz had nothing to do with baseball – it was the buzzing of clippers shaving the heads of Muhlenberg players and coaches.

Twenty-three Mules gave up some or all of their hair in support of the Vs. Cancer Foundation.

Founded by Chase Jones, who was diagnosed with Stage IV brain cancer as a freshman baseball player at the University of North Carolina, the Vs. Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving kids’ lives by empowering athletes and communities to fund lifesaving childhood cancer efforts.

Through an online pledge form and e-mails to family, friends and friends of family, Muhlenberg raised nearly $8,000 – more than Division I teams Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee combined.

“I think that’s amazing,” said junior outfielder Tyler Latrenta. “We really rallied behind it.”

The Mules were first approached about the cause in early February. First-year head coach Tod Gross knew about Vs. Cancer from having coached at Davidson College in North Carolina, the state in which the organization is based. Assistant coach Jon Baltz and senior co-captain Tim Velys put in considerable effort as the Mule liaisons with Vs. Cancer.

A portion of the money raised by the Mules went to the Lehigh Valley Health Network to help children battling cancer in Muhlenberg’s neighborhood.

It was not difficult to convince the team members to support children with cancer. Getting their heads shaved … that was a different story for some.

“I heard it from both sides – shave it, don’t shave it,” said Latrenta, who had not gotten a haircut since October and sported nice curly locks beneath his hat until Saturday. “My mom wanted my hair gone, but my baseball team wanted me to keep it. They said it looked too good to chop off.

“I came in freshman year with my hair like this and I promised I’d never have it like that again. So I guess I went back on my promise, but I HAD to do it,” he added. “It was for such a good cause to help out kids who don’t have it as lucky as we have it. It will grow back. It might take a while, but it will grow back.”

In the four days since getting his head shaved, Latrenta has found that it’s easier to get ready in the morning and harder to get noticed by non-teammates.

“I’m not getting many reactions [to the haircut] because most people don’t recognize me!” he joked.

Jones himself made the trip up from Raleigh to help with the postgame trimmings and talk to the team about his history and the mission of the organization he founded, which helped put an extremely positive end to what otherwise would have been an disappointing day.

“To be able to do it as a team on the field, especially after two tough losses, was really rewarding,” said Latrenta. “It was an honor to be a part of it.”

For more information, please visit vs-cancer.org.

For the past two years, NCAA Division III has been engaged in a partnership with Special Olympics. According to the NCAA website, the purpose of the partnership is to improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes through their involvement with Division III student-athletes and to foster a mutual learning experience between Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes.

Last Saturday, three members of the Muhlenberg baseball team went to extreme – as in extremely cold – lengths to support the Special Olympics. One of them, junior outfielder Nick Gazzillo, describes the experience.

“Cold? Cold doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

These were the words of sophomore pitcher Matt Clarke after coming out of the freezing Easton River this past Saturday. Clarke, along with myself and junior infielder Nick Kennedy, represented the Muhlenberg baseball team and Muhlenberg College Athletics as a whole at the first-ever Polar Bear Plunge in Easton. All together over 600 people braved the chilling water, raising over $80,000 dollars for the Pennsylvania branch of the Special Olympics.

“It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Kennedy. “We’re blessed to have the ability to go out and compete on a daily basis. We felt it was the right thing to do, to help those that maybe aren’t as lucky as we are.”

The three of us were given the opportunity through the Muhlenberg Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Headed by Coach Eddinger of the field hockey team, the organization worked hard to raise the money necessary for the three of us to participate in the event. Along with Coach Eddinger, senior women’s basketball player Kate Clawson and sophomore pitcher Matt Lawsky were at the forefront of this effort, organizing the event from the get-go.

SAAC plans on participating in the event next year and hopes the number of athletes will grow. As for whether or not he would do it again next year, Clarke responded, “Absolutely,” while Kennedy added, “We’re going to bring a few more teammates along.”

We continue with baseball. Seniors Brian Beck, Nick Busillo and Mike Speroni were honored during a ceremony before the doubleheader against Washington. The next day, they helped the Mules come back to beat regionally ranked Johns Hopkins, thanks in part to Beck’s first career grand slam, in their final game.

Brian Beck

How have you been able to become such a good defensive player? Defense has always been important to me, so I try my best to be the best defensive player that I can be through hard work and practice. In games, I try to get to every ball that I can in order to help the team, and I always try to be aware of what is going on around me. Also, though I know I will make mistakes, I try to remember what I did wrong and apply that knowledge to the next play in order to help the team win.

How have you been able to balance your time between baseball and school work to be named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll the last two years? Being a student-athlete means having a very rigorous and demanding schedule, especially during the season, so I try my best to manage my time as best as I can. To succeed both on and off the field takes a lot of effort and persistence, but I try my best to make sure that I am doing my best in the classroom and then try to be the best athlete that I can be on the field.

What was it like interning with the Secret Service during the Washington Semester? It was a great opportunity and experience that I was fortunate enough to achieve. I learned a lot from my time there, and I have fostered a great respect for the men and women who protect our country through that agency.

What are your future plans? I plan on pursuing a career in law enforcement.

What’s Nick Busillo like off the field? Nick is not only a good teammate, but he is a great person. He always has a positive attitude both on and off the field, and seems to be having fun no matter what it is that he is doing. Although we don’t spend a lot of time together off the field, I have enjoyed my time with him as my teammate, and I wish him the best in the future.

Nick Busillo

Where did the nickname Goose come from? It was from my first practice as a freshman. One of the seniors said I looked like someone who could cook French cuisine, and since it was during the time of Hurricane Gustav, they called me Gustav. Then it got shortened to Goose. Never in a million years did I think that the name would stick.

Do you have any hidden or unusual talents? I am a phenomenal dancer. I specialize in the classic moves. Joe Vila and Rob Shannon can confirm that.

You’re one of the biggest guys on the team, yet you have seven steals. Where’d you get your lightning-fast wheels? Well, there are so many people to thank for that. But mainly it’s basically because no one pays attention to me, so I can get a good lead, get a good jump and then take the bag. I could probably have about 10 more, but I see the sadness in John Muha’s face every time I get a steal. Since he only has a few, I want to keep it close so he doesn’t get upset.

What’s your most memorable Muhlenberg baseball memory? Hitting the walkoff home run against Swarthmore last year. That is probably the most memorable in my entire baseball career.

What are your future plans? Well, I will probably sail around the world on the boat that my dad, now being informed of it, will invest in. And then when I am done doing that, I’ll use that as my major selling point to get some cool job.

What kind of person is Mike Speroni? Where do I even start with Speroni? Speroni is one of a kind. He stuck it out with Brian and I, and he gets my utmost respect for that. He’s a real tough kid; he is up there in appearances in a season and a career. That just shows that he can come in at any time and make an impact. He stepped up as a leader this year, and when we needed, he would ask for a lot of swag sauce. No one is really sure what that means, but that is OK because it makes him happy. I wish Mike nothing but the best after school, and I will miss having him as my teammate.

Mike Speroni

Do you have any superstitions you do before you go on the mound? Laugh at the guys in the bullpen. Seriously though, there have always been some characters down there, and it’s one of the things I do to try and stay relaxed before I step onto the mound. Obviously I need to be focused, but when I’m on the mound any pre-pitch thoughts are gone, and I’m in the moment. With pitching having the tendency to turn into a mental war between you and the batter, it’s important to stay calm. If you let your emotions get to you, they can take priority over maintaining the mechanical consistency needed for success. Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical, and anyone who’s been around the game knows that’s a fact.

What’s your most memorable Muhlenberg baseball memory? I’m going to have to pat myself on the back on this one. Probably my most memorable game was when I started against Haverford sophomore year and struck out the first six or seven guys I faced, minus the walk I sprinkled in the middle of it for a little flavor. My splitter was on that day, and everything just came together. Also just as memorable was working out of the fifth inning against Johns Hopkins my freshman year, then grabbing the win against them and shaking my dad’s hand after the game. That was pretty cool.

What was it like studying abroad at La Trobe University in Australia? Expensive. The minimum wage was about $15 an hour, and their dollar was about even with ours. Everything cost about twice as much. Although that was initially tough to deal with, I learned a lot not only about budgeting, but life in general living in Melbourne for five months. I got to play ball over there and really enjoyed fixing the non-existent swing I had going into it. I made what I hope to be lifelong friends with two sweethearts from Nebraska who I spent a week in Fiji with for our Spring Break, one of the most memorable vacations I’ve ever been on. Fiji was cheap too, which was nice.

What are your future plans? I’m currently working on an internship for the summer, and will be coming back in the fall because I ain’t no nerd. So to all the underclassmen reading this, don’t cry yet, I’ll be around to bother you some more in just a few months. Love you Mom.

What kind of teammate is Brian Beck? Brian is a great teammate and someone I’m proud to call a friend. He lets his actions do the talking, is extremely motivated, and always does the right thing. Also, he is probably the best foul ball recoverer and dugout janitor I have ever met. I don’t know what’s going to happen next year without him around, but you can probably bet on the umpire complaining he never has enough balls and our dugout will look like a landfill consisting of Slim Jim and Rice Krispies wrappers and empty Gatorade bottles. I’ve really enjoyed playing with him, Goose and our coaches, and I wish them all the best of luck next year.

A solid end to a promising first season of collegiate baseball, especially for someone who missed most of his senior season in high school due to a back injury, but nothing extraordinary.

Except for the fact that Manfredonia had at least one hit in each of those 24 games.

Manfredonia broke a 25-year-old school record for longest hitting streak. But the streak was so inconspicuous that it flew under even his own radar until he surpassed the previous mark of 17 games in the second game of the Gettysburg doubleheader.

“After the Gettysburg game a couple of guys came up to me and told me that I broke the record for longest hitting streak,” said Manfredonia. “I thought they were joking.”

Manfredonia had exactly one hit in 18 of the 24 games. In 15 of the 24 games, his first hit came in the sixth inning or later – including the record-breaking single against Gettysburg, which came on a two-strike pitch in the ninth. That was one of five ninth-inning streak-extenders.

True to form, Manfredonia made sure his streak would carry over into 2013 by going 1-for-6 in each game of Sunday’s season-ending twinbill vs. Johns Hopkins. He beat out a slow roller to third with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of the opener and went opposite field for his only double of the season in the sixth inning of Game 2.

By comparison, Kelly Kline of the Muhlenberg softball team had a school-record 25-game hitting streak this season in which she batted .512. Joe DiMaggio hit .406 in his Major League Baseball-record 56-game streak in 1941.

This wasn’t so much “Joltin’ Joe” as it was “Consistent Chris.”

“I just try to not get too low, stay on an even keel and play the game with a consistent approach,” said Manfredonia.

Of course, you can’t get hits without putting the ball in play, and Manfredonia did plenty of that. He struck out 10 times in his 50 pre-streak at-bats but whiffed only 11 times in 97 at-bats during the streak.

“I was striking out a little more early in the year than I would have liked,” he said. “So I tried to get fastballs early in the count, make hard contact and put the ball in play.”

A big Yankees fan, Manfredonia gained a new appreciation for DiMaggio’s streak, which would take almost another full year for him to approach.

“In the Major Leagues you play every single day; here you play only four days a week,” he said. “It’s hard to stay healthy to be able to hit in 56 straight games, and you have to get lucky once in a while. I can’t even imagine doing that.”

One of the ironies of Manfredonia’s record streak is that before it got going, he was on his way to a different school record. He had six sacrifices, one short of the record, halfway through the season, but as the hits kept coming and he moved up in the order, the bunt sign stopped coming. Another unfortunate irony is that most of his streak coincided with a team losing streak that turned the program’s best start in 84 years into a 19-21 final record.

So would Manfredonia, the would-be king of sacrifices turned king of hitting streaks, be willing to sacrifice his streak for a few more wins next year?

“Any day!” he said.

Female Athlete of the Week – Kelsey Elmer, Lacrosse

Elmer ended her career with a blast, scoring a career-high four goals at Dickinson on Wednesday and topping that with five vs. Ursinus on Saturday. She scored two go-ahead goals in overtime at Dickinson and netted two in a 6-0 run vs. Ursinus that turned a 12-6 deficit into a tie. Elmer scored her nine goals on only 11 shots.

Male Athlete of the Week – Brian Beck, Baseball

Beck hit .455 with five runs scored and four RBI in a pair of games against Dickinson. He was 3-for-6 with a two-run single and a double in the first game, and he belted a two-run homer, his third of the season, in the second. Beck had an .818 slugging percentage during the week and raised his season average from .326 to .351.

Women’s Tennis vs. Washington (Friday, 3:30)

Two teams that made the Centennial Conference playoffs last year are in a scramble to get back. Washington (5-3) and Muhlenberg (3-3) are in the middle of a five-team pack that includes Haverford (6-2), Dickinson (5-2) and Gettysburg (4-3). Those five teams are likely competing for three playoff spots, with Johns Hopkins and Swarthmore setting the pace at 6-0.

The Shorewomen are ranked eighth in the Atlantic South Region but have struggled since losing two of their top four players to injuries. Muhlenberg is coming off its most decisive win of the season, 8-1 against Ursinus.

Washington has won the last four meetings, including one in the 2009 CC playoffs. Last year’s 7-2 match featured many close sets.

Tennis vs. Johns Hopkins (Saturday, 1:00); at McDaniel (Sunday, 12:00)

A busy weekend of tennis for the Mules includes teams at opposite ends of the CC standings. For the women, Johns Hopkins is 6-0 in the CC and ranked eighth in Division III; McDaniel is 0-8 in the CC. For the men, 16th-ranked Hopkins is 6-0 and McDaniel is 0-5. The Muhlenberg men have not lost to McDaniel since 1982.

Baseball vs. Swarthmore (Friday, 3:30); at Gettysburg (Saturday, 12:30 doubleheader)

The Mules will try to halt their five-game skid at home against Swarthmore. Muhlenberg has not lost at home to the Garnet since 1995, extending the streak last year on a walkoff home run. The Mules then travel to Gettysburg, whom they swept last year.

Live stats (Swarthmore): http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/baselive/xlive.htm

Live video (Swarthmore): http://www.livestream.com/muhlenberg

Live stats/audio (Gettysburg): http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/gettysburg.portal#

Women’s Lacrosse vs. Bryn Mawr (Saturday, 1:00)

After three straight one-goal losses, the Mules are looking to take out their frustrations against a Bryn Mawr team that has not won a CC game since 2000.

Live stats: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/wlaxlive/xlive.htm

Live video: http://www.livestream.com/muhlenberg

Track & Field at Kutztown Multi (Friday); at Coach P Open (Saturday); at Bucknell Distance Night (Saturday)

The Mules are sending three athletes to Kutztown, six to Bucknell and the rest of the team to Moravian in a busy weekend.

Live results (Coach P): http://moraviansports.com/sports/mtrack/coachP/index

Live results (Bucknell): http://www.bucknellbison.com/livestats/c-track/12results/

Men’s Golf at Penn State Harrisburg Spring Classic (Friday-Saturday); at Lafayette Invitational (Sunday-Monday)

In preparation for the three-day CC Championships coming up in two weeks, the Mules will test their stamina by playing on four straight days.