Gannon Knight Sports

     For five years, Gannon University senior pitcher and infielder Drew Rojek along with the rest of the club has had the same result at the end of the season – a losing record
     But after a split with Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference power Indiana (Pa.) University in a Senior Day twinbill at Gannon University Field Sunday afternoon, the Knights finished with a 12-12 PSAC record.
     “No one can take away how well we played this year,” said Rojek, who led the team with four saves. “There was a bunch of improvements and this was definitely my favorite year. We worked really hard in the offseason and I think it showed.”
     In 2008 and 2009, Gannon went a combined 8-48 in the PSAC. Had the Knights taken three of four from the Crimson Hawks on the weekend, Nate Cocolin’s squad would have bounced Slippery Rock from the PSAC Tournament, and Gannon would have been in the postseason.
     But the playoffs will have to wait another year, as the Knights lost all but one contest in the four game home-and-home series. The Knights were outscored 17-5 in the two games played at IUP, assuring that Gannon would be watching the PSAC Tournament from the comfort of the couch.
     “Walking into any situation when you have to win three of four is a tough thing to overcome,” Rojek said. “But at the same time, it was good pressure, because we knew we actually had a chance to win something. If you switch around a couple wins throughout the season, we’re in the playoffs, but you can never say ‘what-if.’”
     In the lone win, which came in the opening game at home, senior Evan Euler went the distance on the bump in the team’s 7-4 win, giving him his third win of the campaign in his finale with the maroon and gold.
     The Knights had solid contributions throughout the lineup, as five different hitters knocked in runs for Gannon.
     Gannon couldn’t complete the day two sweep, which dropped its overall record to 21-22, as the club fell in a close 5-3 game.
     Cocolin, who is in his third year at the helm, could be a strong candidate for PSAC Coach of the Year with the drastic turnaround of his team’s performance.
     Rojek said he thinks he is deserving of the accolade.
     “Coach did a great job,” Rojek said. “We’re a really special team, we all trust in him. He definitely did an outstanding job and he deserves credit for it. To turn around a team like this in three years is pretty incredible.”
     The Knights are a young team, but on Sunday, the squad said goodbye to six seniors who were instrumental both and off the field.
     Along with Radwan and Rojek, the club will be without the arms of hurlers Evan Euler and Brian Gunnel, leaving the squad with four holes to fill on the mound.
     Along with the gaping holes in the pitching rotation, the Knights will also have to fill the void of catcher Brandon Crum. Crum hit .270 with 17 RBI. Crum was also an ironman for the Knights this season, starting all 43 games.
     Senior infielder Bobby Fanto also saw his time with the Knights end. Fanto hit .250 in the six games he played in this season.
     “It’s a great feeling to end on a good note like we did,” Rojek said. “We were around for the worst of the worst. We’re really close and we’ve been through it all together, we’re all family. To see our program headed in the right direction, it’s a good feeling.”
     With a roster filled with young talent, the Knights are looking forward to taking the next steps in rebuilding the program – the PSAC Tournament.