Category: Tufts

And Then There Were Four: 5/4 Weekend Recap

Middlebury vs. Amherst

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

Williams vs. Wesleyan

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

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

Bates vs. Bowdoin

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

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

Tufts vs. Colby

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

Close to a Photo Finish: Stock Report 5/2

Our playoff picture has firmly come into focus headed into our final weekend. Following a riveting last set of games, highlighted by an incredible Tufts series win over Trinity, we have (finally!) been blessed by the scheduling gods with a terrific weekend of games to determine who will compete for a NESCAC crown. Let’s find out who’s feeling good and bad heading into the last regular season weekend.

Stock Up

Final Weekend Drama

The NESCAC baseball schedule and general competitive format has been a topic of much negative discussion around these parts, but I will give credit where credit is due. This weekend is set up to be an absolute thriller thanks to a touch of good fortune, most notably in the West. Middlebury and Amherst will square off, both at 5-4, while Williams (5-4) faces Wesleyan (4-5), with 4 teams all still in playoff contention going at it head-to-head. It’s fairly simple—the series winner of Middlebury and Amherst is headed to the postseason, that much is certain. The Williams and Wesleyan results will be a little muddier thanks to the tiebreakers. Wesleyan will be rooting for an Amherst sweep along with a sweep win of their own, in which case the 8-4 Mammoths and the 7-5 Cardinals would make it in. A Middlebury series victory could be promising for Wesleyan as well, given that they hold the tiebreaker over Amherst and Williams as well if they’re able to win at least two this weekend. A Williams series win puts them at 7-5 and into the tournament, which would be a massive achievement for this Ephs team. There are two scenarios that end in a three-team tie for second (Midd, Williams, Wesleyan OR Amherst, Williams, Wesleyan at 6-6). In the first case, the second playoff team would be decided by overall winning percentage as each team would be 3-3 against one another. The team that would go to the playoffs would be between Midd and Williams–It’d be Williams who would hold an extremely narrow advantage over the winning percentage. In the second case, Wesleyan would be in as they would have won series against both Williams and Amherst.

Bates’ Playoff Chances

I simply cannot believe the Bobcats might (and almost certainly will) pull this one off again. They have quietly put together a very nice season, even appearing in the last New England regional rankings. After sweeping Colby and receiving the good news that Tufts took two out of three from Trinity, Bates sits at 7-3 while Trinity is in the clubhouse at 8-4. The Bobcats need just one win on account of their series win versus the Bantams, and their last two games are against the 6-21-2 Bowdoin Polar Bears. After sneaking into the playoffs last year, they somehow might just do it again, barring a shocking turn of events versus their in-state rival this weekend.

JP Knight’s Clutch Gene

Are you kidding me?!? Tufts was down 6-5 in the ninth inning against Trinity in Game 2. The bases were loaded, but there were two outs. In fact, they were down to their last strike. But then OF JP Knight ’20 struck. He deposited a grand slam over the fence to give Tufts a 9-6 lead which they would hold and turn into the clinching of a NESCAC Tournament berth. It capped off a 4-4, 2 HR, 7 RBI day for Knight, who was this week’s Player of the Week and on the D3baseball.com national team of the week. Pretty damn good week if you ask me. It was perhaps a turning point for the Jumbos, who could’ve been looking pretty sticky at 7-3 heading into the final weekend. Instead it clinched their spot in the NESCAC tournament, and as we mentioned, could prove to be a dagger for Trinity.

Doug Schaffer’s Player of the Year Chances

I’ve been hesitant to talk about this as a fellow Eph, but with just three conference games left and with Williams well within striking distance to improbably make the NESCAC Tournament, it’s finally time to talk about Doug Schaffer ’19. The senior infielder started out white hot, and while the rest of the league waited for him to cool off, he simply refused to do so. He leads the league with a .455 batting average, and has 14 more RBI than anyone else with 45. The no home runs are a red flag I suppose, but does that really matter with the rest of the stats? I doubt it. Now, it would be tough to give the POY to a guy who doesn’t make the postseason, which is why this upcoming weekend series against Wesleyan is crucial. If Williams wins this series and heads to the postseason, Schaffer has my vote.

Stock Down

Morale in Hartford

There simply isn’t anything else to talk about at this stage in the game. For the second straight year it looks as if Trinity is going to inexplicably miss the NESCAC tournament. For the second straight year, you could make the case that the Bantams are the best team in the league, and they might find themselves watching at home. Last season they needed just one victory to clinch a postseason appearance in their final series at home against Bates, but they couldn’t get it done. This season they had Tufts down 6-3 to start the 9th and even down to their last strike in a game that would have clinched a playoff spot before JP Knight stepped in and put the Jumbos ahead. It was a quietly tough battle to begin with this year, especially after Trinity lost their series to Bates, but after Bates swept Colby to move to 7-3, it is seriously looking like a reality that history will repeat itself. Last year they were 7-5 and missed out thanks to some tiebreakers, and this year could feel even worse—missing out at 8-4. The Bantams will be the biggest Bowdoin fans alive this weekend, needing them to somehow find a way to take both games off Bates. If not, it happened again—somehow. For a team with this much talent who is able to do this much damage outside the NESCAC, it is really surprising that they, yet again, couldn’t close out the most important games of their season. Is this a result of a serious lack of clutch genes from the Bantams? Maybe. Is it because of poor coaching and questionably managed games? Probably. Whatever it is, something isn’t right. The question now just may be: is this irreversible damage to the confidence and psyche in Hartford?

Editor’s Note: Having said all that, however, Trinity still was ranked 3rd in the latest New England Regional Rankings, almost certainly giving them an at-large Pool C bid to the NCAA tournament. While it is highly unusual that a team that misses their conference tournament could make the NCAA tournament, the top four teams in the regional rankings always get bids to the tourney, so at least in this moment, the Bantams’ season will continue past next weekend.

Rain or Shine: Baseball Weekend Preview 4/26

NESCAC Baseball Weekend Preview

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

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

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

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

Prediction: Trinity takes 2 of 3

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

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

Prediction: Hamilton takes 2 of 3

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

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

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

Prediction: Midd takes 2 of 3

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

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

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

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

Prediction: Bates takes 2 of 3

The Long Game; Stock Report 4/26

This weekend of NESCAC baseball has a lot in store for us. The East division will be settled this weekend – Tufts and Trinity face off in Hartford to help determine if Bates still has a shot at the postseason, while the Bobcats will battle to stave off elimination. The West is still wide open. Every team is still in it. Wes will play Midd in a big series this weekend. Williams will play Hamilton, too. There’s a lot still up in the air, which makes it an exciting weekend of baseball. Given these conditions, I believe there are a few undervalued and overvalued teams and players. Here’s my stock report for 4/26.

Long: John Casey

Warren Buffett has always been into value investments. He would invest in companies like Coca Cola and Geico early on because he believed these were quality, undervalued blue chip companies that would outperform expectations. It’s easy to jump on an equity when it has already shown immense growth, but hard to invest when it has hit rock bottom, and every investor says it will always go down. Well, I want to long Coach John Casey of Tufts. If I were Buffett, I would’ve invested in Casey in the early ‘90’s before his reign of terror on the NESCAC. I believe that Tufts, directly based off of the way they’re playing now, will continue to grow and dominate. Walking around their facility, I can see why they win so much: their culture is different. Baseball isn’t really just a sport for them. It’s not academics 1, baseball 2 at Tufts. It’s academics 1 and baseball 1. It’s almost like they’re running a D1 program among the NESCACs. Casey has implemented a system that produces game changing players like Ed Bernstein (check out his senior ERA) and Malcolm Nachmanoff just to name a few. These guys dominate the game, and make baseball really fun to watch. Tufts is playing Trin this weekend, which will be a good preview of a playoff series for sure. I have full faith that Casey will find a way to get it done. Trinity is talented, but Tufts has been there and done that multiple times. Trinity hasn’t been on the big stage as much. Let’s see who comes out on top.

Short: Wesleyan

It pains me to say this because Wesleyan is my team; however, I must stay impartial and follow my fundamental analysis. Middlebury will win the series against West this weekend. I am not saying this because I believe Wes is weak. The Cardinals still boast a powerful lineup with Danny Rose ’19, Andrew Keith ’19, and Andrew Kauf ’20. Leadoff man Alex Capitelli ’20 is hitting below .300 this year, which makes it seem like the world is blowing up. Capitelli is one of the most consistent players in the league. The man is still playing solid baseball, but not quite up to par with his season last year. My problem with Wes isn’t necessarily their lineup (albeit they miss a guy like Matt Jeye dearly in the middle). The Cardinals pitching has been pretty brutal this year. Forget about starting pitching for a second, Wesleyan’s main problem from last year was finding a guy to share the burden of a late inning with Pat Clare ’19. Clare is great for one or two innings. Like any reliever, he gets figured out when he stays later in games. I don’t think Coach Woodworth has found that really reliable number two reliever yet, which is crucial in the late innings further on in the season. The starting pitching has been mediocre as well. Sosa and McCaffrey don’t look the same as last year. Sosa’s funky delivery and solid repertoire of pitches still makes him a force. I am not entirely sure what’s going on with Mike McCaffrey ’19. He hasn’t pitched nearly as well as last season. Wesleyan’s talent has to be up there with any NESCAC team, but I feel like it’s not being utilized to its full potential yet. This weekend against Midd is really make or break for the Cardinals. I had high hopes coming into the season for Joe Mescall ’21 and David Redfield ’21, who are two quality relievers. Redfield had an unbelievable summer season, and Mescall has brought his usual swagger to the mound. These are two guys who I believe, if utilized correctly, will help the pen enormously. Redfield has been sidelined by injury, so his health has a direct effect on Wesleyan’s season. Going on the road to Midd won’t be easy. If the Cardinals can string together at least two wins, I see them having a playoff shot. Pitching may hamper them, though.

Lots of Confusion: Power Rankings 4/22

Power Rankings 4/22

It’s hard to believe it’s the last full week of April and we’re just now getting our first Power Rankings of the 2019 NESCAC baseball season, but the last time I checked this is, in fact, an outdoor sport, and these games are, in fact, contested outdoors, in the Northeast. To be perfectly honest with you, we probably shouldn’t even have a Power Rankings yet. Three teams have played 6 league games, three teams have played 7, three teams have played 9, and one team has played 10. Yes, every team has played in the ballpark of 25 overall games, but how much can you really factor in those midweek games when every single coach in the NESCAC is saving his top wings for the league series’ over the weekend? Regardless, I’m not an excuses guy. I have been selected as the man for this task, and it will be accomplished with minimal cop outs and excuses. Let’s get weird.

1. Tufts (21-5, 6-1)

The holder of the best league winning percentage, the team at the top of a healthy amount of both offensive and defensive statistical categories, and the team that most comfortably passes the eye test. Tufts at this moment is the best team in the league. If they didn’t get rained out in Maine this past weekend they probably would’ve taken two more off of Colby, which would have pushed them to very strong 8-1 league record and put them in the pole position for the 1 seed in the NESCAC East. All year the Jumbos have shown an incredible amount of balance and depth all over the field—up and down the order, and up and down the bullpen. Their lineup card includes a staggering 7 of the top 21 batting averages in the league, and that doesn’t include OF Casey Santos-Ocampo ’19 who is slashing a measly .308/.458/.516, hitting 4 HRs and tacking on 21 RBIs. Heading up the rotation is RHP R.J. Hall ’19, leading the league with a 1.55 ERA. Prettay, prettay, good.

2. Trinity (24-5, 7-2)

Trinity and Tufts could probably be 1A and 1B, but as I previously indicated, I’m somewhat giving Tufts the tiebreaker because I think the rain prevented them from sweeping Colby and giving them the clear best record in the league. Luckily these teams haven’t played each other yet, and there is a really, really, good chance that the divisional crown comes directly down to their head-to-head series. Regardless, these two teams are currently head and shoulders above everybody else. Trinity has the best overall record in the league at 24-5, and for good measure they’re undefeated (3-0) against the NESCAC West. The Bantams haven’t gotten to this spot with the same top to bottom firepower as Tufts, but OF Matt Koperniak ’20 (.373, 4 HR, 22 RBI) has as good of a chance as anyone to win Player of the Year, and RHP Andrew DeRoche ’20 (38.1 IP, 5-1, 2.11 ERA) has just as good of a chance to win Pitcher of the Year. The Bantams are tied for the league lead in fielding percentage (.969%), and as always (although Middlebury is really trying to emulate them this year) no one runs the bases better than Trinity—104 stolen bases, twice as many as every team but one (Midd).

3. Middlebury (17-8, 3-3)

This is where things start to get a little spicy. Yes, Middlebury is technically tied for 2nd in the division, and you would certainly like for their 3-3 divisional record to not solely consist of games against Williams and Hamilton—not exactly recent league juggernauts. Yes, I prefaced these rankings with the fact that you really can’t judge these teams too heavily on non-league results. But who am I supposed to put over them? Amherst? Wesleyan? The only choice for the third spot realistically is the Middlebury Panthers. Their 17-8 record is the third best in the league behind the two teams ranked above them, and they’re the only team in the league to have
scored more than 200 runs and allowed less than 100. They have the third best overall batting average (.308) and the best team ERA by a pretty wide margin (3.07). And while I just extolled Trinity’s baserunning, something that has been a pillar of their program in recent memory, Middlebury has actually been the best in the league at swiping bases, 103-117, a whopping .880 stolen base percentage. This is a really solid team and while you’d obviously like them to have a better league record against the presumed bottom dwellers in the division, I think they’re going to show up and take both series from Amherst and Wesleyan. They’re 3-3 but they have a run differential of +18 in those games. If they either learn how to close out games or maybe if the ball just bounces their way a little more often, they’ll be fine.

4. Amherst (14-11, 5-4)

You can classify the next four teams under the “Meh” category. Yeah, they’ve had decent results and are all firmly in the hunt for the postseason, but would you really place any serious trust in them in a must win game? Regardless, I think Amherst is the best of these 4 teams, so this is where they end up. It’s been a weird year for the defending champs who I think are just yet to play to their potential. They’re 7th in batting average (.293) and 5th in team ERA (4.31), but we know the talent is there, and it’s a testament to them that they still lead the division despite their average stats. Am I talking myself out of this pick? Maybe.

5. Bates (13-12, 4-3)

For whatever it’s worth, I absolutely hate this pick. The Power Rankings are for sure supposed to be the ranking of the teams and not necessarily a forecast of their season outlook, but it is so hard to look at this Bates team and get past the fact that they somehow went 3-3 combined against the two best teams in the league, sit at 4-3, and have 5 divisional games left against Bowdoin and Colby. If they go 4-1 in those games and Tufts takes 2 out of 3 against Trinity, Bates will somehow have snuck into the playoffs over Trinity for the second consecutive year, taking the head-to-head tiebreaker at 8-4. Despite mediocre stats across the board (2nd worst offense in the league, 6 th in team ERA), the Bobcats continue to find ways to win games. They also have a legit no. 1 pitcher in Nolan Collins ’20, who leads the league in innings pitched with 47.0 and is 6th in the league with a 2.87 ERA. He also leads all starters with a 8.43 K/9—he’s not just getting lucky and pitching to contact, he has legit punchout stuff. This ranking could look really shortsighted in two weeks, but for now it’s where I feel comfortable.

6. Williams (17-7, 3-3)

It has been a really bizarre year for the Ephs. They jumped out to an awesome 12-1 start on the back of some insane come from behind wins, and while they’ve cooled off since, they’ve shown that it wasn’t exactly a fluke—most noticeably in their series win over Middlebury. To start with the positives, the two best hitters in the league both wear purple and gold this year in IF Doug Schaffer ’19 (.478, 41 RBI), and OF Erik Pappas ‘21 (.457). Personally, anytime you have two guys at the top of your order that have essentially a 50/50 chance of getting a hit, I think that is a good thing. Additionally, Williams has solved a lot of their pitching woes that plagued them for all of last year—their 4.27 ERA is 3 rd in the NESCAC, and they did much of this winning with star SS Kellen Hatheway ’19 on the disabled list, having only recently returned from injury and playing in just 14 games, but hitting .404 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in those 14 games. But I’m still not sold. The pitching numbers have been as good as they have been because their rotation has done a really good job of avoiding the bad start, allowing them to compete in every game. LHP John Lamont ’20 (19.1 IP in 5 starts, 1-2, 4.19 ERA) is yet to look like himself following Tommy John surgery, and the rest of the rotation has yet to show they have top of the line ability that can win them really big NESCAC games.

7. Wesleyan (12-13, 3-3)

It feels weird to say that the Cardinals are the 7th best team in the league but you are what your record says you are and the boys from Middletown are a sub .500 ball club right now. The pitching staff that we continue to go on and on about from a talent and consistency standpoint just refuses to show up. RHP Pat Clare ’19 has been nails out of the bullpen (7.09 K/9, 2.02 ERA), but he’s not a starter. It’s been the same song and dance with LHP Kelvin Sosa ’21, whose 7.50 K/9 would jump off the page a lot more if it wasn’t for the 25 BB that lead the league. We’ve seen the talent, we know the strikeout ability, but it just hasn’t been there on a start to start basis, and with Middlebury on the schedule next, it’s quickly turning into do or die time for Wesleyan.

8. Hamilton (14-14, 4-5)

Hamilton has definitely impressed a lot of people this year, myself included. It looks like they’re probably going to come up a little short of making the playoffs—they definitely need to sweep Williams (unlikely) to get to 7-5 and have some things bounce their way, but to even be able to write that sentence is a testament to the jump they’ve taken up. RHP Gavin Schaefer-Hood ’21 (43.0 IP, 6-1, 2.72 ERA) is a legit ace in this league and while reigning Rookie of the Year IF Matt Zaffino ’21 (.301, 14 RBI) hasn’t taken the jump up yet, they clearly still have the talent. OF Ethan Wallis ’21 (.372 AVG, 1 HR, 16 RBI) also adds to what appears to be a very talented Continental senior class.

9. Bowdoin (5-19-1, 3-7)

I went back and forth on these last two a lot, probably more than I should have. But ultimately despite being 5-19-1, Bowdoin did sweep Colby so it’s pretty hard not to slide them above. The issue has been a lot of things for Bowdoin this year, but it all starts with the offense, which ranks last in both average (.230) and runs scored (94). Yes, the ERA is also dead last at 6.61 but the offense has just shown no signs of life at all that it’s tough to have faith either way. They swept Colby on the backs of uber talented two-way players Brandon Lopez ’19 and Jack Wilhoite ’19, both of whom are quite good and would have been fun to see utilized in some marquee NESCAC matchups, but it just wasn’t to be.

10. Colby (9-13, 0-7)

Everything was going great for Colby this year until it wasn’t. They came back from spring break at 6-1 and promptly lost 11 games in a row, including 3 to previously winless Bowdoin. Despite all of this they actually still have a positive run differential of +2, a testament to the baseball they were playing before they returned home. They’re clearly just a warm weather team, no shame in that. It kind of reminds me of my 11 year old year of Williamsport. We lost 4 games by 1 run, lost one game by like 8, and then mercy ruled a team in our last game. We finished 1-5 with a run differential of +1. What could have been.

Rain or Shine; 4/19 Weekend Preview

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

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

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

Prediction: Bates wins 2 of 3

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

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

Prediction: Williams wins 2 of 3

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

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

Prediction: Tufts sweep

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

Not Much Left: Stock Report 4/18

Believe it or not, we only have a few weekends left of NESCAC baseball. It feels like just yesterday when we were finishing up our last mid term before Spring break. Spring was upon us with the glowing prospect of a fresh start for many NESCAC teams. The East division vs West division couldn’t be more different right now. The East is headlined by Tufts and Trinity (and sort of Bates). It’s fair to say that Bowdoin and especially Colby are out of the playoff hunt. In the West, it’s really anyone’s ballgame. Amherst leads the conference at 5-4, but with Midd, Williams, and Wesleyan tied for second at 3-3, a positive weekend can swing the standings. Let’s take a look at my stock report from this past weekend.

My longs:

Hamilton

That’s right. I said it. I think Hamilton has a serious shot at earning a playoff spot this year. If I were a true investor, Hamilton would be considered a growth investment. Not an investment like Lyft where profitability is unlikely and the increased vetting process of drivers may seriously hurt the industry. I categorize Hamilton like a Pinterest or Slack. Hamilton has been largely flying under the radar for years in a division that includes the likes of Wesleyan, Amherst, and Midd. Hamilton could always hit without question – their Achilles heel for years has been defense and so-so pitching. I watched Wesleyan’s weekend series two weeks ago against Hamilton. Not only did Hamilton outplay Wes, but they did so in a way that stuck out to me: they were ultra-confident. The infield made clutch plays. Pitchers got outs in critical situations. Everyone did their job to perfection. Hamilton may be sitting in last right now in the conference, but I think that’s only temporary. Wesleyan isn’t the Wesleyan it used to be. Midd is streaky. Williams won’t make it until the end. Amherst graduated so many guys, it’s hard to tell if they’re still dominant. Let’s see.

Matt Koperniak

Koperniak is my value investment. When I analyze the fundamentals of his game, I understand why he’s a leader in many of the main statistical hitting categories. He has the most ABs of many in the league, while still hitting .376. All NESCAC pitchers are definitely throwing the kitchen sink at Koperniak, but he has had an answer for everything and everyone. He’s an all-around player that is exciting to watch. Trinity goes against Hamilton in a non-conference affiar this weekend. I’m really excited to see how Hamilton deals with Koperniak. Like I said before, there’s no question he is the best hitter in the league right now. Will Hamilton still have the same swagger they’ve shown all season by going right after him? Or will they stay away, and nibble the corners. You can’t miss against Koperniak. He’ll make you pay for the smallest of mistakes. We’ll see how that turns out.

My shorts:

Colby

I shorted Bowdoin in my last stock report because they were winless in league play. Now, it’s time to short their local rival. It’s tough for me to do this to Colby because a number of their current players and former players have helped me with pieces throughout the years. The Mules haven’t won a conference game all year. They suprisingly got swept by Bowdoin, and unsuprisingly were swept by Trinity. This weekend doesn’t get any better. The Mules will face Trinity for a three game conference set. The biggest problem for the Mules right now is hitting. The team only has scored fifteen runs in conference play. The pitching hasn’t been terrible, but only scoring fifteen runs in compared to Tufts’ forty-three tells the story. A high point for the Mules is William Wessman. He has played well throughout the year, hitting .316. It is unfortunate that the team hasn’t picked him up. If Colby can somehow beat Tufts, that would help a miserable season.

The West

The West has been stronger than the East in the past few years. Obviously you have Tufts dominating the East under Casey’s tenure, but beyond that, Trinity has been up and down. The Maine schools haven’t been great either. Wesleyan, Amherst, and Middlebury have been putting up competitive teams year in and year out. The West is good this year don’t get me wrong, but they’re not dominant like in years past. Tufts and Trinity are dominant. I don’t see any West team beating those two. The depth in hitting that both teams have outweigh any team from the West. This will be a big weekend for the West as conference games will differentiate teams from one another. We shall see.

More Than a Numbers Game: NESCAC Baseball All-Roster Pic Team

NESCAC Baseball All-Roster Pic Team

I set out to write this article with the intention of picking the top ten roster pics – one from each team. When I began looking through each team’s pictures it became apparent that I couldn’t just go with one from each team. There were really just too many good ones. So instead I decided to break guys up into groups that were similar to hopefully give everyone a bit of amusement. Also a random side note – the class of 2021 has shown off some truly hilarious roster pics across the board, so I expect to continue seeing big things in the future from this year’s sophomore class.

The Lumberjacks

Joseph Celio ’21 (Trinity), Bryan Gotti ’22 (Bates), & Will O’Brien ’19 (Williams)

These guys start us off with some nice, thick beards and (at least for Celio) a potentially problematic hairline. What we have here are a few power dudes who hit bombs, throw gas, and definitely chop down trees in their free time. If you see any of these guys outside of the baseball diamond I guarantee you’ll find them rocking a flannel and corduroys. They all could easily be standout players on the football field as well, but they wisely decided against CTE down the road. This is definitely a great way to kick us off.

Nick Nardone ’19 (Amherst)

I’m a big fan of Nardone’s beard and I think that’s probably because it is a huge upgrade from what he had going on last year. It nicely connects all the way through the mustache and appears to be full everywhere else. Hopefully the former Little League World Series star can return to his old form and guide Amherst back to the playoffs again this year.

Ryan Sholtis ’21 (Amherst)

What I find interesting about Sholtis’ beard is that it seems to be pretty long in some areas, while much shorter in others. I’m not really sure what look he was going for, but I know that I would probably take a razor to it. I don’t mean to be too critical though – he’s only a sophomore so I’m willing to give the beard a little more time to come together.

The Adult-Film Stars

Carter King ’19 (Hamilton), Tommy McGee ’21 (Colby), & Matt Mitchell ’19 (Colby)

Now here’s where things start to get really interesting. I would imagine that these three guys took a considerable amount of time preparing their ‘staches to be on camera. Their soft smiles tell you that they knew exactly what look they were going for and they know now that they nailed it. There are plenty of guys with plenty of mustaches out there, but not all of them are properly groomed or on the right faces. These ones are.

Peter Schuldt ’21 (Bates)

They may not be easy to see, but Pete’s mustache and chin piece are very much there. I’m not sure why he didn’t feel the need to put his hat all the way on his head, but I kind of like it. I also don’t really understand the reasoning behind Bates’ questionably lit roster pics, but it totally adds to the presentation here. I can’t imagine hitters would be particularly excited to face this guy.

Joe Suski ’21 (Hamilton)

Suski is absolutely killing this look. The penciled in mustache with a thick mane on his head that I still can’t figure out the color of is hilarious, and his on field performance has made it look even better. If you’re looking for a laugh then try looking at Suski’s picture and picturing him without all the hair – it’s like a completely different person. This guy found a look that no one else in the NESCAC has been able to replicate. Well done.

Sriharsha Bollu ’22 (Tufts)

With Bollu we actually run into a bit of a problem because he has one of the fuller mustaches we’ve seen, but we don’t get a great look at it due to his terrific, ear-to-ear smile. I’ll be the first to say that I think his smile absolutely makes up for it, but it’s a shame that we can’t get a better look at the whiskers. Perhaps next year he’ll consider straight-facing it like some of his teammates.

Sam Thoreen ’22 (Hamilton)

Oh yeah. The first two words that come to mind when I look at Thoreen’s headshot are “oh yeah.” The Fu Manchu is a classic look that many famous athletes have tried their hand at – Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Goose Gossage…and now Sam Thoreen. It’s clear that the Hamilton guys have a recurring theme with their pictures. Message received, fellas.

The “I’ve had picture day circled on my calendar since winter break”

Brandon Lopez ’19 (Bowdoin)

I’m a little disappointed because Lopez hasn’t changed his roster pic and he found a place in last year’s article, but here he is again. The facial hair is subtle, but combine that with the popped chains and bat on his shoulder and you get the full picture. It feels like he’s been in Brunswick for 15 years but this is finally the last time we’ll get to feel Lopez’s presence on the field. Hopefully it’s a good final act.

Tyler Mulberry ’19 (Colby)

Mulberry could have found a spot in the “Adult Film Stars” section but I felt like his hard work merited a spot here instead. This guy has a history of producing outstanding roster pics and he didn’t disappoint this year at all. The mustache, chin piece, and soul patch (?) all look like they peaked just in time for picture day and Mulberry took full advantage. Another nice effort from one of the Waterville guys.

Luke Pascarella ’22 (Trinity)

I’m sure that Pascarella will have a successful career at Trinity but he 100% missed his opportunity to star as one of the cast members in a renewal of Jersey Shore. The roster tells me that he’s from New York but my heart tells me that he’s straight out of Seaside Heights, New Jersey. He’s definitely the guy in the locker room that everyone goes to for hair product, but you know what? Every team needs that guy.

Michael O’Hare ’21 (Hamilton)

This is one of the more creative efforts I’ve ever seen. O’Hare made sure that the facial hair was properly in place for picture day, but the glasses on the hat definitely puts it over the top. We’ve seen the blank stare before, but in this case it makes it look like he doesn’t even know that the glasses are still there. Someone get this guy an Oscar. Very fine performance here from O’Hare.

Michael Volgende ’22 (Tufts)

Rumor has it that Volgende showed up on campus in the fall with a buzz cut and a baby face. He was always clean-shaven and properly coiffed. One day at a fall practice Coach Casey made an off-handed comment about Volgende’s youthful appearance, so he vowed that day that he wouldn’t cut a single hair on his body for the rest of the year. Thus, the grizzly bear was born.

The “I had no idea what I was doing for picture day”

Mike Dow ’19 (Amherst)

Good lord. I’m honestly pretty scared of this guy. Known for his on-field antics, Dow has clearly fully embraced the obligatory psycho relief pitcher role that most college teams have. I, for one, would feel a lot of pressure if I had to step in the box against this maniac. It can’t be a lot of fun making an out and then getting verbally abused at by the opposing pitcher on your walk back to the dugout.

George Goldstein ’21 (Middlebury)

There honestly isn’t a whole lot to this one; it pretty much just looks like Goldstein grew out some scruff and didn’t care that it was picture day. My main focus here is that he’s wearing a Phiten. Believe me, I wore the crap out of my Phiten. But that was back at AAU tournaments in 2009. I’m not sure what it says about a college baseball player who wears a Phiten, but it really doesn’t seem like George cares what we think.

Sam Phipps ’21 (Wesleyan)

This is another pretty bizarre one. What in the world was Phipps going for? There’s no way his mom pre-approved what was on his face for this one. It looks like he had a nicely groomed chin-piece that he got a little lazy on and then BOOM it was picture day. He had no idea what was coming. It’s almost as if you can see in his eyes that he knows he’ll have some explaining to do.

Jeremy Irzyk ’21 (Williams)

Jeremy was almost ready. He almost had everything just right. Maybe Williams moved picture day up earlier than he thought. Maybe he overestimated his ability to grow facial hair. I don’t know, I’m not him. It must have been pretty bright in Williamstown when they took the pictures because Irzyk chose not to give us a great look at his eyes. Interesting move, mystery man.

Brian Lawson ’20 (Hamilton)

I’d like to meet with the registrar at Hamilton because I’m not convinced that this guy is even enrolled at the school. I’m guessing that he lives in the woods somewhere near the school and when it’s time for his start in the rotation they get him a uniform and glove and throw him out on the mound. In fact, I’ve heard that the only photographs of Lawson in existence are his roster pics from the past three seasons. It’s a unique situation they’ve got going on over there but apparently it seems to be working.

Kelvin Sosa ’21 (Wesleyan)

Absolutely outrageous move going with one eyebrow up for your roster pic. It’s unclear whether Sosa wasn’t ready for the picture to be taken or if he really just doesn’t care that he looks absurd. I’ve heard this is the exact look he likes to give hitters after he strikes them out in the second inning of a scoreless mid-week game. Like momma always said: psycho is as psycho does.

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

NESCAC Weekend Preview April 11

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

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

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

Prediction: Tufts clean sweep

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

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

Prediction: Trinity clean sweep

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

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

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

Prediction: Amherst takes 2 of 3

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

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

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

Prediction: Midd takes 2 of 3

Not Quite Halfway: Stock Report 4/10

With 6 of the 10 teams in the league having already played two divisional series, the playoff picture is slowly starting to take shape. It seems like everyone just got back from spring break just yesterday, but we’re all of a sudden staring at some series’ with huge playoff implications. How is everyone heading into those series? Let’s find out.

Stock Up

Parity…maybe?

I don’t want to get too excited about this one just yet, but is it possible we’re on the verge of seeing some fresh faces in the playoffs this year? In the West, Middlebury leads the division at 2-1, but Amherst, Wesleyan, and Hamilton are all hot on their heels at 3-3. Williams is technically in last place, but at 1-2 and a home series against Midd this weekend, a series win would bring them right into the fold at 3-3 or even 4-2. Hamilton’s series win over Wesleyan was surely the biggest reason for the crowded standings, taking 2 out of 3 in fairly impressive fashion. The most impressive thing was that Gavin Schaefer-Hood ’21 actually pitched in their Game 1 loss, outdueled by the Cardinal combo of Kelvin Sosa ’21 and Pat Clare ’19. The Conts won the next two to take the series behind the arms of Brian Lawson ’20 (4 IP, 0 R) and Chris Keane ’20 (3.2 IP, 0 R, SV) in Game 2, and rode the bats in the rubber match in a 11-5 Game 3, led by senior 2B Jordan Northrup’s 4 RBI. In the East, Bowdoin pulled off a shocking 3-0 sweep over their in-state rivals Colby, their first and only three wins of the season, while Bates picked up a much-needed series win over Trinity to keep them firmly in the hunt for the postseason. Trinity and Tufts still appear to be the class of the division, being the two teams with the best records. But baseball is funny like that—one bad weekend here or there and a team like Bates can sneak back into the playoffs again. Bowdoin might be 3-14-1 but the only record that matters now is that they’re 3-3. Will we see some unlikely faces in the NESCAC tournament? Probably not. But after this weekend, those doors are still wide open.

Helping Your Own Cause

Jack Wilhoite is doing everything he can on both sides of the ball

As I just mentioned, the biggest shocker of the weekend was Bowdoin’s 3-0 sweep over Colby. I wrote earlier this year after their incredibly poor start that the Polar Bears had much more talent than their dismal record would indicate. Look no further for that indicator of talent than the performances from seniors Jack Wilhoite ’19 and Brandon Lopez ’19. Wilhoite hit .429 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs in that series. One of those home runs turned out to be the decisive hit in a 4-3 Game 2 win, a game in which he pitched the final 3 innings, allowing no hits or runs and picking up the save. This came on the heels of a complete game from Lopez in the opener, allowing just three hits and no earned runs. He also hit .333 and added 4 RBIs at the plate. To see one guy doing something like that both pitching and hitting is extremely rare, so to see two guys doing it on the same team is absolutely insane. Bowdoin obviously has an incredibly uphill battle the rest of the way, but with two talents like that, crazier things have happened.

Stock Down

Colby’s Playoff Chances

Well you had to know this one was coming. Bowdoin’s 9-1 win on Saturday over Colby not only completed their sweep of the Mules, but also stretched Colby’s losing streak to 8. Being swept by both Williams and Bowdoin has their promising 6-1 start looking like a thing of the past. They got nothing from their pitching staff except for 5 solid innings from Frank Driscoll ’21 (2 ER, 5 K) in Game 2, but the bats went quiet in a 4-3 loss. Nothing is clicking for them at all and it’s only going to get worse, with Trinity, Tufts, and Bates comprising their last 9 divisional games. This is not going to be Colby’s year.

NESCAC Scheduling

It really isn’t that big of a conference…

I’m going to be beating this dead horse again this year—until something changes. After an exciting weekend of games that have shaken up both divisions, we still don’t really know what is going on because not every team has played the same amount of games. Middlebury, Williams, Colby, and Tufts have all only played 3 while the rest of the league have played 6. This weekend Wesleyan and Bates are playing an out of division series, so they’ll stay at 6 while the other teams will move up to 9. It just doesn’t make sense to have the games staggered like this. I know there is an odd number of teams (5) in each division, but the league should consider trying to get some of these games to be played during the week more often, like they’re sort they did when Williams played Trinity on Tuesday night. I know travel and academics will always make this an imperfect process, but it’s just unfair that some teams have more clarity on where they are in the standings than others. At the very least, find a way to make sure every team plays their final divisional series as close to the same weekend as possible. Or just get rid of the divisions in general. Actually, you know what? Just do that.

Editor’s Note: The Centennial Conference in Pennsylvania actually has a terrific model for division-less conference play. All non-conference games are at the start of the year and once conference play begins everyone stops playing non-conference games. Everyone plays everyone in the conference twice – Tuesday and Thursday against the same team and then a Saturday doubleheader against a different team. Four games every week means pitching depth will be even more important and we would likely see more runs scored. If the NESCAC is worried about travel schedules then set it up so that the Tuesday/Thursday games are against teams who were previously in the same division (i.e. they’ll be geographically closer) and the weekend doubleheaders are when you can cross over. I don’t think it takes a genius to come up with a better system than the one currently in place.