Spencer Smead

Last But Not Least: Weekend Preview 11/9

Bates (1-7) @ Hamilton (4-4), 12:00pm, Clinton, New York

Saturday will be a huge day in Clinton as the Continentals have a chance to finish with a winning record for the first time since the NESCAC football records begin in 2000. Hamilton fought valiantly last weekend against Middlebury, allowing just two scores to one of the conference’s most potent offences. The game was neck and neck throughout but Middlebury took a 14-7 lead by the end of the 1st quarter and rode that to the final whistle. Despite this tough loss, the way that Hamilton has separated themselves from the CBB teams, as well as beating more historically successful programs like Amherst and Tufts, has been extremely impressive. The Continentals have the opportunity to display that separation even more this weekend as they invite a 1-7 Bobcat’s team to upstate New York. Coming into the weekend Hamilton’s Senior RB David Kagan ’20 is tied for 2nd in the NESCAC with 8 rushing TDs, sitting just one short of the leader. Against a Bates defense who gives up over 30 points a game, it looks very possible that Kagan could finish the season leading the conference. While the narrative looks good for Hamilton, nothing is a given.

Bates enters this weekend on a high note after taking their first win of the season away from rival Bowdoin. For the first time this season the Bobcat defense dazzled, allowing only 5 points to Bowdoin while putting up a 30 spot on them. QB Brendan Costa ’21 had his season-high with 3 touchdown passes, with 2 of those going to WR Jackson Hayes ’22, his only 2 catches on the day. While Bates would certainly love to finish the season strong on a second win, they will also be watching the Colby vs. Bates game with keen interest as a Colby loss means a share of the CBB crown for all 3 teams. Hamilton will be a whole different animal from the Polar Bear defense that Bates faced last week, and that may be a rude awakening for them. Against Colby the Continentals were able to pick off Matt Hersch 3 times, and the task will not be any easier for Brendan Costa. This is not the Continental squad of the past and Bates will have to figure out how to adjust to that this weekend.

Picks:
HC: Hamilton 31, Bates 21
SS: Hamilton 38, Bates 23
CC: Hamilton 31, Bates 20
RM: Hamilton 31, Bates 23
MK: Hamilton 24, Bates 14

Writers’ Pick: Hamilton

Amherst (4-4) @ Williams (6-2), 12:00pm, Williamstown, Mass

Coming into the final week of the season Williams finds themselves unlucky to be eliminated from championship contention after a tough 27-21 loss at Wesleyan last weekend. The Ephs were able to bring a one score lead into the final minute of the 4th quarter but allowed a rushing TD with just 17 seconds remaining to force OT. Williams got the ball to start OT but a quick turnover on downs turned into a loss immediately as they allowed a Wesleyan score on their first offensive play of OT. Had that gone differently Williams would be sitting in 2nd instead of Wesleyan. For now though, the Ephs have the opportunity to improve their record to 7-2 and finish strong at home on senior day. Bobby Maimaron ’21 continues to lead the conference in touchdown passes with an insane 20:2 TD to INT ratio. These stats are possible only because of the help of WR Frank Stola ’21, who is 2nd in the conference in receiving yards/game (96) and conference-leader in receiving touchdowns with 12. This dynamic duo have been putting up huge numbers all season long and I wouldn’t expect it to slow down for their last home game of this campaign.

Amherst had a tough time last weekend as they hosted the Bantams, as they were able to rack up over 300 yards of total offense but that only translated to one score. Turnovers killed the Mammoths in the first half, with their first two drives ending in an interception and a fumble. They were able to reach the back of the end zone once in the first half, a 27 yard touchdown pass from Ollie Eberth ’20 to James O’Regan ’20, but that would be their only score as their second half drives ended in an unsuccessful combo of punts and turnover on downs. Their offense will certainly need to liven up this weekend if it wants a chance to compete with the Ephs, who average nearly 30 points a game. Eberth has been a solid quarterback this year but does not really separate himself as a top talent in the way that Trinity’s Seamus Lambert ’22 does with his efficiency or even as Bobby Maimaron ’21 does with his ability to find the back of the endzone. This team has played middle-of-the-pack football all year and that is evident in their record. It will take far more than business as usual for the Mammoths to come out on top and on Saturday we will see if Amherst is up for the challenge.

Picks:
HC: Williams 34, Amherst 17
SS: Williams 31, Amherst 10
CC: Williams 31, Amherst 17
RM: Williams 27, Amherst 10
MK: Williams 24, Amherst 13

Writers’ Pick: Williams

Wesleyan (7-1) @ Trinity (5-3), 12:00pm, Hartford, Conn

The Cardinals pulled out a shocker last weekend as a series of insane plays propelled Wesleyan past Williams to a 7-1 record and places them in a comfortable 2nd place position. Big plays were the name of the game and David Estevez ’22 was the name of the guy making the plays as he threw for a 52 yard touchdown pass, returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, rushed for a 2 yard touchdown to tie the game in the last seconds of the 4th quarter and finally rushed for a 25 yard touchdown with his first touch of the ball in overtime to win the game. It was a day to have a day for Estevez as he must’ve had a very sore back on Sunday. While the NESCAC crown is still out of reach, the Cardinals can aim to end the season on a high note by going into Hartford and handing the Bantams their first 4-loss season since 2001.

It has been an up and down season for Trinity as they have shown us that they simply are not the same dominant Bantam squad of the past few seasons. A big loss to Williams must’ve been a low point for the Bantams, as they had not had their score nearly doubled in quite some time. QB Seamus Lambert ’22 continues to be an extremely bright spot for this team, leading the conference in completion percentage (63.1%), passing yards (1904), yards per attempt (11.3) and QB efficiency rating which is an insane 182.2. He is a level above most other quarterbacks in the NESCAC and that is what has kept them competitive this season but the team as a whole does not have the ridiculous depth that allowed them to dominate as they have in the past. This game will be a statement from Trinity as 6-3 looks very different from 5-4, especially if you are a prospective student-athlete. Is this a rebuilding year for the Bantams or simply a few unfortunate losses? It will be easier to answer that question on Sunday.

HC: Trinity 23, Wesleyan 21
SS: Trinity 28, Wesleyan 24
CC: Wesleyan 27, Trinity 20
RM: Trinity 20, Wesleyan 13
MK: Trinity 28, Wesleyan 20

Writers’ Pick: Trinity

Middlebury (8-0) @ Tufts (4-4), 12:00pm, Medford, Mass

The Panthers have already clinched this year’s title, but they have the opportunity to go out in style this weekend as they seek their first undefeated season in program history. Last week they held off a pesky Hamilton team in a 14-7 defensive battle for their final homestand. Midd’s pass rush continued to impress as their 4 sacks last weekend maintained their conference lead with 23 on the season. RB Alex Maldjian ’23 had yet another breakout game to lead the Panthers to victory, rushing for a season-high 145 yards and 2 touchdowns on a whopping 35 carries. Maldijan has been the workhorse that has propelled the Middlebury offense thus far, leading the conference in carries (177), rushing yards (769) and rushing touchdowns (9). QB Will Jernigan ’21 and his receiving core have helped take the pressure off of Maldijan, allowing him to put up these outstanding statistics. Along with having a defense that has been nothing if not consistent this season, the stage is all set for Middlebury to complete the perfect season and a Jumbo squad who has certainly seen better days may be their final victim.

This season has been up and down for Tufts but overall falls far below the standard that Jumbos fans are used to seeing. A loss to Hamilton must have been a real sting to the ego a few weeks ago but Tufts was able to save face and cruise to victory against a Colby team that simply wasn’t up to the challenge. RB Mike Pedrini ’21 showed signs of life in the first drive of the game, cutting through the Colby defense like butter for the first 70 yards of the game and a touchdown. The offensive attacked cooled off for the rest of the first half, with the exception of a 100 yard kickoff return, but the Mule offense was nowhere to be seen either. The second half was all about the passing game as Jacob Carroll ’20 and Frank Roche ’20 found the back of the end zone on 3 different occasions to give Tufts a comfortable victory. This storyline is much more reminiscent of Tufts teams of the past and should give Jumbo fans hope that there are great pieces to build on for the future. For now though Tufts faces their toughest challenge to date and it seems unlikely, based on their inconsistency, that they will rise up to it.

HC: Middlebury 29, Tufts 17
SS: Middlebury 24, Tufts 13
CC: Middlebury 35, Tufts 20
RM: Middlebury 24, Tufts 14
MK: Middlebury 20, Tufts 14

Writers’ Pick: Middlebury

Colby (1-7) @ Bowdoin (0-8), 4:30pm, Brunswick, ME

It’s all on the line for Coach Cosgrove and the Mules this weekend as he looks to maintain his perfect CBB winning percentage. Last week was another tough one for Colby, getting run all over in the first half and then being torn up by QB Jacob Carroll ’20 and WR Frank Roche ’20 in the second half. A few forced fumbles and an impressive touchdown pass from QB Matt Hersch ’22 to former QB turned wide receiver Jack O’Brien ’20 were small victories but otherwise it was a game to put behind them before this weekend. The Mules have to go into this game with all the confidence in the world after seeing the way that Bates took care of the Polar Bears with ease. On paper, everything seems to be in their favor, but with CBB games the beauty is that you never know for sure.

It has been a tough season for Bowdoin and their woes continued last week as they were handed another lopsided loss by rival Bates. This game really went to show how far behind the rest of the NESCAC Bowdoin is compared to even the other CBB teams. Bates and Colby has both put up some respectable performances this season despite losing every game, with the exception of Colby over Bates, while Bates has shown lifelessness without fail. It is hard for me to believe that anything can change this narrative and that the Polar Bears can magically pull it together for this last game of the season. They have one more shot left at redemption this Saturday night, under the lights, at home, on senior day, against a CBB rival. If that does not give them enough to put up a fight than nothing will.

Picks:
HC: Colby 27, Bowdoin 13
SS: Colby 24, Bowdoin 10
CC: Colby 28, Bowdoin 10
RM: Colby 31, Bowdoin 10
MK: Colby 31, Bowdoin 7

Writers’ Pick: Colby

Over the Hump: Week 6 Power Rankings

(1) 1. Middlebury (6-0)

The Panthers have continued to prove that they are a step ahead of the rest of ‘CAC and that showed this past weekend in their 45-21 win over previously undefeated Wesleyan. Will Jernigan ’21 earned himself NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week after lighting the Cardinal D up for over 350 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. Offensive production has not yet been an issue for Middlebury this year, it is the defensive side of the ball where things can get shaky for the Panthers. Letting up 26 points to a struggling Colby defense was certainly a red-flag for Panther fans, but the defense showed once again this week that they will do what they must to give their offense a chance week in and week out. As the only undefeated team left with a fairly soft schedule to round out the season, this is Midd’s conference to lose. Middlebury will almost surely keep their record clean this coming weekend as they face an 0-6 Bowdoin squad.

(3) 2. Williams (5-1)

William’s defensive consistency and lethal passing game has propelled them up to 2nd on our power rankings this week. Frank Stola ’21 seemed to take the day off against Bates, only recording 14 yards on 2 catches, but that didn’t phase the Eph offense whatsoever as Bobby Maimaron ’21 found the back of the endzone 3 times (he now leads the conference with 16 TDs) and Freshman running back Elijah Parks ’23 ran for his first collegiate TD. It is not a shock to see that Williams held the Bobcats to just one score as they lead the conference with just 8.7 points against per game, almost half the points allowed of the next best team. If it were not for the week one battle that they lost to Midd, Williams would surely be sitting atop the power rankings. These final 3 games will be the toughest stretch the Ephs will have to face this year, starting with the Bantams in Hartford next weekend.

(5) 3. Trinity (4-2)

It has been a good past couple of weekends for the Bantams as they have taken a couple of trips up to Maine and outscored their opponents a combined 94-7. Trinity is well known for their CBB-aided stat-padding and their scorlines are finally starting to look like the Trinity of the past. Seamus Lambert ’22 continues to lead the conference in passing yards per game (256.2), QB efficiency (189.9) and completion percentage (65.2%) while being just one passing TD shy of the lead with 15. The biggest problem with the Bantams is that Lambert is essentially their only offensive production. He also leads the team in rushing yards and rushing attempts, showing what a one-horse show this offense really is. Clearly against teams like Colby and Bates this strategy works effortlessly, but better teams can adjust as is shown in the Bantam’s 2 losses.

(4) 4. Amherst (4-2)

Amherst is lucky to remain at #4 after being upset by Hamilton. It was neck and neck between the two the whole game but a few miracles and a couple of Ollie Eberth interceptions saw Amherst take their second loss of the season. While this loss is a big blow for Amherst lots of credit has to be given to a persistent Hamilton team who has put up good fights against the better teams in the conference this season. Amherst just doesn’t seem to have what it takes to hang with the big dogs in the conference this season and it is for that reason that they have continued to linger outside of the top 3. It is not a surprise to see that as a team, Amherst is 4th in the conference in points scored per game and points against per game. This team just screams slightly above-average and they’ve played that role to a tee this season. Their next contest will be home against Wesleyan where they have a chance to justify their ranking.

(2) 5. Wesleyan (5-1)

Sorry Wesleyan fans, your time is up and the real schedule has started. Unfortunately for the Cardinals their 5-0 record seems to be more due to strength of schedule than ability, as their defense that had not allowed more than 13 points in a game had Middlebury walk all over them for 45 points. This had to be a painful reality check for the Cardinals and that reality check is reflected in the sharp downward movement in the rankings. Before last weekend Wesleyan had already played all 3 CBB teams as well as Hamilton and Tufts. It is fairly safe to say that this was the softest possible start that Wesleyan could have been given this year and now they have to face 3 more of the best teams in the league. This is where the season will start to get rough for the Cardinals because every weekend from here on out will be a test and their defense just failed the first test miserably.

(6) 6. Tufts (3-3)

The Jumbos rise back up to .500 after easily taking care of business against Bowdoin in a 49-0 rout. After a week 1 defeat of Trinity the trajectory of the Jumbos season was sky high, but 6 weeks in they face a very different reality. With the clear exceptions of their CBB contest, the Jumbos offense has been lackadaisical at best all season. Even in their win against Trin the Jumbos only recorded 2 scores and in their crushing defeat to Amherst, Tufts could only muster up 8 points. This lack of offensive production couples with their defense’s tendency to allow crooked scoreboards has resulted in an extremely disappointing season for Tufts. The Jumbos will try and salvage what is left next weekend as they welcome a red-hot Continental squad in what could be a defacto 6th place game.

(7) 7. Hamilton (3-3)

Hamilton is riding high at the moment after shocking Amherst last weekend 31-28. Absolute chaos ensued at the end of the game in which Hamilton was down by 11 with just 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Continental kicker Sam Thoreen booted a 44 yarder to make it 28-20 Amherst, then the Contintal defense came up clutch and forced a 3 and out. After the 3 and out the offense drove down the field for a TD and converted a ridiculous 2-point conversion on a broken play to make it an even 28-28. Hamilton was then able to block a punt with 30 seconds left and Thoreen kicked a 40 yarder for the win. The win was a great display of grit and determination and its safe to say now that Hamilton has solidified themselves as an extremely competitive team who can give anybody a run for their money on any weekend. While Tufts is probably the favorite heading into the weekend, I wouldn’t blame anyone riding the wave of momentum that Hamilton is on right now. Another strong performance could allow the Continentals continue to grind their way up this year’s power rankings.

(8) 8. Colby (0-6)

Colby did absolutely nothing to prove that they were better than the rest of the CBB this past weekend in their 43-7 loss to Trinity, but everyone else in the CBB also got destroyed too so they will stay atop. As a Mule fan, or any CBB fan for that matter, it can be extremely disheartening having 6 straight weekends of losing football. Their tight game against Midd added some spice to what was previously a very bland season, and now the real fun can finally begin for the Mules as they get their first CBB opponent of the season this weekend when they host Bates. QB Matt Hersch ’22 will look to lead the Mules to their second straight CBB championship this year as he sits at 5th in the conference in yards per game (207) but leads the conference in attempts with 201. He will need to reign it in and establish consistency in the passing game as the dual-back system of Chris George ’20 and David Smith ’20 have produced barely over 100 yards of rushing per game combined. A game against Bates at home should be all the encouragement that Colby needs to come out firing this weekend in what is the beginnings of this years’ CBB championship.

(10) 9. Bates (0-6)

Once again Bates and Bowdoin have flip-flopped at 9 and 10 and this week it is because Bates was able to get on the scoreboard in their 35-7 loss to Williams while Bowdoin was given no room to breathe in their 49-0 loss to Tufts. Bates showed us their most impressive performance of the season thus far a few weeks back when they took a close one with Tufts deep into the 4th quarter, eventually losing 33-28. That scoreline contrasted with Bowdoin’s 49-0 scoreline suggests to me that Bates is a more competitive team at this point in the season that Bowdoin. While the gap between the two is slim, Bates has a fantastic chance to blow that gap wide open and propel themselves towards a CBB championship with their game this weekend at Colby. CBB games are almost always a toss-up no matter what so even if the Mules look stronger on paper and have home field advantage, Bates still have more than a fighting chance. When I say Bates, I mean Brendan Costa. The guy is their entire offense and if the Mules can stop him they will lose but if the Mules can’t then it’s all Bobcats. The equation is very simple and that is thanks to the extreme lack of creativity and running game in Bates’ offense. That all being said, Colby is no powerhouse so Bates will certainly have an opportunity to steal one in enemy territory on Saturday.

(9) 10. Bowdoin (0-6)

Last Saturday’s game against Tufts was miserable on both sides of the ball for the Polar Bears as they were manhandled by the Jumbos. Bowdoin’s best offensive weapon, RB Nate Richam-Odoi ’20, could only amass 27 yards on 11 rushing attempts against a Tufts defense that gave up over 40 points to Amherst. While it is obviously not all Richam-Odoi’s fault as the blocking around him was nothing less than non-existent, that is still a disheartening statistic for the player that could separate Bowdoin offensively from the rest of the CBB. The tough weekends will keep coming for the Polar Bears as they welcome undefeated Middlebury on Saturday in what should be another game to forget.

Almost Halfway: Weekend Preview 10/5

Williams @ Colby, 1pm, Waterville, ME

It will be homecoming weekend for this upcoming contest in Waterville where the struggling Colby Mules (0-3) will host a red-hot Williams (2-1) squad. The Ephs have won comfortably for the past two weeks, giving both Bowdoin and Tufts little room to breathe. The Ephs have stepped up on both sides of the ball during this hot streak averaging over 42 PPG and allowing less than 10. Much of this offensive success is due to QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 emerging as one of the best offensive weapons in the NESCAC this season. He has always been known as an effective runner, averaging over 65 yards/game last season and finishing 5th in the NESCAC with 8 rushing TDs. It is in the air where Maimaron has made big strides this year. So far he has thrown for 7 touchdowns through 3 weeks, whereas he threw for only 8 touchdowns all of last season. This could pose a great threat for the Mules has they have been scorched by the option this year.

The biggest problem for Colby hasn’t been the defense, despite how the score lines look, but rather it has been turnovers. Ball security has not been a virtue for the Mules as they lead the NESCAC with 4 lost fumbles. To make matters worse, QB Matt Hersch ’22 also leads the NESCAC with 6 interceptions thrown on this young season. The task will not get any easier this weekend as this group will have to face an Eph’s defense that has been able to compete with even the best offenses in the conference this year. A lot will have to change for Colby and quickly for them to have a shot in this game because right now it looks like Bobby Maimaron ’21, Frank Stola ’21, and the rest of the Ephs are primed to put on a show.

SS: Williams 38, Colby 9
RM: Williams 37, Colby 13
CC: Williams 38, Colby 14
MK: Williams 34, Colby 10
HC: Williams 38, Colby 14

Writers’ Pick: Williams

Tufts @ Bates, 1pm, Lewiston, ME

After the high of taking down back-to-back champs Trinity in week one, it has all been downhill for Tufts. The brick wall of a defense that dominated the Bantams has since disappeared and the Jumbos now find themselves in a 1-2 hole. Last week Frank Stola ’21 and Bobby Maimaron ’21 were able to move the ball up and down the field at will, combining for 3 touchdowns in the first half and 4 in total. The lack of defense gave the struggling offense no hope to recover and it all devolved from there. First half woes plagued the Jumbos once against last week against Amherst as they found themselves shoutout and down by 14 at the half. Tufts has not had the chance yet to play one of the lower-tier teams in the conference so this weekend will be a chance to reestablish themselves as a high-level competitor.

You really have to feel for the Bobcats at this point in the season. Their first 3 contests have been against Amherst, Middlebury and Wesleyan, who have a combined record of 9-0. While Tufts will be the first sub .500 team that Bates plays but that does not mean that they are not comparable competition. I have actually been fairly impressed with the way that the Bates defense has been able to keep some of these contests within respectable margins despite the extreme lack of contribution coming from the offensive side of the ball. The lack of QB Brendan Costa ’21 has put the Bobcat offense to an absolute standstill for which it appears it will be difficult to recover. Bates’ best chance in this contest is to play the consistent brand of defense they have throughout the years and hope for a few lucky breaks to come their way in the form of turnovers. This game is not completely out of reach for Bates but they would certainly need nearly everything to go right to pull it off.

SS: Tufts 21, Bates 6
RM: Tufts 34, Bates 10
CC: Tufts 31, Bates 14
MK: Tufts 28, Bates 0
HC: Tufts 24, Bates 3

Writers’ Pick: Tufts

Hamilton @ Trinity, 1pm, Hartford, CT

The Continentals are riding high heading into their third game of the season after capturing their first win of the year decisively over the Colby Mules. The offensive attack was too much for the Mules to handle as QB Kenny Gray ’20 threw for 2 TD and ran for another while RB David Kagan ’20 tacked on 2 TDs of his own. Despite this success the Bantams are different challenge for Hamilton and cutting through Trinity like they did Colby won’t be possible. The Hamilton defense has also been lackluster thus far, allowing opposing teams at least 24 points in each game. Allowing 24 points to each Bowdoin and Colby is not a good sign of what is to come when they are lined up against Trinity. With the offensive attack weakened and the defense overwhelmed, it could make for a sloppy weekend for Hamilton.

The Bantams have had some serious struggles of their own heading into week 3. Two disappointing losses sandwich a blowout win over Bowdoin in what has been a rollercoaster of a season up to this point. Trinity made it clear week 2 that they still have what it takes to put up crooked numbers against worse opponents, but they also made it clear again in Week 3 that they are no longer the impenetrable force that they had once been. That all being said, Trinity is being thrown a softball this weekend on which they should cash in greatly. The result here should look much more like week 2 and hopefully give Bantam fans some hope at salvaging what has been a season to forget.

SS: Trinity 38, Hamilton 17
RM: Trinity 49, Hamilton 13
CC: Trinity 42, Hamilton 21
MK Trinity 38, Hamilton 14
HC: Trinity 35, Hamilton 21

Writers’ Pick: Trinity

Wesleyan @ Bowdoin, 1pm, Brunswick, ME

Bowdoin fans will need to prepare themselves for what will be yet another tough weekend as they play host to the undefeated Wesleyan Cardinals. After putting up a fight against Hamilton in the first week Bowdoin has endured a couple of substantial road losses against the likes of Trinity and Williams. The blueprint for this game appears to be much the same as the last two unfortunately. It is fairly clear to see Austin McCrum ’21 and Nate Richam-Odoi ’20 do not have enough help offensively to generate an effective offense and the Bowdoin defense is not capable of containing the top offenses in the league. I’m not meaning to drag on the Polar Bears, this could probably be said about any CBB team. Until something big changes in Brunswick, and Maine as a whole, Bowdoin will have to continue to endure these tough losses for the foreseeable future.

Wesleyan’s 3-0 record looks fantastic at the moment and there’s almost no doubt that they will remain a perfect 4-0 following this weekend. While this undefeated reign of dominance is certainly impressive to start the season, it is important to note that Wesleyan’s strength of schedule thus far has been as weak as can be. So far they have taken on Hamilton, Bates, Colby and now get to face Bowdoin. Since the Cardinals have won fairly convincingly in every contest, they haven’t been challenged yet and it is hard to really see where they stack up with the likes of Midd, Amherst, Williams and others. This weekend will not give us any insight into that unfortunately as it should be another breeze for Wesleyan.

SS: Wesleyan 28, Bowdoin 7
RM: Wesleyan 41, Bowdoin 7
CC: Wesleyan 38, Bowdoin 13
MK: Wesleyan 35, Bowdoin 13
HC: Wesleyan 35, Bowdoin 10

Writers’ Pick: Wesleyan

Middlebury @ Amherst, 2pm, Amherst, MA

Finally we come to our most competitive, and possibly only, competitive match as both Middlebury and Amherst enter this weekend undefeated. For Middlebury their rise to the top has been mainly due to their smothering defense which suffocated the likes of Trinity and Williams. The improvement defensively has been extremely impressive considering that the lineup has not changed all that significantly from last year. QB Will Jernigan ’21 has been consistently effective for the Panthers, currently sitting in 3rd place in the NESCAC in passing yards. What has helped allowed Jernigan to have so much success has been the effectiveness of his running back Alex Maldjian ’23. Maldjian has been a workhorse for Midd, leading the NESCAC in rushes with 63 and is 2nd in rushing yards with 280. He has been an extremely valuable piece for this Midd offense and has helped them be so efficient at moving the ball up and down the field. Overall the narrative seems to suggest that the Panthers have everything going in their favor, but what happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force?

Amherst began the season with a few gimme wins over Colby and Bates but really established themselves as a candidate for title winners when they took down Tufts last week. The Mammoths played Tufts much closer than they did Colby or Bates, but it was clear that Amherst was in the driver’s seat the whole game. QB Ollie Eberth ’20 has commanded the offense well, averaging over 200 yards in the air and throwing 7 TDs through 3 weeks. His work on the ground has been impressive, as he averages nearly 70 yards a game. Eberth is the focal point of this Mammoth attack and he has yet to be contained this year. Defensively Amherst has been textbook thus far, allowing 13 points per game and having forced 10 turnovers. The defense has done more than enough work the past 3 weeks to keep Eberth and the rest of the offense in the game, but this weekend it may be a much tougher task. This game obviously has huge title implications, despite being just the halfway point in the season. Both teams are sure to leave it all out on the field Saturday in what is sure to be an exciting contest.

SS: Middlebury 28, Amherst 21
RM: Middlebury 27, Amherst 21
CC: Middlebury 24, Amherst 21
MK: Amherst 24, Middlebury 13
HC: Amherst 24, Middlebury 20

Writers’ Pick: Middlebury

Same Old, Same Old: Stock Report 9/25

Stock Up

The Bantam Offense

After a very slow week one, in which Trinity’s offense was only able to find the back of the endzone once, the Bantam offense seemed frustrated. A few adjustments throughout the week and a much easier assignment allowed Trinity’s offense to explode for a 61-point tirade. It was clear from the start that Bowdoin was no match for QB Seamus Lambert ’22. Lambert lit up the Polar Bears for nearly 400 yards and 5 touchdowns, 4 of which went to WR Devante Reid ’22. Running backs Spencer Lockwood ’22 and Draquan Jones ’22 both got more than 10 touches and Lockwood rushed for 2 touchdowns. This was exactly the performance that the Bantam’s needed to right the ship and put themselves back on the course to compete for yet another championship. The Bantam’s will head up to Vermont to face Middlebury next weekend in what could be a vital game for both teams.

The Duo of QB Bobby Maimaron and WR Frank Stola

A tough defeat in week one to a Middlebury left Bobby Maimaron ’21 and the rest of the Ephs in a tough spot. Their opponent would not get any weaker in the coming week as they had to prepare for Tufts, who was fresh off a win against Trinity. It seemed like a close matchup on paper between Tufts and Williams, but when the Jumbo defense took the field they had no answer for the combo of QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 and WR Frank Stola ’21. Stola caught all 4 of Maimaron’s touchdown passes for a total of 13 catches, 233 yards and 4 TDs. Maimaron went for 289 yards in the air with the 4 TDs as well as tacking on 100 more yards and a TD on the ground. It is not surprising to see that through two weeks Stola leads the conference in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Maimaron is also impressive, leading the conference in touchdowns and coming in second in yards in the air. These two are a scary combo that even Tufts, who held Trinity to a mere 8 points, couldn’t keep out of the endzone. Next weekend Williams will host Bowdoin, which should give Maimaron and Stola a chance to further pad what are already impressive statistics.

Middlebury Defense

It was yet another impressive week for the Middlebury D as they were able to shutout Bates with a decisive score of 28-0. This success builds upon last week they held a very potent Williams offense to just two scores. In week two Middlebury forced Bates to punt 10 times, giving the offense absolutely no room to breathe. Neither QB that the Bobcats threw out there was able to able to reach 60 yards passing and they were held to less than 100 yards of total rushing. LB Pete Huggins ’21 continues to terrorize quarterbacks as he added 4 tackles (1 sack, 2 TFL) against Bates, putting him 1st in the conference in both sacks and assists. Sitting atop the conference at 2-0, the Panthers are in a prime position to establish themselves as legitimate contenders for a NESCAC championship. They will have the opportunity to prove that they can hang with the big dogs when they host Trinity this weekend.

Stock Down

The CBB

It is a tough time to be a football fan up here in Maine as all 3 of our beloved CBB teams are sitting in the cellar of the conference right now at 0-2. First are the Bates Bobcats, who looked very impressive in their first few minutes of football this year as they had the lead over Amherst going into the half. While they may remember that lead fondly now, it did not last. They were shut out in the second half and subsequently shut out in their next game by Middlebury. It has been trending straight downhill for the Bobcats and they are set to receive another tough assignment as they head down to Connecticut to face a 2-0 Cardinal squad. Next are the Polar Bears of Bowdoin who had one of their best opportunities to get a win this season in their week 1 matchup with Hamilton, but fell short. The Polar Bears and Continentals were back and forth throughout but it was clear that Hamilton was a better team and they took home the win. Week 2 was doomed from the start as they played an upset Trinity squad who was looking for points they couldn’t find the week before and they found plenty of them. Bowdoin plays Williams next but the only games for the Polar Bears that matter now are their CBB contests. Finally we have the Colby Mules who have come up consistently short in their first two performances. Former NESCAC Rookie of the Year QB Matt Hersch ’22 is starting to get comfortable in his first season of full-time starting but turnovers on offense have really been what has killed the Mules thus far. The Mules have a very welcome change of pace this weekend as they take on a 1-1 Hamilton squad who they were able to beat last year. This is the best opportunity we have seen this year for a CBB team to take a W so Mules fans be ready.

Tufts Defense

The Jumbos were riding high after week 1, having taken down the 3-time defending champs Trinity. The Jumbo defense was outstanding against Trinity, recording 6 sacks and 2 interceptions while holding the dangerous Bantam offense to 8-points. Then came week 2, which changed the narrative completely. From stuffing the defending champs to letting an 0-1 squad run up and down the field, week 1 and week 2 were night and day for the Jumbos. Tufts was able to record no turnovers and only one sack against Williams. The swing in performance for this defence is remarkable and must keep the defensive coordinator up at night wondering what went so wrong in between the two games. Unfortunately for the Jumbos they will not have a lot of time to assess questions like that as they must prepare for an Amherst team that sits atop our power rankings.

More Than Just the CBB: Colby Football Preview 2019

2018 Record: 3-6

Projected 2019 Record: 3-6

Projected Offensive Starters: (*8 returning)

QB – Matt Hersch ‘22*

RB – Chris George ‘20

WR – Rory Glavin ‘21

WR – Andrew DeFranco ‘20*

WR – Bernie Sander ‘21*

TE – Ethan Smith ‘21*

LT – Chris Shaffrey ‘20*

RT – Travon Bradford ‘20*

LG – Brandon Leibman ‘21*

RG – Evan Domonkos ‘23

C – Ty Mahar ‘22*

Projected Defensive Starters (*9 returning)

DE – Carson Katen ‘21*

DE – Nick Wilcox ‘22*

DT – Patrick Sopko ‘20*

DT – Harrison Vedrani ‘21*

LB – Sean Godin ‘20*

LB – Marcus Bullard ‘21*

LB – Will Terzi ‘22*

S – Gus Forseth ‘20

S – George Eisenhauer ‘22

CB – CJ Hassan ‘20*

CB – Asher Inman ‘21*

Projected Specialists (*2 returning)

K – Walter Thilly ‘21*

P – Moises Celaya ‘22*

Offensive MVP: QB Matt Hersch ‘22

Hersch, now entering his sophomore campaign, will command the offense from the get-go this season after earning himself the starting job early on in his freshman year. Following his promotion Hersch posted impressive numbers all season that we had not seen from a Mules’ quarterback in years. He threw for 288 yards and added 40 more on the ground in a tight win against Hamilton last season and he was able to find the back of the endzone 3 times against Wesleyan, amassing 277 yards in a tough 8-point loss. Hersch’s flashes of great talent and leadership led him to be named NESCAC Co-Rookie of the Year. He ranked second in the league in completion percentage (60.5%) and with an experienced group of receivers returning (DeFranco, Sander and TE Smith) one would have to think that his efficiency and accuracy would go nowhere but up. Hersch is also helped out by the fact that 4 of the 5 guys on his line are returning and should be ready to get going right where they left off last season. The biggest change for Hersch this year will be that he does not have the safety net of Jake Schwern ‘19 to rely on, so he and the Mules will need RB Chris George ‘20 to fill that void. There are lots of reasons to believe that Hersch will continue to develop and show himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league this season, whether it be the 7 other offensive starts he has returning or whether it is the constant presence of Coach Cos in his ear giving him advice, Hersch has it all lined up to make his name known in the NESCAC.

Defensive MVP: LB Marcus Bullard ‘21

All eyes will be on Junior Marcus Bullard when the Colby defense takes the field this season. Bullard’s season was unfortunately cut short due to injury last year, but when he did play he put up the most impressive numbers on the team and some of the most impressive across the conference. Despite not playing in two games Bullard still lead the Mules with 55 tackles last season (30 solo) as well as recording an interception. These stats were good enough to earn him 5th in the NESCAC in tackles per game (7.9). Some of Bullard’s highlights last year include a 12-tackle game against Tufts as well as 9-tackle game against Bowdoin to end last season in which he also recorded his lone interception. I’m sure Marcus has been itching to get on the field and stay healthy so he can show off his dominance all season long. The Mules are lucky to have a deep roster on the defensive side with lots of returning starters who are hungry for more of the success they were finally able to taste under Coach Cosgrove last season. Bullard will be the focal point of this Colby defense and he will look to lead by example on the field.

Biggest Game: October 26th vs. Bates

The CBB games are obviously the biggest games of the year for us up here in Maine so it is pretty safe to say that Colby’s biggest game of the season will be their lone CBB contest at Harold Alfond Stadium. Last season the Mules were able to take their game against the Bobcats by a decisive score of 21-6 in what was a cold, snowy, sloppy affair. Hopefully this year’s contest has some fairer weather so that all CBB fans alike can get a slightly more interesting contest. After defeating Bowdoin to end the season Colby officially captured their first CBB crown in years and Coach Cosgrove proved his immediate impact on the program. Both Bowdoin and Bates will have targets on Colby’s back from the start of the season, so an opportunity to decrown the champs on their home field will not be something that the Bobcats take lightly. We still have 6 weekend of football before this contest, but I’m sure Colby fans and players alike have this date circled on their calendar.

Best Hair: DB Zacariah Cody ‘23

Cody may only be a freshman but he has the stare of a man who has seen things and a golden mane fit to rule all the light can touch. The freshman defensive back from Port Clyde, ME is on the lighter side at 149lbs, especially considering the flow, mutton chops and stache combo must account for a few pounds. Whatever he lacks in weight he clearly makes up for in confidence and intimidation…I mean, you don’t want anyone with mutton chops trying to tackle you.

Everything Else:

Looking at the number of returning starters that Mules have on offense, defense and special teams, it is safe to say that their experience will be one of their greatest assets this season. Although Hersch is still young, he was able to get nearly a full season under his belt last year and will have the vast majority of his offensive starters for last year returning with him. WR Andrew DeFranco ‘20 is the senior leader for this receiving core, leading the team in receiving touchdowns (2) and coming in second in receptions (19). Another important member of the offense that can’t be looked over is TE Ethan Smith ‘21. Smith had a breakout campaign in his sophomore year, quickly becoming Hersch’s favorite target. He had 8 more receptions than anyone else on the team (27) and far-and-away led the team with 274 receiving yards.

Coach Cosgrove had a successful first season, so we’ll see if he can keep the Mules trending upward in year two

With the departure of RB Jake Schwern ‘19, who accounted for the majority of Colby’s receiving and rushing yards last season, the Mules will need a new go-to guy in the red zone and Smith could be that guy. On the topic of running backs, RB Chris George ‘21 will have the torch passed down to him this year as he is expected to hold the majority of the carries for Colby. George has appeared in the majority of the Mules’ contests since his freshman year, but being in the shadow of Schwern saw his playing time limited. Now he has the opportunity to be a focal point of this offense so it will be very interesting to see how he plays into Coach Cosgrove’s new offensive scheme.

Defense is much of the same story as offense when it comes to returning starters. 9 of the 11 guys lining up on defense for the Mules started last year as well, which should give them the advantage of having developed over at least a full season together already. The Mules D allowed 254 points against last season, putting them at 6th in the NESCAC. It was clear last year that their defense had more than enough to handle teams like Bowdoin and Bates but weren’t quite up to the task against schools like Wesleyan and Amherst. A consistent defense is key for the Mules if they want to beat a school that is not from Maine and start to put Colby football back on the map. With the man, the myth, the legend, Jack Cosgrove at the helm and roster chock full of talent and experience, the Mules should look to compete for a spot in the middle of the conference and defend their CBB title this fall.

Chasing Rings: NESCAC Baseball Playoff Preview

Friday, May 10 – Sunday, May 12

Colby College – Waterville, ME

Game #1: (2) Bates vs (1) Williams – Friday @ 2:30 PM

The first game of this year’s NESCAC playoffs features the #2 seed in the East, Bates, taking on the #1 from the West, Williams. Williams was able to edge themselves to the top of the West, taking the #1 seed from Middlebury based on head-to-head record. Williams was able to capture this title through defeating Wesleyan in the final game of their series last weekend. A Kellen Hatheway 2-run home run in the top of the 9th broke the even score and eventually sent Williams on to the tournament. Bates is probably the biggest surprise in this field. Trinity was ranked better than them all season, and even had received national votes, but after taking 2 of three games from the Bantams at home, Bates went on to sweep both of their CBB rivals and secure themselves a playoff spot, 1 game ahead of Trinity.

Likely Starters:

Bates: RHP Nolan Collins ’20 (7-1, 2.44 ERA, 52K, 59IP)

Williams: LHP Jack Bohen ’19 (5-0, 2.24 ERA, 44.2IP)

Williams will likely feature senior left hander Jack Bohen on the mound to face the Bobcats. Bohen has had an absolute career-year this season, lowering his ERA from 4.60 last year down to 2.24 this year. Bohen is coming off of what was most likely the best, and most important, game of his career to date. In a must-win series Bohen came out and tossed 8 innings, giving up no earned runs and walking just 2. It is clear to see in that stat book that Bohen is a pitch-to-contact hitter, because in those 8 innings of work he had just one strikeout. It is not always about the punchout and Bohen has been proving that this year. He has all the momentum he needs and I’m sure that he will not be looking to take his first loss of the season in this game. Bates will counter Bohen with right Nolan Collins, a junior from California. Collins had a breakout sophomore season last year in which he secured the #1 spot in the rotation. Since then he has done nothing but improve and help propel Bates to the playoffs. Aside from a bad start against Tufts, that most starters would’ve been happy with against the Jumbos, Collins has provided his team with more than enough opportunity to win in every game he has started, and for the most part they have won. Versus the common opponents that Bohen and Collins started against, Colby and Wesleyan, they have fairly similar numbers, perhaps Bohen having a slight edge. Both of these pitchers are in the top tier of NESCAC talent. It might be a struggle for both teams to get into an offensive rhythm, but it is the playoffs and anything can happen.

Key Offensive Talent

Bates

You can’t talk about the Bates lineup without talking about Christian Beal ’21. Beal paces Bates with his 49 hits (4th in NESCAC), .371 AVG (4th in NESCAC), 9 doubles, 2 triples and 11 stolen bases. He is the spark plug for Bates and when he plays well, they play well. Bates are 10-5 in games which Beal collects 2 or more hits, and the fact that there are 15 games shows how impactful he has been. Supporting Beal is catcher Jack Arend ’20 who is hitting .370 with 23 RBI. Arend also leads the NESCAC in walks with 33, putting his OBP at .548, also tops in the conference. Arend’s uncanny ability to draw the walk is a valuable weapon, as can be seen by his 21 runs scored, 2nd best on the team. Justin White ’19, Bryan Gotti ’22 and Jon Lindgren ’20 have also been important pieces in the lineup, all three of them are hitting over .300. Bates has a couple of high quality offensive weapons with the support of several impactful bats. While this may have been enough against teams like Colby and Bowdoin, against teams like Williams, Bates may have to exceed expectations just to keep up.

Williams

Williams has one of the most potent offenses in the NESCAC. As a team, they lead the NESCAC in triples with 17, are second in the NESCAC with a .308 team average and are also second in hits with 340. One of William’s offensive starts that is much to thank for these stats is Eric Pappas ’21. Pappas is tied for the league lead in hits and reaches base nearly half the time with his .493 OBP. When a player almost has double as many hits as games, it is a good sign that they’re having a solid year. This is true of not only Pappas, but also his teammate Doug Schaffer ’19. Along with his 53 hits, Schaffer is 2nd in the NESCAC in doubles with 12 and leads the NESCAC in batting average (.433) and slugging (.633). Perhaps more impressive than all of these stats, Schafer leads the NESCAC is RBI with 46, 14 more than the next closest player. Schafer has an extremely strong case for Player of the Year and an invaluable asset for the Ephs. Erik Mini ’21 has provided some well-timed offense this year with his 3 home runs and 27 RBI. Kellen Hatheway ’19 has only started ⅔ of Williams’ contests but he had made the most of his time, hitting .407 and blasting the home run that sent Williams to the playoffs. Williams has proved throughout the year that they are one of the most potent offenses in the NESCAC and it will be tough for any starter to keep them completely quiet.

Prediction: (W1) Williams defeats (E2) Bates

Game #2: (2) Middlebury vs (1) Tufts – Friday @ 6 PM

After the conclusion of Bates versus Williams, Midd and Tufts will take the field for their first tastes of the 2019 postseason. Middlebury returns to the playoffs this year after narrowly missing out last season. They had basically the same scenario last year as they did this year, beat Amherst in a series and they’re in. While last year they fell short, they were able to redeem themselves this season and secure their playoff spot. Now they have to take on Tufts, who is looking for redemption after falling short of the NESCAC title last season. Tufts has had fairly smooth sailing in-conference this season, winning every series and sweeping Bowdoin and Colby.

Likely Starters:

Middlebury: RHP Colby Morris ’19 (5-2, 2.80 ERA, 50K, 61IP)

Tufts: RHP RJ Hall ’19 (6-0, 1.57 ERA, 3CG)

Morris and Hall have both been four-year starters for their respective programs, and were the only two pitchers to be named 1st Team All-NESCAC last season, with Morris taking Pitcher of the Year honors as well. It is safe to say that these two are among the most experienced and talented players in the NESCAC this season, and they will need to leave it all on the line Friday night to outduel their counterpart. In all but one of his starts this season Morris has gone at least 5 innings and given up 3 or less runs. In his last two starts Morris has left it all out on the line for his team, going all 9 in both starts. Morris is one of, if not the most, decorated pitchers in the history of the Middlebury program but is yet to capture that elusive NESCAC title. This will be one of the biggest games of Morris’ career and he has proved throughout that career that he won’t give in until the last pitch. Morris will need to maintain that ferocity in order to compete with RJ Hall, who has been extremely effective at keeping opponents off this scoreboard this season. Similar to Morris, Hall has recorded two complete games in his last two contests (although they were both 7 inning games). While Morris may have more career innings pitched than Hall, Hall has far and away more playoff experience than Morris. In Hall’s 5 playoff appearances, 4 starts, he has pitched a total of 35 innings and has a record of 2-2 with one save. Meanwhile Morris has just 2 starts, totalling 13 ⅓ IP and a 1-1 record. It is also important to note that Hall’s playoff ERA is 1.29 while Morris’ is 4.05. Perhaps experience in these high-stress playoff situations will prove vital and become a big advantage for Tufts, who has a roster chalk full of playoff experiences. It is also important to note that this matchup has already occured this year and it is evidence of just how closely these two starters matchup. In the previous game Tufts won on an 8th inning walk-off 4-3. Both Morris and Hall went for 6 innings and gave up three runs. Their statline was near identical. Based upon how close that result was, there is no clear edge here. It’s anybody’s game.

Key Offensive Players:

Middlebury

Middlebury’s offense has managed to score twice as many runs as its opponents this year, showing their dominance on both sides of the ball. This is thanks to the fact that their offense is so well-rounded and has valuable weapons up and down it. 8 Middlebury hitters have already collected 20 or more hits, with three more (Justin Han, Brooks Carroll and Henry Strmecki) have 35 or more. Similarly, 9 different Panthers have gone deep this year with three of them (Henry Strmecki ’21, Kevin Woodring ’20, and Alec Ritch ’22) have left the yard multiple times. From those statistic you could probably guess that Henry Strmecki is a vital part of the Midd offense, and you would be right. Strmecki is 2nd on the team in hits (35), batting average (.330) and leads the team in runs (34), RBI (24) and leads the NESCAC in home runs with 5. Justin Han ’20 has also been impressive for Midd, leading the team in hist with 36, doubles with 8 and stolen bases with 22. Stealing bags is where Midd excels and they will steal early and often. They have stolen 142 bags while they’ve had just 36 stolen against them. They are running with an 88.2% success rate compared to opponents 80%. 14 Middlebury players have recorded steals with 6 of them stealing 12 or more. Middlebury runs a fast, high-potency offense that is more than a challenge to contain, but if anyone were to be up to that challenge it would be RJ Hall and the Jumbos.

Tufts

Not enough can be said to describe how much better Tufts’ hitting is than basically every other team in the NESCAC East. In-conference they are hitting .319 and the next closest in the East is Bates with .283. They also have the most hits (128), triples (3), home runs (7), RBI (72), OBP (.414) and slugging (.442). Tufts has just been flat out better than all of their NESCAC opponents. While these numbers are real and hold value, it is important to note the level of competition in the East versus the West. The East was so top-heavy this year that it allowed the far and away best team, Tufts, to gain inflated statistics compared to NESCAC West teams. They gain this advantage because the level of competition is much more even in the West so it is much more difficult to gain the dominant statistics that many Tufts players have. That being said, they are still most likely the best offense in the NESCAC. 6 different Jumbos have multiple home runs and 6 of their starters are hitting at or well above .300. Elias Varinos ’20 leads the the team in hits with 45 and walks with 23. Casey Santos-Ocampo ’19 paces the team in dingers with 4 and freshman Peter DeMaria ’22 leads the NESCAC in doubles with 15. Tufts has no soft spots in their lineup and pitchers need to be mentally aware of that going in. You can’t feed a fastball to the 9 hitter because he can take you yard too. I’m yet to be convinced that anyone can truly outclass Tufts’ offense, so Midd will have to show us something special Friday.

Prediction: *Upset Alert* (W2) Midd beats (E1) Tufts

After Friday Predictions:

(2) Bates vs. (1) Tufts – Saturday @ 10:30am

In this game Tufts holds the clear advantage. They will be upset that they lost their initial game and take their anger out on an already down Bates team. Brent Greeley ’20 would most likely start the second game for the Jumbos and he has been solid this year, holding a 3-2 record and 2.99 ERA. Bates would send out Justin Foley ’19, who has a 6-2 record with a 3.59 ERA. These two did not match up head to head in the regular season but both recorded wins against each othersrespective club. In all reality, Tufts is the far more talented and experienced club and would be unlucky to win their first game and have no chance of letting the first two slip by when they’ve lost just 2 conference games all year.

Prediction: (E1) Tufts defeats (E2) Bates, (E2) Bates is eliminated

(1) Williams vs. (2) Middlebury – Saturday @ 2 PM

This matchup will likely feature Middlebury senior Colin Waters ’19 and Williams freshman Sam Rohrer ’22. Waters has the experience over the rookie Rohrer, but Waters has struggled this year while Rohrer has impressed many in his freshman campaign. Last time against Midd Rohrer went 7 strong innings and only gave up one run to get the win. Against Williams Waters went 6 innings and gave up 4 runs in a loss. Well the numbers and this years past tell us that Rohrer and Williams have the clear advantage, a playoff atmosphere and a underdog win against Tufts might propel Midd to championship Sunday.

Prediction: (W1) Williams defeats (W2) Middlebury

(1) Tufts vs. (2) Middlebury – Saturday 45 minutes after Williams vs. Midd

Tufts an Midd meet once again here in a rematch of the first round. This game is an elimination one so everything is one the line for both teams. This is where arm health and depth really comes into play. Midd likely will send freshman Alex Price ’22 to the mound here who has been lights out the last few weeks and is certainly a candidate for freshman of the year along with several of the Tufts first year hitters. Their conference leading ERA will be put to the test as will their waning arm health (Starter Michael Farinelli ’21 hasn’t pitched in weeks), however, they certainly are up to the task. For the Jumbos Hall could certainly appear but their bullpen is very deep, although not as talented as Midd’s, so they have lots of semi-qualified candidates. This game is an absolute free-for-all but I think the Jumbos have a winning tradition, mentality and expectation and will find a way to make the game theirs.

Prediction: (E1) Tufts defeats (W2) Midd – (W2) Midd eliminated

Championship Sunday:

(1) Williams (2-0) vs. (1) Tufts (2-1)

Game 6 @ 10:30 AM, Game 7 30 minutes after game 6 (if necessary)

In this championship scenario, Tufts will need to defeat Williams twice to take the crown while the Ephs just have to take one of the possible two games to be named NESCAC champions. One thing that Williams would have going for them is that they have played 1 less game than the Jumbos, saving important arms. Tufts’ bullpen will have already been overused at this point and one more game let alone two would take a huge toll. That being said, three games in three days is still a lot so while Williams will be in better shape they are not at 100% by any means. These two offenses are probably the best in the NESCAC and they will be facing some very tired pitching staffs. I would expect that Tufts would be able to get to Williams in the first game of the series, but they would have basically spent the lasts of their pitching. This would allow Williams to take the advantage in the final game of the playoffs an come out victorious.

Predicted Tournament Champ: Williams

And Then There Were Four: 5/4 Weekend Recap

Middlebury vs. Amherst

This three game series held high stakes in the NESCAC West, as both Midd and Amherst were tied at 5-4 in conference heading into the series. Whoever won this series was guaranteed a playoff spot, so the entire season was on the line for both teams. Friday was game one in which two California natives, Andrew Ferrero ’19 and Colby Morris ’19, took the mound for their respective teams. Midd was able to score and take the lead in the 3rd inning and then added on one more run each in the 5th and 7th innings. Morris was stifling Amherst batters and managed to keep them scoreless until the 8th, when Joseph Palmo ’21 mashed a three-run dinger to tie things up. The score remained 3-3 until the 10th inning when Midd doubled their total and scored 3 in the top half of the inning. Amherst was able to respond with a run in the bottom half but it was not enough and Midd was able to capture 1 of the 2 wins they needed to clinch the playoffs. In game two Amherst scored once in the 2nd inning and Midd quickly matched it in the 3rd. In the 4th inning Phil Bernstein ’19 singled in Alec Ritch ’22 and the score remained 2-1 Middlebury until the final out. With Midd taking the first two games, they clinched a playoff berth and the final game was just to help decide seeding. Game three was yet another close contest in what proved to be a thrilling series. The game was back and forth throughout with it being tied 5-5 going into the bottom of the 9th. After the first three hitters reached base, Seve Simeone ’20 ripped a single, allowing Amherst to capture the final game of the series and prevent Midd from snagging the #1 seed in the West. Next weekend Midd will travel to Colby for the NESCAC Tournament and face 1 seed in the East Tufts, while Amherst’s season is complete and the reigning champs will not have an opportunity to defend their title.

Williams vs. Wesleyan

Jack Bohen will look to continue his brilliant season into the NESCAC playoffs

The second of the NESCAC West series to occur this weekend took place between Williams and Wesleyan for each team’s final series of the year. Jack Bohen ’19 started game 1 for the Ephs and continued the dominance he has shown all year. He went 8 strong and gave the Cardinals no chance as he gave up no earned runs. The Eph bats were hot in game one as well; Eric Pappas ’21 had 3 RBI and Williams scored 6 runs to defeat Wesleyan by a final score of 6-1. Similar to Middlebury, going into the second day of the series Williams knew they needed just one win to guarantee playoffs. Despite this, Wesleyan came out very strong in game 2. Kelvin Sosa ’21 tossed a 7 inning CGSO, collecting 7 strikeouts and walking just 1. Johnny Lamont ’20 collected a 6 inning CG, but his 2 runs were too many for his offense to cover. Going into the final game both teams needed a win to have even a shot at playoffs, so this game was winner-take-all. Game three was extremely close as the teams were neck and neck throughout. Both teams staffed the game, using many pitchers in short spurts. They took turns trading blows, as Jonny Corning ’20 hit a two-run shot in the 4th to give the Cardinals the lead. The game was tied 3-3 going into the top of the 9th inning, when Eph prayers were answered with a Kellen Hatheway ’19 two-run bomb that ended up sending Williams right to the playoffs. Williams will be back in action next weekend in Waterville, ME, facing #2 seed in the East Bates. Wesleyan fell to Trinity 2-0 in their final game of the season on Monday.

Bates vs. Bowdoin

Brandon Lopez wrapped up a solid career against Bates over the weekend

Heading into this weekend Bates knew that just one win in their doubleheader against Bowdoin would send them to the playoffs, holding the head-to-head tiebreaker against Trinity. With this information in mind, Bates did not hesitate to get the job done as they came out firing in the first game of this Saturday doubleheader. Justin Foley ’19 was fantastic for the Bobcats, tossing a complete game shutout and allowing just 6 baserunners – earning NESCAC Pitcher of the Week honors in the process. Brandon Lopez ’19 was less impressive for Bowdoin, allowing 6 runs in his 6 innings. Christian Beal ’21 paced the Bobcats offensively, going 4-4 with 2 RBI, while Jon Lindgren ’20 added on by going 3-4. Catcher Jack Arend ’20 drew 3 walks, bringing his season total to a league-leading 33. All in all, Bates captured game one with ease and therefore their playoff berth. Despite this, the Bobcats continued to pounce on Bowdoin in game 2. Nolan Collins ’20 concluded his terrific regular season with a 5-inning, 4-hit, 1-run effort, earning the win on the mound. As a team Bates collected 14 hits and 11 RBIs in game 2, bringing home a decisive 11-1 victory. Bowdoin finished out their year with a non-conference win on Sunday while Bates takes on #1 seed in the West Williams next weekend.

Tufts vs. Colby

While Tufts entered the weekend knowing that they had already clinched a playoff spot, they ended up needing one victory against Colby to clinch the #1 seed, and they decided to tack on one more for good measure. RJ Hall ’19 threw a complete game, giving up just one run in the first game of the doubleheader. Six different Jumbos collected RBIs in the game, highlighted by a 2-4 day including a single and a home run from Harrison Frickman ’19, as Tufts took the game easily, 10-1. In game two the foot wasn’t really let off the gas as Tufts held Colby to just 2 runs behind Aidan Tucker ’22 providing 8 innings, allowing just 1 run and striking out 4. Brandon Bay ’21 and Will Shackelford ’19 combined for 5 RBIs for the Jumbos as game 2 was taken by a score of 7-2. While the Colby Mules will not be back in action this season, their field will be. Tufts will be one of the 4 NESCAC teams traveling to Waterville this weekend for the NESCAC Baseball Championships. They’ll start by facing 2 seed in the West Middlebury on Friday.

Rain or Shine: Baseball Weekend Preview 4/26

NESCAC Baseball Weekend Preview

Despite horrible weather forecasts throughout the entire northeast, it looks like the NESCAC teams will do everything they can to get these games in. Teams playing on turf will likely just grit it out and the other matchups will require lots of help from the baseball gods to get played through.

Tufts (21-6, 6-1 NESCAC) @ Trinity (24-5, 7-2 NESCAC)

Koperniak has top 3 NESCAC talent…can he bring the Bantams back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016?

This weekend the two big boys of the NESCAC East, Tufts and Trinity, are going head-to-head in a series that will likely determine the playoff seeding in the east. Trinity did not play any conference games last weekend, though they did face two NESCAC West teams in Amherst and Hamilton. The Bantams were able to take care of both of these teams as they swept a Saturday doubleheader from Hamilton and then took a mid-week game from Amherst by a score of 10-5. Trinity should have a wave of momentum going into this series, as they have won 10 of their last 11 games and they are 12-1 at home this season. Matt Koperniak ’20 continues to impress, pacing the team in batting average (.374), hits (46), home runs (4), doubles (10), triples (3) and slugging percentage (.602). It is safe to say that Koperniak is Trinity’s dude and is certainly a candidate for POY. For Tufts the narrative is quite similar, an impressive ballclub who has been beating up on their opponents for the majority of the season. While their play last weekend was cut short due to weather, the Jumbos were still able to pick up another NESCAC win at Colby. That marks their 4th straight NESCAC win, and 6th win out of 7. Nearly every time the Jumbos put out a lineup card, you can find 7 or 8 guys hitting over .300, with several of them well eclipsing this mark. They are a dangerous offense that is backed by quality arms such as Brent Greeley ’20 and RJ Hall ’19. This matchup has no clear favorite, which is something that we don’t often see in the NESCAC East so let’s take the opportunity to enjoy it.

Prediction: Trinity takes 2 of 3

Williams (18-7, 3-3 NESCAC) @ Hamilton (14-14, 4-5 NESCAC)

This series is one of two this weekend that will help to determine the fate of the gridlocked NESCAC West. Currently all five teams sit within two game of each other, Hamilton and Amherst having played 9 games and the other three having played six. Therefore this will be Hamilton final NESCAC series this weekend and anything but a positive result will likely see the Continentals staying in the cellar and out of the playoffs. One thing that Hamilton does have going for them is their home field advantage. At home Hamilton is 7-2 while at other sites they are a combined 7-12. The Continentals seem to be much more comfortable on their home turf and they will need to use that to their advantage this weekend. A positive result from this series is also needed for Williams if they wish to continue their playoff hopes. Next weekend Williams faces Wesleyan, who will be a considerably tougher opponent than Hamilton. Williams will need to secure a positive record now because putting all of their eggs on taking down Wesleyan is not a strategy for success. With all of the implications of this series, I expect that these games have a strong possibility of coming down to the wire. This series will be close, it can be a run or two that determine a game and it can be just one game that decides whether or not you go to the playoffs.

Prediction: Hamilton takes 2 of 3

Wesleyan (13-13, 3-3 NESCAC) @ Middlebury (18-8, 3-3 NESCAC)

Can Brooks Carroll’s defense save the day for the Panthers in a huge weekend?

This series in the second one which will heavily impact the future of the NESCAC West. Midd and Wesleyan are two of the three teams in the west which are tied with a 3-3 record, half a game back of Amherst for the #1 seed. If Middlebury is able to win this series, they will either be tied with or be a game up on Amherst for first place. This is especially important for the Panthers because they play Amherst in the final series of the year, so if they are tied with or beating them it will leave Midd’s fate in their own hand. Similarly, Wesleyan faces Williams next weekend, the other 3-3 team in the West. A win in this series is equally as crucial for the Cardinals as a loss in this series and a Williams win in their series over Hamilton could make it nearly impossible for Wesleyan to make the playoffs. Middlebury has been plagued by close games this season, losing both of their games to Williams by one run as well as having 3 of their other 6 losses on the season be by one run. The Midd staff should be more than able to keep their team in the game, it can just be a question of whether the offense or defensive play is going to give out. Another thing to note for Midd is that in nearly all of their close losses, they have both committed more errors than their opponent and those errors lead to unearned runs that changed the outcome of the game. Solid defensive play is the key for the Panthers this weekend and if they can maintain that they should be the favorites to win of their home field.

Prediction: Midd takes 2 of 3

Bates (14-13, 4-3 NESCAC) vs. Colby (9-13, 0-7 NESCAC)

If Nolan Collins rolls, so do the Bobcats…They need a sweep this weekend and Collins should be able to get it done in game 1.

For Colby, they are just trying to improve for next season at this point as they develop their younger players and gain experience with their new coach. Colby is not as bad as their conference record shows–they have five starters hitting north of .290 and another four hitting above .470 SLG%. They have had inconsistent pitching, however, and have used five different starers extensively and need to get a big game out of Frank Driscoll ’21, Emery Dinsmore ’20, or Patrick Carbone ’21 to have a shot. For Bates, Nolan Collins ’20 has been electric all season with one poor start against Tufts. While he has allowed a high number of hits at about one per inning, his swing and miss pitches are likely to stifle Mule hitters. Bates is still looking for a third starter, however, and while Justin Foley ’19 has been serviceable at times as a #2, they need to be better to have a chance to sweep Colby. Look for Jack Arend ’20 and Christian Beal ’21 to have big weekends at the plate, leading the Bobcat offense.

Editor’s Note: Spencer seems to think that there’s no way that this series gets played, but I simply see no way that the Maine teams let the weather dictate their schedule. With two games to make up next weekend each, Bates and Colby simply must play these games. The outcome is simply: If Bates sweeps Bowdoin and Colby, they might get in, but if they falter, they are likely out of it.

Prediction: Bates takes 2 of 3

Rain or Shine; 4/19 Weekend Preview

This weekend is a mess with bad weather, postponing both series’ in the west and effectively ending any players’ chances at an All-American bid due to such a limited amount of weekends with games this year. But–weather is what it is and we are used to it in the Northeast; Here is the preview for the East division teams that are still planning to suit up despite the impending downpour.

Bowdoin (5-17-1, 3-6) vs. Bates (11-11, 3-3)
Friday at Bates
Saturday at Bowdoin

Bates was impressive in their last NESCAC matchup two weekends ago against Trinity, winning the series 2 games out of 3. Strong performances from Nolan Collins ’20, who went 8+ innings for Bates in game 1, and Antonio Jareno ’22, who collected 6 hits including 2 doubles and a home run, helped fuel the Bobcat’s fire. After taking care of Trinity, Bates proceeded to split a Saturday, non-conference doubleheader against Wesleyan. Collins was once again impressive, earning another win. Bates picked up win number 11 to even themselves up at .500 against Dean and will look to continue to trend positively in their rivalry series against Bowdoin. It was a tough weekend for Bowdoin as the high of their sweep of Colby was turned on its head as their were handed a sweep themselves from Tufts. The first two games were one-run games but game three was an absolute blowout, 16-0. Mid-week looked a lot less rough as the Polar Bears earned their 4th and 5th wins of the season against UMaine Farmington and Husson. Bates certainly has the talent advantage here but as we know, that doesn’t always get it done. Rivalry games are never a sure thing.

Prediction: Bates wins 2 of 3

POSTPONED: Wesleyan (11-13, 3-3) vs Williams (16-7, 3-3)
Friday at Williams
Saturday at Wesleyan

Williams will roll into Connecticut this weekend looking to gain an edge on Wesleyan as the playoff race in the NESCAC West is close as ever. Williams was impressive last week, winning two of three from a Middlebury team that recently dropped 15 runs in a win over Dartmouth. Sam Rohrer ’22 battled it out with reigning POY Colby Morris ’19 in game one and was able to take home the win as the Williams defense proved more formidable than Midd’s. Game two was a blowout 10-0 loss for the Ephs but a rally in the 10th inning and a Mike Stamas ’20 double saw Williams walk off victorious. Mid-week left some to be desired, two losses to Skidmore and Southern Vermont. Now is the time where playoff seeding really starts to shake out so Williams will need to come into the series this weekend with some fire. For Wesleyan it is time to defend home turf. They did not participate in official NESCAC play last weekend but in their non-conference games they went 2-2. With three teams tied at 3-3 in the West going into the weekend, and Middlebury’s midweek explosion, it is very possible that the loser of this series will not be able to come back and reach the playoffs. It is do or die time in the West and it’s all about who wants it more.

Prediction: Williams wins 2 of 3

Tufts (19-5, 5-1) @ Colby (8-12, 0-6)

Tufts has been absolutely rolling lately, and it is showing in the polls as they are creeping closer and closer to returning to the top-25 as the weeks and series continue. A clean sweep of Bowdoin puts them at a 5-1 NESCAC East record, making them the #1 seed heading into the weekend. A large part of Tufts’ success is due to their hot bats. As a team they are swinging at a .326 clip and are reaching base in a little less than 50% of plate appearances. Elias Varinos ’20 is unstoppable at the plate this season, hitting .422 and a .526 OBP, 3rd and 5th ranked in the conference respectively. Tufts should have absolutely no problem taking care of a team like Colby. Unfortunately for the Mules the search for their first NESCAC win will probably not end this weekend as Tufts has the advantage over them in almost every capacity. Colby kept it close last weekend in a few games but still managed to get swept for the second straight weekend, effectively removing them from playoff contention. It is clearly still rebuilding time for the Mules who have a head coach in his first season and a young roster. While they may not have much success at all this year, especially in this series, improvement is imminent.

Prediction: Tufts sweep

POSTPONED: Midd @ Amherst (Rescheduled to May 3-4)

Can the Big Dawgs Take Care of Business? NESCAC Weekend Preview April 12-13

NESCAC Weekend Preview April 11

Bowdoin (3-14-1, 3-3 NESCAC) @ Tufts (15-5, 2-1 NESCAC)

The Jumbo pitching staff faltered against Midd last weekend–can they turn it around against Bowdoin?

Tufts had an off weekend last weekend so there was no NESCAC play for them. Although they did not participate in an official conference game, they were still busy with non-conference matchups against Salem State, MIT, Midd, Keene State and Roger Williams. Tufts was knockout against Salem State and MIT, scoring a combined 40 runs in the two games. Next they split two games against Midd in what could be a possible championship preview. Their final two games were a split as well, taking a close one from Keene State and losing to Roger Williams. Overall Tufts has played well this season but not outstanding has we have seen from them in the past. Bowdoin looks to put Tufts to the test after pulling off their shocking first three wins of the season in a sweep of in-state rival Colby. Two of the three games were absolute blowouts and in all three wins the Polar Bears combined to score 26 runs while giving up just 5. While this is certainly exciting for the Bowdoin program, the score lines may attest more to Colby’s woes than Bowdoin’s talents.

Prediction: Tufts clean sweep

Colby (6-9, 0-3 NESCAC) @ Trinity (16-4, 4-2 NESCAC)

Trinity rolled into Lewiston last weekend confident that they could win another series and advance their championship goals, but the Bobcats had other ideas in mind. Trinity dropped two of the three games and while their NESCAC record is still good, it could have been much better. After the weekend, Trinity had a non-conference matchup against Williams which they once again won narrowly, on a walk-off in fact. Trinity had been skidding by recently but a change of pace in opponent may be exactly what they need to relight the fire. Colby’s fire was extinguished last weekend in what was a fairly embarrassing sweep that was given to a rival who was previously winless. To give a team their three first wins in a row during conference play is a brutal scenario but that is what the Mules have in front of them. An injury to shortstop Andrew Russell certainly did not help the Mules’ chances, but they were far less than satisfactory both offensively and defensively. Trinity will be a much stronger opponent than Bowdoin was so the Mules will have to adjust quickly in order to survive.

Prediction: Trinity clean sweep

Amherst (12-7, 3-3 NESCAC) @ Hamilton (11-9, 3-3 NESCAC)

Matt Zaffino and the Conts are out to shock the world…They take on Amherst in their third consecutive series this weekend and need to win the series to remain alive.

The NESCAC West is still absolutely the wild, wild west and Amherst and Hamilton are right in the thick of it. Amherst has won 6 of their last 7 games heading into this series, including a NESCAC series win over Williams. The Mammoths have found ways to edge out their opponents and as a result have had great success. If they can continue their hot hitting streak and pitching stays in line, they have more than a chance of making it into the conference tourney and making a splash. Hamilton has been similarly impressive, as was shown in their two wins over Wesleyan, who was picked by many to win the NESCAC this season. The Continentals have rode their strong pitching staff and key offensive leaders to their point. In order to break their ceiling they will need their roleplayers to step up and beat expectations.

Prediction: Amherst takes 2 of 3

Middlebury (13-6, 2-1 NESCAC) @ Williams (14-4, 1-2 NESCAC)

Michael Farinelli has come out of nowhere for the Panthers this season; Williams’ hitters have been hot up to this point–something’s gotta give this weekend.

While Midd does stand atop the NESCAC West and Williams sits in the cellar, they are only separated by 2 games. Midd did not participate in NESCAC play last weekend but they did win 3 of their 4 non-conference games, including a win over Tufts. Ace Colby Morris has been holding it down for the Panthers, looking to recapture his Pitcher of the Year title. Midd has been impressive offensively, hitting just under .300 as a team. While this is a good average, teams such as Tufts and Trinity will be able to outslug them with ease. Williams was somewhat disappointing coming into NESCAC play after an impressive preseason. They lost two of three games to Amherst before exploding for 14 runs in the final game of the series. Since then Williams has lost one close game to Trinity and earned a decisive victory over Vassar. I think Williams still has more in the tank to show us and we shouldn’t start sleeping on them quite yet.

Prediction: Midd takes 2 of 3