Eric Strano helped the Rider University baseball team to a MAAC championship this season. (Photo by Brain D. Solomon.)
As Rider University senior Eric Strano was preparing for his final Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament with the Broncs’ baseball team in mid-May, he took a moment to reflect upon why has never played any other position than catcher during his career.
“I’ve caught my whole life, and whether that’s good or bad I don’t know,” the Robbinsville High School graduate said. “Blame my dad. I think we had the right gear or the right glove and that’s why he put me out there.”
Unlike a lot of kids, Strano quickly embraced the position, despite the fact the shortstops and pitchers usually get all the glory in little league.
“From what I remember I enjoyed it, because you were involved with everything, and that was good for me,” he said, adding with a laugh. “When you don’t have a great attention span, it can be rough out in right field, with your mind wandering. Those dandelions can be tempting to pick. Plus, after a while I thought it was cool to wear that equipment. You’re the only one wearing it.”
Strano has worn it well for the past four years at Rider, as he won the starting catcher job as a freshman and only relinquished it last year due to injury.
He returned this season to help Rider to its second MAAC regular-season championship in three years. Strano entered the conference tournament in mid-May batting .284 (third among regulars) with nine doubles, two triples, a home run, 23 runs scored and 25 RBI.
On days he did not catch, he served as designated hitter, which is something coach Barry Davis doesn’t usually like to do.
“It changes the way you do your lineup,” Davis said. “If you take him out of the DH spot then you’re down to one catcher, and I don’t like having that happen. But as long as he’s swinging a hot bat, if the situation dictates it, he’ll be in there.”
Strano’s average has steadily climbed during his stay in Lawrenceville. In 47 games as a freshman, he hit .252 with 13 runs and 15 RBI. In 57 games as a sophomore he hiked his average to .269 with 33 runs with 18 RBI as Rider won the MAAC regular-season championship before losing in the conference playoff semifinals.
His junior season was forgettable in several ways. He broke his hand four games into the season on Feb. 24 while catching against UMass-Lowell and was sidelined until April 29.
“I got hit by a pitch pretty flush on the back of the (left) hand, and I guess that cracked the index finger,” Strano said. “I wasn’t sure if it was broken or a bone bruise. I figured I would get it checked out after, but a few innings later I caught one on the palm and the finger kicked out the other way and just made it a lot worse. It wasn’t fun.”
Strano returned to play the Broncs final 11 games but only hit .196 in a disappointing year that saw Rider miss the playoffs after its record-setting 2013 season. It was the catcher’s second substantial injury, as the year before he broke his pinkie in the Broncs final game and was unable to play in summer ball.
“Frustrating was definitely the word for it,” Strano said of last year’s injury. “Being in the dugout and watching all the guys and not have a shot to go out and contribute is something that really takes its toll on you. Especially when you’ve been playing so long, and then having a losing season. Everything seemed to be going the wrong way. Our other catcher got hurt, too. It was just a tough pill to swallow.”
During his time on the shelf, Strano focused on keeping his legs in shape and worked on his throwing in order to remain as ready as possible defensively when he returned to the lineup. He couldn’t work on his hitting, however, and that was apparent when he came back.
“Everyone else was sort of in mid-season form, and I just didn’t have the timing down,” Strano said. “I hadn’t seen a ball in a while so it was a little rough. Even taking batting practice was tough. It’s just a different animal from hitting off a tee to going against live pitching, especially at this level.”
Strano dedicated himself to getting back in the groove over the summer when he played with the Mohawk Diamond Dawgs in Little Falls, New York. Because the team played nearly every day, he began to get his timing back, which was invaluable considering the time he missed.
At first it didn’t look like he improved much—his average was a dismal .173 after 16 games. That was coming against some quality pitching, however, as Davis loaded up the Broncs’ schedule with high caliber opponents on a southern trip.
After an 0-for-3 effort against St. John’s on March 29, Strano turned things around quickly. He hit .353 (29-for-82) over Rider’s final 30 regular-season games, and the Broncs went 24-6 during that time.
“His bat’s picked up, he’s been more consistent at the plate,” Davis said prior to the MAAC tournament. “(Defensively) he’s always been a pretty good guy blocking the ball, keeping it on front of him. He throws well enough. If his pitchers give him a chance he can throw guys out.”
Davis said that Strano’s offense has been a bonus. He is mostly concerned about defense from his catcher and feels Strano has done the job there.
“Anything after that is a plus, but you certainly don’t want him to be a stiff at the plate, which he hasn’t been,” Davis said. “He’s got the experience of being in big games, he’s able to handle adversity and failure. He can handle good pitchers. He’s been hitting better, but catching has always been his staple.”
It’s a good thing his dad had all that gear.
,
