conti wins statistical championship

Conti had plenty of opportunities to take a lead off third base.

There’s something about the Muhlenberg baseball team and triples.

Junior Christian Conti led Division III in triples and triples per game in 2008, according to the recently released final NCAA statistics. It’s the fourth statistical championship in Mule baseball history, and all four have involved three-baggers.

Conti belted a school-record 11 triples in 40 games (an average of 0.28 per game) to edge out Brad Polcare of Castleton, who hit 10 in 40 games, for first place. Conti also hit a school-record 11 home runs and is believed to be only the second player in Division III history to reach double figures in triples and home runs in the same season.

Muhlenberg’s previous statistical titles came in 1984 (Dave Kurtz, 0.30 triples per game), 1987 (Tom Lukasiewicz, 0.29 triples per game) and 2005 (team, 0.67 triples per game). At the start of the season, the Mules also shared the Division III record for triples in a game (6 vs. Gettysburg in 1997) and played in two of the four games in Division III history in which the two teams combined for eight or more triples.

The Centennial Conference player of the year and a first-team all-region selection, Conti finished in the top 20 in the country in three other categories: RBI per game (seventh with 1.50), slugging percentage (14th with .817) and total RBI (18th with 60). Classmate Eric Hammond ended up as the fourth-hardest batter to strike out, fanning once every 45.7 at-bats.

Led by Conti as well as junior John Kalis and sophomore Eric Pomroy, who hit six triples apiece, the Mules ranked third in Division III with 0.70 triples per game. The team also was fifth in a defensive category, turning 1.13 double plays per game.

Click here for the final Division III statistics.