WINTER PARK, Fla. (February 23, 2007) - Prior
to the Rollins baseball game against Bentley on Friday, the Tars
learned that senior captain Gene Howard will undergo season ending
shoulder surgery, ending his 2007 campaign. The Nahant, Mass.
native has been suffering through nagging pain, which turned out to
be a torn rotator cuff and labrum.
'It's very difficult to replace a player of Gene's caliber,'
said Rollins Head Coach Jon Sjogren. 'Both his production on the
field and leadership in the clubhouse will be sorely missed. I
believe our team is ready to answer the challenge and fill Gene's
shoes; they will have to do just that for us to be successful this
season.
Coming into the year, Howard had played in 120 games, starting
96, and made 52 appearances on the mound. He is a career .357
hitter with 30 doubles, three triples, five homeruns and 76 RBI.
Coming out of the bullpen, he carried a 4.56 ERA with 14 saves.
Prior to his injury this season, Howard was hitting .333 with
two doubles, one homerun and 12 RBI. He started two games on the
hill, losing both.
