Beverly's Boretti guides Columbia to NCAAs

By Matt Williams
Staff writer

May 15, 2008 11:42 pm

—

One play can't possibly define an entire season. But the double play that closed out the Columbia University baseball team's Ivy League championship series at Dartmouth last week comes as close as any you'll find.

It wasn't due to the leather-flashing nature of spinning the DP, but the magnitude of what was accomplished. The twin-killing gave the Lions a 7-5 win and their first Ivy League crown since 1977.

There was a distinctive local flair to the celebration, with Lions manager and Beverly native Brett Boretti wearing one of the biggest smiles of all.

"It really is a credit to our players. They dug in and worked their butts off," said Boretti, who guided the Lions to their first NCAA appearance since 1976 in just his third year as Columbia's skipper. The club will find out its postseason fate when the NCAA pairings are released May 26.

Winning the Ivy League is a unique challenge. Unlike other conferences, the Ivy doesn't have a postseason tournament to determine its champion. That puts an onus on every one of the 20 conference contests, of which Columbia (22-25 overall) won 15.

"Every weekend is a playoff atmosphere. It's basically like having 20 playoff games, and you have to approach it that way. Our guys were able to," said Boretti, a Beverly High School Hall of Famer who captained the Panthers' football, hockey and baseball teams in his senior season in 1990.

The Lions had a North Shore flare not just in the dugout, but on the field as well. Junior third baseman Mike Roberts and sophomore outfielder Jay Banos, both of Lynnfield, were staples for Columbia.

"I knew right away when I came here that this was a special group of guys that were dedicated to winning," said Banos. "It was one of our goals to win it and we were fortunate to have everyone contribute."

Banos grew by leaps and bounds in his second season, raising his average from .264 as a freshman to an impressive .347. He was among the team's top three in runs (35), doubles (14), homers (4), steals (10) and total bases (75).

"Things really fell into place for me at the plate. I was seeing the ball well," said Banos, whose 14 doubles is fourth most in school history for a single season.

"He's a flat-out good hitter," Boretti said of Banos. "He came in there last year with one of the sweetest swings I'd ever seen, and he's also a mentally strong, smart baseball player."

Not to be forgotten is Banos' best friend and fellow former Pioneer. Roberts. A defensive stalwart and one of the club's captains, Roberts clubbed a solo homer in the title game against Dartmouth and hit .282 for the year with 36 RBI.

"He made one error in Ivy League games this year; that's outstanding with the amount of action that he saw," said Boretti. "I can think of six or seven times he made unbelievable plays to end innings. Third is a tough position to be consistent at in college baseball."

As important to Columbia's success was the steady hand of Boretti, who kept the team focused and helped foster a tight knit club house which made the title run possible.

"It's his character in general. He has all the qualities you need to make a winning coach," said Banos. "He's completely dedicated to the team and he keeps everyone motivated. When I chose Columbia, with him, I knew winning wouldn't be an issue."

Boretti was All-Southern Conference as a player at North Carolina's Davidson College and a Cape Cod League all-star in 1992. He went 116-82 in five years as head coach at Franklin & Marshall in Pennsylvania and also coached Endicott College for a season before assuming the mantle at Columbia.

"We do talk a lot about team chemistry, and it really is a credit to our guys," said Boretti. "They're a tight knit group. Our success is definitely on a collective level."

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.