For the last two years, Towson University Baseball Coach Mike Gottlieb has been spreading the word that infielder Gary Helmick had the ability to be an all-conference player.
For the first three seasons of his college career, Helmick had been a solid player with outstanding defensive ability. As a freshman, he was the Tigers' third baseman and batted .296. As a sophomore, he moved to second base and hit .265 while playing outstanding defense. Last season, he continued his solid defensive play and batted .279.
But, the Northeast High School graduate came on strong in the final weeks of the season. He ended the year with a nine-game hitting streak and helped the Tigers earn a berth in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. In the Tigers' regular season-ending series against Georgia State, he batted .400 with a solo home run. In the CAA Tournament, Helmick was the Tigers' leading hitter with a .417 average with a .500 on-base percentage. In four tournament games, he scored eight runs and had two homers with three RBI's.
During his season-ending nine-game hitting streak, he went 14-for-29.
Prior to the start of the 2009 season, Gottlieb predicted big things for the senior. He said, “Gary made some great adjustments late in the season last year and he got some big hits for us. He continued his strong hitting in the summer and we feel he has a chance to have a great senior year. He could be an All-CAA player.”
Midway through his senior season, Helmick has made his coach look like Nostradamus.
After the Tigers' first 27 games, Helmick was leading the Colonial Athletic Association in batting (.451), slugging percentage (.841) and on-base percentage (.525). In addition, he was also the CAA leader with 51 base hits, 43 runs scored, 95 total bases and six triples.
He hit safely in 26 of the Tigers' first 27 games and owned an 18-game hitting streak. In mid-March, he became the fourth player in school history to hit for the cycle when he turned the trick against Yale in a 13-6 Tiger win.
“I've told Gary that he should be a strong candidate to be an all-conference player and he's getting some interest from professional teams,” says Gottlieb. “We always knew he was capable of becoming a better hitter and he is doing that now. I could see a professional organization drafting him as a utility infielder.”
Honored as the CAA Player of the Week in early March, Helmick became the 11th player in Towson history with 200 career base hits when he smacked a solo home run against James Madison on March 29.
Helmick's consistency over the first half of the season has been remarkable. While getting at least one hit in 26 of the first 27 games, he has had 17 multi-hit games. He had one four-hit game, six three-hit games and ten two-hit games.
“Last year, at the end of the season, I started to make some adjustments at the plate,” Helmick recalls. “It was a little adjustment and I started hitting the ball better toward the end of the season and into the conference tournament. During the summer, it carried on and it carried into this season. So, I'm just trying to keep it up.”
Helmick adds, “I have changed my approach by collapsing my back leg and putting more pressure on it. It got me to keep my weight back and I'm seeing the ball deeper and adjusting to off-speed pitches. I'm staying back as long as I can.”
Just weeks before the start of the 2009 season, the Tigers suffered a devastating loss. Shortstop Nick Natoli, a two-year starter and the CAA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, suffered a serious knee injury which required surgery. His loss created a large void in the Tiger infield and the Tiger lineup.
From the start of the season, Helmick took over Natoli's spot as the Tigers' leadoff hitter and has done an outstanding job. In the Tigers' first 27 games, he has scored at least one run 22 times. There have also been 14 games where he has scored at least two runs.
With sophomore Chris Wychock filling in for Natoli as the Tigers' starting shortstop, Helmick volunteered to move over to shortstop so that Wychock could play second base, a position where he was more familiar.
“It was a typically unselfish move by Gary,” says Coach Gottlieb. “He knew that Chris would be more comfortable playing second base and he also knew that it would be harder for him to play shortstop. But he did it because he thought it would make the team better.”
The switch has benefitted Wychock, who batted .400 in his first 11 games at second base while making only two errors.
At the same time, Helmick has played surprisingly well at shortstop.
“I am just trying to have a good season and see where that takes me,” says Helmick. “I've been progressively getting better and hitting the ball well. I've learned a lot over the past four years about college pitching and how to adjust to it. I want to do my best to learn from what I've done in the past.”
Led by Helmick, the Tigers compiled a 14-13 record over the first half of the season. With a 3-3 record, Towson is a strong contender for a berth in the CAA Tournament.
