History
Saint Vincent College first opened its doors in 1846, and baseball played an important role for students right from the start.
Some of the earliest found writings by a Saint Vincent student are from the diary of Francis X. Reuss, a student from 1866-1869. He began his diary on August 31, 1867, and the second entry in his diary discusses playing a game of “base ball” on campus with friends. His journal entry for September 4, 1867 reads “I umpired a game of base ball this morning between the two teams of the ‘Hero Base Ball Club.’ The club was organized Aug. 31, 1867, to play a game with the Scholastics.”
Thus began the history of baseball at Saint Vincent College, a tradition that continues today. Here are some interesting notes from the history of the sport on the Latrobe campus.
1888 – First known photo of an official “college team,” one that represented the school against outside competitors.
May 17, 1892 – Earliest found record of an official game. A team of students representing the college defeat a team of former students now living in Pittsburgh by a score of 17-1. Hearn, pitching for the students, strikes out 18 batters.
1895 – The “Saint Vincent’s College Base-Ball League” was formed. This was the first “intramural” league on campus, consisting of five teams: the Indians, Jr. Stars, Juveniles, X Rays and Independents. Afternoon games in both the fall and spring became regular attractions.
May 3, 1902 – Saint Vincent defeats Iroquois by a 5-4 score in 14 innings, described as the “longest and most exciting game ever witnessed on the Saint Vincent campus….Treece knocked in the winning run and was carried off the field.” Saint Vincent had earlier lost a 4-1 lead in the ninth inning.
1908 – Saint Vincent College baseball has its first undefeated organized season, going 12-0-1 under manager Fr. Linus, OSB. Bernard Berg is the star “twirler,” as noted in the reports, striking out 79 batters for the season.
April 30, 1910 – Bernard Berg (later Reverend Berg) throws first no-hitter in school history, facing East Liberty Academy. He walked two and struck out eight in a 19-0 victory.
June 20, 1911 – A game was scheduled between Saint Vincent College and the University of the Holy Ghost. The game was to be played at Forbes Field, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Unfortunately, while articles can be found inviting students and alumni to attend the game, no record can be found regarding the outcome of the game.
June 1, 1921 – The Homestead Grays, an independent team that later became a powerhouse in the Negro League, makes the first of many visits to Saint Vincent. The college team defeats the Grays by an 11-3 score.
May 31, 1922 – Saint Vincent defeats the Homestead Grays by a 13-11 score. Three weeks later, on June 21, the Grays win 8-7 in 10 innings in the rematch.
June 6, 1923 – The Homestead Grays win their annual visit to Latrobe 12-9 despite being outhit by the college students 14-11.
May 5, 1924 – The season opener for the Bearcat team is a tough one….against the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. The Pirates use their regular starters, including such greats as Pie Traynor and Kiki Cuyler, for the first 6 innings. Only one SVC player reaches second base, as the Pirates won 13-0 before an estimated 3,000 spectators. Saint Vincent only manages three hits, but commits 5 errors. The Pirates record 11 hits and just one error.
June 11, 1924 – The Homestead Grays defeat Saint Vincent College by a 14-8 score. Each team has 16 hits. The win completes a season sweep for the Grays, who had won a late-May game by a 9-2 score.
May 4, 1925 – The Pittsburgh Pirates return to the Latrobe campus. Before another estimated crowd of 3,000, the Pirates score 5 runs on 6 hits in the first 3+ innings, compared to no runs and just one hit for Saint Vincent. The game never ends, as rain stops play in the top of the fourth inning with the Pirates at bat.
May, 1925 – The Homestead Grays make their final visit to Saint Vincent, defeating the host team 12-11 in a slugfest. The Grays record 19 hits to Saint Vincent’s 11.
May 4, 1926 – The last-ever game between Saint Vincent College and the Pittsburgh Pirates is witnessed by over 5,000 people on the Latrobe campus. Saint Vincent manages to score this time, but is on the short end of a 9-1 final. The Pirates record 13 hits, Saint Vincent has just five.
June 1, 1932 – A team called the Nebraska Indians visits Latrobe, with Saint Vincent winning the game 7-5. The boxscore for the Indians contains the names Lone Star, Little Bear and Two Horse.
May, 1935 - The Bearcats fall to West Virginia University by a score of 17-4 in a game played at Forbes Field, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Playing in the large facility must have caused some nervousness among the SVC squad, which committed 11 errors.
May, 1935 - The House of David, a famous traveling team known for their long beards and inspired game of "pepper" visit Latrobe for an afternoon of entertainment and baseball. Bearcat pitcher Grover Lohr could not handle the heavy-hitting Davidians, as SVC lost the exhibition by a 13-4 score. House of David centerfielder Mr. Shadowen put on quite a show for fans between innings.
1938 – Under manager Fr. Cuthbert Gallick, OSB, Saint Vincent posts a record of 11-0, and extends a school-record winning streak to 14 games, including the final three games of the 1937 season. The streak ended in the season opener of 1939.
1938 – Charles “Pop” Woods earns his fourth consecutive letter for baseball, becoming the last SVC athlete to earn 12 letters – four each in baseball, basketball and football. For the 38-39 year, rules were changed and freshmen were prohibited from competing at the varsity level.
May 29, 1940 – Tony Polink pitches the best game in school history – a perfect game – against Fairmont State Teacher’s College of West Virginia. He faces the minimum 27 batters, with none reaching first base. Polink strikes out 11 in the 7-0 victory.
1943 – After more than 50 years, baseball is dropped from the college due to World War II. Play resumes in 1946.
1954 – Oland “Dodo” Canterna, who had played minor league ball for the Boston Braves organization, is hired to coach both baseball and basketball for Saint Vincent. The college had not fielded a team since 1950, because the field they had been using became the site of the new gymnasium, then called Sportsman’s Hall (now the Carey Center).
May 18, 1955 – A four-run fifth inning allows Saint Vincent to come from behind and defeat Duquesne University by a 4-2 score, ending a 16-game winning streak for the Dukes and eliminating them from contention for a NCAA playoff berth. Sophomore right-hander Dick Doll goes the distance on the mound for SVC, shutting out Duquesne over the final 8 innings after giving up two runs in the bottom of the first. Jack Heimbeucher doubles home the game-winner for SVC.
1963 – Tom Goetz records four pitching victories, tossing 33 innings, in a nine day span to end the season. Saint Vincent earns Co-Champion honors in the West Penn Conference under Coach Dodo Canterna. Jim Wasicki is the top hitter and is named MVP in the conference.
1983 - In just the program's third year back after a 15-year hiatus, Coach Canterna's squad wins 20 games for the first time in school history. Canterna is named NAIA District 18 Coach of the Year.
September 9, 1984 - Mark Barberich has one of the greatest days in Bearcat baseball history. In a doubleheader against Pitt-Johnstown, he goes 6-for-8 with four home runs, a double and 12 RBI, which included 9 RBI in the second game. Unfortunately, the games were part of "Fall Ball" and therefore not part of the official regular season.
March 21, 1987 – Alan Hipps tosses a no-hitter for the Bearcats against Pitt-Bradford in the first game of a doubleheader. Saint Vincent wins the game 21-0 as Hipps strikes out five and walks three. At the end of the 1987 season, “Dodo” Canterna retires as head coach.
March, 1991 – Bearcat manager Frank Newell, a former SVC player, helps to make headlines by calling a pitcher out of the bullpen to relieve starter Tim Murphy in a game in Florida. Left-handed freshman Jodi Haller becomes the first female to pitch in the NAIA, throwing 2 2/3 innings against West Virginia Wesleyan. She enters the game with two on, two out, and strikes out the first batter she faces to end the inning. In the final game of the Florida trip, Haller makes her first appearance of the year as a starting pitcher. (In 1994, the USA Today’s Baseball Weekly printed a feature on Haller).
April 28, 2001 – Brian Jackowski throws the fourth no-hitter in Bearcat history. Saint Vincent wins 10-0 at home against Cedarville University in a game stopped after 5 innings due to the “10-run” rule. Jackowski walked two, struck out three and hit two batters.
May, 2004 - Saint Vincent wins the American Mideast Conference North Division title, then finishes second in the NAIA Region IX Tournament in Canton, Ohio. Coach Mick Janosko is named Region IX Coach of the Year and third baseman Joe Pichler is named AMC North Player of the Year.
2011 - Competed in the PAC Baseball Tournament for the first time since joining the league.
