Although some may see “America’s pastime” as a boring sport, considering football and basketball are the fast-paced alternatives, there are still those who can truly appreciate the competition, and senior infielder/outfielder Ian Wukitsch is one of them.

His passion for baseball can be seen as he sits in the reception room at Goldstein Fitness Center with a Knicks hat on his head, as he describes baseball as a “beautiful game” that is “far beyond any other sport.”

Wukitsch has grown to really appreciate the mental aspects of the game, ones that challenge and excite him every day.

“I also played basketball because it was an easy sport to play alone, you could just shoot some hoops, but once I realized that I absolutely sucked at it, things kind of switched,” said Wukitsch, who currently has the sixth highest all-time batting average in the Division II era, just a few points shy of .300 with .292. “But now I definitely prefer baseball. Everything about it is just awesome, you know, making plays the right way, hitting the ball well.

“The field always looks nicely cut, the uniforms are clean. There is nothing like playing with a group of guys that all share a common goal. You get to be a part of the same thing.”

Although basketball ended up being Wukitsch’s first love when it comes to sports, the hustle and bustle that comes with baseball just can’t compare.

Players such as Derek Jeter, Pete Rose, and Dustin Pedroia have influenced the way in which Wukitsch plays the game. All three of these players “play the game the right way, they play with a lot of intensity and a lot of heart,” Wukitsch said.

Having these three players as role models helps paint a better picture of what kind of player Wukitsch is.

“I love the way the game used to be played—with intensity and emotion,” Wukitsch said. “That’s how I play the game now, a lot of hard-nose baseball. I always make it a priority to make sure that my uniform is the dirtiest at the end of each game. I think it shows that you are someone that really hustles; it shows your hard work.”

Being a fan of some of the more old-school players, Wukitsch acknowledges that the game isn’t quite the same anymore.

“If a pitcher hit a batter you would always see the batter go after the pitcher with such intensity” Wukitsch said. “And then the opposing pitcher would hit a player from the other team in retaliation.  If that happens now you just get a warning and hope it doesn’t happen again. You also see guys jogging to first base instead of sprinting and that’s not how it should be done. You have to run it out.”

Another thing that Wukitsch finds exciting about baseball is the history, believing that every ball player has at least one funny story from their lives to share.

“I think that aspect makes it a lot different than other sports,” Wukitsch said. “As far as funny stories from my experiences go, I mean, it’s not really appropriate for the newspaper, but it’s always funny when one of the players is hung over and then he ends up hitting a homerun.”

Wukitsch’s love for baseball is everlasting, as he plans on remaining involved with the sport somehow after he graduates from Pace. Majoring in communications, he has some options open for him.

“I definitely want to continue to play baseball for as long as I can” Wukitsch said. “I know I will definitely be playing summer ball with my friends, but after that it’s still kind of up in the air. I might try and sign with one of the independent teams. I do have a couple of job interviews lined up right now as well. I am kind of just waiting to see where it will take me.

“If staying as a player doesn’t work out then I probably would want to go into the media side of it. Either be a sports writer for a paper or something, or even perhaps go into broadcasting on the radio.”

Looking back at his career at Pace so far, with just one season left to play, Wukitsch believes he still has some unfinished business.

“I would say my career so far here feels incomplete because we haven’t won yet,” said Wukitsch, who despite not having won a championship was able to make history as the Setters won their first-ever NE-10 Southwest Division Title in 2012, after having been picked to finish seventh out of eight teams by the NE-10 Coaches Preseason Poll. “Winning the division for the first time was a phenomenal experience, especially because I think we did it on Senior Day, and one of our best pitchers, Mike Tamburino, pitched a complete game for us.

“But winning has been something that I’ve wanted for my entire life. I don’t care if I go 0-4 in a game and strike out all four times, as long as we win, that’s all that matters.”

When it comes to his most memorable moment at Pace so far, the feeling of being close to the ultimate goal of winning a Championship is what wins out in the end.

“Last year we qualified for the NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament, and I remember it was me and like seven or eight other guys at the townhouses and we were watching the regional berth online,” Wukitsch said. “We thought we might be like the seventh or eighth seed, so everyone had their hands over their heads. But we ended up being the fifth seed and it was such an amazing feeling. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many guys crying. We were all going nuts, I’ve never been happier.”

Despite all that Wukitsch has accomplished during his time at Pace, there is really one thing that he wants to be known for when it comes to his legacy. “Being a winner,” Wukitsch said.

¬The Setters started off their season with a 12-6 loss to New Haven on Friday, March 7. They then headed off to Yaphank, New York for a double header against Merrimack College. Pace defeated the Warriors in the first game of the double header by a score of 16-2. Merrimack took the second game by a score of 2-0.

Pace (1-2) will go up against Dominican College for their next game on Tuesday, March 11, followed by a trip down to North Carolina to face off against Dowling College.

The first home game for the Setters is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 22, with first pitch at 12:00 p.m.