Category: Tufts

Rejoice, NESCAC fans, Lacrosse Coverage is Here! Playoff Push Power Rankings

Playoff Push: Men’s Lacrosse Power Rankings 4/14

Editor’s Note: I’m sure many Northeastern NESCAC fans are going to be excited about our debut piece on lacrosse, written by new contributor Ryan Moralejo from Bates. While this coverage won’t be as consistent as our three main sports, more is coming, so get stoked!

As the regular season comes to a close, no seeding position is safe.  At the top of the conference we have Amherst, Tufts and Wesleyan all battling for the regular season title and the prize that comes with it: home field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the middle of the standings, Williams, Conn, Bowdoin, Midd, and Bates are jockeying for seeding, waiting for someone to slip up and fall off the pack. Further down, a matchup of two Mainers looms in the distance with postseason aspirations on the line.  There’s a lot to cover in a short amount of time, so let’s get to it.

  1. #4 Amherst: 11-2, (7-1)

Last Week: 24-11 W @ Conn College, 20 – 16 W @ Tufts

This Week: vs. Bates

While Amherst’s decisive victory over Conn College was impressive, the Mammoths earned the top spot on the list due to their most recent victory over the previously undefeated Jumbos.   Led by Evan Wolf ’19 and Matt Solberg ’20, Amherst blitzed Tufts in the first half, jumping out to a 15-5 lead.  They boast four of the top 10 goal scorers in the ‘CAC, highlighted by Wolf’s league-leading 28.  Amherst’s high-octane offense has accounted for a mind-blowing 155 goals in eight conference games, and since their nail-biting loss on the road to Wesleyan, the Mammoths have rattled off three straight – all against top-tier conference opponents.  They will undoubtedly be favored next weekend versus Bates on Senior Day, but can’t afford to rest their laurels on Saturday’s performance.

The Mammoths hold the top spot in this week’s rankings.
  1. #6 Tufts: 10-1 (6-1)

Last Week: 12-11 W (OT) @ Endicott, 20-16 L vs. Amherst

This Week: vs. Bates, @ Middlebury

The Jumbos were riding high after their 14-10 victory over Wesleyan; however, their two most recent performances (a closer-than-expected overtime win against a 4-9 Endicott squad and a home loss to Amherst) brought Tufts back down to earth.  While the Jumbos don’t have a particular individual who excels offensively, they do have the second-most goals in conference play thanks to six double-digit scorers. Before Saturday’s dismal showing, goalie Mason Pollack ’20 was second in the ‘CAC in goals allowed per game (9.25); he’ll need to brush off his performance versus Amherst and right the ship quickly as the Jumbos head into Lewiston to take on the Bobcats.

  1. #5 Wesleyan (7-1)

Last Week: 11-6 W @ Trinity, 12-8 W vs. Bowdoin

This Week: @ Hamilton

Cardinals fans might be a little displeased to see their #5 nationally-ranked squad listed third in their own conference rankings.  Honestly, I almost bumped them ahead of Tufts, but the Jumbos own the head-to-head victory.  There’s a lot to like about this Cardinals team: they boast the league’s best defense in large part due to goalie Otto Bohan ’21, who ranks tops in save percentage and wins.  Their offense isn’t too shabby either: Ronan Jacoby ’21 totaled nine goals against Trinity and Bowdoin, adding to his scorching-hot rookie campaign.  Last year’s top goal scorer and point leader Harry Stanton ’18 has 23 goals to date, and Carter Hawthorne ’19 leads the league in assists.  Despite this three-headed monster, the Cardinals are middle of the pack in goals scored.  Saturday’s date with Hamilton should be fairly easy to maneuver around, but they’ll need to find another source for offensive production if they want to repeat as NESCAC champions.

 

  1. Williams 6-6 (5-3)

Last Week: 9-5 W vs. Hamilton, 16-12 W vs. Colby

This Week: @ Western New England, @ Bowdoin

While the overall record isn’t pretty, the Ephs are a gritty bunch and will be a tough outcome tourney time.  Their 5-3 record in conference play is solid, and they only lost to Wesleyan by one and Tufts by three.  They have the capability to go toe-to-toe with any team in the conference if I ignore their 19-9 shellacking against Amherst.  Offensively, Williams is run through Kevin Stump ’20 and James McFarland ’18 who both went to work this past Saturday against Colby. McFarland led the way with six goals while Stump added three of his own to go along with four assists.  Williams also has a solid goalkeeper in George Peele ’20, as the sophomore ranks second in save and win percentage.  The Ephs have a non-conference tilt with Western New England before a huge matchup with Bowdoin: a win could move Williams closer to solidifying the fourth seed for the conference tournament, but a loss could open the door to the likes of Conn College and/or the Polar Bears to move up from behind.

  1. Connecticut College 9-4 (5-4)

Last Week: 24-11 L vs. Amherst, 8-5 W vs. Hamilton

This Week: vs. Stockton

The Camels couldn’t bounce back from their collapse against Bates two Saturday’s ago, falling 24-11 to Amherst this past Tuesday.  Fortunately for them, they hosted Hamilton this past weekend (for those counting, this is the second time I’ve mentioned Hamilton in a negative manner before getting to their ranking, so you get the idea).  They did just enough to secure an 8-5 victory over the Continentals, shutting them out in the fourth quarter.

The Camels are all about defense, allowing fewer than ten goals a game; however, they really struggle on the offensive end and would be downright helpless without stud midi, Ben Parens ’18, dominating face offs.  Conn basically has three players capable of scoring: Jordan Foster ‘19, Maxx Trotsky ’20 and PJ Kelleher ’19 form a trio that compile 77 of Conn’s 83 total goals.  The Camels are off from NESCAC play this weekend and will need to solve some of their offensive woes if they want to shock Wesleyan in their season finale.

  1. Bowdoin 8-4 (4-4)

Last Week: 8-7 L vs. Colby, 12-8 L @ Wesleyan

This Week: vs. Williams

The Polar Bears dropped both their conference games this week.  On the road against Wesleyan is acceptable, but losing to Colby?  Most Polar Bear faithful would agree this was a disheartening performance against their inferior rival, and it could cost Bowdoin come seeding time.  The team’s leading scorer, Brett Kujala ’20, was a non-factor in Tuesday’s tilt, and the Polar Bears mustered up a mere eight goals against a Mule defense allowing nearly double that figure.  On the bright side, they improved their sturdy defensive stats, lowering their goals allowed per game to 9.63.  That figure trails only Wesleyan, and they’ll need their defense to be sharp come Saturday against Williams: a win would negate the Colby loss and keep the Polar Bears in the hunt for the #4 seed.

  1. Middlebury: 7-5 (4-4)

Last Week:  12-11 W @Springfield, 13-12 W vs. Trinity

Next Week: @ Endicott, vs. Tufts

The Panthers are on a nice four-game win streak: sure they barely squeaked by Colby and Trinity, but no victory is a given during NESCAC play (unless you’re playing Hamilton).  AJ Kucinski ’20 and Henry Riehl ‘18 lead a balanced offensive attack that features five players with at least nine goals.  The Panthers are still searching for their first marquee win of the season, as their victory over Bates represents their best win to date. Fortunately for Middlebury, they host Tufts on Saturday. The key for the Panthers will be to shore up the defense (11.25 goals a game, third-last in the ‘CAC) if they want to pull off the upset.

Bates has fallen a long way since 2017.
  1. Bates (7-5) (3-4)

Last Week: None

This Week: vs. Tufts, @ Amherst

Prior to this week’s hiatus from games due to Finals Week, the Bobcats had quite the emotional rollercoaster.  They fell to in-state rival Bowdoin on a last-second goal from Sam Carlin ’19 and were trailing Conn College 10-8 with just under three minutes to play.  Senior captain Clark Jones ’18 scored two goals to knot it up, and Andrew Small ’19 broke the deadlock in overtime to give Bates its biggest win of the season.  Clark sits tied for third in the ‘CAC with 23 goals, and Matt Chlastawa (LA-STAH-VAH, I think) is third in total points with 21 goals and 18 assists.  Bates’ defense ranks in the middle of the pack allowing fewer than 11 goals a game, and it will be severely tested against the two most dynamic offense squads in the league; the Bobcats welcome the Jumbos on Tuesday before traveling to Massachusetts in a matchup with the Mammoths. They’ll need production from their dynamic duo in order spring a potential upset or two.

  1. Colby: 4-6 (2-6)

Last Week: 8-7 W @Bowdoin, 16-12 L @ Williams

This Week: @ Maine Maritime, vs. Trinity

The Mules check in at #9 on the list after snagging a huge win over the Polar Bears this past Wednesday.  Colby’s defense, which had been a weak point all season, clamped down and allowed just seven goals, while junior midfielder Tucker Dietrick ’18 featured in five of the Mules’ eight scores.  Despite their most recent loss to Williams, Colby’s play has definitely picked up over the past three weeks, which is probably due to the selection of the “Wal-Mart Boy Remix” as their goal song.  Should the Bobcats lose both games this week, Colby will host Bates in what could be a doozy: in-state rivals battling for the last remaining play-off spot in the regular season finale.  Lose to Trinity, however, and a victory by the Bobcats over Amherst and/or Tufts would eliminate the Mules from playoff contention.

  1. Trinity 4-8 (1-7)

Last Week: 11-6 L vs. Wesleyan, 13-12 L vs. Middlebury

This Week: @ Colby

After picking up their first conference win of the season against Hamilton, the Bantams lost at home to both Wesleyan and Middlebury.  The latter fixture was particularly painful as Trinity fought to cut the lead to one with 9:47 left in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t find that last gear. The loss knocked the Bantams out of playoff contention; the best they could do is win out against Colby and Amherst, bringing them into a tie for 8th (the Bobcats own the head-to-head victory). Leading scorer Drew Kozub ’21 was limited to a single goal after firing in five against Hamilton.  He’ll look to get back on track and lead the charge into Waterville this Saturday.

It’s a good photo, but Hamilton doesn’t have too much else to be happy about here.
  1. Hamilton: 1-12 (0-9)

Last Week: 9-5 L @ Williams, 8-5 L @ Conn College

This Week: vs. Wesleyan

Yes, Hamilton played better this weekend against quality sides in Williams and Conn, but they’re still winless in conference play.  They’re nearly dead last in every offensive and defensive category, which is normally not what you want to hear if you’re a Continental fan.  Can they beat Wesleyan this weekend and avoid the winless conference campaign? It’s possible, but not very likely.

On the bright side, leading goal marksman Chad Morse ’19 had a hat trick against Williams, bringing his goal tally to 13. Also, I found this neat photo of him so I had to give him a shout out.

If You Build It, Recruits Will Come; NESCAC Baseball Field Power Rankings 

If You Build It, Recruits Will Come: NESCAC Baseball Field Power Rankings 

It’s time for another unorthodox power ranking. Who doesn’t like controversy, right? The NESCAC is home to some very nice baseball fields and some not so nice ones, but we’re starting to see a new wrinkle when it comes to judging a team’s field: artificial turf. These days more and more schools are installing some very impressive turf facilities, so that puts competing schools in a tough position. It’ll be interesting to see which school is next on the list, because Colby, Hamilton, and Trinity have started the movement towards the artificial surface. I’m all for “purity of the game” or whatever skeptics say, but when it’s still snowing in April you start to care less about what you’re playing on and more about actually playing. Anyways, let’s take a look at the finest diamonds across the NESCAC:

Work to do… 

  1. Bowdoin

Pickard Diamond 

What you see is what you get with Pickard Diamond. Nothing exciting, just a traditional grass baseball field with average, run of the mill wood dugouts. Like their football field, it’s a bit inaccessible, meaning that only the most dedicated fans make it out to games. For the fans that do, you better bring chairs with you, because there isn’t any place to sit. On a nice day this ballpark can look as good as any with its beautiful surrounding scenery, but sadly those nice days are numbered when you’re located in Maine. I can’t imagine the Polar Bears rely on their field as a recruiting tool.

  1. Middlebury 

Forbes Field

Midd is known for pouring money into top notch, state of the art athletic facilities such as their beautiful indoor turf facility. Their baseball field must not have made the budget because it’s definitely not on par with everything else they have to offer. Not to say that the field itself is exceptionally poor, but like Bowdoin, it’s pretty much your average diamond. It doesn’t help that the field is a bit of a walk from the gym and from the rest of campus, making it a bit inconvenient to access. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Panthers were the next team to go turf in order to keep up with the rest of the league.

  1. Bates 

Leahey Field

The Bobcats boast another remarkably average field. The fact that it’s grass is becoming increasingly frustrating as the Maine weather delays the season even more while peer schools get under way. What it has going for it is a nice central location that naturally yields decent crowds of people stopping by on their way from place to place. Having no seating behind home plate is a tough look, but the seating up each foul line does a good enough job for fans. If you’re lucky, the aroma from chicken nugget day at Commons will waft across the street, only enhancing the ballpark experience.

Not bad… 

  1. Williams 

Bobby Coombs Field 

There’s something about Bobby Coombs field that feels right. It feels like New England baseball. It’s almost as if they used this park to model every other baseball park in the region. This goes both ways, however, because you sort of expect Williams to blow you away. There are plenty of fields out there of similar quality, so I thought the Ephs would do better. I don’t want to knock them too hard though – this is a well taken care of playing surface with solid dugouts and a nice surrounding area. Playing a game at Williams feels like the truest form of baseball – sunny skies, Rainbow flip flops, and EDM echoing across campus.

  1. Tufts

Huskins Field 

Tufts has another very respectable, grass field. The solid fence as opposed to chain link makes the field seem enclosed, giving it more of a big time feel. Saturdays can be a lot of fun for Jumbo fans when their beloved lacrosse team has game just outside the left field fence during a home game for the baseball team. Those days things can get really loud on campus, only aided by the train that rolls past right field from time to time – a unique quirk that can only be found in Medford.

  1. Wesleyan

Dresser Diamond at Andrus Field

I think this one might cause the most controversy of any on the list. Dresser Diamond is average at best and they don’t even have dugouts. Or a real backstop. Not a great look. What they do have is the oldest continuously used field in the United States, and an AMAZING location. You can’t go anywhere on campus without walking by Andrus Field, and as a result the Cardinals actually lead the nation in attendance*. The school’s Gothic architecture adds a beautiful backdrop, and there are tons of great viewing spots for fans. Watch out for people on Foss Hill because it’s known to get packed, especially if you’re tasked with playing Wesleyan on Zonker Harris Day. 

*They must count literally anyone in the vicinity as a spectator because there’s no way Wesleyan has the highest attendance in the country.

Editor’s Note: I get it, Wesleyan’s field is the oldest baseball field in the nation and can’t be modified. But no dugouts? Really? It’s not a fun place to play when it’s freezing and windy on an early April afternoon.

  1. Amherst

Memorial Field 

This is about as nice a grass field as they come. Memorial Field is incredibly well kept with a terrific playing surface. The brick backstop and dugouts go perfectly with their campus, and the hill along the left field line is a great spot for fans. This is one of the most beautiful fields in the conference. At this point it’s only a question of whether the Mammoths decide to follow the movement and get artificial turf, or keep their already gorgeous field. Perhaps it’s time for a change in Western Mass since Amherst hasn’t appeared in the NCAA Tournament since they were known as the now-forbidden Lord Jeffs. 

Real contenders…

  1. Colby 

Coombs Field

Obviously the three schools with turf fields are going to make up the top three on this list, so let’s break it down. Colby’s turf facility is very nice – enough so that the NESCAC decided to host last year’s conference tournament there. Unfortunately, this is a tournament they’ve never appeared in, so hopefully the field draws enough interest to turn the ship around in Waterville. Really the only reason that they fall below Hamilton is that their turf is a year older with an extra year’s worth of wear and tear. Overall, an excellent field.

  1. Hamilton

Loop Road Baseball Complex

Hamilton’s got another beautiful turf facility, only in its second year of use. Again, this complex really isn’t much different from Colby’s; it’s simply one year newer. I appreciate when schools match the dugout architecture with their school, so I think the Continentals made the right choice here. My guess is that being in New York puts you out of contention to host the tournament for a conference that has “New England” in the title, but you never know because this is a beautiful ballpark.

  1. Trinity

Murren Family Field/DiBenedetto Stadium

What a shocker. The Bantams have the nicest baseball field in the ‘CAC. This should go nicely alongside the nicest football field in the ‘CAC. Not only is Murren Family Field at DiBenedetto Stadium the best in the conference, this is one of the nicest collegiate ball parks in New England regardless of division. The stadium seating looking out at the Hartford skyline is a remarkable backdrop for a brand new, pristine turf field. The logo in center field is a really cool touch and having “NESCAC” painted along each foul line is a ridiculously classy move. This is the picture perfect site for the NESCAC tournament, and I can’t see anyone getting a nicer field than the one in West Hartford for a very long time.

Benches Are Clearing; Baseball Weekend Preview?

It’s been a great start to the MLB season. The Red Sox are unbelievable, dominating the Yankees on the field and in a Fenway Park WWE fight. Baseball brawls are essential to the baseball identity. In no other sport do you have an individual with a wooden weapon or people hauling in from the other end of the playing field. In this edition of my weekend update, I’m going to compare two teams, one from the east and another from the west, to see who would hypothetically win in a bench clearing brawl. While we know this isn’t as informative as a normal weekend preview, the weather brought all of the games into question (Midd v. Amherst was moved to May 4th and 5th), so we wanted to mix it up in the wake of some angry behavior in MLB games (Red Sox vs. Yankees; Padres vs. Rockies). 

Let’s start out with the east:

The Colby Mules wouldn’t be your first guess on a team who would be interested to brawl. Mainers are such down to earth, empathetic people. But let’s not forget about the swagger the Mules possess.

2017 Colby Baseball Team

The first attribute that the Mules possess that could give them an edge in any fight is their roster pictures–particularly their facial hair. These guys are scary. Cameron Garfield looks like Billy the Kid on his way to rob a train in the Wild West. Let’s just say the next time I’m on the T, I’m not sitting anywhere near Garfield. He would probably whip out a weapon, and ask me how much gold I have. He’s clearly reached his peak as a freshman in the facial hair department; I don’t see how he could one up his roster picture. In all seriousness, Colby has a big weekend coming up. Their pitching has been solid with a 3.96 ERA in conference. Their hitting, on the other hand, isn’t helping out the pitching staff. A .228 average in conference won’t win any ball games, no matter who’s on the bump.

Another guy’s facial hair that has evolved over the years is junior pitcher Will Cohen. I’m not giving him airtime because he’s a former teammate and friend, but I actually respect his facial hair. It’s well trimmed, which is a major improvement from his freshman year photo. Unlike Garfield’s roster picture, Cohen’s freshman year picture makes me slightly nauseous (the picture can’t be found, the college took it down due to complaints). Cohen came into Colby as a freshman, and contributed to the cause. He pitched five scoreless innings in 2015 against the potent Tufts Jumbo offense. He hasn’t really been the same since. As a pitcher who relies on masterful control, he hasn’t been able to locate quite the same as before.

The Mules dropped two out of three against Bates last weekend, which is concerning because the Mules clearly have the talent advantage. Trinity won’t be an easier opponent to face this weekend, but if the Mules can right the ship by taking two out of three, they’ll find themselves in the playoff hunt. Right now, they just need to figure it out at the plate.

If not, I definitely think they can intimidate opponents in a bench clearing brawl. Cohen and Garfield will lead the charge in the fight.

The West:

Wesleyan 2017 Baseball Team

I have to pick Wesleyan. I’ve only seen Wesleyan’s games live, so I don’t pretend to have a feel for the entire NESCAC’s character. However, the Birds definitely have the swagger right now with a 3-0 conference record that could help them win a fight. Let’s see why:

We have to start off with Ryan Earle and Chase Pratt. These guys are thick and bulky. I’m sure they could put up thirty plus reps of two plates on the bench, and be pictured chopping wood on the cover of a Carhartt magazine with husky jackets and their yellow labs. These guys are also mashing at the plate. As big guys, they’re incredibly short to the ball which allows them to barrel up inside fastballs. They use the whole field, which shows how well they’re seeing and timing up the baseball. Both are hitting well in the .300’s with low strikeout numbers. That says a lot for big, powerful guys. These bash bros are like Chad and JT advocating for southern California house parties: they have swagger, confidence, and are the power of the Wesleyan lineup. But of course, two guys can’t beat twenty other guys in the fight. Kevin Walek, Wesleyan’s shortstop, is their version of Baker Mayfield on the diamond. He wears a red bandanna, and blares Straight Outta Compton as his walkup song. He hits towards the bottom of the lineup, but has been an important piece towards Wesleyan’s success. He hit .600 last weekend against Middlebury, and plays stellar defense shortstop.

Wesleyan dominated Middlebury last weekend in all aspects of the game; it was quite obvious as a spectator that Wesleyan had the emotional edge. Any foul ball to the backstop was corralled by Nick ‘Val’ Valicenti. Obviously, there’s no stat in the book that illustrates hustle. Val’s not an everyday player, but his hustle on each foul ball is indicative and is a microcosm of the Wesleyan baseball team: they’re gritty.

This grit is apparent in close games. In game one against Middlebury, they edged out a win by scoring their only run on a walk. They fought and clawed for that win, which gave them the momentum for the rest of the series.

In a non-league game on Wednesday, freshman pitcher and #4 on NBN best roster pictures took a line drive straight to the dome. The play stopped, and the whole squad was genuinely concerned for Reddy. Taking line drives to the head builds character that helps in a bench clearing brawl.

Kidding aside, Wesleyan needs to bring that same character, energy, and swag into their games against Hamilton this weekend. If they keep an emotional edge, given their superior talent, the Continentals will be on their heels all weekend.

Wesleyan’s temper getting tested in 2015

In conclusion, if Cameron Garfield and Will Cohen came toe to toe with Ryan Earle and Chase Pratt in a bar, I would be intimidated by the rocking facial hair of the Mules. However, the Mules would run away when the clean version of Straight Outta Compton came on, and 160 pound Kevin Walek from Minnesota walked out with his bandana on. Yeah, sportsmanship is cool and all, but who doesn’t love watching a good fight?

Divisions Keep Them Separate, But How Do They Stack Up? Baseball Midseason Power Rankings

Right In The Thick of Things: Power Rankings Week 5

I have a love/hate relationship with NESCAC baseball. On one hand, I hate the way the divisions and playoff systems work but love the way it emphasizes head-to-head matchups. As an athlete myself, I hate how fast the spring season goes for these teams that have been preparing together since they stepped on campus in the fall yet I love how quickly these teams are forced to get into the mix. So with that being said, it’s hard to believe that it’s the second week of April and there are two huge weekends of NESCAC divisional play remaining. The season is in full swing, and with it comes some Power Rankings.

  1. Wesleyan 

The only undefeated team in the conference, and although overall records don’t matter in baseball the same way they do in other NESCAC sports, the holder of the best overall record at 13-6, are the Wesleyan Cardinals. Wesleyan started their league campaign off with a 3-game sweep of defending conference finalist Middlebury. The most impressive part of their weekend was how they showcased a variety of ways they can beat you. Mike McCaffrey has begun to prove our preseason hype correct throwing 6 no-hit innings with 10 Ks, combining with Pat Clare for their first no-hitter since 1981. The duo outpitched Middlebury’s Colby Morris (never heard of him) in a 1-0 win to start the series, and then the bats followed it up with two shootout wins in which they put up double digit runs in each game. OF Alex Cappitelli ’20 continued his solid sophomore campaign by leading the team with 4 RBIs on the weekend, but the real story so far for Wesleyan has been their depth through the order. The Cards have 7 guys in their lineup hitting above .300, which is why it should come as no surprise that they lead the NESCAC in hitting with a .305 average. They will definitely be the better team when they travel to New York this weekend for a series with Hamilton and should see their West Division grow larger after a strong start.

  1. Amherst

Amherst followed up their two game sweep of Hamilton with a series win on the road against archrival Williams, putting them at a strong 4-1 in the West Division. The Mammoths are second in the league with a .299 team batting average and lead the league as a pitching staff with a collective 4.18 ERA. They’re more than likely kicking themselves for letting Williams steal Game 2 late, but the Purple and White are in great shape. They do have the toughest schedule remaining in the West with Wesleyan and Middlebury looming, 5 of those 6 games being on the road as well. OF Ariel Kenney ’18 is firmly at the front of the POY conversation with his .431 AVG, to go along with 2 HRs and 10 RBI. 3B Nick Nardone ’19 is also looking to enter that race (.322, 2 HRs, 15 RBI), and the best part for Amherst might be that SS Harry Roberson ’18 (.228 AVG, 16 RBI), has really yet to get going. There might not be a team in the league better equipped for a 3 game series.

  1. Trinity

If you’re the Bantams you definitely have every right to feel slighted with a spot at 3 in these rankings, but I think Amherst’s consistency/every team statistic available gives them the edge. Trinity has opened the season just as they had hoped, taking 2 out of 3 from both Tufts and Bowdoin. In my East Division preview I wrote that the key to Trin’s season would be keeping the poor starting pitching performances to a minimum, but they have yet to do that in the way they would’ve hoped. While they are 3rd in the league with a 4.38 ERA, it is games like their 15-8 loss to Bowdoin that could keep them from reaching the heights they are hoping to find. They caught Bowdoin P Brandon Lopez ’19 on an off night (3.0 IP, 4 R, 5 BB), but P Erik Mohl ’19 couldn’t get out of the 2nd inning (1.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R) and the Polar Bears blitzed the Trinity bullpen for eight runs in the 7th inning alone. This team can flat out rake, but we are yet to see them clicking on all cylinders like they are capable of. Tufts, like the good team they are, were able to hold them to 13 runs over 3 games, but they were able to climb up to 21 over 3 against Bowdoin. They have the firepower, and perhaps more importantly, the strength of schedule—having already seen off Tufts and Bowdoin—to take the East Division and contend for the NESCAC.

  1. Tufts

They lost 2 out of 3 games to a good Trinity team, but that is certainly not a cause for concern. RJ Hall, Brent Greeley, and Spencer Langdon combined to throw 19 IP and allow 3 runs, erasing any doubt over the turnover in the bullpen this year. They were a 5 spot in the 7th inning in Game 2 away from winning the series and climbing higher on these rankings, but this is still a really good team and the class of the NESCAC. IF Tommy O’Hara ’18 (.358 AVG, 2 HR, 15 RBI) has looked every bit the first-teamer he was last year and is certainly right in the mix for POY. The Jumbos are getting their usual mix of contributions all over the order, but if there was one place they would like to see improvement it would be in IF Nick Falkson ‘18’s batting average. The reigning league Player of the Year is showing off his usual power so far this year, to the tune of 4 HRs and 22 RBI, but his average sits at just .258., a far cry from his .373 last year. He has already doubled his big flies, but the contact has not been there quite yet. Look for that to change soon. The story of the year in Somerville, however, is the play of P Brent Greeley ’20. The sophomore has been absolutely lights out, boasting a 4-0 line with a 1.29 ERA (second in the league) in 28.0 IP. His 3.54 K/9 obviously is not indicative of overpowering stuff and time will tell if this is just a hot streak, but the fact that they have a top of the line starter is huge for them going forward. As they showed against Trinity, they have starting pitching that can go deep in games, and deep in the season.

For Midd to figure it out, Colin Waters ’19 and the rest of the pitching staff are going to have come to play versus Amherst
  1. Middlebury

I think there’s a pretty clear top 4 in the NESCAC right now, and spots 5-7 are a toss up, but I’m going to give Midd the nod here on account of strength of schedule, close games, and the fact that this is Middlebury on NbN that we’re talking about. They got swept by Wesleyan but if Colby Morris ’20 pitches like that (6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 8 K) for the rest of the year they’re not going to get swept at all (or if they don’t get no-hit). They took 2 out of 3 against a struggling Williams team in California, and although they managed to hang 20 in one of those wins, it did come against the worst pitching staff in the league, so the jury is still out on that one. The 0-3 weekend against Wesleyan makes it a really uphill battle to return the playoffs, especially with Amherst still on the schedule. Their other rather glaring problem is that they haven’t really been good at anything, hitting .252 (9th in the league) and holding the 8th best ERA at 5.57. They need some guys to really start carrying the team if they’re not going to collectively produce. Morris has shown number 1 stuff, and sophomore infielders Hayden Smith (.365 AVG, 9 RBI) and Justin Han (.344 AVG, 14 RBI) could be the catalysts offensively for the Panthers, but it’s quickly turned into do or die time.

  1. Bowdoin

Bowdoin and Bates each find themselves at 3-3 but Bowdoin took 2 out of 3 from the Bobcats, so that made this decision easy. The Polar Bears have ridden P Max Vogel-Freedman ’19 and P Brandon Lopez ’19 to a playoff spot if the season ended today, but unfortunately it doesn’t, and they still have to face Tufts. Bowdoin has utilized the long ball to its benefit with 6 different guys combining to hit 8 homers on the year. I would also like to use this time to throw a shoutout to 1B Sawyer Billings ’18 whose 2-26 with 2 HRs stat line is eerily reminiscent to my Little League production—thanks for bringing me back to the good ole days, Sawyer. Anyways, with Vogel-Freedman and Lopez pitching like they are, they should feel good about their ability to compete. If they can steal 1 or even 2 from Tufts, and then take 2 out of 3 from Colby, that would put them at either 7-5 or 6-6 in the division. Is that going to be good enough to make the playoffs?

  1. Bates

The other 3-3 team in the East are going to need some help and putting this team at 7 feels wrong but someone has to do it. The reality is that this team has taken no strides forward at the plate, and it’s going to be pretty hard (read: near impossible) to make the playoffs hitting .217 as a team. Zach Avila is the only guy hitting above .300 (.316) but none of his 12 hits have been extra base hits. Dan Trulli ’19 (.265, 2 HR, 16 RBI) is their biggest weapon at the plate, but he’s either going to need to do a lot more than what he’s doing now if he’s not going to get any help. Can Connor Russell and Justin Foley make up for it on the mound? Russell has shown he can pitch as good as any arm in the league for a day, but he’s going to have to consistently do it the rest of the way home. The reality is that with 6 games remaining, 3 each against Tufts and Trinity, the Bobcats probably didn’t do enough with their first 6 to stay in the hunt. Perhaps they can play spoiler.

  1. Colby

Colby was able to snag one off of Bates to avoid being swept in their opening weekend, getting a nice pitching performance from first-year LHP Paul Ariola (7 IP, 1 R, 6K). Colby’s biggest problem has been injuries to their pitching staff. Like, all of it. Ariola ’21 leads the team in innings pitched with just 16.1. The guys we expected to take a jump up this year are either hurt or aren’t producing. There’s really no guessing which three guys Coach Plummer will roll out to the mound on a given weekend right now, but it is yet to fully go off the rails for Colby, in large part due to the play of senior OF Matt Treveloni, who has been nothing shy of white hot. Treveloni leads the league with a .440 average to go along with 1 HR and 14 RBI. Colby is still young and has a lot of arms, and while injuries stink, it should give a lot of those young guys chances to prove themselves on the mound.

  1. Williams

It’s safe to say this season has not gone as planned for the Ephs. John Lamont and Sean Hager ’20 vanished seemingly overnight, Lamont to injury, and Hager to transferring, and what remained was a pitching staff with a comfortably league worst 7.37 ERA. Their pitchers just don’t have the stuff, as evidenced by the fact that they’ve struck out 35 less batters than the next closest NESCAC team. Their attempt to convert Kyle Dean ’20 from a reliever, a role in which he had great success last year (26.0 IP, 1.38 ERA, 9.35 K/9) has not worked out, and they are desperately seeking guys to fill their rotation. The bright spots for this team have been the young guys, particularly the freshmen. Sophomore OF Mike Stamas (.375 AVG, 24 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI) has taken the jump up in second year production, but 2021s OF Erik Mini (.265, 2 HR, 7 RBI), IF Eric Pappas (.415, 17 H) and RHP George Carroll (24.1 IP, 3.70 ERA, starter of both NESCAC wins) have been what Eph fans should be most excited about. This team is also actually quite solid at the plate (.279, 4th in the NESCAC). If they can find a couple of pitchers that can join Carroll and get past the 2nd inning, and veterans like INFs Kellen Hathaway ’19 and Jack Roberts ’18 can lead this team at the top of the order, they could win some games. But they still have Wesleyan left on their schedule, and if that 7.37 ERA doesn’t drop quicker than Bitcoin their season will be ending shortly.

Zaffino and the Continentals have nowhere to go but up.
  1. Hamilton

There was some competition with Williams for this coveted spot but it goes to the Continentals because they are the only NESCAC team without a league win. Like I said with some previous teams, some of these rankings are harsh, and as the person writing them can attest, they’re not easy to do either, especially when strength of schedule is such a factor. Hamilton will turn it around and win some games going forward, although looking ahead to Wesleyan and Middlebury (and Williams) isn’t ideal, but they’ve got talent. INF Matt Zaffino has just about locked up ROY in the second week of April, putting up as good of a first season as the league has seen in a while, hitting .429 (T2), 3 HR (2nd), and 18 RBI (5th). The kids have been the story for this team, as Zaffino’s first year classmates INF Jarrett Lee (.370, 20 H, 8 RBI) and INF Matt Cappelletti (.295, 2 HR, 8 RBI) have joined in on the production party. They have yet to find consistent top end pitching, but hopefully that will come. This is going to come across as a cop out (it is a cop out) but Hamilton won’t finish 10th in the last Power Rankings, I feel pretty certain about that.

Swagger Wins Rings: NESCAC Baseball Roster Pic Power Rankings

NESCAC Baseball Roster Pic Power Rankings

As we all know, sports come down to much more than stats and analytics. In baseball especially, teams are more and more reliant these days on metrics and all sorts of things their computers tell them. Well, today we’re telling the story untold. Being a college baseball player really boils down to one thing: your roster pic. People can go any direction with their roster pic and it really is important. The message you choose to send is a big deal and it says a lot about you. Take a look at Middlebury skier Pate Campbell’s photo for instance:

This is a big time roster pic. I feel like I’ve known Pate Campbell my entire life after seeing this picture, and that right there is exactly the point. It’s a good thing this article focuses on just baseball players, because Campbell’s might possibly be the greatest roster pic I’ve ever seen. Naturally, we had to figure out which players had the best pictures across the league because that tells us more than stats ever could. After sifting through literally every single picture of every player on every team, one player was selected from each squad with the most outrageous pic, then ranked 1-10. This ranking is absolutely open for discussion because personal preference really affects the way each picture is perceived.

 

10. Justin Olson ’21 (Trinity)

Trinity is the only team besides Hamilton who takes their pictures without the team hat on, and I have to say it really paid off here. We’re fortunate enough to get a great look at a terrific head of properly coiffed, searing red hair. What happens if you combine that with an inviting smile and dreamy eyes? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Justin Olson.

 

9. Ian Kinney ’18 (Tufts)

This one isn’t anything too crazy, but Kinney gives us a nice beard, a cheesy mustache, and a psycho stare that tells us he’s a relief pitcher before the program even has to. If you really want to dig deep, you’ll see that Kinney has added the beard to his repertoire since last year’s picture, which I must say is a great touch.

 

8. Sam Schneider ’18 (Amherst)

Schneider’s pic is interesting because my guess is that most people wouldn’t have even put him as high as 8. Well that goofy smile and teen wolf hair poking out from his shirt makes me think otherwise. I don’t like that Amherst wears purple hats with a purple background in their pictures though. It’s just too much purple.

 

7. Arlyn Lopez ’21 (Hamilton)

I liked Ian Kinney’s psycho stare, but I like Arlyn Lopez’s hardo stare even more. As a freshman you really have to go one of two ways: intimidating or completely goofy. Evidently, Lopez chose the former and we’re blessed to see this work of art. The chin piece is trimmed nicely and he looks ready to go. Well done.

 

6. Gray Goolsby ’20 (Middlebury)

The only reason Goolsby finds his way this high up the list is because of how long it took to figure out if he actually has a mustache or not. I think he does. This roster pic doesn’t tell us much about Gray Goolsby, but there’s a subtlety in his eyes that makes me think there’s something soft underneath that tough exterior that he may not be letting on. Also, that kind of grit reminds me of Lt. Aldo Raine which tells us all that he means business.

 

5. Connor Speed ’18 (Bates)

The crazy eyes. The mustache not quite connecting to the beard. The blank stare. Each of these help leave a bread crumb trail of insanity. Once you see the unorthodox, pseudo-submarine delivery that Speed offers, the picture is complete. This kid was born to be a pitcher and a pitcher he is – with a killer roster pic.

 

4. David Redfield ’21 (Wesleyan)

Wow. Here’s a guy that I would pay to see without his hat on. That kind of luscious, red hair is once in a generation. The fact that it covers almost the entire back of his neck while still providing a subtle curl is almost majestic. His stern look offers a nice contrast to the flowing locks, making this a nearly perfect effort at a freshman roster pic. The best part: His last name is Redfield! Talk about an electric nickname, Red.

 

3. Brandon Lopez ’19 (Bowdoin)

This pic oozes swagger almost as much as Lopez’s presence on the field. The facial hair that almost isn’t there but kind of sort of is perfectly complements the popped chains and bat on his shoulder. You can tell just from the picture that he isn’t here to mess around. Lopez nailed it with this one.

 

2. Adam Regensburg ’18 (Williams)

Sadly there weren’t very many killer mustaches to choose from. Luckily, Regensburg crushes this one out of the park. I’m a huge fan of the mustache with the 5 o’clock shadow look, so this hits home a bit. This is another guy who has undergone some serious changes since his earlier days – see his freshman football roster pic for some legitimate progress.

 

1. Cameron Garfield ’21 and Jackson Ward ’19 (Colby)

There was just no way to pick one winner from these two gems. Garfield’s working man beard reflects on his background from notoriously blue-collar Phillips Andover Academy. This confusing yet powerful facial hair is bold, but he pulls it off in a way I’ve certainly never seen before. Props to him. Then we have Ward whose ‘stache alone would’ve earned him a top 10 spot on this list. Throw in the lacrosse flow and hilarious smirk and he makes his way to the top.

What can we expect from Wesleyan? NESCAC Baseball Week 2 Stock Report

NESCAC Baseball Week Two Stock Report:

Stock Up

Tanner Fulkerson (Wesleyan)

Tanner Fulkerson ’20

Fulkerson has had a monstrous start to his second season with the Cardinals, batting .393 with 1 home run and a conference leading 24 RBI’s in just 16 games. Fulkerson has had at least 4 RBI’s in three games so far this year as he leads a Wesleyan team averaging over 8 runs per game into their first NESCAC contests this weekend against Middlebury. While Wesleyan’s spring break strength of schedule wasn’t incredibly strong, Fulkerson will have a chance to prove he is the real deal against a strong Middlebury pitching staff.

Brent Greeley (Tufts)

Brent Greeley ’20

Another sophomore with a great start to the year, Greeley has a 1.29 ERA in 21 innings pitched. Greeley boasts a 3-0 record in those four appearances, while his only no-decision came last weekend against Trinity after he pitched 5 scoreless innings before getting pulled. Tufts is off from NESCAC play this weekend so look for Greeley to have another strong start against a non-conference team in preparation for an April 13/14 showdown at Bowdoin.

Colby Morris (Middlebury)

Colby Morris ’19

While I hate to put NBN head editor on this list, he deserves a spot. Morris has had the best start to the season of his career at Middlebury as he has pitched 28.2 innings with 22 strikeouts and a 1.88 ERA, which are all good for top-4 rankings in the league. This weekend series against Tanner Fulkerson and Wesleyan should be a good one as we will see which one of these guys can come out on top. The Midd/Wesleyan matchup features this showdown between arguably the best pitcher and hitter so far in the season.

Stock Down

Williams Pitching

The Williams pitching staff had a tough spring break trip posting a team ERA of 7.21 going into their second weekend of NESCAC play. In non-conference games over spring break, Williams gave up at least 7 runs in nine different games before getting rocked for 20 runs by Middlebury in their NESCAC opener. Williams was hoping Kyle Dean, a freshmen standout from last year, would be able to lead an extremely young rotation. Unfortunately, he has not had the start to the year he was hoping for despite his hard fastball due to a lack of stamina and offspeed repertoire. Williams’ top four most utilized pitchers so far this season are all freshmen and sophomores so hopefully with more and more experience throughout the season they will be able to turn it around.

Mike McCaffrey (Wesleyan)

Mike McCaffrey ’19

McCaffrey was NBN’s preseason pick for the West Cy Young award and while it is still early in the season, McCaffrey is going to need to step it up if he wants live up to the hype (that we created).  He currently has a 5.48 ERA but has given up 27 hits in just 21.1 total innings pitched. In his last two starts he has given up 10 earned runs in just 11 innings against Carleton and Endicott. The season is extremely young but this is not the momentum that McCaffrey wanted to build going into Wesleyan’s NESCAC opener.  One bright side is that McCaffrey leads the conference in strikeouts so hopefully he can use that as something to build on as the season progresses.

NESCAC Spring Break Trips

NESCAC teams travelled all over the country in search of warm weather and while it is important to note that playing against teams that have 10+ games under their belts is difficult, the NESCAC on a whole didn’t do itself any favors in overall rankings. NESCAC teams posted an overall record of 46-61. As a conference that is known for being one of the strongest for Division III baseball, posting a sub-.500 overall record will not bode well for teams hoping to get an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament later in the year. None of the NESCAC teams are ranked or received votes in the latest poll which is unusual. As we mentioned in the spring break recap article, Tufts usually walks through their games in Virginia with wins, so to see no teams threatening for an at large bid right now is a bit disappointing.

The Snow is Starting to Thaw: NESCAC Baseball Spring Break Recap

Editor’s Note: All of the NESCAC spring break trips are now over and conference play has started for eight of 10 teams. While it might be easy to predict some weekend results, others become muddled after looking at teams’ overall records. Depending on the region of spring break trips (Florida, Arizona, the Mid-Atlantic, or California) there are vastly different strengths of schedules, leading to either inflated or deflated stats. Generally, California has the strongest teams, while all of the other regions have extremely weak competition. For a more in depth look at strength of schedule, check out this site which provides a ranking and strength of schedule assessment for ever D3 baseball team in the country: http://www.boydsworld.com/baseball/isr/d3_isr.html.

Amherst:

Trip Location: Florida

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

Despite a stretch of losses in the middle, Amherst (9-5, 2-0) came out of their preseason contests boasting a respectable 7-5 record. While their offense did its job, hitting .279 as a team and scoring 5.9 runs per game, their pitching is really what carried their success. Andrew Ferrero ‘19 has been the Mammoths’ best pitcher so far, only allowing 2 runs in 18.2 IP on the young season, however, mostly out of the bullpen. Also impressive was Zach Horwitz ‘20 who holds a 1.64 ERA after 11 innings on the bump. Offensively, Amherst was led by Ariel Kenney ‘18 who hit .364 and had a sky-high OPS of 1.157 as a result of two home runs on their trip down south. The Mammoths have set a solid tone for their club for the rest of the season and if key pieces like Harry Roberson ‘18 start to find a groove, Amherst could be title contenders.

Bates:

Trip Location: California

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Strong

Bates (4-9, 1-2) started out their 2018 campaign slowly, dropping six straight games in California. Although they started off on a bad note, both for themselves and for the NESCAC, the Bobcats were able to pick themselves up a little bit once they got back to the East Coast, taking 3 of their next 4 games. A 3-7 record going into NESCAC play is nothing to brag about, but maybe Bates can use some of their recent success to jumpstart them in conference play. With a team ERA of 6.12 and team batting average of .195 going into the opening weekend, there weren’t a whole lot of individuals who stood out as noteworthy after their early trip to SoCal. One bright spot may be Dan Trulli ‘19 who hit .262 over their 10 games and dropped Bates’ only bomb all preseason long. While Bates did play poorly, they traveled to California on February 18th, just three days after official practices started, so we will give them a break here as they couldn’t have been adequately prepared to compete.

Bowdoin:

Spring Break Location: Florida

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Medium

Bowdoin (8-7, 2-1) exits their preseason going an average 6-6. While they had a few lopsided victories (10-1 and 10-2 over Keuka), they also had lopsided losses (16-3 against #3 Rowan). Bowdoin really came into their own over their last 6 games, going 5-1 and holding opposing offenses to only 2.5 runs per game. While their staff as a whole has a very unimpressive ERA of 5.82, Seamus Keenan ‘20 sets the pace for the Polar Bears with a 1.42 ERA and 13K through his first 12 ⅔ IP. The offense has been led by Joe Gentile ‘18 and Jack Wilhoite ‘19 who are each hitting .405 and .406, respectively. While Bowdoin does have 4 guys hitting over .340, nobody in the rest of their lineup is able to crack .260, creating a stark contrast between the middle of their order and the rest. Bowdoin’s keys to success this season will be to lower that team ERA, and get everyone involved up and down the lineup.

Colby:

Spring Break Location: Florida

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

After a huge 13-4 victory over Keuka on opening day, the Mules (2-8, 0-0) have looked stagnant. Going 1-6 since that win is not the look that Colby needed going into NESCAC play. Their only other win after Keuka comes against Waterville rival Thomas College, which is not a particularly impressive win to say the least. Captain Matt Treveloni ‘18 has had a stand out spring so far hitting .440, with the majority of his knocks being for extra bases. Will Phillips ‘20 has also been lighting it up for the Mules at the plate hitting .444. On the other side of the equation, Colby has been giving up an average of 6.6 runs per game, and the offense can’t keep pace with that so far. One success the Mules have had on the mound so far has been Frank Driscoll ‘21, who allowed no earned runs and recorded 8 Ks in the first start of his college career, earning the win over Thomas. The clear problem the Mules have right now is not their ability to put runs on the board, but rather keep them off of it. As their younger pitchers gain more experience, perhaps the Mules can take an opportunity to climb in the standings from their last place finish in 2017.

Hamilton:

Spring Break Location: Florida

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

Hamilton’s (6-9, 0-2) preseason has been an absolute rollercoaster ride. Dropping their first 7 contests, the Continental’s trajectory seemed to be on a crash course for disaster. That is until their bats caught fire and proceeded to win them their next 6 games in a row. Talk about getting hot at the right time, Hamilton is coming into conference play riding a huge wave of momentum, even though they couldn’t finish out a game against Amherst on opening weekend. A large chunk of their success so far has come from freshman duo Jarrett Lee ‘21 and Matt Zaffino ‘21 who both look to be in the early running for NESCAC Rookie of the Year. Zaffino’s 10 extra base hits, three big flys, .405 AVG. and absurd .892 SLG% pace the Continentals through this past weekend. Hamilton’s freshman heavy lineup continues with Gavin Schaefer-Hood ‘21 who leads the Continentals with 16 ⅓ IP saw his 3.77 ERA balloon to 6.06 after a rough outing against Amherst. While Hamilton would not appear to be in the running for a NESCAC crown this season, I would expect them to find a lot more success this season than last with lots of help from their newfound fountain of youth.

Andrew Corcoran ’18 and the Panthers take big swings and will try to continue their suddenly hot offensive streak into Middletown this weekend.

Middlebury:

Spring Break Location: California

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Strong

While Midd (6-9, 2-1) boasts a weak 4-8 non-conference record, their strength of schedule may be to blame. Unlike their competitors who venture down to Florida or Arizona for the duration of their spring break games, Midd throws themselves right into the fire. They played in both Georgia and Southern California to face quality competition on their turf. The Panther’s 3-3 record on their SoCal trip in comparison to Bates’ 0-6 shows the caliber of players that Middlebury has. While their offense has been lackluster, hitting .223 as a team before playing Williams, Justin Han ‘20 has been a diamond in the rough hitting .347 with 12 RBI for the Panthers. On the mound, NBN editor and Middlebury ace Colby Morris ‘19 has been getting the job done, already amassing 28 ⅔ IP on the young season and maintaining a stellar 2.08 ERA befoer facing Williams, which ismuch improved from his first two seasons. While Midd is slated to be a major contender for the NESCAC championship this spring, it is still clear that they have issues that need addressing both offensively and defensively in order to compete at the level they are expected to.

Trinity:

Spring Break Location: South Carolina

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Medium

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Trinity’s (6-8, 2-1) spring so far has been quite below-average. Their 2-4 record in South Carolina screams “meh” and the fact that they have already had 5 home games, a luxury most all NESCAC teams have not enjoyed, hasn’t seemed to serve them too well. With a vital series win against Tufts, the Bantams showed that they put themselves in a good position, however, to outplay the Jumbos. One guy who has been getting it done for the Bantams has been Matt Koperniak ‘20 who leads Trinity in AVG (.404) and extra base hits (6). On the bump, Trinity’s starting rotation has been fantastic. Their top 3 arms Erik Mohl ‘19, Alex Shafer ‘20, and Justin Olson ‘21 have each started at least 2 games and still maintain sub 3 ERAs. This makes Trinity’s problems all to clear, their offense in which nobody buy Koperniak is hitting over .300 and their bullpen which has been blowing games that their starters are setting up for them quite nicely. Although their preseason wasn’t too promising, it looks as if their starting pitching could carry the Bantams to the playoffs due to a down year in pitching for the rest of the conference.

Trinity’s starting pitching carried them to a series win over Tufts and should lead them to the playoffs.

Tufts:

Spring Break Location: Virginia

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

Unsurprisingly, Tufts (7-6, 1-2) is one of the only NESCAC teams to exit spring break with a winning record at 6-4. The Jumbos can flat out rake, with a team AVG of .301 and scoring 11.1 runs per game exiting spring break. The blue and brown machine seems unstoppable, but their stats are not all that they appear to be. During their classic trip to Virginia, they played an unchallenging schedule, looking to leave ranked like in 2016 and 2017. Their 6-4 record, while respectable, is an illusion. They usually exit VA with at most one loss and showed that their pitching staff is much weaker than any could’ve imagined. While RJ Hall and Brent Greeley are off to hot starts with sub-3 ERAs, Tufts lacks the bullpen depth to dominate the NESCAC. As a result, their team ERA is an abysmal 5.85. and they failed to take home a series win against Trinity who didn’t even make the NESCAC playoffs in 2017. Malcolm Nachmanoff ‘18 , Nick Falkson ‘18, and John Moschella ‘19 bolster a strong lineup that should continually allow the Jumbos to compete, even if not at their usual dominant level. Tufts, as always, is favored to win it all this year but they will not be able to do it without some vast improvement in their pen. That being said, I am looking forward to some weekend slugfests between the Jumbos and their NESCAC opponents that could very well result in some football-esque scores.

Wesleyan:

Spring Break Location: Arizona

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

The Cardinals (10-6, 0-0) can be crowned spring training champs of the NESCAC despite a weak strength of schedule. A dominant 9-4 performance shows that Wesleyan is firing on all cylinders to start of the 2018 season. With a team batting average of .314, everyone is eating for the Cardinals. They have an incredible 7 starters hitting over .300 and Chase Pratt’s ‘20 statline of 412/.553/.735 is scary good but down from.520/.618/.920 before last weekend, showing that the Tucson fields aided his bat. Tanner Fulkerson ‘20 has started his season red hot too, hitting .393 with a conference leading 24 RBI. There are almost too many names to mention for Wesleyan so let’s just say that Ryan Earle ‘19, Alex Cappitelli ‘20 and Matt Jeye ‘18 also rake. Although when it comes to pitching, Wesleyan looks like any other NESCAC team with their 5.53 team ERA. Mike McCaffrey ‘19 has had a solid showing so far as the Cardinal ace, with a 3.86 ERA and 12.12 K/9 before a rough start against a great Endicott team which inflated his numbers. His strikeouts are impressive but 27 hits in 21.1 innings and a current 5.48 ERA isn’t dominant. When it comes to offense, I recommend that Wesleyan doesn’t change a thing. On the bump there are certainly problems to be resolved. Nevertheless, McCaffrey, Alec Olmstead, and Kelvin Sosa make up a solid rotation lots of Ks and lots of BBs. The impressive showing the Cardinals put up in Arizona shows that, perhaps, they can go deep into the playoff race this year, but they will likely fall significantly back to earth in the Northeast.

Williams:

Spring Break Location: California

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Strong

All I can say about the Ephs (2-10, 1-2) preseason so far is yikes. If a 1-8 non-conference record isn’t enough to sound an alarm, maybe the fact that they had a 10 game losing streak before beating Midd 5-3 in game three of their opening series. Although they were able to pick up a win on opening day against historically bad Cal Tech, I’m not convinced that Williams’ 1-8 record in SoCal is too much better than Bates’ 0-6. To be fair to the Ephs, they have had several close losses, losing 5-4 to La Verne, 2-1 to Whittier and once again 9-8 to Whittier. It is clear that Williams is missing just some little pieces to turn themselves from a 1-8 club into a NESCAC contender. One piece that has been working for them is Erik Mini ‘21 who starts off his college career hitting .306 with a .611 SLG% and team leading 2 HR. On the mound there is not much to mention for Williams with their team ERA at 7.21. Williams needs to treat their preseason like MLB Spring Training and ignore the numbers. Their series in California against Midd was their first real test of the season and they showed that their pitching is a huge issue. They allowed 29 runs in three games to Midd (20 in game one), and unless they figure something else out, they won’t be able to win 2/3 games in any NESCAC series.

What Everybody’s Waiting For: NESCAC Baseball Opening Weekend Preview

Most NESCAC teams have concluded their spring trips. You know what that means: NESCAC baseball is back! Conference games return this weekend with a full slate of games. There were no dominant teams in the preseason unlike recent years, so NESCAC play should be as competitive as ever. Here is a preview of the upcoming conference games:

Williams @ Middlebury, Friday March 30th @ University of La Verne and Saturday March 31st @ Chapman University (Doubleheader) Los Angeles, California (Midd is the home team):

This series should be fascinating for a couple reasons. Midd is only 4-8 on the season. After such a promising playoff run, the Panthers don’t look like the same team in the standingsfrom a year ago. Don’t let the record fool you, however. The losses Midd incurred came from DIII powerhouses such as Emory, Pomona-Pitzer, and #15 Redlands. A red flag shouldn’t be going off for the Panthers yet, but if they drop more than one game to Williams, I don’t think Midd will come out on top in the west. It’s also worth noting that in 2017, the Panthers started out 3-9. Colby Morris is carrying the pitching staff with a 2.18 ERA and 20.2 innings pitched. He obviously is the ace of the staff, but the two guys below him in innings pitched, Robert Erickson and Colin Waters both have ERAs in the 4’s and 8’s. Freshman Will Oppenheim will be an key arm to watch this weekend, especially after the recent injury (Tommy John surgery) to Spencer Shores, who was electric at times in 2017. Winning the Friday game of a NESCAC series is important to gain some momentum, but strong pitching has to be constant throughout the entire series, not just the opener. Similarly, the lineup has inconsistencies through it. Justin Han has clearly picked up where he left off last season with a .359 avg so far. Sam Graf, for example, hit .323 last year, but is only hitting .182. The good news for Midd is that conference play hasn’t started yet. There’s time for guys like Graf, Erickson, and Waters to become comfortable and dominate again. Williams has limped out to a 1-8 record so far. The team is clearly missing southpaw Johnny Lamont because the Ephs collectively hold a 7.40 ERA. The one silver lining in this dismal start is freshman outfielder Erik Mini. Mini is second on the team with a .345 average, and has already jacked two homers. The offense has hit started hot with a .292 team average, but quality pitching has been non-existent. Only one pitcher, George Carroll, currently holds an ERA under 4.

Expect these games to be high scoring—especially when the starting pitching becomes so-so in games two and three. Midd’s the better team, and should come out on top in this series.

Predicted conference record: Midd 2-1, Williams 1-2

Trinity @ Tufts, Friday March 30th and Saturday March 31st (Doubleheader), Medford, Mass:

Trinity’s hitting has started off slowly but has had great pitching and could rely on that this weekend.

One of the biggest surprises for me this season is that Tufts didn’t jump out to a hotter start. Most of the games they’ve played have been decided by a 10 or more run differential against weak teams. I know it’s spring training, but I thought Tufts’ competitive spirit would foster closer games. The Jumbos are an average 5-4 so far. Seniors Tommy O’Hara and Malcolm Nachmanoff are leading the Jumbos offense. Both are hitting in the mid to high .300’s, and have been staples in the Tufts lineup for some time. What’s the problem then? Pitching. Similar to Wesleyan a few years back, there’s an inevitable fall from grace after your top guys graduate. That was Nick Cooney and Gavin Pittore for Wesleyan. For Tufts, it’s Speros Varinos and Tim Superko. Both guys would be aces for any team in the NESCAC. Without those two, Tufts starting pitching has greatly deteriorated. Brent Greely and RJ Hall have picked up the slack as the number one and two pitchers, respectively, and they will miss Brad Marchetti for the season due to a torn ACL. After those guys, there’s a massive drop in quality pitching. Except for Spencer Langdon and the two guys mentioned above, there’s no other Jumbo pitcher with a sub 4 ERA. Like great teams, however, the Jumbos will always figure it out. Don’t let their average record fool you. The ‘Bos are still legit.

Trinity has hobbled out to a 3-7 record so far. The main area of concern for the Bantams is hitting. The team has a .259 average. NESCAC pitching is strong, so a .259 season average won’t cut it. Senior Brendan Pierce is only hitting .207, and leads the team with strikeouts. He has been a catalyst for big innings his previous three years, so he has to figure it out if the Bantams want to have a successful season. Starting pitching is solid for the Bantams as Erik Mohl leads the staff with a 2.89 ERA. The next two guys have ERAs below 4. This should bode well for Trinity down the stretch because as I’ve noted above, quality starting pitching always comes at a premium. If the Bantams can figure themselves out at the plate, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be valid competitors.

The series is held in Medford, and Tufts always utilizes their home field advantage. Look for Trinity to maybe pick up one game, but Tufts should dominate the rest.

Predicted conference record: Tufts 2-1, Trinity 1-2

Bates @ Bowdoin,  Friday March 30th and Saturday March 31st, @ Colby College (Waterville, ME)

While Connor Speed was supposed to be the ace and was on our Preseason All-NESCAC Team, it looks like Russell is taking the reigns after a solid start.

After Bates limped into the playoffs last year, it seems like the Bobcats are continuing in that path. The one statistic that can’t be overlooked is Bates’ team .191 average. .191!! That isn’t just one guy or a couple guys, it’s the whole team. Obviously the graduation of Brendan Fox and Ryan McCarthy hurt Bates a lot. The top nine Bates guys are barely hitting in the mid-.200’s if that. The Bobcats are obviously short on hitting, but their pitching hasn’t picked up the slack either. Their ace, Connor Russell, leads the team with a 4.22 ERA. It shouldn’t be stated enough that these statistics are from spring training games. However, they are indicative of what could be to come. Bates needs to figure it out at the plate and on the mound if they want a shot at reaching the playoffs again.

Bowdoin comes into the NESCAC season with a 6-6 record. That’s very solid relative to other NESCAC teams. Senior Joe Gentile mashed over spring training—hitting .405. Furthermore, many of the top guys in the Polar Bears’ lineup are hitting above .300. Bowdoin looks like they’ve improved significantly from last year. Starting pitching has been only decent. Sophomore Seamus Keenan leads the squad with a 1.42 ERA, while the next two guys in the rotation are above the 4 ERA mark. Bowdoin has been waiting some time to get back in the hunt in the east. That division is so competitive that it’s really hard for teams like Bowdoin to receive one of the covetous playoff spots.

Bowdoin and Bates seem like they’re on two different tracks: Bowdoin is rising; Bates is falling. I think this series will be won decisively.

Predicted conference record: Bowdoin 3-0, Bates 0-3

Hamilton @ Amherst, Friday March 30th and Saturday March 31st, Amherst, MA:

Amherst comes into NESCAC baseball with a 6-5 overall record after the team’s spring trip. Senior shortstop Harry Roberson leads the squad in RBIs with eleven so far. Although Roberson is only hitting .229, expect the elite NESCAC shortstop to hit in the .300’s for conference play. Roberson’s below average hitting is indicative of Amherst’s lack of success with the bats so far. The team is only hitting .262, and I don’t think they lost too many big bats from last season. Like Tufts, Amherst is one of those teams that is usually in it for the long haul; they’ll inevitably figure it out. Amherst, under Hamm’s guidance, is known for a well-balanced team. Amherst pitching has been the best in the NESCAC so far in regard to across the board depth. While reigning NESCAC pitcher of the week, Sam Schneider, is the team’s ace, Junior Andrew Ferrero, holds a 1.13 ERA and is pitching like a #1.To have great starting pitching is one thing. Dominant teams, however, have relievers who can hold a one run lead on the road. Amherst has those guys in Zach Horowitz and Mike Dow who both hold ERA’s in the low 1’s.

Hamilton arrives with a 6-7 overall record, riding a six game winning streak. In the past few years, I don’t think anyone ever doubted Hamilton’s potential. Guys like Ryan Wolfsberg, Kenny Collins, ad Andrew Haser had enormous talent, but it always seemed like Hamilton couldn’t defeat those elite teams in close ballgames. Hamilton was at Wesleyan last year, and could’ve taken at least two of the contests. Most of 2017’s games didn’t turn out in Hamilton’s favor even with their stud-filled lineup. Errors have plagued Hamilton for years and their pitching is nothing to write home about. After losing so many of their starters to graduation, they will likely have a tough time adapting to conference play. Ian Nish is an early bright spot with a  1.42 ERA, but Dan DePaoli should anchor the staff. Freshmen infielders Jarrett Lee and Matt Zaffino have mashed at the plate–holding the highest batting averages on the team (just over .400 and .375, respectively). Zafino has already accumulated ten errors, though and the Continentals need to learn how to win close ballgames which comes with experience, not youth. While they may have potential down the road, I can’t see them winning more than one game against Amherst.

Amherst is Amherst and against such an inexperienced team, they will find a way to get it done.

Predicted conference record: Amherst 2-1, Hamilton 1-2

Purple Reign; Women’s Basketball Season Wrap Up

Women’s Basketball Wrap-Up: Purple Reign

Although this is coming a bit late, it’s time to wrap up the women’s basketball season. It was a huge year for the NESCAC, as three of the teams in the Elite Eight were Tufts, Bowdoin, and Amherst. We like to talk often about how NESCAC men’s basketball is so dominant compared to other conferences, but this type of dominance is remarkable. To add onto this, none of those three teams lost to a non-NESCAC school in the NCAA tournament – Tufts lost to Bowdoin in the Elite Eight and Amherst beat Bowdoin in the national championship. This type of success is noteworthy, but this article will focus solely on the team at the top: the Amherst College Mammoths.

The Mammoths have been doing a lot of net cutting these past two seasons during their 66 game winning streak.

Much to the chagrin of all 10 other NESCAC schools, the Amherst women’s basketball team won their second consecutive national championship this year. Actually let me correct myself: the Amherst women’s basketball team just completed their second straight undefeated season, culminating in a second straight national championship. The Mammoths have won 66 consecutive games dating back to November of 2016; so long ago that they weren’t even called the Mammoths yet. They haven’t lost since the Final Four in 2016 when gas only cost $2 per gallon, Obama was president, and Kobe Bryant was playing his last season with the Lakers. I guess you could say a lot has changed.

11 years into his tenure, Coach Gromacki has turned this program into a dynasty. As we all know, Amherst is good at most (if not all) sports, so this success isn’t too surprising – until you take a closer look. The Mammoths have reached at least the Sweet Sixteen every season under Gromacki, amassing a 33-11 postseason record including 3 national championships. The last two seasons, however, have been even more jaw dropping. Just 11 of their 66 straight wins have been by fewer than 10 points, with only 2 of those coming in NCAA tournament games. This means that not only are they demolishing their regular season opponents, but they’re also elevating their play when it really counts. Take this season for example: Amherst defeated Bowdoin by just 4 points at home in January, then proceeded to crush the Polar Bears by 20 in the national championship. This is a team that flat out knows how to win.

Coach Gromacki can put himself in the same conversation as UConn Women’s Coach Auriemma.

You’d think that a two-year span of success like this came from a large amount of talented upperclassmen, but the Mammoths’ 3 best players are sophomores Hannah Fox ’20 and Madeline Eck ’20, and junior Emma McCarthy ’19. They only had 3 seniors on their roster and only two of them played meaningful minutes. This is scary for opponents who want an end to the reign of the purple because it looks like Amherst is here to stay. Success like this doesn’t come without a bull’s eye on their back, and teams like Bowdoin and Tufts are right there ready to pounce when they slip up. Fortunately for Amherst fans, having Coach Gromacki at the helm makes them the nation’s premier team year in and year out.

It looks like this dynastic run might not even be close to ending…

(All photos courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

Top Fantasy Picks; Preseason NESCAC Baseball Awards (Reimagined)

Editor’s Note: The goal of this post is not only to slight the NESCAC baseball awards system where there are far too few pitchers, not enough creativity, and overlap between awards, but also to explore who is going to make a big impact this coming season in the same style as MLB awards. Also I’d like to give a warm welcome to new writer, my good friend, and my former high school baseball teammate, Spencer Smead.

West Player of The Year:

Harry Roberson ’18

SS Harry Roberson ‘18 (Amherst) Arlington, Mass.: After an outstanding 2017 campaign that yielded him 1st Team All-NESCAC honors, Amherst Junior Harry Roberson will look to follow up last year’s success with an even more impressive 2018 season. With a stat line of  .359 AVG/.418 OBP/.538 SLG as well as 18 extra base hits last season (good for 2nd in the NESCAC), it is no wonder why he was All-Conference. Along with his in season success, Roberson played in both the prestigious Cape Cod league this summer (on a temp contract) as well as the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). After finishing second in the Eastern Division with an in-conference record of 8-4, Amherst was eliminated in the NESCAC playoffs with two losses to eventual champion Tufts. With the loss of several key seniors in Yanni Thanopoulos ‘17 and Anthony Spina ‘17, Roberson will need to carry an even heavier load in order for the Amherst offense to return to its 2017 strength. Amherst’s season has begun in Florida and all eyes are on Roberson to be the heart of a dangerous Mammoth’s lineup.

East Player of The Year:

Nick Falkson ’18

1B Nick Falkson ‘18 (Tufts) Dedham, Mass.: In all fairness, this was not a particularly difficult decision to make. Falkson, the reigning POY and opening week NESCAC Player of the week, will look to pick up where he left off with the rest of the reigning champion Jumbos. Numbers don’t lie, and Falkson’s .373 AVG, 37 RBI and 73 Total Bases are proof of his absolute dominance at the plate during 2017. Along with being an offensive threat, Falkson’s .997 Fielding % makes him Gold Glove worthy as well. Being recognized as 3rd Team All-New England by both the NEIBA and ABCA, Falkson’s 2017 accomplishments did not go under the radar. All of these accolades and statistical achievements are what lead to Falkson to be selected as a D3 Player to Watch by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. I am in complete agreement with the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, whether you are a Tufts fan or despise the dominance they have held over NESCAC baseball, Falkson’s 2018 season will be one you won’t want to miss. Despite their NESCAC success, Tufts failed to pick up a win in their 2017 regional play and subsequently have dropped out of the top-25 national rankings. Falkson will hope to get the Jumbos back in the national conversation after their spring break trip to Virginia concludes.

West Cy Young:

Mike McCaffrey ’19

 LHP Mike McCaffrey ‘19 (Wesleyan) Warwick, R.I.: The class of 2017 had more than its fair share of extremely talented pitchers, leaving the door wide open for Cy Young candidates for the 2018 season. The frontrunner of those that remain is Wesleyan’s Mike McCaffrey. Averaging nearly 11K/9IP in 2017 it is obvious that McCaffrey has the stuff to put away even the most dangerous hitters in the NESCAC. Although his 4.11 ERA seems underwhelming for a Cy Young candidate, he proved this past offseason that he has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the conference. After being named an All-Star in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), McCaffrey was also selected to the  D3 Players to Watch List by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. After posting a much more impressive ERA of 1.51 in the summer of 2017 and maintaining an excellent 11.6K/9IP, McCaffrey will look to carry his summer success over to the 2018 season. McCaffrey will need to be a workhorse for the Cardinals to lift them into the playoffs this year after a 3rd Place finish in the West in 2017. McCaffrey and the Cardinals have opened their 2018 play in Arizona already and will continue their spring break trip in Tucson through March 23rd.

East Cy Young:

Erik Mohl ’19

LHP Erik Mohl ‘19 (Trinity) Milton, Mass.: With the exit of two-time NESCAC Pitcher of the Year Speros Varinos ‘17 (Tufts), it is finally time to crown a new Cy Young in the East. Trinity’s Erik Mohl is the top candidate for the position after a fantastic season last year. Mohl’s 7 wins were good for 2nd best in the NESCAC last year and his 2.55 ERA was 3rd best in the conference. Mohl earned 2nd Team All-NESCAC honors last year with his performance and is the ace of the Bantams’ pitching staff. He will need to put up another strong season to propel Trinity to playoff contention after a 4th place finish last year in the Eastern Division. The last time that the NESCAC Pitcher of the Year did not reach the playoffs was 2007 when Tim Kiely ‘08 (Trinity) and the Bantams failed to do so. Trinity has a history of producing dominant pitching while not having the ability to put together a playoff team, but Mohl will look to break that tradition. The Bantams have already kicked off their preseason games down in South Carolina and will begin NESCAC play in a make-or-break series against Tufts on March 30th.

Reliever of the Year:

Kyle Dean ’20

RHP Kyle Dean ‘20 (Williams) Freemont, CA: In his rookie year in the NESCAC, Williams righty Kyle Dean was extremely effective in his role out of the ‘pen. In his 26 IP he maintained a stellar 1.38 ERA and amassed a K/9 of 9.35. With Williams losing their three most called upon pitchers, one to graduation (Luke Rodino ‘17), one to a transfer (Sean Hager ‘20), and one to an injury (Johnny Lamont ’20), I would expect to see Dean’s innings total to increase immensely this upcoming season. Dean will be called upon quite frequently for the Ephs., and Williams will need effective arms in their pen  if they want to enter the playoff race. In the 2017 season, seven of the Eph’s 11 losses were by two runs or less. Perhaps with a slightly more effective bullpen Williams could have pulled out some close games and improved upon their 3rd place finish in the West. Williams has begun play in Dean’s native California over spring break and has a strong strength of schedule (including a match up against defending national champion Cal Lutheran) before playing their bizarre neutral site series against Middlebury in SoCal to open up NESCAC play.

Breakout Player of the Year:

Andrew Hennings ’20 (He really needs to work on that smile)

IF Andrew Hennings ‘20 (Middlebury) Oak Park, IL.: In his limited appearances for the Panthers last season Hennings was able to make the most of his opportunities. In just 19 games played due to entering the starting lineup after the preseason and a shoulder injury, Hennings was able to put up a .388 AVG and a 1.001 OPS. As two spots have opened up in the Panther’s lineup this past offseason, expect Hennings to be a staple in the middle of their order. As his at bats increase, so should his already stellar numbers. I wouldn’t put it beyond Hennings to sneak into an All-NESCAC spot at the end of this year, so keep an eye on him throughout the season, including Midd’s preseason games in Georgia and Southern California.

DeMarini CF3 Slugger Award:

If you didn’t have a childhood and didn’t play Little League, this bat dropped bombs.
Brendan Pierce ’18

OF/P Brendan Pierce ‘18 (Trinity) Hingham, Mass.: With the pop that this Bantam produced last year, some may have thought he was using a BESR bat. Dropping a conference-leading 5 bombs in the 2017 season, Trinity Senior Brendan Pierce will return this year looking to wreak havoc on the ERA of NESCAC pitchers. With another year of experience under his belt and nothing to lose in his senior season, look for Pierce to up his power numbers even more. Traveling to the more tropical climate of South Carolina to open up the season, don’t be surprised if Pierce hits a tank or two in his preseason games to kick off what should be an impressive senior campaign.

2018 Preseason 1st Team All-NESCAC (Does not include award winners mentioned above)

C Alex Rodriguez ‘20 (Trinity) South Windsor, CT.

IF Kellen Hatheway ‘19 (Williams) Armonk, N.Y.

IF Tommy O’Hara ‘18 (Tufts) Glenview, IL

IF Jack Roberts ‘18 (Williams) Vineyard Haven, Mass.

IF Will Shackelford ‘19 (Tufts) Orleans, Mass.

IF Justin Han ‘20 (Middlebury) Vienna, VA

OF Sam Graf ‘19 (Middlebury) Loma, CO

OF Matt Treveloni ‘18 (Colby) Ashland, Mass.

OF Matt Koperniak ‘20 (Trinity) Adams, Mass.

P Connor Himstead ‘19 (Middlebury) Wellesley, Mass

P Connor Speed ’18 (Bates) San Diego, CA

P/UT Brandon Lopez ‘19 (Bowdoin) Amesbury, Mass.