University of St. Thomas Athletics
Carthage
Baseball: Licht "trusts stuff," keeps Toms alive
5/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By DOUG HENNES
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Ten days ago, freshman pitcher John Licht took the mound for St. Thomas in a 
NCAA Midwest Regional elimination game and tossed a four-hit, 6-0 shutout over UW-Stevens Point. The Tommies swept St. Olaf in a doubleheader the next day to win the regional tournament.
On Memorial Day, Licht again took the mound in an elimination game, this time in the NCAA Division III World Series, and was nearly as efficient with a complete-game, 3-1 win over Carthage College.
The Minneapolis Southwest graduate just shrugged during a post-game news conference when asked about his pair of "stopper" performances. He even joked about pitching in such easy conditions.
"I have been relaxed more lately," he said. "I mean, this is the World Series. You gotta go out and have fun . . . no stress or pressure here."
Licht recalled what pitching coach Chris Olean told him before the Stevens Point game. Licht had lasted only one and one-third innings on May 10 against St. Olaf in the MIAC playoffs, giving up a grand slam, and he knew he had to get off to a strong start against the Pointers.
"In the bullpen beforehand," Licht said, "Coach Olean asked me, 'What's the worst thing that could happen? You could lose the game. Just trust your stuff,' and I did."
The similarities between Licht's performances had Coach Dennis Denning and Olean nodding in appreciation. Licht threw only 98 pitches against Stevens Point and 106 pitches (74 strikes and 32 balls) against the Red Men. He had only two three-ball counts Monday -- the second one led to a two-out walk in the ninth, his only walk of the two games.
"He just threw strikes," Denning said. "He was ahead in the count most of the time -- accurate with his fastball, and he's got that tight curve."
Litcht opened with 1-2-3 first and second innings and first-pitch strikes on the first 10 hitters. He struck out six Red Men and allowed only two runners as far as second until the sixth, when a single and a two-out double cut the St. Thomas lead to 2-1. Licht had a 1-2-3 seventh and gave up a two-out single in the eighth and that lone walk in the ninth.
PHOTOS: Above, John Licht; below, Matt Olson
Olson stays hot
Carthage outhit the Tommies 7-5, but two Red Men errors led to two unearned runs. Matt Olson led off 
the fourth with an infield hit, went to second on a bad throw from the catcher and scored on Drew Cremisino's single to center. In the sixth, Olson tripled and came in on a Brian Schmitz single - his first hit of the tournament - to make the score 2-0. After Carthage scored in the bottom of the sixth, Dan Leslie reached first in the seventh on a fielding error, was bunted to second by Louie Salmen and scored on Matt McQuillan's two-out single to right.
Olson had a walk and boosted his team-leading batting average in the tournament to .533, with three multi-hit games. He has 17 hits in the NCAA playoffs and has reached base in 39 straight games.
His sixth-inning triple to deep center surprised him. Carthage starter Andy Pucher "left a change-up across the plate and I hit it hard," he said. "I thought it was going to be caught because of the wind, but it kept going."
After the win, Denning and Licht told reporters of a conversation they had last September. Denning had recruited Licht as an infielder - he played shortstop at Southwest - but told him he would have a better chance to make the varsity as a freshman if he pitched.
"He gave me all winter to think about it," Licht said. "But pitching for one of the best teams in the country? It was an easy decision."
