Carlon does whatever it takes to win

Sophomore excels inSophomore excels innew roles as secondSophomore excels innew roles as secondbasemen, leadoff hitter In the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Cornell, Penn sophomore second baseman Joe Carlon injured his ankle in a play in the field. Although his ankle hurt severely and despite the fact that Carlon had never been injured before in a game, he decided to tough it out and play Sunday. Not surprisingly, Carlon's always steady defense and timely hitting helped the Quakers complete a four-game weekend sweep of the Big Red. Carlon's double in the final inning of Sunday's first game brought home the tying run, and he later scored the winning run on Rick Burt's single. "It was pretty important that I play," Carlon said. "It really didn't matter how much I hurt because we were playing the biggest games of the season so far this year." Carlon's willingness to play is typical of his attitude that makes him the consummate team player. "He is a very tough kid who won't settle for anything less than his best effort," said Penn outfielder Drew Corradini, who also rooms with Carlon. "He has no problem making sacrifices." This year, Carlon has had to make adjustments both in the field and at the plate to help the team. With last year's starting second baseman, Derek Nemeth, switching over to third this year, Carlon was called upon to fill the void at second. But Penn coach Bob Seddon had little doubt that the natural shortstop and three-sport star in high school would make a smooth transition to the opposite side of the infield. "There are a lot of teams in this league without a lot of athletic players," Seddon said. "Fortunately, we have a lot of athletic players, and he is one of them." Carlon already was strong going to his left for ground balls, but had to work extensively on his double-play pivot during the fall. Even with all the preseason work, it wasn't until the season started that Carlon finally settled in at second. "Playing in games is the most important way to get adjusted to second base," Carlon said. "Probably the toughest part is learning how the ball comes off the bat because it tails away more than when balls are hit to you at short." Carlon's performance this year has not been indicative of someone who had never played a game at second before this season. He has committed only four errors all year, and while the rest of the team's defense has struggled as of recent games, Carlon has performed at a consistent level throughout the season. Playing second hasn't been Carlon's only new role this season. Seddon needed someone to fill the leadoff spot in the lineup, and once again Carlon was the one to get the call. It was a big adjustment for a player who expected to either hit either second or seventh. "There's a different mentality that goes along with batting leadoff," Carlon said. "You're just trying to get on base. You're not trying to kill the ball or hit a home run every time up." The transition to the No. 1 slot was not an immediate success. But Carlon improved after he received advice from Penn centerfielder Sean Turner, who had some experience in the leadoff spot. "Initially, I was taking a lot of pitches and just trying to draw walks," Carlon said. "I realized that I couldn't take so many pitches, and I tried to drive the ball more. Now I'm trying to be more of the hitter that I am rather than a leadoff hitter." So far, Carlon has been able to fill the two biggest roles of a leadoff hitter -- getting on base and scoring runs. Carlon is tied with Mike Shannon for the team lead in runs and is also near the top of the Ivy League list. He has also provided some pop from the top spot with 17 RBIs and two home runs to complement his five stolen bases in five attempts. "He's done a great job in the toughest spot in the lineup," said Burt, Penn's No. 2 hitter. "He's made my job easy by being on base all the time." Carlon's season has helped him regain the confidence he lost during a rough freshman season. As with most players, the move to the college level was not without its difficulties. "Everyone on the team here was the best player at their high school," Carlon said. "The biggest adjustment for everyone is not being the best anymore, and instead just being one of the players." Carlon faced an even tougher situation as he was asked to fill in for an injured Mark DeRosa at shortstop on the team's Florida trip as a rookie. While he performed capably in the field, he struggled with the bat in his first real college exposure. This season has seen a complete reversal for Carlon, who has emerged not only as a key player but as a leader on the Quakers team. "He leads by example, by the way he plays and his desire to win," Corradini said. "He's a silent leader, but people still follow him even though he is just a sophomore." Carlon attributes his leading more by example to the fact that he is a sophomore and it is not his place to be vocal. But Burt, Penn's current captain, believes that the team looks to Carlon with a lot of respect and sees the makings of a future team captain in the Quakers' second baseman. "He'd be a tremendous captain," Burt said. "He plays hard, he works hard, and he always keeps a positive attitude. He has a good shot at being a captain even as a junior." Carlon would definitely like to be captain, but not for personal reasons. He feels he would be able to affect the team more both on and off the field, which is exactly the type of statement that the ultimate team player would make.