A freshman pitcher on the Georgetown University baseball team has been suspended for one year for allegedly beating another Georgetown student outside the New South Residence Hall on March 26.

Vincent “Trey” Martin (MSB ’07) said that his hearing for striking David Riedman (NHS ’07), before the university’s judicial system two weeks ago had resulted in the yearlong suspension. Martin said he will receive a written explanation from the university and will have seven days to file an appeal. An appeal hearing can maintain, reduce or strike down the suspension.

Riedman said that countercharges filed against him by Martin had been dismissed by the hearing board.

Martin was named Big East Player of the Week on March 8 after he threw a complete game, three-hit shutout against the University of aryland, Baltimore County, on March 6. Martin had been unable to suit up for games or attend practices ever since he was charged with aggravated assault in D.C. Superior Court on March 30.

The criminal case is before a grand jury and no trial date is scheduled.

Martin called the penalty harsh and unjustified.

“It’s just outrageous to be honest,” he said, “compared to all the cases in the past that had happened.”

Martin referred to past violence between students, including an incident in 2000 when a Georgetown junior, David Shick, was punched in the face and hit his head on the concrete sidewalk in the Lauinger Library parking lot. He died four days later from injuries sustained by his fall. While his death was ruled a homicide by the D.C. medical examiner, the influence of alcohol in the case led the U.S. Attorney’s Office to believe that there was not a likelihood of obtaining a conviction, and the case was never prosecuted.

According to the findings of the university’s hearing board, the Georgetown student who allegedly punched Shick in the face was found guilty of category C physical assault, category B disorderly conduct and a category A violation of the alcohol policy, according to Shick’s parents, Jeff and Debbie Shick.

The hearing board’s decision, reached in August 2000, sentenced the student in question to a one-semester suspension and required him to write a 10-page reflection paper and attend alcohol counseling. After the student appealed the decision, an appeals board reduced the sanctions in November 2000, giving him a “suspended suspension” conditioned upon his completion of the two other sanctions. The altered suspension sentence was effectively equivalent to an official warning.

“That one kid in 2000 who killed someone didn’t even get a year off,” Martin said. “I’m just shocked. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Riedman, who signed a confidentiality agreement in order to learn of the outcome of the hearing and therefore could not discuss artin’s sanction, said he was pleased with the overall response.

“I can . say that I believe that the university takes a strong stand on violence,” Riedman said.

Riedman and Martin each said that the other had been intoxicated at the time of the incident.

“I was outside New South, right outside the entrance to have a smoke when I was approached by Mr. Martin,” Riedman said in an April interview.

Martin approached Riedman and demanded an apology, but Riedman said he told Martin that he did not know what it was for.

Riedman said Martin proceeded to strike him in the face repeatedly and throw him toward a trash can. Riedman also said he had been hit so quickly that he had no time to respond or defend himself.

After being knocked unconscious, according to Riedman’s statement on the police report, a Department of Public Safety officer found Riedman and had him transported to Georgetown University hospital by GERMS.

“I had numerous injuries on my face. My eye was swollen shut for a couple of days and a pocket of fluid had built up in my head,” he said.

But Martin denied Riedman’s account and said that the event stemmed from an earlier “verbal altercation” at CI Center.

“Someone threw something that hit him and he looked back at me and we made eye contact. He was intoxicated and flipping me off,” Martin said in an April interview. “So when I saw him sitting on the bench – I’d been seeing him around all the time – I went up to him and asked for an apology.”

Martin said that Riedman responded, “I don’t apologize to nobody.”

“He got all up in my face and so I pushed him away,” artin said.

Riedman struck Martin first, Martin said, and after a scuffle, Riedman fell backwards over a bench.

“I didn’t see him fall down and I left right after that,” Martin said.

The maximum penalty for the category C offenses, which includes “physical assault with a bodily injury,” is expulsion.

– Hoya Staff Writer Nicole Tingir contributed to this report