Pitcher of the year wants Horizon title next

By Pete Mollica

STRUTHERS — As a sophomore last year, Aaron Swenson was the pitcher of the year in the Horizon League and also was a first-team all-league selection for the Youngstown State baseball team.

Yet the only thing that really stands out in Swenson’s mind going into the 2009 season is the disappointment the Penguins felt when they lost two straight games in the postseason tournament, which they hosted at Eastwood Field.

The 6-foot, 195-pound right-hander from Twinsburg is excited about the upcoming season.

“The postseason honors were nice, but I’d trade them in a minute for the tournament championship,” Swenson said. “It was disappointing to go two and out in a tournament that you hosted, but that’s behind us now and we’re excited about the upcoming season.

“I’d love to have another season like I had last year, but the only goal that I’ve set for myself this season is to do whatever I can to help this team win the championship,” he added.

A year ago the Penguins went 23-33 and were 13-8 at home and 13-12 in the Horizon League under first year coach Rich Pasquale, who was named co-coach of the year in the conference.

Swenson will find his role changed this season.

“Last year I was more of a student out there, learning all I could learn, while this season I’ll have to become more of a teacher and helping the newcomers and showing them the ropes in Division I college baseball,” he said.

Last season Swenson appeared in 15 games, 13 as a starter, and posted a team-best 6-3 record. He also led the Penguins in innings pitched (99), strikeouts (65) and complete games (5). He finished with an earned run average of 3.55.

Swenson said he has a lot of confidence in this year’s team.

“I know that there will be times when everyone struggles a little bit, but I feel that we have a strong team coming back and with the new additions that Coach Pasquale has made we’ll be even stronger than we were last season,” Swenson added.

He’s working with a new pitching coach in Tom Lipari, a former professional pitcher who came to the Penguins after serving as an assistant at Michigan State.

“He might be the most knowledgeable coach that I’ve ever worked with,” Swenson said. “He’s taught me a great deal in the short time I’ve been working with him.”

While Swenson is the top pitcher returning to the Penguins’ staff this season, another junior, Anthony Porter, is looking to improve on his everyday play from a year ago.

Porter, a Boardman native, will be the Penguins’ everyday catcher this season. A year ago he caught and was used as the team’s designated hitter and finished third on the team in hitting with a .323 average with 60 hits in 186 at-bats and drove in 32 runs.

“We lost some good pitchers, but we’ve got plenty coming back and our offense should be even stronger than it was a year ago,” Porter said.

Porter figures he’ll be batting somewhere in the middle of the lineup and his goal is just to improve on all aspects of his game.

“We’ve had a good offseason especially in the weight room,” he added. “And having Coach Pasquale around for a whole season has really made a big difference in this team.”

Both Porter and Swenson are excited about this year’s season opening series which will be at Georgia beginning on Feb. 20. The Bulldogs are coming off a season that ended in the finals of the College World Series.

“It’s going to be exciting going down there and playing before 5,000 or 6,000 fans to open the season,” Porter added.

mollica@vindy.com