UPDATE
sports Baseball playoff winners
L-r: Tad Barton, Adam Zipko, Zach Stone, Coach Jon Shehan, Dan Johnson and Mark Stuckey.
There’s a group of five Millersville baseball players that didn’t come from the same place and didn’t even arrive at the same time. But they will always be remembered together—a special group that redefined Millersville baseball. Let’s flash back to the fall of 2009. Jon Shehan had just finished his second season as the program’s head coach and owned a career record of 48-49. An unrecruited walk-on by the name of Zach Stone showed up at Cooper Park and battled his way onto the roster by hitting line drives all over the field. A governor’s scholar by the name of Dan Johnson quietly landed a roster spot as well. As redshirts, both players dedicated their time to the program and sat in the stands while the team went 22-25 and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year. When fall workouts started the following year, Stone was still barreling up every pitch thrown in the strike zone and a trio of freshmen pitchers—Tad Barton, Tim Mayza and Adam Zipko—provided an eye-opening experience. “We brought them in that fall, and we had a senior-laden group that was very experienced and had been there and done that,” said Shehan. “Those guys immediately brought up the confidence level of our upperclassmen. When we turned Mayza and Barton loose, that brought the confidence of our entire team up…they were immediate impact guys.” With Stone, Johnson, Zipko, Mayza and Barton playing key roles on the 2011 team, Millersville went 44-12 and won just the second NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship in program history. Four years later, the senior class, including two-year member Mark Stuckey, became the first-ever at Millersville to reach four consecutive PSAC tournaments, and three NCAA tournaments. “As a group, four or five guys to make an impact right away, that’s rare,” said Shehan. “It’s a special class. We talk about confidence and humility being the two measuring sticks. The guys that are able to walk the fine line of learning with humility while playing the game with confidence, they are hard to find.
20 Review Spring/Summer 2014
“They hate to lose,” said Shehan. “They’ve never experienced it here, and it’s not an option for them.” The competitiveness and drive of the senior class raised the bar for the entire program. Mayza departed the group a year early after being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. Stone became Millersville’s first PSAC East Player of the Year and set career records for hits and RBIs. Johnson became Millersville’s first back-to-back All-PSAC East First Teamer in 14 years. Barton set a school record for career victories and was named All-PSAC East twice. Zipko was the runner-up for the Josh Willingham Award, given annually to the most valuable player in Division II baseball. This was as a senior while setting a school record for pitching appearances. It’s exceedingly rare that all members of a graduating class all contribute at such a high level. Talent and coaching have much to do with that, but it’s the intangibles that make the difference, qualities that are ingrained and drive the individual to push beyond the standard and expected. “They are all friends, don’t get me wrong, but they are extremely competitive guys,” said Shehan. “When you add Mayza to that group, that’s five of the most competitive people I know, and that encompasses everyone that has coached and played for this program for the last 12-14 years. Stone leads the way there, but Zipko is one of the most fearless people I’ve ever met. He gets on the mound in big situations and he looks like he’s playing on a sandlot and he’s 12 years old. He’s got so much poise. “Whatever they do, they compete,” continued Shehan. “I remember having to tell Mayza and Zipko as freshmen to quiet down because they were yelling at each other playing video games. I don’t know who won but that epitomizes this class. Stone doesn’t want to lose the quality plate appearances title in the fall. He’s gone five years without losing it. That’s not going to affect his performance on the field, but he just wants to be the best at everything, no matter what it is.” Three PSAC East Championships and 145 wins later, it is hard to believe it all started five years ago with a no-name walk-on, a mathematics major and three skinny pitchers.