Upsala College - Upsalite Yearbook (East Orange, NJ)

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Farr - Pitcher Callahan fCapt.I - Infield The 1955 edition of the Upsala Baseball Vikings tied their previous high mark, which was set in 1949, by compiling eighteen wins and two losses. In doing this the Vikings scored 144 runs to their opponents' 52. The diamond squad started their '55 season by winning six straight games, before bowing to Moravian College and Ithaca College. They then went on to finish the season with a twelve-game winning streak. The record for the number of consecutive wins was posted in the 1953 and 1954 seasons with fifteen straight victories. Pacing the Norsemen's hitting depart- ment were Bill Holt, Bob Ellis, and Jerry Bradley. The mound corps was led by .lack Sundberg and Bill Pollack. However, Ellis and Sundberg were lost through graduation, leaving two big holes in the Viking squad. The 1955 squad took to the field late in March to open their season against Fairleigh Dickin- son College. They proceeded to down Fairleigh Dickinson, Vermont, M.I.T., Colby, Maine, and Williams. The Norse nine ran into double figures against the last three clubs, collecting 33 runs on 35 hits, as opposed to 9 runs on 21 hits. On April fifteenth the team traveled to Bethlehem, Pa., where they met the Moravian nine. The outcome was a 5-2 victory for the host club. The following day, Coach Don Walker's squad met Ithaca College on Viking Field for Upsala's second loss I6-21 in as many days. These losses gave the Vikings a record of six wins and two losses. This ended the losing streak for them, as they overcame the rest of their opponents, defeat- ing their New Jersey rivals: Panzer, Montclair, Newark Rutgers, Rider, St. Peter's, and Seton Hall. The out-of-state victims included Hofstra, Bridgeport, Hartwick, Howard, and St. Lawrence to round out the season. Pollack -- Pitcher Holt - Outfield

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eg -W A , -1.1. I 1 25 Q1 ' -al f .Q ' it' '2 as 1, . i if Lomker-Forward Up, up, and away! Despite the loss to graduation of almost the entire starting five, Coach Don Walker's Basket- ball team looked to its 1955-56 season with enthusiasm and hope. Facing a rugged twenty-one game schedule which included St. Peter's, Wagner, and C.C.N.Y., the Vikings finished up with a record of ten wins and eleven losses. Returning lettermen Bob Shaw, Joe Gaspirini, Don Kirshner, Al Wisniewski, Fred Hill, and Frank Wallace, were aided by newcomers Jim Lomker, Richie Meningall, George Rowding, and John MacKeith. Big guns for the year were Wisniewski, who hit for 432 points, and play-maker Joe Gaspirini, who hit for a total of 315 points. By reaching 43 points against Paterson State, Wisniewski established o new school record. Highlights of the year were the rousing Hartwick game, the televised C.C.N.Y. game which the Vikings eventually won by default, andthe Hunter game which saw the Vikings win in over- time. With the near completion of the gymnasium which will spell home for all future Viking basketball, combined with a strong Freshman team now eligible, Don Walker and his men are looking to the future with optimism. Captain Kirshner connects. That'll stop him, Fred! .V ., L- w ' w ig. Y V . V, gcc R ig Shaw-Forward Wisniewski - Center C if Kirshner - Guard 'i Gasparini-Guard l 137

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6? SALA Feldman - Outfield Gaspirini - Infield Charette - Outfield Credit for the outstanding year goes to the hard hitting of Bill Holt, with a resounding .436 batting average, Bob Ellis, batting at a .375 clip, and Jerry Bradley at .356. Their booming bats plus the speed on the basepaths of Joe Gaspirini, Fred Hill, and Dick Callahan made the Upsala offensive power unsurpassable. A great deal of praise also goes to the defensive,strength of the club led by number one hurler Jack Sundberg. In his four years of baseball at Upsala, Jack com- piled a very impressive 23-4 record, which included one no-hit, no-run game against Hofstra in 1954. Number two man was Bill Pollack, who finished the season with a 6-0 record. He was fol- lowed by George Farr. These three men carried all the pitching duties of the twenty-game schedule. The 1956 version of the Vikings has Captain Dick Callahan, who has seen duty at every position in the infield, at third base. Moving into the shortstop position is Fred Hill, a three-letter man at Upsala. Fred saw action in right field last year where he hit a strong .316. Rounding out the infield for the Norse squad this season are Joe Gasparini at second base, and Fred Raffa at first base. Behind the plate is .lerry Bradley, who is one of the best backstops that the Vikings have fielded. Jerry has a strong arm and also wields a powerful bat. ln the outfield the Vikings have returning lettermen Art Charette, Bill Holt, and Ed Feldman, assisted by Dick Keating. The pitching chores fall on the shoulders of Bill Pollack and George Farr, members of last season's varsity, and Bob Seaman and George Rawding, both of whom were members of the 1955 J.V. squad. Both newcomers compiled 2-1 records last year. Since most of the lettermen returned for this season, Upsala can be sure of a fine, experi- enced club, which will retain the winning tradition of previous years.-D.O. Keating -- Pitcher-Outfield Bradley - Catcher Raffa - Infield Hill - Infield iw ' ,J V il ,Q ,