It’s a long way from Seattle, Wash., to Lewisburg, but for Bucknell senior Jason Buursma, the trip has been well worth it.
Buursma — who recently earned Patriot League Player of the Year honors and is the first Bucknell baseball player to ever earn five all-league nods — has re-written the Bison record books during his four years in Orange and Blue.
He’ll look to add a little more to his legacy this weekend when the Bison travel to Army for a Patriot League Tournament three-game stand, beginning at noon Saturday.
So, how does one get to a quaint borough in Central Pennsylvania from the gorgeous Pacific Northwest, home to Buursma?
“My (high school) guidance counselor suggested an East Coast college tour,” said Buursma. “I visited Bucknell and that was it.”
Longtime Bison head coach Gene Depew certainly owes that guidance counselor a thank you note.
During his four years at Bucknell, there’s little Buursma hasn’t done. He burst onto the scene with his bat, earning second-team Patriot League honors as a first baseman and designated hitter his freshman and sophomore seasons.
He earned first-team nods as a relief pitcher his sophomore and junior seasons. This season’s effort has earned Buursma a first-team nod as an outfielder.
Buursma owns a Patriot League-leading .400 batting average and also leads the league with 11 home runs and a .725 slugging percentage. He leads the Bison with 34 RBI, six doubles and 29 runs scored.
On the mound, Buursma is the ace of the staff and owns a 5-3 record with 65 strikeouts over 68.1 innings. He has a 3.38 ERA.
All of this and the economics major carries a 3.64 GPA and a host of academic honors as well.
Buursma will leave Bucknell with the university’s career saves record (15) as well as its home run record (22). He will finish in the top-10 in program history for 15 career pitching and hitting categories and his name will surface no less than 12 times on the single-season lists.
Having been such a stellar reliever for three years, making the transition to starter this fall was quite an undertaking, one Buursma said began long before the 2008 season. It began last summer.
“I got a good feel for it (during summer-league ball),” he said. “It’s a big transition and I’m really still in the transition.
“The tough thing is the mindset — going from a closer where it’s all out every pitch, to starter, where you have to pace yourself. It’s just a different mentality.”
Buursma was selected by his hometown Mariners in last year’s draft, but chose to return to Bucknell for his senior season and that decision, he said, was the right one.
“You have to credit the guys on this team, there’s just a lot of guys who really care about how this team does,” said Buursma. “They’ve worked hard in the weight room and they’re focused on doing so much for this team.”
One of eight seniors on the squad, advancing and earning a ring is high on the list of priorities for Buursma and his teammates right now.
“This is our last shot,” Buursma said. “None of us has a ring and we want a championship. Since the fall, the guys have put everything into this.”
First up is No. 1-seeded Army.
“We’re confident,” said Buursma. “We’re set up for a three-game playoff versus a four-game (as is played during the league season).”
Buursma will likely start game two today.
Notes: Bucknell is 7-1 at Army over its last two visits... No. 4-seed Bucknell is 22-21, 10-10 in league play while Army, the top seed, is 23-23, 13-7... Depew is just 10 wins shy of 500 for his career... Buursma spent the summer of his junior season studying abroad at Oxford.