Brett Beech did not see much action as a first-year, but developed into one of the most trusted pitchers in program history, graduating as the ace on one of The College of Wooster's top baseball teams.
Beech was the definition of a workhorse as a senior, logging 109 2/3 innings over 17 appearances, eight of which he went the distance. The third-team American Baseball Coaches Association All-American went 13-2, becoming the winningest pitcher in a season in program history. His 13 wins are still tied for the top single-season program record 32 years later, and he is now one of four to toss over 100 innings in a spring for the Fighting Scots. One of his 13 victories was a complete-game shutout against Fairmont State University.
"Brett's success was directly tied to his addition of a slider," said Tim Pettorini, Wooster's legendary head coach. "Once he started to perfect that pitch, he became one of the top pitchers in the country. With a devastating pitch to go along with all his other attributes, he became almost unhittable."
Beech's gem in the opener of the 1994 NCAA Div. III Mideast Regional propelled Wooster to a 10-3 win over North Coast Athletic Conference rival Ohio Wesleyan University. Beech fired seven innings, during which he allowed three runs on 10 hits. He returned to the rubber in the winner-take-all game against Wittenberg University, won by Wooster 7-5, thanks to the Scots' three-run 11th inning. Beech certainly did his part, allowing four runs on nine hits in seven innings of work. He started four days later in the opener of the NCAA Div. III Championship, going the distance, allowing three runs on eight hits in his final collegiate start against Wesleyan University.
The right-hander earned an uptick on the mound as a junior, more than doubling his career innings pitched to that point. He tied for the team lead in wins at six and worked the second-most innings of anybody on staff at 55 2/3. Beech posted a 3.08 ERA and struck out 26.
Beech originally came to Wooster due to a local connection with Dave Breth and Pettorini. He was looking for a competitive environment with a great team, and "played for one of the greatest coaches college baseball ever had," per his inductee questionnaire.
After graduating from Wooster with a sociology degree, Beech earned a master's degree in industrial and labor relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He then pursued a career in human resources and is presently the vice president for human relations at Rohrer Corporation in Wadsworth, Ohio.
Beech and his wife, Nicole, reside in Medina. They have three grown children, Payton, Bryce, and Brock.
