Echo Times

Issue date: 5/16/05 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jeremy Duvall Chris Bacigalupi (left) hopes to return to the lineup with a hot bat!

It wasn't a grandiose hamstring pull or massive shoulder strain that has the College of Marin's very own Sultan of Swat, Chris Bacigalupi, ridding the bench for the last 11 games. It was something we use every day and don't even think about and it had helped propel Bacigalupi into an offensive blitzkrieg that had him ranked number one in hitting in all of California.
It was a thumb. A broken one.
Bacigalupi broke his left thumb in the March 22 game against Diablo Valley and the Mariners have struggled their way to a 5-6 record in his absence.
"We have a real talented team," said Bacigalupi, talking about the second place Mariners only a game behind Santa Rosa Junior College in the Bay Valley West conference. His face distraught at a recent COM practice, he talked about wanting to get back on the diamond. "I want to help them out anyway I can," he said. "It's been frustrating."
Even though he has been sidelined, Bacigalupi's experience and eagerness to help his teammates has him finding other ways to contribute. "My relationship with the rest of the team is good," he said. "I can help these guys out with the mental aspects of the game."
Bacigalupi has been rehabbing the injury and hopes to be back with team within the next week, but according to head coach Steve Berringer that time frame is on the optimistic side. "It might be closer to two weeks," Berringer said.
Berringer said it"s important to get Bacigalupi back into the lineup. Ò(Bacigalupi) goes down and that"s a big part of our offense," said Berringer. "He is a vital part of our team." Berringer said other teams fear Bacigalupi, who helps give protection to the batters around him in the line up.
Bacigalupi's stats speak for themselves. Before his injury he was batting a scoreboard-shattering .581 with seven home runs and only two strikeouts all seasons.
He has hit that many home runs in a game. Twice.
The Mariners haven't been totally hopeless with the loss of Bacigalupi. They have competed in and won a couple of close games. The one standing out in Berringer's mind was COM's recent win against the number-one-ranked team in northern California, Cosumnes River.
"We brought intensity and energy to that game and we won in the bottom of the ninth with a base hit by Aaron Loewenthal," Berringer said. Loewenthal has stepped up as one of the Mariners main RBI threats but it has been a total team effort, according to Berringer.
"They compete every day and play hard," said Berringer. "You can't dwell on someone being hurt."
Loewenthal talked about the special chemistry and team spirit the Mariners have developed this season. "Everyone has stepped up," Loewenthal said. "We have come together as a team and everyone has contributed, whether it's coming off the bench or playing every day."
With the play offs just around the corner, the Mariners have their work cut out to stay in one of the top two spots in their division so they can make it to the post season. "Every out, every pitch, every game is going to be big," said Berringer. "The finishing line is right there." "It"s just a matter of finishing strong and getting to the post season."

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