Buckley (.410) powers Huskies

The statistics pretty much tell the story of the season turned in by Northeastern University junior center fielder John Buckley.

Through 40 games, Buckley led the NU regulars in hitting (.410), hits (57), homers (5), total bases (86), runs (37) and stolen bases (20). He was tied for the lead in RBIs with 34. He also has 10 doubles, 2 triples and only 14 strikeouts in 139 at-bats. His 57 hits tied Gary Nelson’s 1986 school record. Buckley was chosen to the All-North Atlantic Conference team and was selected by his teammates as the NU Most Valuable Player.

“He’s definitely our leading player at this time,” said NU Coach Neil McPhee. “He’s a pretty complete player. He can run, he can throw, he hits for average and he has good pop in his bat. He’s not a power hitter but he leads the team in homers and RBIs.

“The other thing about John is that he plays hard on every pitch and every play,” added McPhee. “He brings a great deal of emotion to the game. He’s a real competitor. He has gotten better every year.”

Buckley hit .338 a year ago with 5 homers and 27 RBIs.

“Being chosen the team’s MVP is a great honor for which I’m very thankful,” said Buckley. “I’ve been very pleased with my season so far. I’m definitely a better hitter than I was a year ago. I worked on my stance over the summer, I’ve got a very open stance this year, and I’ve been keeping my head down. I’ve been watching the ball the whole way.”

Buckley had been getting jammed with his closed stance and said he didn’t feel as comfortable at the plate as he does now.

Of all of his statistics, the one that gives him the most satisfaction is RBIs.

“That’s what wins the games. That’s getting the job done,” said Buckley, who is an exceptional center fielder with outstanding range and a strong arm.

Buckley and the Huskies have been a team on a misson this season. NU hadn’t made the ECAC Tournament since 1986 and, with several key seniors, the Huskies wanted desperately to qualify. Even though Maine won the NAC title, the Huskies’ strong second place finish and 28-12 overall record was good enough to earn them not only one of two at-large berths but a third seed.

“I knew we had the lineup (to qualify for the ECAC Tournament) and I was hoping our pitching would be solid and it has been,” said six-year coach McPhee. “The defense is the one thing we have improved immensely over previous years.”

Besides Buckley, the other offensive catalysts have been 3B Aaron Foley (.390-3 homers-21 RBIs), 2B Jim Caeran (.360-2-21), RF Tim Scannell (.352-0-22), 1B Pete Charpentier (.340-4-34), LF Hank Gibson (.331-4-33) and DH Dan Mahoney (.298-2-16). The Huskies were hitting .326 as a team after 40 games and had stolen 129 bases in 143 attempts.

The pitching staff features lefties John Sheehan (3-3, 3.23) and Mike Maguire (6-2, 3.00) along with righty Bill Hartnett (4-2, 5.10) and righty relief ace Bob Nicklas (4-2, 9 saves, 4.11).

Slick-fielding freshman shortstop Kevin Gately has played a very important role in NU’s defensive improvement by shoring up the infield.