By Max Lederman

Despite a season of frustration, the Northeastern baseball team claimed the ultimate prize last Saturday, winning the America East Tournament Championship with a convincing 11-0 win over Stony Brook in Burlington, VT.

By winning the tournament, the Huskies advance to the NCAA tournament. The Huskies will visit Louisiana State University, the second-ranked team in the nation, Friday in Baton Rouge, LA.

“For the coaching staff and the players there is just nothing like it,” said NU head coach Neil McPhee. “We won a championship.”

As well as putting the finishing touches on a crazy America East season that saw a struggling young team with a 2-6 conference record evolve into champions, Saturday’s win also gives NU its third America East title, and their first since 1997.

“I can’t explain how happy I am right now,” said co-captain Brad Czarnowski. “It’s such a rewarding feeling; all of our hard work paid off.”

After giving up a 7-1 lead and losing a slugfest to Stony Brook, 11-10, in the first game of the finals on Saturday, the Huskies couldn’t help but reminisce about last year’s tournament, where they came up short despite needing just one win to take the crown.

“After that first game, thoughts of last year’s tournament definitely started popping into our heads,” Czarnowski said. “It didn’t psych us out though; it just pumped us up.”

With the bitter taste of last year’s heartbreaking failure on the final day of the 2002 tournament still fresh in the mouths of many of this year’s players, the Huskies stepped up their game and made sure that they would only taste the sweet fruits of victory this time around.

“I just felt good about where we were all day, even after the 11-10 loss,” McPhee said. “We never stopped hitting.”

NU starter Jordan Thompson shut out Stony Brook in the deciding game, going the distance while giving up just three hits.

“Jordy was never in any trouble,” McPhee said. “He was just awesome.”

Even if Thompson hadn’t completely dominated SBU, the Huskies would have still been in good shape, considering the fact that they scored 11 runs. It didn’t take long for Northeastern to get things started; after a leadoff single in the first inning by Mike Steinberg, freshman Arman Sidhu doubled him home for what turned out to be the only run NU would need.

Sidhu would score later in the first on a misplayed ball by SBU starter James Swejkowski to give NU a 2-0 lead. The fourth inning is where the Huskies blew this game open. With a 5-0 lead already in hand, Miguel Paquette, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, hit a two-run single that gave NU the 7-0 advantage. After an Omar Pena double that put runners on second and third, Czarnowski stepped to the plate and blasted a three-run shot that put the Huskies up 10-0.

Czarnowski batted 4-8 with six RBI and two homers on championship Saturday and was named to the All-Championship team along with first baseman Paquette, shortstop Sidhu, designated hitter Steinberg and pitchers Justin Hedrick and Thompson. Paquette, who appeared in only 38 of the Huskies 49 games this season, mostly as a substitute, went 6-15 (.400) with seven RBI and a homer in NU’s four tourney games.

“It feels awesome,” said Paquette. “I didn’t play that much during the season but I got a chance to help my team and show people what I can do.”

The win was the Huskies second against SBU in three tries last weekend. NU faced them once on Friday and twice Saturday. It was the Friday contest that gave the squad fits. After NU gave up the lead in the top of the ninth, Jeff Heriot hit a two-run, game-winning single in the bottom of the inning to give the Huskies a dramatic, come-from-behind, 5-4 win over Stony Brook that sent them to the finals.

“We knew the baseball gods were working for us after the second game, when we gave up the lead in the top of the ninth and then came back to win it in the bottom of the inning,” McPhee said.

Jordan Thompson, who surrendered the three-run homer to SBU in the ninth, stayed in and picked up the win Friday, while relieving starter Brendan Ryan.

On Thursday, Justin Hedrick made top seeded Vermont look silly, pitching a complete game, 15 strikeout gem in a 2-1 win.

“That first game was the key to the tournament,” McPhee said. “Justin Hedrick was amazing.”

It will take another great effort from Hedrick in Louisiana to continue the Huskies’ season.