|
Gabbert’s season started by having his wrist broken by a pitch during the Pirates annual Alumni Game. He returned to the SU lineup more than a month in to the season and during the regular season he batted just .268 with three home runs and three doubles.
“I was kind of struggling during the season. I think a lot of it was strengthening my wrist again but I just wasn’t hitting,” said Gabbert.
When conference tournament time rolled around on April 25, Gabbert was in an 0-for-11 slump and had not recorded a hit since March 29.
“I remember taking batting practice and my swing just felt great. I heard about how the stadium we were playing in, an old minor league park, was a tough place to hit home runs and how not many people put balls over the fence there. Well, for whatever reason, my swing was clicking and I was driving balls over the fence in batting practice,” Gabbert said.
Despite his power stroke in batting practice, Gabbert was not in the starting lineup in the Pirates’ first game, a 6-2 victory over DePauw University. In game two, he was again on the bench and entered as a defensive replacement without getting to the plate.
“I was really upset about not starting those first two games. I was never one to ask a coach about playing time, but the night after that second game I went to Coach [Jim] Mallon’s room and asked why I wasn’t playing. He answered ‘Jeff, we don’t think you can hit the curveball.’ My response was just ‘You don’t think I can hit the curveball. Okay.’ Then I walked away, really irritated,” recalled Gabbert.
The next day, for whatever reason, Gabbert was in the starting lineup with a point to prove as the Pirates took on Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He started out with a pair of singles in his first two at bats, followed by a solo home run, an RBI double and a two-run home run. He was 5-for-5 with five runs batted in and four runs scored. The Pirates won the game 21-4.
In the championship game the next day, SU took on Trinity University. Gabbert got the Pirates on the board with an RBI double in the second inning. In his second at bat, he stroked his third home run of the tournament to put Southwestern ahead 3-2. Later, in the seventh inning, Gabbert hit another solo home run. In the eighth, the Tigers intentionally walked him. He was 3-for-3 in the game, an 8-2 SU victory, and reached base in all nine of his plate appearances.
“It was the most memorable sports experience I have ever had. The fact that I was 8-for-8 was amazing, but I also felt like I really contributed to the success of the team and truly helped to win the SCAC championship. That was a huge part of making it an amazing experience. I felt like I was on top of the world,” said Gabbert.
2002 was Southwestern’s most recent SCAC championship in baseball and capped a seven year run that included five conference titles. Gabbert was named to the All-Tournament Team for his performance in 2002. He was also named All-Tournament in 2003 and 2004.
Jim Shelton, Assistant Coach at the time and current Head Coach stated, “That sort of thing just seemed to be a yearly event with Jeff. He was just able to find the ability to produce at levels he did not show at other times during the season. He was always a hard worker and it just always seemed to pay off at the conference tournament.”
“I remember being amazed at Gabbert’s performance at the Spring Sports Festival that year. Everyone on our team knew how far and how hard he could hit the ball, but to see him hit four home runs in two games and not get out once was just incredible. I won’t forget it for a long time,” said Justin Lindenmuth, a 2002 member of the SCAC Championship team and starting pitcher in the championship game.
Gabbert still holds the record for
total bases in a single Conference Championship with 22 and his four home
runs are tied for the most ever. He did not have enough at bats to qualify
for the record for slugging percentage (1.200 by Garner Wetzel of Millsaps)
but his percentage in 2002 was 2.750. |
Jeff Gabbert,
Southwestern