Top Baseball Recruits Headed To Keene State

NASHUA N.H. - Ken Howe, whether he was in the stands at Holman Stadium last night or not, had to be smiling.

Two of the Keene State College baseball coach's top recruits - pitcher Eric Perrault and slugger Greg Bates - came up huge in the Class L semifinal nightcap, helping lift Salem over Nashua North, 3-1.

"I'm going to Keene State with Batesy," said Perrault, who was also recruited by the University of New Haven. "We're very happy to be headed there. Coach (Dan Keleher at KSC Grad) went there, and I'll be rooming with (Bates). It should be a good time."

You just wonder if Howe understands what he's getting in Perrault, arguably the state's dominant pitcher.

With last night's complete-game four-hitter, the all-Class L left-hander finishes his senior campaign a perfect 7-0 with 84 strikeouts and just 18 walks in 522/3 innings. Perrault surrendered just four earned runs all year for a microscopic 0.53 ERA.

From where did a pitcher this dominant materialize?

Perrault pitched barely 10 innings a year ago.

"I worked on what I had to," said Perrault, who at 6-foot-3 with a live arm and an easy motion is an intriguing prospect. "I worked out. That's all I did all winter, Baseball is a year-round thing for me, and I just improved."

Even this spring, he had to wait until Game 6 for his first considerable time. Perrault struck out nine in a five-inning thumping of Merrimack. He hasn't looked back since, finishing with a pair of tourney gems.

"I really wasn't expecting this big of a year, but I worked hard and it has paid off," said Perrault.

Bates, a middle infielder, also had to wait his turn.

He was just 4 for 15 last spring.

Bates has rewarded Keleher for sticking with him this spring.

Last night's fourth-inning solo homer was the topper, though - a bomb to propel Salem into the state title game.

"We're headed to the championship game, and I'm just happy to be there," said Bates, who is batting .361 with 21 runs.

 Goffstown coach Matt Benson also went to Keene State.

(Courtesy The Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Mass)

(Story was written by KSC grad Hector Longo)