2020 Quincy Notre Dame Hall of Fame Inductee: 1985 Baseball Team

QND Baseball 1985

Pictured from left, front row sitting, Rich Hinkamper; front row, kneeling, Jim Goerlich, Todd Friye, Eric Zanger, Mike Long (Rob Gengenbacher is on Long’s right leg and Trevor Friye is standing to Long’s left); middle row, Mike Monaghan, Jeff Zanger, Dave Effrein, Chris Obert, Russ Gengenbacher; back row, head coach Bob Winstead, Mark Thomas, Nick Meyer, Carl Cook, Chris Klingele, Mark Kuhlman and assistant coach Lonny Lemon. Jim Sohn is not pictured. | Photo courtesy of Quincy Notre Dame

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The 2020 and 2021 classes are being inducted into the Quincy Notre Dame Hall of Fame together this year.  The 1985 baseball team will be inducted on Friday, Nov. 26 before QND’s boys basketball game.)

The 1985 boys baseball team is one of only three teams in school history to reach the semifinals in the state tournament, but because no third- or fourth-place trophies were given at the time, this team has no hardware to show for their excellence.

The Raiders relied on two solid starters — Todd Friye, who had a 10-1 record and 1.31 earned run average, and Eric Zanger, who had a 6-5 record and a 3.10 earned run average — to lead the pitching staff. They handled more than two-thirds of the innings pitched that season. Offensively, Eric Zanger and his brother, Jeff, both hit .467. Eric led the team in runs scored with 46, and Jeff led the team with 12 doubles, five homers and 46 runs batted in.

QND finished with a 26-8 record and a 5-3 mark in the Greater Midwestern Conference. After winning the regional, the Raiders knocked off Havana 10-0 on Eric Zanger’s one-hitter in the sectional semifinal, then defeated Southeastern 5-1 in the sectional final on Friye’s two-hitter. The Raiders beat Warren 5-1 at Springfield’s Lanphier Park in the state quarterfinals, then lost 7-4 to Braidwood Reed-Custer in the semifinals.

Miss Clipping Out Stories to Save for Later?

Click the Purchase Story button below to order a print of this story. We will print it for you on matte photo paper to keep forever.

Related Articles

Muddy Night Lights

POWERED BY

Muddy River Breakdown

Follow the Scores