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LANCASTER, PA – The 2005 Centennial Conference champion Franklin & Marshall College baseball team finished among the national stolen base and earned run average leaders in the final 2005 NCAA Division III baseball statistics. The Centennial Conference regular season and tournament champions, F&M finished the year 31st in earned run average at 3.48 as the staff allowed 128 earned runs in 331.1 innings. On the base paths, the Diplomats concluded the year with 82 stolen bases on 104 attempts in 41 games for an average of 2.12 per game to finish 34th in the nation. Historically, Franklin & Marshall’s base runners improved by 20 places and 0.28 stolen bases per game over the team’s 2004 average (54th, 1.84), while the pitching staff lowered their ERA by 1.92 runs and 140 places from 5.40 and 171st place in 2004. Leading the way for the Diplomats were third basemen Gary Kruger (Sr., East Islip, NY/East Islip) and pitcher Ted Serro (Sr., Brooklyn, NY/Xavier) who were among the national leaders in stolen bases and ERA, respectively. Ranked 11th in stolen bases (0.76 pg) and 29th in walks (0.79 pg), Kruger finished the year with 30 walks and 29 stolen bases on 32 attempts in 38 games. A two-time All-Centennial Conference selection following first team honors in 2004, Kruger earned All-CC honorable mention this year as he hit .350 (42-for-120) with a team high 34 runs scored, six doubles, two triples, two home runs and 24 RBI. In Centennial Conference games, he hit .377 (20-for-53) with four doubles, a triple, a home run, 13 walks, 11 RBI and 11 stolen bases on 12 attempts. The career stolen base leader with 72, he ranks 12th in hits (109), second in triples (ten), fourth in home runs (seven) and 11th in RBI (57) in school history. The Centennial Conference Pitcher of the Year, Serro finished 42nd in earned run (1.92) and 45th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.6) as he allowed 20 runs (15 earned) on 46 hits and 18 walks with 75 strikeouts and three complete games in 70.1 innings of work this year. An American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Mid-Atlantic All-Region second team selection, he finished the season with a 6-3 record and placed 11th in innings pitched, 13th in complete games, tied with Robert Olender ’73 for third in strikeouts and tied teammate Jeff Rowand (Jr., York, PA/Dallastown) for fifth in single season victories in the history of the College. For his three-year career, Serro is 12-5 with six complete games, four saves and 131 strikeouts in 134.1 innings as he is tied for fourth in saves, ranks sixth in strikeouts, ninth in complete games and 10th in innings and is tied for sixth in victories in the career records at the College. Franklin & Marshall concluded the season with a 25-16 record as the record marked the third most wins in school history behind the 1995 (30-6-1) and 2002 (31-10) teams.
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