Schools – Page 19 – Nothing But NESCAC

One Strong Leader, One Strong Goal: Wesleyan University Season Preview

2017 record: 6-3

Gotta love this atmosphere, and the Cardinals are going to bring it in Middletown.

NBN 2018 projected record: 7-2

Projected offensive starters (*5 returning):

QB: Mark Piccirillo ‘19*

RB: Sean Penney ‘21

WR: Evan Hull ‘19

WR: Hallvard Lundevall ‘20

TE: Ryan Earle ‘19*

OL: Bryce Jenkins ‘21

C: Joe Wilson ’19*

RG: Jacob Edlebeck ‘21

LT: Ryan Schutta ’20*

RT: Terence Norton ‘19*

Projected defensive starters (*6 returning):

DB: Ben Thaw ‘20*

DB: Eli Blair-May ‘20

S: AJ Lanton ’22

S: Pat Leone

LB: Brandon Morris ‘19*

LB: Will Kearney ‘20

LB: Malcolm Fox ’21

DL: Jude Lindberg ‘19*

DL: Taj Gooden ‘21*

DL: Grant Williams ‘19*

DL Bobby Nevin ‘19*

Projected special teams starters (*2 returning):

K: Pat Wolfe ‘21*

P: Sam Han ‘20*

Offensive MVP:

Mark Piccirillo ‘19

If you study the most successful college quarterbacks from the past decade, who do you have on your list? I have Tim Tebow, Baker Mayfield, Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, Marcus Mariota, and Lamar Jackson just to name a few. What do all these quarterbacks have in common? They’re all incredible athletes who ran option plays in college. After Eagles coach Doug Pederson introduced the world to the run-pass option (RPO) last season, RPO has established itself as common lingo. Mark Piccirillo, Wesleyan quarterback, has been running one of the most successful offenses in the NESCAC for the past three seasons. Even though he doesn’t amaze spectators with size, he makes up for it will intelligent reads. The offense is run fast, which is predicated on great conditioning and understanding what the defense is giving you. Piccirillo led the league in both yards per game and touchdowns; however, he threw ten interceptions. With a touchdown to interception ratio of two to one, Piccirillo slipped behind the likes of Sonny Puzzo (Trinity) and Jared Lebowitz (Middlebury) in that statistical category. As his offensive counterparts become more comfortable with Piccirillo, the turnovers will likely be cut down. Piccirillo’s meager 8.0 yards per attempt shows that the offense is comfortable taking what the defense gives them. Exploiting linebacker on slot receiver matchups underneath and in the flat is a major reason for all of Piccirillo’s passing yards a season ago. Piccirillo noted the following about his mental state entering his final season at Wesleyan: “I’d say personally to prepare for this season I’ll be watching a lot of film on opponents early into game weeks to really get enough mental reps on what I have to do and go into practices with the mindset that every day is game day. Also just really get a lot of reps with my receivers every day to have the chemistry to make plays on Saturdays. And the number one thing is playing with high confidence every place. This year I see our team going out on game days with a lot of energy flying around and being positive. I love what I see from the younger guys on the team that’ll have a big impact on bettering the team.”

Piccirillo is a front runner for NESCAC POY in 2018

Piccirillo’s mental state is what you want in a quarterback and leader. So much of sports is failing, moving on, and responding in a positive way. Piccirillo’s interceptions last year is a source of losing confidence. As a leader, nevertheless, he seems to have taken charge of the offense. One of the most important pieces of Wesleyan’s offense graduated last year. Wide receiver Mike Breuler invigorated fans with his flying catches in traffic and overall dependability. Breuler had a phenomenal junior campaign, leading the team in catches, yards, and receiving touchdowns, and earning first team all NESCAC honors. The wideout ended his senior year by earning NESCAC offensive player of the year, breaking Wesleyan and NESCAC single season records in yards and catches, and finished second in the country in yards per reception and third in total yards per game. It’s clear that losing Piccirillo’s top target from the past few years will hurt Wesleyan’s offense. The question for Coach DiCenzo and the coaches is who is going to fill Breuler’s void. There won’t be one guy who can possess the chemistry that Breuler and Piccirillo shared. It’s going to take multiple players to fill Breuler’s shoes. Joe Scancarella is a sophomore receiver to watch this year. He doesn’t have the size that Breuler has, but he great hands. He made an impact as a freshman with one touchdown. He’s quick, and is a matchup nightmare for bigger, slower linebackers.

Defensive MVP:

Brandon Morris ‘19

Wesleyan is returning some core pieces on defense. Senior linebacker Brandon Morris led the NESCAC in tackles per game. Defensive linemen Taj Gooden and Jude Lindberg return as well to an interior presence, which will wreak havoc for opponent offensive linemen. Besides Wesleyan’s loss of Breuler, play on the road has to be another point of concern. A perfect record at home coupled with a sub five hundred record on the road is something the Cards will desperately look to correct. Whether it’s mental or physical, the Cards will travel to play Tufts and Williams on the road, both hostile environments. Wesleyan dominated the time of possession, leading the league. As John Madden would say, without the ball, it’s hard for the team to score points. Wesleyan has to continue to emphasize winning the time of possession this season if they want to succeed. I think that Mark Piccirillo will be the ultimate difference maker for the Cards. He will bring them over the top to bring them a NESCAC championship.

Biggest game: 9/15 vs Middlebury:

The first game of the season is Wesleyan’s biggest. Middlebury beat them last year, so a 1-0 record to start the season is a necessity to win a NESCAC crown. Wesleyan isn’t such a young team anymore with Morris and Piccirillo leading the team. Wesleyan can prove to the league with an opening day win that they’ll here for the long haul.

Best tweet: https://twitter.com/GKessFilms/status/1035619516498288640

A fly messing with Picc! Wow.

Everything else:

Who else is looking forward to seeing this glorious field next Saturday?

As the dog days of training camp come to an end, and the strange combination of jubilation for another year of a college social life and fear of problem sets, exams, and papers churns in our stomachs, we have to remember what we’ve waited for since February: football. NESCAC football fans have waited even longer, however, too see their alma mater on the gridiron. There are many question marks that come to my mind as both a writer and a fan when considering how teams will perform this season: will there be two poles like last year with Trinity, Middlebury, and Amherst at the top, while Colby and Bowdoin rounded out the bottom? Will young teams like Wesleyan, Williams, and Tufts dethrone Trin at the top? Wesleyan, Williams, and Tufts all showed promise last season, but only one team is returning a four year playmaking starter at the quarterback position. Only one team was second in the entire conference, behind Middlebury, in total offense; only one of those teams had a 65% touchdown efficiency in the red zone, ranking second in the league behind Trinity. The team that I keep referring to, and will make the leap from a successful 6-3 2017 season to an outstanding 8-1 2018 (one more win than Colby and Cam gave these boys) is the Wesleyan Cardinals.

The Stampede is Gonna Hunt You Down: Amherst College Season Preview

Amherst has an easy opening schedule and should be ready to go by the time they face a powerhouse opponent.

2017 Record: 7-2

Projected Record: 8-1

Projected offensive starters (*7 returning)

QB – Oliver Eberth ’20*

RB – Jack Hickey ’19*

WR — Will Kelsch ‘19

WR – Bo Berluti ‘19*

WR – James O’Reagan ‘20*

TE — Harry Boeschenstein ‘20

C – Dan Papa ’20*

LG – Jack Tyrell ’19*

LT – Brendan Coleman ’20*

RG – Jack Griffiths ’19

RT – Nick DiPrinzio ’22

Projected defensive starters (*11 returning)

CB – Nate Tyrell ’19*

CB – Avery Saffold ’20*

DB– John Rak ’19*

DB— John Ballard ’20*

LB – Jack Barrett ’19*

LB – John Callahan ’19*

LB —Andrew Sommer ’19*

DE/LB – Andrew Yamin ’19*

DL – Greg Franklin ’20*

DL – Matt Albino ’21*

DL – Blaine Fox ’20*

Projected specialists (*2 returning)

PK – John Rak ’19*/Andrew Ferrero ’19

P – Henry Atkeson ’20*

KR/PR – Avery Saffold ’20/Trey Jarmon ‘20

I wouldn’t want to face this team, I’m sure some other NESCAC foes feel the same way.

Offensive MVP:

RB Jack Hickey ‘19

Hickey will look to make a name for himself this season as the best tailback in the NESCAC. Max Chipouras has held the title the last few seasons, but Hickey has been hot on his tail. The Mammoths should hold possessions longer than the Bantams this year with a better QB, and Hickey’s strong O-line anchored by Dan Papa, Jack Tyrell, and Brendan Coleman should open up holes for him to run in. He averaged a ridiculous 6 yards per carry and totaled 640 yards on the ground and nine TDs. He split carries with Hasani Figueroa last year, limiting his overall touches, but since Figueroa is out of the picture, Hickey could figure to handle a bigger workload and surpass Chipouras as the NESCAC lead rusher.

Defensive MVP:

DE/LB Andrew Yamin ’19

As Amherst switches between the 3-4 and 4-3 defense, Yamin switches between defensive end and linebacker, called the buck position. He was one of many reasons why Amherst had the best defense in the league in 2017 and should likely hold that title in 2018. They are masters at stopping the run game and Yamin’s versatility should really shine through in his final campaign as he looks to best his All-NESCAC and All-New England season with 54 tackles, 13.5 sacks and take the Mammoths back to the promise land. There is a statistical discrepancy, however, as Herosports posted that he only had 12.5 sacks, but regardless, he is any NESCAC QB’s worst nightmare.

Regardless of how many sacks he had in 2017, Yamin will terrorize opponent QBs this season.

Biggest Game: November 3rd @ Trinity

Amherst needs to take this one from the Bantams, and if everything I’ve said before this point is correct, they should beat them with some attitude. Assuming all else goes to their plan, this game could be an explanation point in a dominant season and it would show that Amherst hasn’t just come to win, they’ve come to embarrass the conference in 2018. Watch out chickens, it’s time to get plucked.

Best Tweet:

https://twitter.com/AmherstCollFB/status/1036300487295942656

I don’t know how you could best a video of an offensive lineman catching a punt, so there’s no need to try. Amherst has some inspiring material on their twitter that really got my blood pumping for football, but Dan Papa couldn’t have looked more graceful on this reception and if he ever got back there during a game, I think I’d lose it.

Everything Else:

Ollie Eberth did a remarkable job in his first campaign as a starter last season, pushing former NESCAC POY Reece Foy mostly out of the picture. He did a great job of finding his two favorite targets in Bo Berluti and James O’Reagan and should continue to do so this year with a receiving corps falling second only to Middlebury. Amherst has the most balanced offensive attack of any team with both ground and air games that should rank among the league’s best, making them particularly difficult to defend.

Eberth should continue the success he put up in 2017.

Amherst’s team really looks scary to opponents on the defensive side. Last season they ranked second with 103.6 yards per game allowed on the ground and have many returners for the new season. Nate Tyrell and All-NESCAC CB Avery Saffold should anchor the secondary which is just another strong point in a loaded team that ranked #1 in the conference with just 168 passing yards/game allowed. K/DB John Rak and John Ballard should each improve on their past seasons and limit most of the NESCAC receivers. The Amherst red zone defense was their only weak point last season, allowing the fourth most total point at 19.2 per contest but allowing the fewest yards. That trend might change though as Jack Barrett, John Callahan, and Andrew Sommer will return in the linebacking core and Greg Franklin, Matt Albino, and Blaine Fox will set up on the D-line. Amherst has a ton of returning talent and looks like the strongest all around team on paper with Wesleyan right with them. Amherst will be one of the favorites to bring home the NESCAC crown and barring injuries and breakout players from other teams, I wouldn’t be surprised if they secured it.

Don’t Cross the Line: Middlebury Football Preview

Don’t Cross the Line: Middlebury Football Preview 2018

Middlebury has a tough opening game that will set the tone for their season.

2017 Record: 7-2

Projected Record: 6-3

Projected offensive starters (*8 returning)

QB – Jack Merservy ‘19

RB – Peter Scibilia ‘21*

WR – Conrado Banky ’19*

WR – Jimmy Martinez ’19*

WR – Maxim Bochman ’20

TE — Frankie Cosolito ’20*

RT – Kevin Woodring ’20*

LG – Jack Purcell ‘20

LT – Andrew Rogan ’19*

RG – Parker Ferguson ’19*

C – Connor Roche ’19*

Projected defensive starters (*7 returning)

CB –Matthew Daniel ‘19*

CB – Bobby Ritter ’19*

S – Jordan Delerme-Brown ’20*

S– Kevin Hartley ’20

LB – Michael Joncich ’19

LB – Clay Hunt ’19*

LB —Kevin Maxwell ’19*

DL – Alex Norton ’20

DL –Emo Schiappa ’22

DL – Marty Williams ’20*

DE — Ian Blow ’19*

Projected specialists (*2 returning)

PK – Carter Massengill ’20*

P – Maxwell Rye ’20*

KR/PR – Conrado Banky ’19/Jimmy Martinez ’19

Offensive MVP:

RT Kevin Woodring ‘20

The returning 1st-Team All-NESCAC right tackle is going to bring the heat against opposing D-lines all season long. ‘Woody’ gets left on an island and lines up alone against a D-End and is going to have an even more important role in the new season in protecting an unexperienced QB and RB combo. Jack Merservy is a sniper from the pocket but not the most mobile of passers, meaning he will need all the time his line can give him. Adding to the importance of this task is the retirement of RB Diego Meritus who was out for most of last year and a heap of inexperienced runners who need to make a name for themselves. This RB group includes Charlie Ferguson, Wyllis McKissick, and Peter Scibilia, and the offensive line is the most important layer of the Middlebury offense.

It’s hard to let these clean uniforms speak for themselves as the players look painfully awkward waiting on photo day. I won’t read too much into this, but cmon, guys.

Defensive MVP:

LB Kevin Maxwell ’19

After losing both John Jackson and Wes Becton, the two strongest linebackers on the Middlebury defense from a season ago, both Kevin Maxwell and Clay Hunt will need to step up their game in 2018. After tallying 66 total tackles, these two, but especially the more productive Maxwell will need to try to match the numbers of the two all NESCAC defenders. The Middlebury secondary is always strong but in the big games against Amherst and Trinity who have stellar ground attacks, Maxwell will be put in a make or break position.

Biggest Game: Saturday Sepember 15th @ Wesleyan

After narrowly beating the Cardinals a season ago 30-27, Middlebury will be in a different position this season as the underdog headed into the matchup. The Cardinals have a stronger lineup on paper with the potential NESCAC POY in Mark Picirillo. Wesleyan is our pick to win the NESCAC and in order to prove that Midd is still a contender, they are going to need to show up in week one in Middletown.

Best Tweet:

Middlebury doesn’t bring a whole lot of electricity in their twitter game, but this picture of Coach Ritter in the blue and white really gets me going. I would go to war for this guy who’s been going to war for Midd since 1978.

https://twitter.com/MiddFootball/status/1031564197820342272

Everything Else:

Along with Kevin Woodring, C Connor Roche, LT Andrew Rogan, and RG Parker Ferguson will push back against other NESCAC foes with him and should be one of the steadiest units in the conference. The last guard position will be decided between veterans Chris Taylor, Ian Arthur, and Jack Purcell, all bringing some heat in their own right. In addition to this line, the receivers are the strongest part of the Panther squad. Conrado Banky, Jimmy Martinez, and Maxim Bochman are all primed to have impact seasons as one of the speediest and talented groups we have sen in recent years. Frankie Cosolito should add even more depth to this position as one of the top tight ends in the NESCAC, bringing a more physical presence than the other members of the receiving corps. Although the tailback position is a bit of a question mark after modest seasons from Charlie Ferguson ’21 and Peter Scibilia ’21 . The duo should offer a reasonable attack for a pass heavy offense.

Fall at Middlebury means football and the Panthers are ready to bring it.

DE Alex Norton, DE Ian Blow, and DT Marty Williams should anchor the D-line who allowed the sixth most rush yards at 152 yards per game on the ground, but led the conference in sacks at 31 last year. A first year player will replace Ibby Nasir who is out for the season with injury, a big blow in training camp to the defense. Bobby Ritter, Matthew Daniel, and Jordan Delerme-Brown will make up the secondary for the Panthers this year and will do their best to replace Kevin Hopsicker who was an All-NESCAC honoree last year. Delerme-Brown is the most athletic of the group and should take a step up from 2017 after posting a season with 11 tackles and nine assists. Both P Max Rye and K Carter Massengill return after executing some clutch field goals last season. Banky and Martinez should return kicks for the Panthers and represent a real threat on special teams as two of the most speedy athletes in the conference. While Midd doesn’t have quite the impressive signal caller in Jared Lebowitz as it did last season, Merservy should compete well enough to give them a shot. They should stay in the upper tier of the NESCAC but will be in some tight games against the traditional league powerhouses and will need to show that their linebackers and run game can balance out the stronger parts of their game.

Up Tempo: Bates Football Preview 2018

(Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

Up Tempo: Bates Football Preview 2018

2017 Record: 2-7

Projected Record: 3-6

Projected offensive starters (*8 returning)

QB – Brendan Costa ’21*

RB – Jaason Lopez ’21*

RB – Peter Boyer ’19*

WR – Marcus Ross ’19*

WR – Ty Baum ’19*

WR – Derek Marino ’22

C – Jack O’Brien ’20*

LG – Dan Marino ’19*

LT – Phil Simplicio ’20

RG – Marty Guinee ’19*

RT – Yanni Falaras ’19

Projected defensive starters (*8 returning)

CB – Coy Candelario ’19*

CB – Kevin Claflin ’19*

DB – Joe Frake ‘19*

DB – Devin Clyburn ’21

DB – Jon Lindgren ’20*

LB – Bobby Dee ’19*

LB – Connor Suraci ’20

LB – Chase Fulton ’19*

DL – Calvin Johnstone ’19

DL – Walter Washington ’18*

DL – Connor DeSantis ’19*

Projected specialists (*1 returning)

PK – Karim Darwiche ’21

P – Justin Foley ’19*

KR/PR – Christian Sanfilippo ’21/Jon Lindgren ’20

Offensive MVP: Quarterback Brendan Costa ’21

(Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

Costa is going to be the biggest make-or-break player for the Bobcats this season. He finished his freshman season as the NESCAC’s 2nd leading rusher, trailing only 3-time All NESCAC honoree Max Chipouras of Trinity. He can definitely run, but with Bates switching to the “Air Raid” offense this season we’ll find out if he can throw. In 2017 he threw for the fewest yards per game of any starter – although they ran the triple option, which certainly does not lend itself to throwing the ball. However, he also completed only 47.8% of his passes, last among starters in the conference. We know that Costa can do damage with his legs, but he’ll have to prove that he can use his arm if the Bobcats want to snatch a few more wins this season.

Defensive MVP: Safety Jon Lindgren ’20

(Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

This kid was the biggest 2017 All-NESCAC snub and I’ll tell you why: he compiled 75 tackles last season, good for 7th in the conference. I know, it’s not good when your safety is leading the team in tackles. But 75? That’s legit. Now you’re probably thinking, “Oh, well if he had that many tackles then he must not be very good in coverage right?” Wrong. Lindgren led the NESCAC with 12 pass break ups. I will admit that he didn’t have any interceptions but come on, how are you going to hold it against him that he has bad hands? He’s playing safety for a reason. Anyways, the point is that Lindgren is a stud with outstanding defensive instincts and a knack for finding the play. He’s ready to lead a defense that returns the majority of its starters and will have to do more than they have in recent years to keep the Bobcats in games. Stay tuned to see if he learned how to catch over the summer.

Biggest Game: November 10th vs. Hamilton

Normally I’d pick one of the CBB games as the biggest game of the year, but the Bobcats have had no trouble in recent years securing that trophy. The biggest struggle as of late has been the season’s final game against the Continentals. Hamilton has been stuck between the top tier of the conference and the three Maine schools, always able to snag that last win against Bates to stay one spot ahead in the standings. This year the Bobcat offense will need to step it up, as they have only been able to score 21 points against the Hamilton defense in the past 3 years combined. That’s not good. Circle this one on your calendar, folks.

Best Tweet:

https://twitter.com/Coachcap77/status/1034816725299224581

If you don’t follow Coach Capone on Twitter, I highly recommend it. He has absolutely mastered how to use this app and is taking full advantage of that fact. If there was ever a football team who definitely feels the JUICE, it’s the Bates College Bobcats. This tweet gets me FIRED UP for a (mostly) new coaching staff, a new offense, and a new season. Stay hot, Coach Capone.

Everything Else:

Out with the old, in with the new. Bates welcomes Malik Hall as the 20th head coach in program history. With him he brings new offensive coordinator Custavious Patterson and a new-look offense that probably shouldn’t be new-look because it’s what literally everyone else does, but is still very exciting for Bobcat fans. This will surely make games light-years more fun to watch, and will hopefully start putting up big numbers on the scoreboard. Brendan Costa ’21 is in position to have a huge season, as he’ll work to get on the same page as his wide receiving corps. They’ll return running back Jaason Lopez ’21 who played well in somewhat limited time last season, also catching a number of passes out of the slot. Freshman Derek Marino (younger brother of senior offensive lineman Dan Marino) has a chance to make a big impact at wide receiver in his rookie season. The defense returns top defensive backs Jon Lindgren ’20, Coy Candelario ’19, and Joe Frake ’19 who saw a ton of action last season. Chase Fulton ’19, Bobby Dee ’19, Pete Daley ’19, and Connor Suraci ’20 will anchor a solid group of linebackers who also have a lot of experience.

Coach Hall comes from the University of Pennsylvania where he served as the team’s defensive line coach (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

If the Bates offense can have a better year (and it looks as though they can), then the defense will get some valuable rest and will likely see some improvement given how many of their starters are returning. The coaching change has brought some very positive energy to the boys from Lewiston who really needed it. The Bobcats led Wesleyan at halftime last season, and have played Hamilton and Tufts close in recent years. They’re in striking distance of teams just ahead of them and it looks things seem to be going well (if Coach Capone’s reports are true). This could be the year that they finally make a leap and steal a few more wins.

Appleton Bound? Amherst NCAA Baseball Regional Preview

Auburn Regional (New York Region) – Hosted by #9 Cortland

After earning the NESCAC automatic NCAA tournament bid, preventing Tufts from collecting their third straight conference title, the Amherst Mammoths will venture down to Falcon Park in Auburn, New York. Falcon Park is the home of #9 SUNY Cortland and the site for this year’s DIII baseball New York regional. Other notable teams include #10 Salisbury, out of Maryland, and #24 Southern Maine. NCAA regionals are a double-elimination tournament, much like the NESCAC playoffs. The winner of the regional will represent the New York Region at the 2018 DIII World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin.

First Opponent – #24 Southern Maine

Southern Maine finished 3rd in the Little East Conference this season, behind Eastern Connecticut and #3 UMass – Boston. Southern Maine finished 4-1 against NESCAC opponents this season, beating Bates and Colby in mid-week games and splitting games against Bowdoin. The USM Huskies are lead offensively by Devin Warren ‘19, who is hitting .401 with 31 RBI, and Dylan Hapworth ‘20, who has a .338 AVG and 8 home runs. Jake Dexter ‘19, whose father Tom is a baseball and football coach at Colby College, has been doing absolutely everything for the Huskies this season. At the plate he is hitting .387 with 28 RBI and on the mound he is USM’s #1 arm out of the ‘pen, maintaining a 1.67 ERA and 11.13 K/9. Amherst will most likely face Gage Feeney ‘20 who is 6-1 on the season with a 3.18 ERA. Southern Maine is no stranger to good competition as they have the 21st best strength of schedule in the nation, compared to Amherst’s 164th, per herosports.com.

Amherst will likely send out Sam Schneider ‘18 to face the Huskies as he has been their ace all year long. Schneider has started to stand out down the stretch in this playoff run, throwing 7 ⅔ strong innings against Bates in game 1 of the NESCAC playoffs and will have had 6 days of rest between that appearance and their contest versus USM. Amherst’s and USM’s staffs match up very evenly on paper. Amherst has a team ERA of 3.58 while USM’s team ERA is 3.82. They both have solid starters that should keep them in the game for 6+ innings and bullpens who have consistently kept the leads that their starters have given them this season. Offensively, Southern Maine has the clear advantage over Amherst. While both clubs have team averages in the low .300s, USM has been getting it done in style. The Huskies have belted 29 home runs as a team this season, compared to Amherst’s 11. The Mammoths will need to keep USM inside the ballpark in order for them to move past game 1 of the regional unscathed.

Game 2

If Amherst manages to take down USM, they will face the winner of #10 Salisbury vs. St. Joseph’s (L.I.). If Amherst loses to USM, they will face the loser of #10 Salisbury vs. St. Joseph’s (L.I.).

Salisbury enters the tournament after receiving an automatic bid as champions of the Capital Athletic Conference. The Salisbury Seagulls are on a 8-game winning streak, which is tied for the 5th longest active winning streak in D3 baseball and are the clear favorite to win their opening round game. They enter the tournament white-hot after sweeping through their conference tournament, scoring 49 runs and giving up just 7 in 5 games. Jack Barry ‘19 has been an offensive juggernaut for the Seagulls, boasting a .423 AVG and dropping a team-leading 8 bombs thus far. Salisbury’s offense is good, but their pitching is what makes them great. The Capital Athletic Conference is a hitter’s conference, nearly every team has averages above .300 and ERAs above 5.00. Salisbury has a conference-best 3.38 ERA, which is really what separates them from the competition. Their staff is spearheaded by Connor Reeves ‘18, who has the most wins in the nation at 13. Reeves also is 9th nationally in ERA at 1.22, 6th in strikeouts with 103 and 1st in innings pitched with 110 ⅔ (the NESCAC leader in IP has 64.1 for reference). If having one clear All-American wasn’t enough for Salisbury, how about two? Austin Heenan ‘18, a DI transfer from Virginia Military Institute, is 10-3 on the season, tied for 2nd most wins in the nation, with a 2.33 ERA. Heenan has racked up 110 strikeouts this season, which is also 2nd best in the nation. If Amherst were to face Salisbury in game 2, which would likely only occur given the Mammoths take game 1, they would have to face Heenan. While Amherst has seen their fair share of quality arms this year, All-American caliber players such as Reeves and Heenan are hard to come by, and even harder to beat.

Most likely, if Amherst loses game 1 they will face St. Joseph’s (L.I.). The Golden Eagles earned their NCAA tournament berth through capturing the Skyline Conference playoff title. Prior to their conference final against Merchant Marine, St. Joseph’s was riding an impressive 11-game win streak. The St. Joe’s lineup is headlined by Paul Britt ‘19, who transferred from host SUNY Cortland after his freshman year. Britt is hitting .406 and leads the team in homeruns (7) and RBI (35). The Golden Eagles have an extremely productive core in their lineup, but are not great top-to-bottom as many teams who fare well nationally are. On the mound, St. Joe’s has had 9 different guys start games for them and are usually quick to pull the trigger and head to the bullpen. Nick Clemente ‘18 has logged the most innings on the staff this year with 54 ⅔, a miniscule number compared to Salisbury’s #1 and #2. The Golden Eagles would be a very even matchup for Amherst, should they square off. Both teams have guys who are excellent individually, but the team as a whole doesn’t stick out in the very talented group in this regional.

Beyond Game 2

If the Mammoths are lucky enough to make it past 2 games, as Tufts was unable to do last year, they could face any combination of the remaining teams in the regional. #9 SUNY Cortland won their first national championship back in 2015 and has competed in 26 straight NCAA tournaments. Baldwin Wallace won the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament and has now made the NCAA tournament in 3 of their last 5 seasons. Swarthmore upset a very talented Johns Hopkins team to win their conference and currently hold a school-best 33 wins on the year. Finally, Westfield State captured the Massachusetts Small College Athletic Conference title to make their first NCAA tournament since 2009.

Overall, the majority of the teams at this regional simply outclass Amherst. The Mammoths could certainly compete against teams like Westfield State, Swarthmore, St Joseph’s and maybe even Baldwin Wallace. When it comes to teams such as Southern Maine, Salisbury and Cortland; Amherst would need to pull off a small miracle to walk away with a victory.

But since they are our only NESCAC team left, we believe in the Mammoths. Did anybody see Davidson College’s remarkable playoff run last year? Crazier things have happened, so keep reading to see how these academic weapons can keep the dream alive:

Amherst’s Strengths, Weaknesses and X-Factor

Strengths:

The boys are hot: Amherst is on a 5-game winning streak that includes 2 crucial wins against Midd to take them to the NESCAC playoffs and then 2 more impressive wins over two-time reigning champs Tufts.
Senior Leadership: The core of the Amherst lineup is Max Steinhorn ‘18, Ariel Kenney ‘18 and Harry Roberson ‘18. These boys have been grinding together for 4 years to reach this point and will not go out without a bang. They set the bar high for their teammates and challenge them to perform to their full potential. Senior leadership is an invaluable asset for any team and Amherst is full of it.
Sam Schneider is ready to go this weekend after back-to-back gems.
Their Bullpen: Similarly, Stephen Burke ‘21 has started his career off hot. In his 13 appearances he is 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA. Zach Brown has also been a major player for Amherst, putting up a 1.76 ERA and 11.74 K/9 in his 9 appearances, despite lots of unearned runs and a lack of control. He can dominate if he locates his curveball, because his heat probably won’t phase these hitters as much as it did earlier this year. Mike Dow has also had a phenomenal statistical season with 7 saves, but has had some wild pitches and hit batters in his last few outings. If he keeps it together emotionally, Amherst will be good to go as his stuff is effective and he generally locates well. When it is time to hand the ball over to the ‘pen, Amherst has some great resources at their disposal which could help them further themselves in the NCAA tournament.

Weaknesses:

Quality of Competition: While it is a great feat in-and-of itself to capture the NESCAC title, the competition Amherst has faced has not prepared them for the level of talent they are about to go up against. No team that Amherst has faced this year is in the top-25, let alone any team that they have beaten. In a regional that has 3 top-25 teams, including 2 in the top-10, Amherst is facing competition unlike any they have seen this year.
Power: Amherst’s 11 home runs ranks last among all the teams at the regional. Alex Marcum ‘18 (Baldwin Wallace), Dudley Taw ‘20 (Baldwin Wallace) and Anthony Crowley ‘19 (Westfield St.) all have more home runs individually than Amherst does as a team. In high-stakes playoff environments such as the NCAA Regionals home runs can be a huge momentum shifter and Amherst simply doesn’t have to pop to produce many of them. Especially against high-quality arms, which they will be facing plenty of, it will be tough to string together hits, so the long ball becomes a much needed tool that Amherst doesn’t have access to.
Experience: Only the Seniors on this Amherst team have had the taste of NCAA playoffs. Amherst made the NCAA Regionals with an at-large bid back in 2015 after losing the NESCAC Championship to Wesleyan. That regional was also hosted by Cortland and the Mammoths went 1-2 in regional play, including a loss to eventual national champion Cortland. Many of the other teams in this regional consistently make the tournament or play in higher quality conferences, no offense NESCAC, that regularly get more than one team into NCAA Regionals. The lack of postseason experience could serve to hurt Amherst as they will be going in a huge underdog compared to many of the programs they will be facing.

X-Factor

Ariel Kenney ‘18:
Ariel Kenney ’18

Kenney started off the season hot and is my pick for West Player of the Year, but as of late he has cooled down significantly. In his last 8 games he is 5 for 29 (.172 AVG) and has had no extra base hits. Kenney has been a key part of the Mammoth lineup all season and if they wanted to outperform their expectations for this regional he’s going to have to break out of this slump and play like he was at the beginning of the season. Now is as tough a time as ever to break out of a slump, as he will be facing the best pitching he has seen all year and possibly in his career, but if he can’t go back to his POY ways, it is more than likely that Amherst will not make it too far in the regional.

Prediction

I believe that Amherst will drop their first game against Southern Maine and the rally to beat St. Joseph’s (L.I.) in their second game. Southern Maine’s pitching is not dominant, so the Mammoths certainly have a chance, however. Amherst’s staff is not deep enough to carry them for more than 2 or 3 games in such a short time-span so it is more than likely that whoever the Mammoths face in game 3, if they are lucky enough to make it that far, will get the better of them. That being said, as representatives of the NESCAC I will be rooting for Amherst to exceed my expectations and help to put NESCAC baseball back on the map. Good luck Mammoths.

Note: For the full regional schedule, please go online and check out Amherst Baseball’s page.

Clock Strikes Midnight: Weekend Preview 5/5

The Regular Season Comes Down to This:

With three out of four playoff spots secured, we wait on the Amherst vs Middlebury series to determine the 2018 NESCAC tournament schedule. Both teams were in two very different spots midseason. Midd was underachieving with a weak looking rotation after its ace. The once potent lineup from 2017 was easily contained. Amherst, in contrast, was firing on all cylinders. Clutch offense, defense, and pitching guided Amherst to a conference victory against Little Three rival, Wesleyan. However, these past few weekends haven’t treated Amherst kindly. With Wes clinching a playoff spot, and Midd rising, Amherst needed to perform in these last few games. Losing to Hamilton in a rescheduled game Thursday night didn’t help. As a result, the winner of this series will determine who’s in and who’s out.

Including non-conference games, Midd has won nine in a row. That statistic is absurd considering the entropy of baseball. Midd accomplished what neither Wes nor Amherst could do: sweeping Hamilton. Colby Morris, biggest glow up in the ‘Cac and my editor, leads the Midd staff with a 1.92 ERA. In my opinion, he’s the best pitcher in the league. Going back to my piece a few weeks back that interviewed each pitcher, I asked each of them what they do when they’re not getting any run support. To say that Morris wasn’t getting much run support early on is an understatement. However, like the GOAT of all GOATs says, ‘Do your job.’ Morris was able to keep sharp focus on his task at hand: throwing strikes, getting ground balls, and making outs. In a comparison with another ace in the league, Mike McCaffrey, Morris has logged around ten more innings pitched, while compiling less strikeouts than McCaffrey. Even though strikeouts are the tantalizing statistic among fans, Morris’ pitch count per inning has to be lower than McCaffrey because he’s not always looking for the spot on a back door breaking ball, but shooting the knees to induce a ground ball or double play. Midd’s bats have come alive as well. Freshman standouts from last year, Justin Han and Brooks Carroll, and have picked up the production at the plate with avg’s all over .300– above .350 for Carroll and Han. Hayden Smith has emerged as a stud at 3B for the Panthers too. Amherst should fear what would happen if Midd takes game one. Even though I believe that Amherst is a better all-around team, beating Morris isn’t an easy task for any ball club. That scenario would put Midd in the driver’s seat to take either game two or game three to clinch its second consecutive playoff berth.

Morris and Ferrero are going to duel it out tomorrow in game 1.

Amherst has had a roller coaster season with big wins against Wesleyan, but critical losses to Hamilton. Its road record of 4-4 in overall play in contrast with a 12-2 home record doesn’t exactly give Amherst fans confidence traveling to face a hot Midd team on their diamond. The old saying goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Amherst has been a force in the conference for years and years. While the faces of Yanni Thanopoulos, Andrew Vandini, Mike Odenwaelder, and Drew Fischer are gone, names such as Harry Roberson and Max Steinhorn remain. Most importantly, Brian Hamm, a Middlebury alum, will continually put together a quality team year in and year out. That’s why I’m not overly concerned about Amherst this weekend. Yes, they’ve put themselves in a tough position by needing to win two out of three against a hot team. Like I’ve said in all my articles, there are teams that always come through in the clutch. Amherst is one of those teams. The Patriots were down by twenty-five midway through the third about Super Bowl LI. At the end of the day, the Patriots are the Patriots and the Falcons are the Falcons. The Falcons were destined to blow it. Amherst has nine guys that are hitting over .300 in overall play. Even though none of them are really the standout hitters that Tufts has, they all compete and grind out quality at bats at an extraordinary level. Even though Morris is better than Ferrero, I give Amherst the edge in overall pitching.

Harry Roberson just became Amherst’s all time hits leader, coming in hot after a slow start to the season.

Given that we had two articles on this pivotal series, we have two different projections from the recent authors. If these tell you anything, it’s that this series is a must watch:

Andrew’s Prediction: Amherst 2 games, Middlebury 1 game

Why he chose them: This series is going to be tight. Obviously, both teams are high level ball clubs who are built to compete on this stage. I believe that both teams will take a game, but in the end, you have to go with the team that’s done it consistently before, and is acclimated with the spotlight and pressure that comes with big games.

Spencer’s Prediction: Middlebury 2 games, Amherst 1 game

Why he chose them: Midd will be able to complete their improbable comeback and return to the playoffs hungry for another shot at a NESCAC ‘ship. With their home crowd and hot streak, they should be bringing it all weekend. Whatever happens, there’s no doubt that this will be the series of the year.

What You Gotta Know: Amherst vs. Middlebury Series Breakdown

While everybody is looking towards the playoffs, there is still one series and one playoff spot on the line. Middlebury and Amherst are playing for their playoff lives with everything on the line this weekend. Read more to find out what you need to know before Saturday’s doubleheader:

Location: Forbes Field – Middlebury, VT

While Middlebury has only played 5 of their 28 games at home this season, they’ve certainly had success when playing on their own diamond. On the season Midd sits at 4-1 in all home contests, thanks to their current 4 game win streak at home. On the other side of the equation, Amherst has only had 7 away games this year and they are 4-3 in those contests, most notably beating Wesleyan 2 games out of 3 on the road. Overall I’d give the Panthers a slight advantage being on their home turf, but Amherst has clearly shown that they can get it done on the road, so home field advantage will not be enough to take them down.

Probable Starters:

Game 1: Colby Morris ‘19 (Middlebury) 4-4, 1.92 ERA vs Andrew Ferrero ‘19 (Amherst) 3-1, 2.19 ERA

Colby Morris ’19

Andrew Ferrero ’19

Game 2: Robert Erickson ‘18 (Middlebury) 3-2, 3.19 ERA vs Sam Schneider ‘18 (Amherst) 3-2, 3.22 ERA

Rob Erickson ’18

Sam Schneider ’18

Game 3: George Goldstein ‘21 (Middlebury) 2-0, 1.02 ERA vs Davis Brown ‘19 (Amherst) 5-2, 3.80 ERA

George Goldstein ’21

Davis Brown ’19

Game 1 of this series features two of the top pitchers in the conference this year in Morris and Ferrero. Both are Juniors, Bay Area natives (despite the fact that Morris lists himself as from Del Mar, which is fake news) (Editor’s Note: It is not fake news) and are enjoying the best years of their careers thus far. Game 1 should be a tight, low-scoring contest and will come down to which one of these aces can go the distance for their team. I would give Morris the advantage over Ferrero because he has been able to go CG in 2 of his 3 NESCAC games so far and has maintained a stellar 1.23 ERA in conference this year. Before Amherst’s loss against Hamilton I would have said that the game two matchup should be very close as well. But after giving up 6 earned in 3+ innings Davis Brown will likely have his start pushed to Sunday. That leaves the task up to Sam Schneider ’18 who will be making his last NESCAC start. Schneider got bounced after one inning against Hamilton and put up quality starts in his other two outings and is by no means a lock for success. On the other hand, Erickson has been able to hold all NESCAC West opponents to 3 runs or less per start so far this year. If both teams maintain their same rotation as last week then game 2 should be lopsidedly in favor of Middlebury. Game 3 looks to be an absolute wildcard as it pits Freshman George Goldstein, who only has one career start, against either Brown or an Amherst bullpen arm. Goldstein’s only career start came last week against Hamilton where he was able to go 5 strong, scoreless innings to get the final win of the series sweep for the Panthers. Despite Goldstein’s stellar numbers, because he didn’t go more than five innings in his start, he leaves a lot up to the Middlebury bullpen. This

Key Players:

Middlebury

Hayden Smith ‘20: .382/.452/.461, 21 RBI, 6 XBH

Justin Han ‘20: .367/.528/.456, 18 RBI, 27 BB, 20SB

Brooks Carroll ‘20: .311/.376/.427, 12 RBI, 9 XBH, 15SB

Amherst

Ariel Kenney ‘18: .420/.496/.670, 21 RBI, 4 HR, 11 BB

Max Steinhorn ‘18: .391/.458/.461, 16 RBI, 6 XBH, 14 SB

Harry Roberson ‘18: .316/.421/.429, 11 2B, 24 RBI, 16 BB

Numbers-wise, Amherst’s offense is clearly superior to Midd’s. Lead by a trio of Seniors, Amherst currently has the best team batting average in the conference at .304 while Midd sits in 6th at .267. One thing that both of these teams do especially well is run the bases. Midd leads the conference by a significant margin with their 72 bags swiped while Amherst is 3rd with their 53 stolen bases. Interestingly, when it comes to away games for the Mammoths, their team average is less than 10 points lower than it is for home games, showing that they are not intimidated on the road. Luckily for Middlebury, their team average goes up nearly 80 points when they are on their home field, which may provide some of the offense that Midd has seemed to be lacking all season. Overall, I think that Amherst has a clear offensive advantage over Middlebury and Midd will need to use the leverage of their home field advantage, as well as their current 9 game win streak, in their favor in order to be able to match the Mammoth’s outstanding plate presence.

Midd has something going right now after two straight sweeps. Photo courtesy of David Goldstein.

Series History (Since 2007)

Overall:

Amherst: 25-9

Middlebury 9-25

Home:

Amherst: 11-4

Middlebury: 5-10

Away:

Amherst: 10-5

Middlebury 4-11

Neutral:

Amherst: 4-0

Middlebury 0-4

It’s fairly clear to see that over the past decade or so Amherst has dominated their matchup against Midd. Both the home and away numbers are very similar for both teams, showing that home field advantage has not played all too much of a role in their past meetings. Although last year Midd was able to take 2 of 3 games from the Mammoths in Massachusetts and Middlebury made a much further playoff run than Amherst, so perhaps we are seeing a cultural shift happening in Vermont that is trending in the right direction. Despite the fact that history would choose Amherst over Midd by a long shot, with the recent momentum Midd has gained as well as their success last season against Amherst, this series will certainly be much tighter than it has been in years past.

What’s on the Line (Playoff Scenarios)

Amherst: After a devastating loss to Hamilton on Thursday, the Mammoths now need to get a series win on the road in order to secure their playoff spot. Anything less than 2 wins would have Amherst go from the #1 seed to a team that will miss the playoffs entirely. If the Mammoths are able to take 2 games from Midd they will salvage their playoff spot and retain their status as the #1 seed.

Middlebury: Hamilton’s win over Amherst was a godsend for the Panthers as Midd’s comeback from last in the division is nearly complete. All Middlebury needs now is a series win at home to come all the way back from their rocky start. 2 wins or more will see Middlebury make the playoffs as the #2 seed, something that seemed unfathomable just weeks ago.

Down to the Wire: Stock Report 5/3

We have officially reached the homestretch in the NESCAC this season. It was chaotic for the last few weekends, but we finally have some clarity in the playoff picture. While it looked unlikely for large stretches of the season, Tufts ended up where everyone expected them to, at the top of the East Division, while Amherst (pending a 2011 Red Sox-esque collapse against Middlebury) and Wesleyan appear set to cruise in to the postseason as representatives in the West. And lastly, in a crazy wire-to-wire finish, Bates emerged atop the three-way tie for 2^nd in the East over fellow 7-5 teams Bowdoin and Trinity. While this is great for the Bobcats, it shows a monumental collapse from the Bantams who needed just one win in a three game set against Bates to clinch the #1 seed in the east, now finding themselves out of the playoff picture. With the NESCAC tournament a few short weeks away, who is heading in in the best shape?

Stock Up

Nolan Collins’ Clutch Gene

With Bates needing to take just one game to make the playoffs, you would think it was going to be smooth sailing in Lewiston this past weekend. The only problem was that Bates needed to take just one game from the hottest (and best) team in the league, the Tufts Jumbos. Coming off of a trouncing of Colby, Tufts’ bats were white hot, and Bates’ plan of attack surely was not to win a shootout against an offense with double their runs scored on the year. Sending their ace LHP Connor Russell ’19 to the mound on Friday was going to be their best chance of winning a game, especially considering that Tufts’ deep pitching staff would have the advantage on the weekend. But Tufts #1 RHP RJ Hall ’19 picked the worst possible time for the Bobcats to decide to turn in arguably his best performance of the year, in the form of a 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 13 K performance that earned him NESCAC Pitcher of the Week. Hall, who did not allow a hit after the 2^nd inning, was simply lights out in a 5-0 win. Bates was all of a sudden facing the prospect of needing to steal a win of either Brent Greeley ’20 and his Top 5 ERA (2.31) in Game 2 or Spencer Langdon and his league leading ERA of 1.66. But up stepped RHP Nolan Collins ’20, who in the biggest game in recent memory for Bates, pitched a complete game of 7 scoreless innings, striking out 8 against the most potent lineup in the league to clinch a postseason berth for the Bobcats.

Collins knows that things are going well right now for the Bobcats…

Middlebury’s Playoff Chances

While it’s still looking slimmer than slim for the Panthers, their three-game sweep over Hamilton certainly helped. It was the arms that got it done this past weekend, as Hamilton was held to three runs each in all three games. RHP Colby Morris ’19 continues to do everything he can to extend their season, turning in a 9 IP CG, allowing just one earned run and striking out 6, bringing his ERA down to 1.92, second in the league. Midd has one series remaining on their divisional series, against 6-2 Amherst, who have a makeup game against Hamilton before then. A win in that game would mean the Mammoths only need to avoid a series sweep rather than avoid a series loss against Middlebury to make the playoffs, but nothing has been clinched yet. While it is certainly an uphill battle, the Panthers are winners of 9 in a row, the longest active streak in the NESCAC. Don’t count them out.

Andrew Hennings and the Panthers are playing for their playoff lives this weekend. Does anybody else feel the magic?

Wesleyan

Nothing too fancy about this one, but their sweep of rivals Williams has clinched a playoff berth for Wesleyan. It was hard to believe that they were fighting for their playoff lives in the last weekend of their divisional slate, but they were. The Cardinals, who started off hot with a sweep of last season’s NESCAC finalists Middlebury, have managed to fly under people’s radars the rest of the way despite finishing at 8-4. They haven’t put up any eye-popping numbers along the way, but they certainly have what it takes to win the league. LHP Mike McCaffrey ’19 (2-3, 4.63 ERA) hasn’t had the dominant year that many of us thought he would, but his league leading 10.28 K/9 is all the proof you need that he has the stuff to shut down any lineup on any given day. In fact, the Wesleyan rotation of McCaffrey, Sosa, and Olmstead, are 1-2-3 in that category, the only three pitchers with a K/9 over 9. Their only problem is McCaffrey and Olmstead are also tied for the league lead in walks with 36. If they can locate their pitchers, and maybe catch some help from Middlebury to knock Amherst to the 2 seed in the West, thus avoiding Tufts in the opener, Wesleyan could be in great shape.

Stock Down

The POY Race

When you have a guy leading the league in hitting at .432, tied for 3^rd in RBI with 35, and also leading the league in home runs with 7, like Tufts senior OF Malcolm Nachmanoff is, it’s pretty tough to argue for anybody else as a legitimate Player of the Year candidate. The Stony Brook transfer has absolutely mashed all year for Tufts, in a year where it was thought that the duo of Tommy O’Hara and Nick Falkson would be the top 2 candidates for the award, with Falkson looking to repeat. While the three of them are arguably the top 3 hitters in the league right now, as they own the top 3 spots on the HR and RBI charts, it is impossible to discount the timeliness of Nachmanoff’s streak, a midseason surge that injected life into a Jumbos lineup that didn’t get off to the start that many expected it to, while Falkson was struggling to hit for average as well. NESCAC awards tend to go to the best player on the best team, so while the stat sheet stuffing is great, look no further than this past basketball’s season, where Williams’ James Heskett stole the POY from Middlebury’s Jack Daly, who had put up ridiculous numbers all year but lost in the NESCAC quarterfinals, on the back of the Ephs’ surge to the NESCAC championship. But Nachmanoff has been so good that I don’t even know how you could give it someone else regardless of who wins the league.

Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good?: NESCAC Baseball Uniform Power Rankings

Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good?: NESCAC Baseball Uniform Power Rankings

I guess power rankings are kind of my thing now because here’s another one for you. Everyone knows baseball is 50% how you look, and that’s something that scouts take into account. The NESCAC has had numerous players selected in the draft and it isn’t all due to their playing performance – aesthetics are important. With this in mind, we thought it would be important to see who has the best uniform scheme in the league. I went through all the options and selected (in my opinion) the best uniform combo from each team, and ranked each team’s best 1-10. I apologize for not being able to find better pictures anywhere of some team’s jerseys (mainly Colby and Hamilton), but some schools just don’t make it easy.

10. Williams

The Ephs have a good color scheme to work with and quality hats, so they definitely have a sweet uniform right? Wrong. None of their uniforms are anything special, and their stirrups don’t even have stripes! This black top is simple, and I’ll admit I like the font choice. It doesn’t match the hats, but I like what they have there. Other than that, nothing too exciting here. I’m sure they’re comfortable but Williams is definitely not known for pleasing the eyes with their outfits.

9. Colby

Colby changes it up with some very patriotic lettering, and three stars on each sleeve. It’s kind of a weird look, and I certainly don’t hate it. That said, I really don’t like it that much either. Their hats don’t impress me and I’m glad they at least one-upped Williams by adding the stripes to their socks. I respect what they were trying to do here but I don’t think the execution was quite right. Ninth place.

8. Bowdoin

I really don’t mind Bowdoin’s uniforms at all. The strips on the sleeves go well with the stirrups and it’s a clean, classy look. I don’t love the hats, but they’re by no means a deal-breaker. The problem is it’s tough to put a team high in a jersey ranking when their colors are black and white. I think they have the potential for some nice all gray uniforms like their football team, but they really don’t have a whole lot to work with.

7. Hamilton

Blue is a popular color, and Hamilton makes it work. I actually think these uniforms are really nice. I’m a fan of the Nike top with the color on the shoulders, and the gray complements it nicely. I also like how they snuck some yellow into the stirrups, giving you a slightly different look. The hats are pretty much what you’d expect, but they go well with the uniform and add some blue to a uniform that doesn’t have a ton of color. Nice job here.

6. Bates

The Bobcats sport some quality red uniforms. Quality stirrups with a standard top that features one black and one white stripe on each sleeve. What sets this look apart a bit is the black hat with the red brim and a new “B” logo that Bates recently added. This is a very solid uniform that isn’t particularly flashy or showy, but the color combination looks nice and the contrast provides a nice crisp look.

5. Amherst

Now we get to see some efforts at new look home white uniforms. This is a great Under Armour top that mixes in just the right amount of purple. Their colors can be tricky to pull off, but the sneaky purple in the stirrups and the trim on the jerseys do a fine job for the Mammoths when you throw in the black hat on top of it. This is the way that the all-white uniforms are going for the many teams sponsored by Under Armour and I for one don’t hate it.

4. Middlebury

While Amherst had some solid whites, Middlebury hits us with their own effort at new-look white unis. This look is pretty basic, but the Panthers pull it off perfectly. The medieval font on the hat matches the logo on the jersey to a T (take notes Williams), and the navy stirrups provide just the right amount of additional color. These jerseys are all about class – we all want it, but Midd has it.

3. Trinity

I really like what Trinity has going on here. This is an awesome alternate uniform with a fantastic scheme. Too much yellow is never a good thing, but the trim on these unis along with the stirrup stripes offers just the right amount of secondary color. The fact that their hat reps the logo as opposed to a letter is a big time move and it looks really legit with “Bantams” written across the chest. Trinity’s athletic department continues to come up clutch, providing their athletes with the most cutting edge apparel available.

2. Wesleyan

I know a lot of people may have thought that Wesleyan’s pinstripes would make it on the list, but I absolutely love their throwback look. The gray is simple, and the piping and font choice add just the right amount of flare. The multi-colored stirrups along with the classy black hats contrast the gray nicely, and I really like the red flaps on the pockets. These uniforms are awesome and when you throw in their pinstripes and an alternate top, the Cardinals have a pretty legit arsenal of different looks.

1. Tufts

I’m not quite sure where to begin with these. Nice stirrups, a clean uniform, and a solid multi-colored hat tend to look good together. But these are different. These bad boys are all baby blue and I’ll be honest they’re downright scary. The Jumbos are 108-7* all time when wearing the baby blues, so their confidence when wearing these things must be through the roof. This jersey is a complete nightmare for opposing teams, and it’s the perfect outfit for the villains who have dominated the NESCAC for the last several years.

*probably not

Anything Can Happen in the Postseason: Men’s Lax Playoff Preview

Conference Tournament Weekend Preview and Predictions

The NESCAC Tournament is finally here. Weeks of grueling conference play filtered out the weak, leaving the top eight teams to battle for the right to be crowned champion and earn an automatic trip to the NCAA Tournament. Will the traditional powers of Amherst, Tufts and Wesleyan continue their dominance and roll to the semifinals, or will a lower seed play spoiler?

Usually there’s a matchup or two in conference tournaments where one team is significantly favored over the other; however, each of these bouts features teams in which their previous regular season encounters were decided by no more than three goals. While this doesn’t necessarily mean every game will be close, it makes the matchups more enticing and increases the opportunity for upsets to occur.

Before dissecting the quarterfinal matchups, here’s how some of the playoff seeds were secured:

Jockeying for the top two spots: Wesleyan finished tied with Amherst and Tufts atop the conference at 9-1. All three share the same record against the top eight opponents in the NESCAC, so by rule the top overall seed was selected via a suspenseful name drawing from a hat. Amherst was awarded the second seed due to their head-to-head victory over the Jumbos.

Movement in the Middle: Conn College snagged the fifth seed due to their head-to-head victory over Middlebury. The Panthers jumped up a spot to sixth with a huge victory over Williams, while Bowdoin’s loss to Wesleyan dropped the Polar Bears to seventh.

Bobcats Snag the Last Spot: In what came down to a winner-take-all matchup between rivals Bates and Colby, the Bobcats left Waterville victorious and secured their fourth straight trip to the conference tournament.

#1 Wesleyan (12-2, 9-1) vs. #8 Bates (8-7, 4-6)

Regular Season Outcome: Wesleyan defeated Bates 13-11

Wesleyan will be the deserving favorite in this matchup, but this isn’t your typical 1 vs. 8 seed. The Bobcats were ranked in the top 15 in many pre-season polls, and while it’s fair to say they haven’t lived up to expectations, there’s no denying this team has the talent to upset the Cardinals. In their regular season matchup, the Bobcats jumped out to a four-goal lead, but their offense sputtered (two goals in the entire second half) and Wesleyan battled back to win 13-11. If the Bobcat duo of Clarke Jones ’18 and Matt Chlastawa ’20 can outperform Wesleyan’s Harry Stanton ’18 and Ronan Jacoby ’21, Bates has a very good chance to spring the upset; however, Wesleyan’s gritty defense has the capability to slow down even the most potent of players, and I see the Cardinals edging the Bobcats in a back-and-forth affair.

Prediction: Wesleyan 14-12

#2 Amherst (13-2, 9-1) vs. #7 Bowdoin (8-6, 4-6)

Regular Season Outcome: Amherst defeated Bowdoin 16-15

These teams seem to be heading in opposite directions; Amherst has rattled off five wins in a row since their 12-11 loss to Wesleyan, out-gunning the opposition with 108 goals in that span. On the other hand, Bowdoin limped towards the finish with four consecutive losses, most recently at the hands of Tufts. The Polar Bears’ defense limited the ‘CAC’s second-leading scorer Evan Wolf (’19) to just a single goal in their last matchup, but leading scorer Jon Coffey ’20 (3 goals) and Colin Minicus ’20 (6 goals) picked up the slack. Bowdoin’s defense is solid, but they lack the offensive firepower to keep up with the Mammoths.

Prediction: Amherst 19-13

Tufts handled Midd just fine in the regular season, thanks to a big streak of goals.

#3 Tufts (13-1, 9-1) vs. #6 Middlebury (9-6, 5-5)

Regular Season Outcome: Tufts defeated Middlebury 13-10

Tufts and Middlebury played this past Saturday, where the Jumbos overcame a slow start to defeat the Panthers by three. Although the result was not what the Panther faithful would have liked to see, their team did pick up a huge victory over Williams during the week and ended the year winning six of their final seven games. The key for Tufts is to shut down Henry Riehl ’18 and force his teammates to beat them. Riehl had half of Middlebury’s goals against Tufts, and he can give opposing defenses fits (just ask the Ephs, who this past Saturday allowed four goals and three assists to the senior). In the end, however, the Jumbos are too talented to let the Panthers come into Medford and snatch a victory. Andrew Seitzer ’18 and co. will break down the Middlebury defense, setting up a rematch with the Mammoths.

Prediction: Tufts 17-10

#4 Williams (6-4, 8-7) vs. #5 Connecticut College (10-5, 5-5)

Regular Season Outcome: Williams defeated Conn College 11-9

The Ephs had a forgettable performance against Middlebury in which they allowed a season-high 20 goals. Fortunately for Williams, Conn doesn’t boast an electric offensive unit. The Camels perform best when they slow the game down and let their zone-defense stifle the opposition. They did so in their previous encounter with Williams, keeping it a one-goal game after three periods. Williams may have the better offensive unit, but the Camels boast the best face-off specialist in the NESCAC in Ben Parens ’18. Expect a tight contest in which neither team can impose their will over the other; I praised the Ephs in my last article, but I’ll take the mini-upset here and say the Camels defense will dictate the tempo and steal a road win.

Prediction: Conn College 10-9