2010 Induction Ceremony
The term “five-tool player” is common to baseball. It refers to someone that can hit for average, hit for power, run the bases with skill and speed, throw, and field. Tony Wechter possessed all of those traits, helping Gettysburg’s baseball and football programs achieve new heights.
Each of Wechter’s collegiate seasons began in the fall on the gridiron. After contributing to a Centennial Conference championship team as a freshman, he assumed a starting role in the Bullets’ backfield and on special teams as a sophomore. In just the third contest of the 1985 season, Wechter found pay-dirt, returning a punt 81 yards for a score against Swarthmore. It was a banner season for Gettysburg football as the team went undefeated in the regular season, captured the conference title, and advanced to the national semifinals. Wechter closed the regular season ranked among the national leaders in punt return average at 13 yards per return and set a conference record with 391 return yards. In the postseason, he set the Bullets up for a win over Salisbury State in the second round by returning four punts for a total of 84 yards, including two in Sea Gull territory.
In each of Wechter’s final two campaigns he was tabbed All-Centennial Conference First Team and ECAC First Team. He torched Swarthmore for another return touchdown in 1986 before repeating the feat against Muhlenberg as a senior. After the final snap of the 1987 season, Wechter stood as the conference’s all-time leader in punt return yards with 845, averaging almost 11 yards per attempt. He finished as the school’s career leader in punt returns with 79 and he totaled 174 tackles.
On the diamond, Wechter could have been found at every major position with time at catcher, shortstop, outfield, and on the mound. He was a solid contributor in the lineup in each of his first three seasons, helping the team to a pair of Middle Atlantic Conference overall championships in both 1986 and 1987.
In 1988, the baseball team put in its finest season to date, winning a school-record 28 games and advancing to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in school history. A starter in the outfield and on the mound, Wechter posted a .373 batting average with 11 doubles, 23 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. He set a school-record by crossing home plate 49 times, including in all but one of the squad’s final 22 games of the season. On the mound, Wechter went undefeated during the regular season, posting five wins and picking up a pair of saves. He made his presence felt in Gettysburg’s four playoff games in the MAC and NCAA Tournaments, going a combined 10-for-19 at the plate with six runs scored and pitching in each contest. He was tabbed the NCAA Regional MVP for his performance.
Wechter graduated from Gettysburg with a degree in health and physical education
