It wasn't too long ago that catcher Pat Trettel was hitting a paltry .140 for the Seton Hill University baseball team.

A 6 foot, 260-pound freshman, Trettel was struggling with the adjustment of moving from high school to college pitching.

There was nothing to suggest, even several weeks ago, that Trettel would go on to produce one of the most memorable single-game performances in the brief three-year history of the Griffins' program.

But last Sunday in a 16-6 win over visiting Notre Dame College (South Euclid, Ohio), Trettel hit three home runs in three consecutive bats. He had four RBIs.

The first of the three home runs was, as Seton Hill coach Mark Marizzaldi put it, "a pretty serious bomb." After the game, a Griffins assistant coach took out a measuring tape and marked it off as 435 feet.

All three of Trettel's home runs went to left field, where the measurements at Seton Hill's new field are 323 down the line, 365 to left center and 395 to center.

"It was a great experience. It was exciting," said Trettel.

Even though, at times, Trettel's teammates didn't exactly treat him like the conquering hero.

"After I hit the first one, which was definitely the farthest ball I ever hit, I got some razzing," said Trettel. "After the second one, they all came out like they were going to high-five me, but when I went to start high-fiving back, they all turned around and walked away from me. When I hit the third one I think they were probably as much in awe as I was."

Trettel, a right-handed batter who attended North Allegheny High, had just one home run before Sunday's explosion.

Hot hitting the last two weeks has raised his batting average to .257 (19 for 74) with four home runs and 20 RBIs.

Trettel has started 22 games (played in 31) for Seton Hill, which owns a 32-16 record, 15-5 in the 14-team American Mideast Conference. Like Trettel, the NAIA Griffins have been red-hot recently, winners of their past 12 games.

One of the wins was a 15-7 verdict over Duquesne University.

"That was a good win because I think a lot of people look at us as just a third-year program, just an NAIA school," said Trettel. "So, beating an NCAA Division I team, well known in the area, showed what we were made of."

Hitting the three home runs in one game, showed Marizzaldi what his big catcher is capable of.

Marizzaldi said he kept playing Trettel, even though he wasn't hitting, because "he's our best defensive catcher. He controls the opponent's running game very well."

Trettel hit better than .300 at North Allegheny last year, helping the Tigers (23-3) win the WPIAL AAAA title. At Seton Hill, located in Greensburg, the coaches changed his swing some, trying to get his hips through the zone to add power.

"He hits the ball so hard when he hits it," said Marizzaldi. "He started very, very slowly offensively for us. The last week to 10 days he's been breaking out of his slump. I think the slump motivated him to work harder. He's made the adjustments with his swing."

It certainly appeared that way last Sunday.