Jared Shlensky
Sports Editor
After missing out on the CCIW tournament for a second straight season in 2013 with an 18-19 overall record and 10-11 mark in conference play, the North Central baseball team found its way into the conference tournament this year as the No.4 and final seed courtesy of finishing 12-9 in the conference regular season and 27-15 overall.
Relying primarily on its veteran starting rotation to keep NCC in ball games, no Cardinals starter dominated quite like senior southpaw Kris Singh, who was selected to First Team All-CCIW squad.
In 2013 Singh went 4-2 with a 4.39 earned run average (ERA), threw one complete game in 53.1 innings pitched while yielding just 58 hits and 12 walks while striking out 32.
But in 2014 Singh saved his best campaign for his final collegiate season, something the senior credits due to his increased offseason workout program.
“I worked out a lot more this offseason that I did in the past,” said Singh.
[soundcloud params=”auto_play=true&show_comments=true&color=0ac4ff”]https://soundcloud.com/ncclinked/shlensky-sit-down-kris-singh[/soundcloud]“I knew it was my senior year, I had nothing to lose and I wanted to go out with a bang.”
Singh led North Central with a 6-0 record, 2.18 ERA, and held opposing hitters to just a .226 batting average while striking 60 and completing four games in 70.1 innings.
Singh also credits his breakout senior season due to adding another off-speed pitch to his repertoire.
“Last year I picked up a slider and that definitely helped me out this year,” said Singh.
Singh’s college journey didn’t start at North Central, as the senior started his collegiate playing career at Valparaiso University in Indiana with close friend and current NCC baseball player Sam Carius.
After appearing in just four games in 2011 with the Crusaders, the Naperville native decided to transfer from Valparaiso along with Carius.
“I’ve known Sam (Carius) since second grade and have been around the school because of his dad (Al Carius, head men’s cross country coach/associate head men’s track and field coach),” said Singh.
“I wanted to come home; I missed my family and am able to see them a lot more now. It was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life and definitely don’t regret any bit of it.”
Aside from leading all North Central pitchers with six wins this season, Singh finished his career with a 2.97 ERA, which ranks No.1 in the history of the North Central College baseball program, an accolade the senior thought he’d never achieve.
“If someone would have told me that I don’t know if I’d believe them,” said Singh. “I honestly came in not knowing what I was going to do for the team. Lucky I was able to come in and throw right away.”
The Cards season came to end last Saturday in an 8-3 loss to the CCIW tournament champion, Illinois Wesleyan University Titans.
