| Scott Gaffney |
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Summer:
Played in 36 games for the McKinney Marshals of the Texas Collegiate League, helping to lead them to the TCL Championship....Had 24 hits in 119 at bats with four doubles and two triples and scored 17 runs....Stole six bases in just seven attempts.
2006 (Sophomore):
Played in and started 55 of the 56 games at shortstop....Also came in from shortstop to pitch in relief in two games....Second on the team in runs scored (31), tied for third in hits (60), and fourth in total bases (80)....Led the team in stolen bases (12) while only being thrown out three times....Also led the team in defensive assists (125) and sacrifice hits (6)....Tied for third on the team in multiple-hit games with 17....Hit in seven different spots in the batting order, getting the most time at the second (19) and sixth spots (11)....Had a career best 11-game hitting streak from April 5-April 21....Also hit in eight straight games from March 5-March 18....Hit in 32 games of 39 games during a string from February 25-May 6....Also hit in 13 of 14 games from March 5-April 1....Overall, collected hits in 39 of 55 games....Had multiple hits in four straight games from March 24-March 31....Hit .357 (10-for-28) in Penn State's seven games vs. nationally-ranked opponents....Scored a run in seven straight games from March 18-April 1....Went 7-for-15 (.467) with three runs, five RBI, a double, a home run, and two stolen bases in the Arizona State series (3-24 - 3-26)....Hit .538 (7-for-13) in the Indiana series with a double, two triples, and reached base at a .625 clip (4-28 - 4-30)....Stole two bases in a game twice: vs. Arizona State (3-25) and vs. Minnesota (4-1)....Named Academic All-Big Ten.
Game-by-Game Highlights:
Collected his first multiple-hit game of the year with a 2-for-3 performance with a double and a run vs. West Virginia (2-26)....Went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double vs. Sacred Heart (3-5)....Went 3-for-4 vs. Central Michigan (3-6)....Went 2-for-4 against both Jacksonville (3-8) and Bethune-Cookman (3-11)....Hit his first home runs of the year and drove in two runs while also scoring two vs. Furman (3-18)....Went 2-for-5 with a double, a run, and a pair of RBI in the first game of the Arizona State series (3-24)....Followed that up with a 3-for-5 performance and his second home run of the year along with another pair of RBi in the second game of the Arizona State series (3-25)....Ended the ASU series with another 2-for-5 performance (3-26)....Went 3-for-6 with two runs scored against Pittsburgh (4-5), which was the beginning of his 11-game hitting streak....Went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored in the series finale vs. Michigan State (4-16)....In the same game, also came into pitch the final 1.1 innings, striking out two to pick up the win....Was a home run short of hitting for the cycle vs. Indiana (4-29), in which he went 3-for-4....Went 2-for-3 in the second game of that doubleheader (4-29) and ended the series with a 2-for-4 performance with a pair of runs vs. the Hoosiers (4-30)....Picked up his first career save in his second pitching appearance of the year at Purdue (5-8), needing to throw just one pitch to record the save in an 8-6 win....Went 2-for-4 with a three runs scored in a win over Michigan (5-13), one of only eight times during the season that a Penn State player scored three runs in a game.
2005 (Freshman):
Played in 37 games, starting 35 in the field and also appearing in 10 games as a relief pitcher; First career appearance: faced two batters with one strikeout in win over UNC-Wilmington (2/25); First career hit batting 1-for-2 and driving in a run, walking twice in win over Dallas Baptist (3/9); Struck out one in 1.1 innings, with no runs scored in win against Delaware (3/19 Game 2); Broke out with three hits, including a double, while scoring two runs and driving in two more in home opening win vs. St. Bonaventure (3/29); Scored a career-best three runs and had an RBI single in win over Bucknell (3/30); Went 3-for-5 win one RBI in win over Minnesota (4/15); Walked, singled, stole a base and scored a run in win over Illinois (5/1); Went 2-for-4 with a double against Ohio State (5/7); Pitched 1.0 scoreless inning against Ohio State (5/8 Game 1); Went 2-for 4 with a double, SF, run scored and an RBI in win over Duquesne (5/11); Was 5-6 on stolen bases; Forced to move to third base due to injuries and was named third team All-Big Ten as as third baseman.
Kellenberg Memorial HS:
Overall batting average .468, MVP as a freshman ('01); Co-MVP sophomore year ('02); All-League Team ('03); MVP of the Playoff and Championship series and team MVP senior year ('04), Also team MVP junior year (`03); All-Long Island as a senior; Long Island Catholic League Champions; Two-year letterman, two-year team captain, four-year Honor Roll, History and Latin Awards; Also participated in basketball and was the team MVP and All-League as both a junior and senior.
Background:
Scott Francis Gaffney was born on March 13, 1986 in Westbury, N.Y.; Son of Bill and Maureen Gaffney; Brothers Michael (25), Kevin (23), and sister Laura (19); Scott is majoring in health policy and administration.
Robbie Wine on Scott Gaffney
- "Gaff may be the best athlete on the team. He will be our shortstop this season and because of his arm will see more time on the mound. He will also see some playing time at 3B. Gaff is a very good student and takes control up the middle of our defense. I think we have one of the best middle infields with Gaff and Cavy in the country."
