Temple University Athletics
Baseball A-10 Championship Highlights Season
5.28.01 | Baseball
May 28, 2001
The 2001 Temple Owls squad took the first step in bringing the Owls
program back into the national limelight by winning the 2001 Verizon Atlantic
10 Championship in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and reaching the NCAA Regional
Baseball Championship.
After beginning the season 0-14, the Owls would go 24-14 (.630) the rest
of the regular season. Temple was the No. 3 seed in the 2001 Atlantic 10
Baseball Championship and played their way into the championship round by
defeating No. 2 seed Dayton (3-2) and the No. 1 seed, Massachusetts (6-3).
The Owls would lose a close 10-8 decision to George Washington to force a
one-game playoff. Temple would capture the title with a hard-fought 11-6
victory and the Atlantic 10's automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Baseball
Tournament.
A number of team and individual records would go by the books during the
season. As a team, the Owls broke the team record for most games played with
58. They would equal their most runs scored in a game when 29 Owls crossed
home plate in a 29-12 win at Erny Field on March 24th against Xavier. The
Owls would also set a team record when four players hit home runs in one
inning against Atlantic 10 conference rival George Washington on April 20th
at Erny Field. The landmark inning came in the second game of a doubleheader
the Owls swept from the Colonials. Jeff Roma (solo), Kyle Sweppenhiser
(3-run), Robert Cucinotta (2-run) and Joe Lyall (solo) performed the feat in
the Owls' 9-6 win.
Senior third baseman, Kyle Sweppenhiser, and senior pitcher, Greg Powell,
followed up their all-Atlantic 10 first-team conference selections by being
named to the all-tournament team down in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Sweppenhiser was named the Most Outstanding Player after batting .467
(7-for-15) and scoring five runs. He also played solid defense at the hot
corner. Powell, after surrendering two runs on three hits in the first
inning, shut out the Flyers on just two hits over the next nine innings,
while striking out 11 and walking just one. Joining the two seniors on the
all-tournament team were juniors Jim Tully (shortstop), Joe Lyall
(rightfield) and Robert Cucinotta (firstbase).
The Owls would garner five Atlantic 10 Player of the Week awards during
the regular season. Senior pitcher Greg Powell, who was just magnificent
during the Atlantic 10 season won three Pitcher of the Week awards. He also
broke a team record with his 17 starts in a season. Junior first baseman,
Robert Cucinotta, kicked off his Atlantic 10 season by going 7-for-10 with
three home runs and seven RBI to pick up a Player of the Week award and
senior pitcher, Jeff Rugg, was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week for the
week of April 9-15.
Senior centerfielder, Bob Filler, capped a great career by breaking four
individual career records. Filler now hold the career records for most
at-bats (789), singles (172), games played (216) and hits (234).
And finally, the man who righted the ship from an 0-14 start, head coach,
James "Skip" Wilson, in his 42nd year was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.
It was truly a season to remember.
