The 125th anniversary celebration of Slippery Rock University takes place next year.

In terms of athletics, the 124th year hasn’t been too bad itself.

This year began with Rock graduate Brandon Fusco polishing off his first season as a starting offensive lineman with the Minnesota Vikings. He helped the team reach the NFL playoffs and blocked for Adrian Peterson, who fell just short of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season league rushing record.

While the Vikings are struggling this season, Fusco remains in their starting lineup.

Former SRU catcher-first baseman Matt Adams concluded his first full season in the major leagues by helping the St. Louis Cardinals get to the World Series.

When regular first baseman Allan Craig went down with a foot injury Sept. 4, Adams became an everyday player in the middle of a pennant race. He hit .321 with six home runs down the stretch.

Back in March, The Rock finished up a stellar men’s basketball season. Kevin Reynolds guided his team to the PSAC Championship Game — narrowly losing to Indiana — and the program produced its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1978.

Last spring, SRU’s Kevin Jewel finished second at the Division II national meet in the 800 meters while pole vaulter Cameron Daugherty took third at the national championships.

This fall, The Rock’s men’s and women’s soccer teams are both nationally ranked and are contenders for PSAC championships and national tournament berths.

Finally, the SRU football team is trying to find its way into the national playoffs for the first time since 1999 and has a candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the nation’s best D-II player in quarterback Nigel Barksdale.

All this guy has done is pass for more yards and touchdowns in a season than any Rock quarterback ever — and he’s done so while coming off major knee surgery in the offseason.

Barksdale is also directing one of the most prolific offenses in the nation, which features receiver John Schademan, who is threatening to break SRU records set by Arena Football League great Greg Hopkins years ago.

Add all that up and it’s impressive production for a school with an athletic scholarship budget smaller than most of the schools it competes against on a regular basis.

Reynolds uses a baseball reference when he says The Rock teams are the Tampa Bay Rays in terms of available dollars to put toward athletic success.

Just like the Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland A’s did in baseball this year, SRU has proven a point.

Sometimes, the little guy can win.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle