| Year: | 2017 |
| Team: | Baseball |
Productive offense. Solid defense. Excellent pitching.
The 1970 Suffolk University baseball team had it all, but there is one other attribute that made this squad one of the most successful and memorable of all time—chemistry.
It is a subject that the players studied in the classroom and a quality they demonstrated on the diamond.
Playing all of their games on the road due to a lack of a home field, the traveling Rams finished their storied campaign with a 13-3 record, winning the last eight games behind the dominant pitching of Ron Corbett and Ken Busa and the powerful hitting of Walter “Buddy” King and Roger Neild.
“We had a very good team and we all pulled for one another,” said King, a hard-nosed catcher who batted over .400 his last two seasons. “We had a lot of camaraderie and I admired all of my teammates.”
King, the first two-sport captain (baseball and basketball) in University history, praised head coach and Suffolk Hall of Fame member George Doucet for his teaching and leadership qualities. “He was a taskmaster, but he made each of us better,” he said.
Suffolk, which competed in Division II at the time, was good enough to hold its own against Division I powers like Boston University and the University of Hartford in Connecticut.
“We were a special team who could play with anyone,” said Tony Gallugi, a speedy centerfielder who batted .396 in his senior year. “We just clicked and everybody did their job. Those were great times that we will always remember.”
The Rams were one of four New England teams considered for an NCAA tournament invitation at Old Dominion College in Virginia. Springfield was finally selected over Suffolk, Tufts, and Southern Connecticut.
At the time, Doucet, in his 12th season at the helm, called the 1970 team “the best I’ve ever had.” He then added, “It’s too bad we didn’t receive a tournament bid. I think we would have done well. But I’m awfully proud of the whole squad anyway.”
Team Members: Steve Burke, Ken Busa, Marty Conroy, Ron Corbett (deceased), Jim Crawford, Steve Czarnowski, Don DeMarco, Tony Gallugi, Joe Green, Richie Green, Richard Howe, Walter “Buddy” King, Roger Neild, Steve Mann, Jim Shanahan (deceased), Mike Wyman
Head Coach: George Doucet
Assistant Coach: Jim Nelson
Team Manager: Charlie Melanson (deceased)