What does Niagara University baseball coach Chris Chernisky think of Copenhagen's Marcus Spaulding?
So much that Chernisky dispatched a member of the university's athletic communications department to rent a car and drive from Lawrenceville, N.J., late Saturday night to pick Spaulding up in Syracuse and drive him back to Rider University for the pitcher's start at noon Sunday.
"He's our Sunday guy, and we needed him,'' Chernisky said. "It was a tough week for Marcus and his family. But he didn't want to miss his start and we wanted to accommodate him any way we could.''
Spaulding had come home for a few days to mourn the passing of his grandfather, Robert Spaulding Jr. Chernisky told Marcus to take as much time as he needed at home. "Coach stresses family and he knows how important that is to the players,'' Spaulding said.
Spaulding arrived back in New Jersey early Sunday morning, then pitched a gem for the Purple Eagles. But, his work went for naught as Rider rallied for a 5-4 victory after the sophomore right-hander pitched six scoreless innings of two-hit ball.
In the seventh, Spaulding walked two batters and allowed a one-out single to load the bases. He then enticed a slow grounder that found its way to the outfield.
"I ran out of gas a little bit in the seventh,'' Spaulding by phone. "Somehow that slow grounder found a hole. But that's the way things have been happening for us all year.''
Niagara reliever Dennis Chachko was unable to hold the lead as Rider rallied for the victory.
"Marcus was courageous on the mound for us,'' Chernisky said. "He didn't deserve the outcome that he got.''
Despite the Purple Eagles' struggles — they are only 18-22 overall, 6-9 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, tied for seventh with St. Peter's — Spaulding has been one of the bright spots. He has compiled a 4-2 record and pitched a team-leading 52 innings. In nine starts, Spaulding has pitched one complete game, and allowed 52 hits and 28 earned runs for an earned run average of 4.85. Opponents are batting just .264 against him.
"His presence and competitiveness come through in every outing,'' said Chernisky, now in his third year at Niagara. "Marcus also has remarkable composure and mound demeanor for such a young kid.''
In high school, he earned all-state status three years in a row. But the jump from Class D high school baseball to Division I college baseball is an enormous step, even for a player of Spaulding's credentials.
"Marcus came to us big-game ready," said Chernisky. "He had pitched in big games and been successful, so he knew how to handle the pressure."
As a freshman at Niagara, Spaulding went 3-1 in 18 games, including five starts. He said he learned quickly that any mistake you make in Division I is costly.
"If you walk a guy, or leave a fastball in the middle of the plate, it comes back to get you," Spaulding said. "And if you don't live at the knees you can't win.''
After developing tendinitis while pitching for the Watertown Wizards last summer, Spaulding worked hard to get into better shape for this season.
He also started working with a new pitching coach, Devin McIntosh, who has helped Spaulding improve his curveball and add a much-needed change-up to his repertoire.
"My mechanics are different than high school,'' Spaulding said. "I used to wind up with my glove over my head, and sometimes I couldn't pick up the plate. Now I start with my hands at my chest and my control is a lot better.''
McIntosh has helped Spaulding to "get on top'' of his curveball, and that, according to Chernisky, "has helped his location and action. And now he can throw it pain-free. The key for Marcus is that he can command any of his three pitches at any time."
Chernisky has tabbed Spaulding his "Sunday pitcher,'' because he usually hurls the third game of three-game, weekend series and often the rubber games. "We love to call his name in that third game and give us a great start,'' Chernisky said.
Spaulding said knowing he is going to the mound every Sunday "helps me mentally and physically prepare a lot better. And knowing they want me out there for big games is great.''
Spaulding figures to get three more starts in the final weeks of the season as Niagara battles to make one of the top four spots in the MAAC and make the league playoffs.
