Opportunity Knocked
ERIE — His numbers didn't look very pretty.
Butler graduate Ian Steighner did not play any varsity baseball his freshman season at Gannon University. He got in nine games as a sophomore — starting four at shortstop — and hit just .077, collecting one hit in 13 at bats.
The Golden Knights had 14 seniors on their roster this past spring. When a starting infielder got sick, Steighner took his spot in a nine-inning game against Ashland.
He went 2-for-3, delivering a double and a home run. He never stopped hitting from there.
He wound up starting half of his games at second base, the other half at third. Steighner hit .319, collecting 29 hits in 91 at bats. He also walked 13 times and was hit by a pitch nine times, leading to a gaudy .447 on-basse percentage.
Steighner produced the game-winning hit in the eighth inning of a 4-3 win over Slippery Rock in the final series of the regular season. That win clinched a PSAC Tournament spot for Gannon.
And Steighner wound up earning first team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors.
Steighner opted for Gannon because of its mechanical engineering program. He is carrying a 3.0 grade point average in that major and was a PSAC Scholar-Athlete his freshman year.
Read the full story in Tuesday's Butler Eagle.
