Love for the game leads motivated baseball t eam to a winning season Love for the game beats in the heart of every Harding baseball player, and a lot of heart was needed for the 1994-95 season. With a starting lineup that included three freshmen, Coach Jess Bucy's young team played a strong schedule, including the number one ranked team in the NCAA Division II. It did not stop there. With all the fortitude they could muster, the Bisons played other nationally ranked teams and ended the season missing the playoffs by only one game. "We were young, but we improved," Bucy said. For the past two years, the team has had one consistent talent: hitting. Bucy believes their strength lies in hitting, boasting a team average of .308. While the team as a whole displayed growing talent, two players held the spotlight - senior accounting major Kevin Burton and junior graphic design major Daryl Johnson. Burton was selected as third baseman for the All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference. He was second in the AIC both in batting average and in hits. He also ranked fourth in RBI's. "I would have liked to win the championship, but my main goal was to have fun; and I did." Burton said. "Baseball has taught me discipline, and I have made many friends that I will cherish for life." Johnson led the team in runs and took first Baseball. First row: Aaron Mitchell, Jeremy Pharr, Josh Moore, Kevin Smith, Charley Moore, Pat Lightfoot, Ron Lightfoot, Wade Wilson, Joe Daniels. Second row: Zach Steed, Daryl Johnson, David Rampey, Scott Waite, Todd Miller, Ryan Tharp, Brett Neely, Justin Florio, Jared Cox, Kevin Burton. Third row: Michael Taylor, Bentley Harrell, Tim Lacefield, Jeff Overstreet, Ryan Rana, Mike Anders, Mike Wilson, Steve Rose, Coach Jess Bucy, Shane Fullerton. Photo by JeffMontgomery. Baseball 248 * Sports place in scoring in theAIC. He also ranked first in stolen bases, with 30 successful attempts in 34 tries. Johnson held fourth place in doubles, hit four home runs, and held a .395 batting average. A returner looking to the 1996 season, Johnson said, "We will start practicing earlier in the year so we can pull it together more as a team. Our team was really young, and now we know each other better. " Returners who showed promise for the future included Brett Neely, Joe Daniels, Todd Miller, Wade Wilson and Tim Lacefield, who were AIC honorable mentions in 1995. Along with Burton and Johnson, Neely, Daniels and Wilson played in the AIC All-Star game. The greatest achievement of the season, according to Bucy, was the team's continued imp rovement. "We had a really good team batting average and a reasonabl y good defensive team, but we really struggled with our pitching," Bucy said. The team ended the season in fifth place in the AIC, with a 15-13 conference record and an overall record of 25-25. "We stumbled around early in the season, but the team really improved, " Bucy said. "The heart of the baseball team was self-motivation. As a team, we were very good! I never had to tell them to hustle. The guys love baseball. I had no complaints. " - Beth Smith
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