Chase Rowe accepts the fact there is a lot of failure in baseball. That doesn't mean he'll stop trying.

Rowe, a junior third baseman for Slippery Rock University, wrapped up his second season for The Rock after building on what he learned last season.

"Most of the positives came from the mental side," said Rowe, a graduate of Knoch High School. "I've come to realize that you're not going to get a hit every time.

"I wasn't getting down on myself when I didn't get a hit. I didn't put a lot of pressure on myself," he added.

In 51 games this season - all starts, including two at catcher - Rowe batted .343, second only to Seneca Valley graduate Nathan Statzer.

Rowe scored 40 runs with six home runs, 35 RBI and 28 walks, including a six-RBI performance in a 9-3 victory over Indiana (Pa.) April 23.

"Physically, nothing's changed. He's improved both offensively and defensively," said SRU coach Jeff Messer. "He's hitting for more power and he's pulling the ball more.

"But, the mental side is his biggest improvement. He still gets frustrated because he always wants to get a hit. He just doesn't take it out on the field," Messer added.

Messer adds that Rowe analyzes what he's done and keeps it in perspective.

"He hits the ball hard and sometimes he knows it's not going to drop in. He's realized that. He's also gotten a little more selective. … He's a little more patient and that's part of his improvement," Messer added.

After two seasons at Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College, Rowe came to SRU, where he hit .287 last year along with eight doubles, four home runs and 29 RBI.

"Personally, I was pleased because I did better this year than last year," said Rowe. "But I wasn't too satisfied. There were a lot of positives, but there are some things I'd like to work on.

As for The Rock, this season was a tough one because the team did not qualify for the PSAC playoffs and finished the campaign with a 31-20 mark.

This came on the heels of last year's 48-13 mark that included the team's fourth appearance in the NCAA Division II national championship tournament. SRU also won its fourth regional title in 2003.

"From the team aspect, we were all disappointed because of what we did last year," said Rowe.

As for next year, Messer can see a lot of progress for Rowe.

"He'll definitely be one of our top players returning," said Messer. "He'll bring leadership and he'll be playing baseball this summer in the NACBL. My friend Dan Duquette, the former Boston Red Sox general manager, bought a team in my area (Massachusetts), the Berkshire Dukes.

"He'll get great experience there, playing against some really great college players," Messer added.