In the season opener ace Guy Miller (Sandwich, Mass.) was on the mound for WPI. He pitched a complete game and struck out 11 batters as the Engineers beat Ohio Northern 6-3.
WPI scored first in the top of the fourth on a leadoff home run by Miller. A few errors by the opposition allowed Justin Downing (Leominster, Mass.) to score after reaching on a base hit. WPI added another run in their half of the fifth inning when Jason Merry (Latham, NY) walked, stole second and scored on an Aviv Kaufmann (Shrewsbury, Mass.) single.
Ohio Northern came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth to cut the WPI lead to 4-3. The Engineers stormed back in the top of the last inning with three runs of their own for the final. Errors again proved costly for the opposition as two of the three runs came across due to misplays. The third run was driven in by freshman Steve Cove (Worcester, Mass) as Miller came around to score.
Later in the day WPI played Johnson & Wales College and dropped a tough 10-9 decision. Downing pitched the complete game, but three costly errors by the Engineers and a rally in the bottom of the seventh by J&W was the difference.
WPI had a 7-4 lead through three innings highlighted by a three-run home run by Merry in the top of the third. The Engineers still had a 9-7 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh when J&W came up with three runs, two of them on a two-run home run with two outs.
The next day WPI dropped another close game to Indiana Wesleyan 9-8 in eight innings. In the game the WPI bullpen couldn't hold the lead as Indiana rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the eighth for the win.
Freshman Rob Busby (Andover, Mass.) did pitch seven strong innings allowing only five runs and striking out three. Classmate Sean Concannon (Templeton, Mass.) got roughed up in his debut allowing four runs in two-thirds of an inning as he took the loss.
Miller and Adam Abrams (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) each drove in two runs. Abrams came through with a one-out single in the top of the eighth to put WPI ahead 8-5.
The next day the Engineers pounded out 13 hits en route to a 12-3 rout of Franklin & Marshall. Sophomore Mike Reiter (Cedar Grove, N.J.) went the distance to pick up his first collegiate win. Kaufmann had a monster day at the plate with four hits and four RBIs. Scott Townsend (Hollis, Maine) scored three runs while Merry, Matt Paine (Auburn, Mass.) and Jason Katz all scored two runs each.
The Engineers continued the hit parade as later in the day they scored 17 runs on 10 hits in their 17-6 come-from-behind win over the Milwaukee School of Engineering. WPI trailed 6-0 entering the fifth inning when they exploded for eight runs and never looked back. Townsend had two hits and drove in two runs. Paine had two hits and drove in three runs and Katz had a three-run home run in the sixth when WPI scored nine runs.
The last day of the trip began with a 7-3 loss to Maryville University. WPI had a 3-1 lead before Maryville scored six runs in the top of the sixth for the final. A couple of costly errors allowed Maryville to put up the six runs as Miller took the loss. He did strike out nine in 6-2/3 innings of work allowing no earned runs. Miller also had two runs batted in. Pat Noonan (Houlton, Maine) had a pair of hits.
WPI didn't leave Florida with a bad taste as they were able to rebound with a 9-4 win over Hiram College. Kaufmann led WPI with four hits including two doubles. Noonan had two hits and drove in three runs. Paine and Merry each scored a pair of runs and Downing pitched five solid innings allowing only two runs to even his record this spring at 1-1.