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Ring Chasing: NESCAC Baseball Playoff Preview

Finally, we’re in the NESCAC playoffs. It’s the usual suspects from the west: Amherst and Wesleyan. Coming out of the east, we have the same teams as the 2017 season. Both Bates and Tufts put up impressive second half records to allow them to make the playoffs. Amherst similarly barely made the tournament, while Wesleyan has limped its way in. All teams have the ability to win the conference—making it a fight to the bitter end. Let’s look at the game one matchups:

Game 1, Wesleyan vs Tufts (Hartford, CT):

This game is a rematch of the 2014 NESCAC final. Tufts comes into the tournament smoking hot. Tufts is one of the best hitting NESCAC teams in the past few years. The ‘Bos are either first or second in all major hitting statistical categories. They lead in HBP (like they do every year) and on base percentage, which shows all nine guys are willing to get on any way possible. They open it up by leading the league in homers and hits. Malcolm Nachmanoff is the run away candidate in the player of the year race with a .432 avg and seven big flies, leading the ‘Bos at the plate. Not far behind him is 10th-year senior Tommy O’Hara, who has been a staple in the Jumbos lineup for quite some time. R.J. Hall will likely be the game one starter. He has logged the most innings, and couples that with a 2.81 ERA. Right behind Hall are Brent Greeley (2.31 ERA) and Spencer Langdon who leads the ‘Bos starters with a 1.66 ERA. Tufts has no glaring weaknesses with a potent lineup, and dominant staff. They might be in trouble if a starter gets knocked out early though as no reliever has below a 4.00 ERA. Tufts isn’t invincible. If teams can get to Tufts’ bullpen, they have a serious chance of winning.

Ryan Earle needs to be a power threat like that of Tufts’ three headed monster in Hartford.

Wesleyan crawls into the playoffs with numerous injuries on the year. The Cards have had their fair share of big wins such as sweeps against Midd and Williams, but disappointments as well. Losing a series against an evenly matched Amherst squad, and losing two games to one against an underachieving Hamilton team are low points. For Wesleyan’s standards, I’m sure that these results are disappointments, but they showed important aspects of the team. Southpaw Kelvin Sosa is on track to win rookie of the year; McCaffrey has the best K/9 in the league. There are certain x-factors in the lineup like Danny Rose who is one of the top hitters in the conference. His short swing coupled with good bat speed allows him to launch baseballs to the right center gap. The biggest x-factor for Wes, I believe, is Tanner Fulkerson. The Colorado native was named NESCAC player of the week with an outstanding performance against Trinity last weekend. Andrew Kauf and Jake Alonzo have provided great gloves and bats for the infield as well. If I were writing a stock report, Wesleyan sophomores would definitely be stock up. People forget that infielder Jonny Corning is out for the year with a shoulder injury (albeit in his non-throwing arm). Fortunately, this talented class has stepped up all season. If all the sophomores perform, Wesleyan’s lineup can almost match Tufts.

Pat Clare and Alec Olmstead are going to have huge roles as the weekend rolls on for Wes.

The bats make the matchup exciting, but expect a 5-4 or 6-3 game. If Sosa goes, and messes up Tufts’ rhythm (shimmy-shimmy), I think the Cards will take it.

Prediction: Wesleyan 5-4

Game 2: Bates vs Amherst (Hartford, CT):

Amherst got into the playoffs by the skin of its teeth. Having to beat a hot Midd team twice in a row on the road is no easy task, but Amherst accomplished it. Amherst is a good team, but they shot themselves in the foot a bit with a poor performance against Hamilton. Like I always say, Amherst will make the plays down the stretch in close games. A guy like Harry Roberson has been through it all at Amherst. He may not carry himself like a physically imposing player, however, his role in Amherst’s record books doesn’t lie. Roberson has picked it up after a slow start to the season. After hitting in the mid-.200’s to begin the year, he has clawed his way up to a .303 average. Although Davis Brown had been their go-to game one starter, Andrew Ferrero has become their top guy, and with a 2.72 ERA, he is depended on to get the outs in critical scenarios. Ariel Kenney and Max Steinhorn are also anchors in the lineup with averages in the high .300’s, pacing the team that leads the league average and hits. Amherst will put up a good fight one through nine and there’s no easy out in that lineup.

Connor Russell needs to be sharp to give Bates a chance.

Let’s stop criticizing Bates. Yes, the team average isn’t good. It’s pretty bad. At .244, the Bobcats are ranked eighth in the league in team average. Even if they can’t hit on paper, they’re good enough to find themselves in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. They’re making the plays when they need to. Nolan Collins has been throwing the ball really well recently and dominated Tufts two weeks ago to clinch their spot in the postseason. The righty leads the starters with a 2.98 ERA while the other starters are merely average. With ERA’s in the 4’s and 5’s for the rest of the staff, Collins will be relied upon to carry the staff the rest of the way. Another key factor to Bates’ recent success is the coaching of Jon Martin. Coming from Vassar to Bates for 2017 season, Martin has brought Bates to the playoffs for two consecutive years. The talent of Bates is average for the NESCAC, but Martin has made the Bobcats a perennial contender. They started off the season slowly, but Martin guided them to a berth, while simultaneously shocking Trinity. Offensively, Justin White has the best average on the team (.381) with very few at bats and Zach Avila has had some big hits, but there aren’t a ton of threats in this lineup. In order to have a shot, the bats are going to need to come alive this weekend.

The game will be low scoring for sure, but I can’t bet against Amherst here.

Prediction: Amherst 2-0

Time For Hardware: Regular Season NESCAC Baseball Awards

While the baseball season might be over, the awards season is just beginning. Not to be too self promoting here, but our awards are certainly less biased than the real NESCAC awards and should be taken more seriously. As it goes with the MLB awards, they are based on regular season results, not the postseason, and categorized based on league. Here’s to the best ballplayers in the ‘CAC…

West Player of the Year:

Ariel Kenney had a stand out season to finish off a great career.

OF Ariel Kenney ‘18 (Amherst) Chula Vista, CA: Kenney put a monster season this year en route to Amherst clinching of the #1 seed in the NESCAC West. Coming in at 3rd in the conference with his .383 AVG and 5th with his 4 big flys, Kenney was the heart of an Amherst offense that put up the 2nd most runs in the league. A few of Kenney’s impressive performances this season include a game versus Eastern Connecticut St. in which he went 4-5 with a homerun and a 2-2 stint with 3 RBI and a walk against Williams. Kenney’s 16 extra-base hits were third in the conference, helping boosting him to a .600 SLG%. Amherst will look to ride their MVP all the way to a NESCAC ‘ship, starting with Bates in NESCAC playoffs this weekend.

East Player of the Year AND Combat Silver Slugger POY:

Stony Brook transfer, Malcolm Nachmanoff, had by far the best season of any NESCAC player.

OF Malcolm Nachmanoff ‘18 (Tufts) Boston, MA: Another year, another Jumbo winning Player of the Year. That being said, there is absolutely no doubt that Nachmanoff deserves to take home the hardware after an incredible, breakout Senior spring. Nachmanoff lead the conference in Batting Average (.432), Homeruns (7), Slugging (.775), Doubles (15), Total Bases (86) and Extra-Base Hits (23). He was the NESCAC leader in 6 categories which is nothing less than absolute dominance. Nachmanoff transferred to Tufts after his sophomore season at D1 Stony Brook and proceeded to have a fairly rough Junior year for the Jumbos in which he only hit .182. He was able to find that D1 talent this season and prove that he is not just one, but several steps above the rest of the competition. Nachmanoff’s next challenge is to lead the Jumbos to his second ‘ship in 2 years and their first challenge will be the Wesleyan Cardinals.

West Cy Young:

P Colby Morris ‘19 (Middlebury) Ross, CA: Yes folks, the time has come. NBN is going to give our editor the credit he deserves. As much as we all love to make fun of Colby, his numbers are far too good to ignore. Morris was absolutely lights out all year long, leading the conference in Complete Games (4), Wins (5), Innings (63 ⅓) and Strikeouts (52). Along with all those feats, Morris was second in the conference with a jaw-dropping 1.71 ERA. Though, what made Morris’ effort so special this season is the way that he turned it on during conference play. In-conference he was 3-1, including 3 complete games, with 23 Ks and an ERA of 0.93. Despite the fact that Midd will be missing out on the playoffs this year after a tough series loss against Amherst, Morris did absolutely everything in his power to give them the opportunity to get there. Midd’s youthful core this season and Morris’ dominance should translate to a very exciting 2019 in Vermont.

East Cy Young:

RJ Hall has been there and done that in his three years at Tufts and is a tough matchup for any team in the playoffs.

P R.J. Hall ‘19 (Tufts) Marietta, GA: The East Cy Young was a particularly difficult award to pick because there were many good candidates, and almost all of them play for Tufts. Hall takes the cake because he proved himself to be the Jumbo’s most relied upon arm and ace throughout the season. Hall has a solid 5-2 record on the year, contributing immensely to Tufts’ 1st place finish in the East. His 47 strikeouts were far and away the most of anyone on the Jumbo’s staff and was 4th in the NESCAC. Hall notched 3 key conference wins over all 3 Maine schools (Colby, Bowdoin and Bates), including a complete game shutout against Bowdoin. Hall is the face of a three-headed monster for Tufts which will look to continue their success all the way to a three-peat of the NESCAC championship this weekend.

Reliever of the Year:

P Jake Shapiro ‘18 (Bates) Sandy, UT: It seemed as if every time Shapiro entered the game for the Bobcats, it was over. In his 14 appearances this season Shapiro maintained a .98 ERA and amassed 6 saves which were 2nd best in the ‘CAC. 5 of Shapiro’s 6 saves came in conference games, tied for the most of any pitcher this season. The reason behind Shapiro’s success was his ability to put hitters away via the strikeout. Shapiro has been punching out batters left and right and it shows in his 12.27 K/9. #2 Bates will face #1 Amherst this Friday in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs and you can be sure that if they have a lead Shapiro will be there man to finish it off.

Breakout Player of the Year:

P Spencer Langdon ‘20 (Tufts) Westlake, TX: After not seeing a single inning of work his Freshman year, Tufts hurler Spencer Langdon broke onto the scene in the NESCAC this year. He lead the NESCAC in ERA with a staggering 1.66 and holds a perfect 4-0 record heading into the playoffs. The majority of Langdon’s success came in NESCAC play in which he went 3-0 and had an even better ERA of 1.35. The Jumbos managed to win every single game that Langdon started this season, helping them to another first place finish in the NESCAC East. Tufts gave Langdon his first career start in their opening series against Trinity, after his impressive preseason relief stints, and never looked back. Langdon cemented his place as the best #3 starter in the conference this season and certainly as a candidate for POY. Tufts will use their hidden gem this weekend in NESCAC playoffs where Langdon will look to go 2/2 on NESCAC ‘ships.

Rookie of the Year:

P Kelvin Sosa ‘21 (Wesleyan) Bronx, NY: Amongst a 2021 class that was full of talent, Sosa proved to be the best. Earning himself the 2-spot in the rotation in just his first season, Sosa took full advantage of the opportunity he was given. His 2.54 ERA was the 5th best in the NESCAC and his 49 Ks were 3rd best. Some of his highlights this season include 6 ⅔ scoreless innings against Midd where he racked up 11 Ks and a 9 inning, complete game shutout against Williams that notched him 7 Ks. Sosa was a key piece in Wesleyan’s playoff run and will be getting his first taste of NESCAC playoffs this year. While Wesleyan’s next test is #1 seed in the East, Tufts, it is almost certain that Sosa will get the ball in game 2 of the playoffs.

2018 NESCAC 1st Team (Does not include award winners above)

C Chase Pratt ‘20 (Wesleyan) Rye, NY

IF Matt Koperniak ‘20 (Trinity) Adams, MA

IF Max Steinhorn ‘18 (Amherst) Washington, DC

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

IF Matt Zaffino ‘21 (Hamilton) New Canaan, CT

IF Justin Han ‘20 (Middlebury) Vienna, VA

OF Matt Treveloni ‘18 (Colby) Ashland, MA

OF Alex Capitelli ‘20 (Wesleyan) North Caldwell, NJ

OF Matt Jeye ‘18 (Wesleyan) Holliston, MA

P Brent Greeley ‘20 (Tufts) West Chester, PA

P Alex Shafer ‘20 (Trinity) Baltimore, MD

P Sam Schneider ‘18 (Amherst) San Diego, CA

Clock Strikes Midnight: Weekend Preview 5/5

The Regular Season Comes Down to This:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What You Gotta Know: Amherst vs. Middlebury Series Breakdown

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

Location: Forbes Field – Middlebury, VT

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

Probable Starters:

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

Colby Morris ’19

Andrew Ferrero ’19

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

Rob Erickson ’18

Sam Schneider ’18

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

George Goldstein ’21

Davis Brown ’19

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

Key Players:

Middlebury

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

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

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

Amherst

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

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

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

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

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

Series History (Since 2007)

Overall:

Amherst: 25-9

Middlebury 9-25

Home:

Amherst: 11-4

Middlebury: 5-10

Away:

Amherst: 10-5

Middlebury 4-11

Neutral:

Amherst: 4-0

Middlebury 0-4

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

What’s on the Line (Playoff Scenarios)

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

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

Down to the Wire: Stock Report 5/3

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

Stock Up

Nolan Collins’ Clutch Gene

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

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

Middlebury’s Playoff Chances

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

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

Wesleyan

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

Stock Down

The POY Race

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

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

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

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

10. Williams

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

9. Colby

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

8. Bowdoin

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

7. Hamilton

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

6. Bates

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

5. Amherst

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

4. Middlebury

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

3. Trinity

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

2. Wesleyan

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

1. Tufts

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

*probably not

Ephs on the Rise: 4/27 Weekend Preview

With only a few weeks left in the spring semester, NESCAC weekends are even more critical to a team’s playoff aspiration. The leading teams coming out of the west are the usual candidates: Amherst and Wesleyan. The teams coming out of the east right now, in a somewhat shocking manner, are Bates and Tufts. The three seeds in each division are poised to become two seeds if they play strong these next few weekends. In this weekend edition, I will preview the most important matchups this weekend, and how the outcome will affect the entire league.

The East: Tufts University @ Bates College:

This series will be exciting for a number of reasons. Firstly, both teams were underachieving midway through the season. Once sitting at 3-3, the Bos’ have become hot quickly. As last season’s champs and perennial contender, it wasn’t hard to predict that Tufts’ wasn’t going to receive the stellar starting pitching that it had the year before. I could never predict 3-3, though. You have to understand that Coach John Casey’s Tufts will never be in the bottom of the league. Whether it be the way they recruit, practice, or the tradition that Tufts Baseball has under Casey, the ‘Bos will simply never be bad.

Can Coach John Casey really push Tufts to victory every season? You bet he can.

Bates, on the other hand, under the regime of Jon Martin, has exceeded expectations. Even though some attribute Bates’ playoff appearance last year to luck, the Bobcats still played in the tournament while every non-tournament team was golfing. Bates simply wasn’t good earlier in the year—especially at the plate. Personally, I ripped on and even written off Bates earlier in the year. This weekend is crucial for Bates to establish themselves as a perennial contender. If Bates takes at least two on its home field against Tufts, I will consider them a legitimate team. Hitting is still a problem, though. Starting outfielder Will Sylvia is only hitting .227. Bates’ pitching right now is one of the best in the league, so if the hitters throughout the lineup can figure it out at the plate, Bates could be considered a favorite in the tournament. The .247 average really isn’t helping the Bobcats.

Tufts’ bats exploded against Colby last weekend—putting up run totals in the teens and twenties. Even though Colby is no Amherst, the Mules are still a NESCAC team. The demolition that Tufts put on Colby is truly remarkable. Tufts is either first or second in all major hitting statistical categories; they can definitely mash. Like it always is, Tommy O’Hara, Nick Falkson and Malcolm Nachmanoff are leading the charge with 17 combined dingers and an average just below .400 for O’Hara and above .400 for Nachmanoff. Pitchers are scared to face these guys, and I don’t blame them. With a swing of the bat, they can turn the game around.

This is a series that I doubt anyone predicted would be one of the most critical of the season; dominant hitting against dominant pitching is fun to watch. Normally pitching wins at the highest level, but that could be underestimating how well Tufts swings the bat. Regardless, it’s going to be a fun series.

Prediction: Tufts wins the series two games to one.

The West: Wesleyan University vs. Williams College:

Mike Stamas ’20 made his first pitching start last weekend, showing that he is a versatile diamond in the rough for the Ephs.

Here’s a hot take: Williams isn’t bad. They’re good. How good? We’ll see this weekend against Wesleyan. Wesleyan is coming into this series with a 2-4 conference record these past two weekends. It hurts me to say this: I definitely overvalued Wesleyan after its dominant sweep of Middlebury. I completely overlooked the lack of real relief pitching. Yes, Sosa, McCaffery, and sometimes Olmstead will put together a quality start, but who do you really trust with the ball in their hand in the eighth or ninth on the road with men on base? I definitely trust Pat Clare, but Dan Lombardo has been inconsistent in giving up extra base hits. Jake Alonzo and Ryan Earle are quality right handers as well, but if you want to get a lefty-lefty matchup against a big power guy, who do you go to? Doug Hartshorn can provide a good matchup with offspeed and other secondary pitches, although he spiked a ball during game one against Amherst last weekend that got past C Chase Pratt, which led to a critical Amherst run. Even though I love what smaller southpaws like Hartshorn bring to the table with late movements on fastballs, loopier breaking balls, and changeups that are incredibly hard to sit back on and read, pitchers have to throw strikes at the end of the day. Coming back from that long tangent, I’ve realized that the reason I overvalued Wesleyan is because of the bats against Midd. When the bats were hot– that means Cappitelli through Walek were stringing together quality at bats, the relievers faced no pressure. When you know what hit the fan at Hamilton, I first saw Wesleyan’s relatively weak bullpen. It’s inevitable that a lineup will ebb and flow. For Wes to be successful with its thin pen, everyone has to hit.

Williams supringly isn’t as bad as I thought they were going to be. Sitting at 4-5 in conference play, if they take two against Wes, the Ephs have a serious shot at making the playoffs. 4-5 really isn’t a bad record. People forget that last year’s breakout star Johnny Lamont is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Similar to Bates, it seems that Williams’ achilles heel is its lack of production at the plate. Kellen Hatheway, the guy who’s getting the most AB’s, is barely hitting is weight (full disclosure, I don’t know his true weight. He’s hitting .209, so I assume he’s between 180-220). The pitching doesn’t seem stellar either. No pitcher is below a 3.50 ERA with a minimum of one innings pitch. What picture do these numbers paint? Williams is average at best numbers wise? How’d they win four elusive league games so far? They haven’t been swept yet. The Ephs have won some close games against quality teams. They took one against Amherst, one against Midd, and one against Bates (non-league), and two against Hamilton. They’ve beaten some quality teams, which makes me think that they have clutch at bats and get outs when they need them.

With all this said, I’m not saying Wes is a bad ball club or that Williams will win it all. Wesleyan at the end of the day will win ball games. Remember Dennett’s clutch hit against Tufts’ in 2014 to score Cimino and Yin to jump ahead against Tufts. That was when Wes won its first ever NESCAC title. Guys like Jeye, Andrews, Coppola, Ferrara, and Howard remember that bus ride back to Middletown with the feeling that they accomplished something no Wes baseball player ever did. The pride of stepping off the bus outside of Freeman Athletic Center knowing that you wore that W on your chest, represented the school, and won is a feeling that is indescribable. These guys know how to win under pressure, but let’s see if the rest of the squad can do it. Williams be up to the challenge if Wes can’t come through in the clutch. This is a little three game, so I know it’ll be a great series.

Prediction: Wesleyan wins two games to one.

Coming Down to the Wire: Playoff Scenario Breakdown

NESCAC East:

Bates (13-12, 6-3 NESCAC): Bates is currently riding high, sharing the top seed in the East with Tufts. The Bobcats were able to put themselves in this position through a hard-fought sweep of Trinity. Bates was able to get ahead early and put the Bantams away in games 1 and 3 of the series and put up a 4 run 7th inning in game 2 to complete a wild comeback. Next, Bates has to square off against Tufts, and this series may determine which one of them makes it into the playoffs. If Bates is able to win at least one game against Tufts, they will make the playoffs based on their head to head record against Trinity. Two wins or a sweep gets them the top spot in the East. It all comes down to these final 3 games for the Bobcats, so now is the time to get the job done.

Prediction: Bates finishes 7-5 in the NESCAC East and makes the playoffs as a 2-seed (tiebreaker vs Trinity).

Bowdoin (11-16, 4-5 NESCAC): Bowdoin started off their season hot, taking 2 of 3 from rival Bates, but since then the momentum just hasn’t been there for the Polar Bears. After losing their next 2 series to Trinity and Tufts, Bowdoin finds themselves sitting in 4th place in the NESCAC East. Even with a sweep of Colby this weekend, which is not too unlikely, both Tufts and Trinity hold the tiebreaker over Bowdoin so their playoff hopes have been officially eliminated.

Prediction: Bowdoin finishes 6-6 in the NESCAC and does not make the playoffs.

Colby (5-18, 1-8 NESCAC): Colby’s playoff hopes have been gone for quite some time, but after getting swept by Tufts they are officially out of playoff contention. They next play Bowdoin, who are also eliminated from playoff contention, in what has turned out to be a consolation series.

Prediction: Colby finishes 2-10 in the NESCAC and does not make the playoffs.

Trinity is playing the waiting game this weekend…

Trinity (14-13, 7-5 NESCAC): While Trinity is the first NESCAC team to have completed all of their league games, there is still a lot on the line for the Bantams this weekend. If either Tufts or Bates is able to sweep the other, or if Bates takes 2 of 3 from Tufts, the Bantams will be playoff bound. For Trinity all they can do now is watch, wait and pray. While the Bantams do have double headers against both Amherst and Midd this weekend, none of those games will count for their NESCAC record (which is a whole different issue to discuss), so the most important series for the Bantams this weekend will be taking place in Maine.

Trinity will make the playoffs with the following scenarios:

-If either team sweeps, resulting in one team finishing at 9-3 with the 1 seed, and the other at 6-6 with a 3^rd place finish

-If Bates wins 2 of 3, Trinity will tie for 2^nd with Tufts at 7-5, who they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over.

Trinity will be eliminated from the playoffs with the following scenarios:

-If Tufts wins 2 of 3, resulting in an 8-4 1^st place finish for Tufts, and a 7-5 2^nd place finish for Bates, who hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Trinity.

This is obviously a really tricky situation for Trinity, as Tufts winning 2 would end their season, but Tufts winning 3 would extend it. Unfortunately for any Trinity fans, I would say that the most likely situation would be Tufts winning 2 of 3, but it is definitely possible with the way they are not only pitching, but hitting, that they could take all 3. I’m going to predict that Tufts and Bates, in that order, however, are the two teams to represent the East Division in the NESCAC tournament. What a difference a weekend can make.

Prediction: Trinity finishes 7-5 in the NESCAC and does not make the playoffs (tiebreaker vs Bates).

Tufts (15-12, 6-3 NESCAC): Tufts is currently red-hot, taking 3 games from Colby and scoring 56 runs in the process. The Jumbos seem to be gaining momentum at the right time, winning 6 of their last 7 NESCAC games heading into the end of the year. Next up they have the Bates squad with whom they are currently tied for 1st in the East. This series is crucial for the Jumbos because if they drop one to Bates, they will be eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2013. If Tufts manages to win the series they will be back in the playoffs and will have a shot at making it 3 straight NESCAC championships.

Stony Brook transfer, Malcolm Nachmanoff, is having his first successful full season with the Jumbos and leads the league with 6 long balls.

Prediction: Tufts will finish 8-4 in NESCAC and make the playoffs as the 1-seed.

NESCAC West:

Amherst (17-8, 6-2 NESCAC): With 4 NESCAC games remaining, Amherst is sitting pretty in 1st place in the West, with a comfortable lead on the rest of the division. If the Mammoths only win one of their next 4 games they still have a chance to make the playoffs but if they take 2 of their next 4 they are guaranteed in. Getting 2 wins in 3 games against Midd and 1 game against Hamilton should not be an issue for Amherst who has been rolling all year. Barring a sweep by Middlebury, Amherst should have no issue cruising into a 1-seed this year.

Prediction: Amherst will finish 9-3 and will make the playoffs as the 1-seed

Hamilton (15-14, 3-5 NESCAC): Hamilton has been lead this season by the strong performance of their freshman class. Matt Zaffino ‘21, Jarrett Lee ‘21 and Ethan Wallis ‘21 are the top three hitters in the Continental lineup, which should bode very well for the future of their program. For now however, Hamilton is sitting at 4th place in the West and has a tough road ahead of them if they want to find themselves in a playoff spot. After defeating #6 Cortland this week, Hamilton has a home series against Midd and then a final game against current 1-seed Amherst. Both of these matchups will be tough for the Continentals as Midd is coming off a sweep of Bowdoin and Amherst is looking to be the favorite to win the conference. Hamilton holds head-to-head advantage against Wesleyan, but not against Williams, who face each other this weekend. Hamilton still has a shot at the playoffs if they are able to take 3 or 4 of their final 4 games and Williams does not sweep Wesleyan. For now the Continentals will need to focus on what they can change, which is their own games, and hope that everything else goes their way.

Prediction: Hamilton will finish 4-8 and not make the playoffs.

Middlebury (10-13, 2-4 NESCAC): Believe it or not, Midd still has half of their NESCAC games to play. Although they might be sitting in last place in the West at the moment, it is certainly not impossible for the Panthers to pull themselves into a playoff spot. Coming up first for Midd is Hamilton, who dropped their most recent series to Williams 2 games to 1. Middlebury is most likely going to have to sweep this series in order to give themselves a chance to make playoffs. Coming off a sweep of Bowdoin, the momentum should be there for the Panthers, which will make them a tough squad for Hamilton to face. Second, Midd has to take on current 1-seed Amherst. This series will be the decider in whether Middlebury will make playoffs. In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. Midd will have to prove to the rest of the conference, and themselves, that they are playoff-worthy and taking down a powerful Mammoth team will be all the evidence they need.

Prediction: Middlebury will finish 5-7 and not make playoffs.

Wesleyan (17-11, 5-4 NESCAC): Wesleyan is sitting in 2nd place in the NESCAC West at the moment, but Williams is right on their heels. Luckily for the Cardinals, their next series is at home, where they are 7-2 this season, and it is against Williams. If Wesleyan is able to perform in crunch time the same way they have all season, they are a lock for the playoffs. Williams will have to face the three-headed monster of Mike McCaffrey ‘19, Alec Olmstead ‘20 and Kelvin Sosa ‘21. This trio is the same one that shut down Midd in their last series, and considering the fact that Midd tore through Williams, the Cardinals are the sure favorite in this series. If Wesleyan picks up 2 wins they should be home free, unless Midd happens to win all 6 of their remaining games or Hamilton wins all of their next 4. The Cardinals have their fate in their own hands right now and I very much expect them to use it to their advantage.

Prediction: Wesleyan will finish 7-5 and make the playoffs as the 2-seed.

Jack Bohen and the Ephs need a lot of help to continue their season.

Williams (8-16, 4-5 NESCAC): At the beginning of the year it seemed as if Williams was the favorite to end up in dead-last in the NESCAC, but they have managed to turn it around and find themselves with an opportunity to make the playoffs. After losing 2 of 3 games in both of their first series against Amherst and Midd, the Ephs were able to pick up a huge series win against Hamilton which put them in playoff contention and gives them the all-important tiebreaker against the Continentals. The formula for making the playoff for Williams is pretty simple, a series win against Wesleyan will put them in a very good spot. If they beat the Cardinals 2 games to 1, they will hold the tiebreaker against them and therefore be in 2nd place and make the playoffs. However they will still have to worry about Hamilton, who will pass the Ephs if the take 4 of their next 4, and Midd, who will pass them if they take 4 of their next 6. Although Williams has the ability to decide their fate, they have to face an extremely talented Wesleyan team on their home turf. Williams will have to pull off a pretty surprising upset to make playoffs, but crazier things have happened.

Prediction: Williams will finish 5-7 and not make playoffs

Pitchers Are People Too; NESCAC Probable Starters Weekend Preview

Pitchers are People Too

The hall of fame football coach, commentator, and player John Madden once said, “They’re either going to run the ball here or their going to pass it.” Even though this quote isn’t relevant to the article, I just wanted to include it to show how much we miss Madden in the booth. Madden’s best statement is the following: “Usually the team that scores the most points wins the game.” The same mentality holds true in baseball. The team that scores the most runs wins. However, winning a ballgame encapsulates so many more characteristics than just scoring runs. You hear in basketball and football that defense wins championships. The 2000 Ravens, 2016 Broncos, and those mid-2000’s Pistons’ teams are all examples of great defenses carrying teams to championships. Having a dominant starting pitcher, setup man, and closer are pertinent to championship teams. Remember Madison Bumgarner coming into game 7 mid game against the Royals in the 2014 World Series, and absolutely shutting them down? He was on short rest, but still blanked the Royals. NESCAC hitting has been most of the talk all season, but I want to focus on the guys who constantly keep their teams in games when the well runs dry in the hitting department. Here are some of my conversations with the league’s top pitchers.

Colby Morris, Middlebury College:

3-4, 1.77 ERA, 37 K’s, Roster picture evaluation: chin up, chain out, confident.

AM: How do you plan to beat Bowdoin this weekend?

CM: To be honest, I haven’t looked too much at Bowdoin yet and am focussed on mid-week games and bullpens first. As far as the game plan goes, however, I’m just going to stick to what I’ve been doing–mixing it up and locating which is kind of what I do on the mound.

AM: What’s the mentality you take to the mound when you’re not getting run support?

CM: I try not to think too much about run support when I’m pitching. Obviously if we have a big inning offensively, my focus coming back out is to pitch to contact. In a tight game though, whether we are up or down doesn’t really matter to me as I’m just trying to stop everybody from scoring to keep the score where it is.

AM: What has been your best pitch this season and why?

CM: Strike three. In general my offspeed is just sharper than it was last year and with better location I have been able to get more K’s. While I usually pitch to contact (as seen with some low K/9’s my first two years), it has been big preventing big innings with some K’s.

My conclusion: Colby’s followed up a stellar sophomore campaign with an arguably better junior year. The win loss record is due to Midd’s underachievement as a lineup; you can’t put any of that on Colby with his ERA. Midd’s in a bind with Amherst and Wesleyan dominating the west, so every series is a must win for them.

Alex Shafer, Trinity College:

4-3; 1.74 ERA (NESCAC); .197 opponent avg. (NESCAC); Roster picture evaluation: nice guy to shoot the breeze with, crazy maniac on the mound. Loose tie.

AM: How do you plan to beat Bates this weekend?

AS: The game plan is always to give the team a chance to win, by reducing or eliminating the amount of runs that Bates scores.

AM: What’s the mentality you take to the mound when you’re not getting run support?

AS: My mentality is always the same. my game is built around keeping the fielders engaged with soft contact. handing them easy ground or fly balls keeps them in the game, which in turn means they may take more focused at bats. So if i wasn’t getting run support, i just try to be as effective as possible. I try to throw the least amount of pitches in order to get my fielders their at bats.

AM: What has been your best pitch this season and why?

AS: I think my best pitch is whatever keeps the batters off balance. Some batters are excellent at waiting on off speed, but struggle against well located fastballs. Some batters try to ambush fast balls, so i work them with off speed. My favorite pitch is my changeup, and the pitch calling partnership between me and my catcher means we are rarely unprepared for a batter’s tendencies.

My conclusion: Trin is having a very impressive season (7-2 NESCAC). If they can take at least two against Bates this weekend, there’s no way they don’t make a solid run in the playoffs. Shafer’s mentality of getting ground balls in tough spots is why Trinity has been so successful. It allows Shafer’s pitch count to be low, so he can stay out there for at least two thirds to three quarters of the game.

Mike McCaffrey, Wesleyan University:

1-0 (NESCAC); 1.54 ERA (NESCAC), 12.34 K/game; Roster picture evaluation: pretty swag, officially sponsored by Nike, looks like a kid who would take your candy (see below).

AM: How do you plan to beat Amherst this weekend?

MM: Every time we play Amherst the game seems to come down to one play or one pitch, so just focusing on winning each pitch.

AM: What’s the mentality you take to the mound when you’re not getting run support?

MM: I’m going to attack hitters and control what I can control, everything else seems to take care of itself.

AM: What has been your best pitch this season and why?

MM: I don’t know if I could choose one

My conclusion: He clearly went to the same college as Bill Belichick with these answers, and I love it. McCaffrey along with Kelvin Sosa have been two dominant southpaws at the top of Wesleyan’s rotation. As I said in my season preview, this is the biggest series of the year for both teams. They will likely meet again in the playoffs. Amherst won’t give Wes any free runs, so expect close games in this series with McCaffrey leading the charge.

Gavin Schaefer-Hood, Hamilton College:

3-3, 3.81 ERA, 27 K’s, roster picture evaluation: looks like the kid McCaffrey took candy from; still a beast on the mound this year; probably got a 98 on a midterm right before this was taken.

AM: How do you plan to beat Williams this weekend?

GSH: Being a freshman I don’t know much about Williams so I’ll be relying a lot on the game plan our coaches put together for us. They definitely seem to have some talent at the plate hitting both for average and with some power so I’ll just be trying to compete and prevent any big innings.

AM: What’s the mentality you take to the mound when you’re not getting run support?

GSH: I don’t think my mentality on the mound changes at all up one run or up 10. I’m just trying to execute each pitch and rely on my defense to make plays. I know my teammates will find ways to push runs across – they did it enough against me in the fall and early spring practices – so I just try to do my part and keep guys off the bases.

AM: What has been your best pitch this season and why?

GSH: I’d love to answer this one but we still have two league teams that I’ve never seen and that have never seen me so I’d love to keep as much of an element of surprise as I can before facing them. Lets just say the knuckleball.

My conclusion: Gavin had to take a role that most freshman don’t take as a key starting pitcher for Hamilton. He has rose to the challenge. He stunned Wesleyan last weekend with only one earned run through seven innings. Wesleyan’s lineup is nothing to joke about, but he made the Cards anemic at the plate.

Brooks Parker, Colby College:

1-3; 9.00 ERA; 11 Ks; 2017 Stats: 0-6, 3.31 ERA, 40 K’s; Roster picture evaluation: This guy doesn’t hide in the bushes in Fortnite.

AM: How do you plan to beat Tufts this weekend?

BP: Tufts is a very good baseball team and it will take a strong team effort on both sides of the ball to win against them. On the offensive side, we need to put more pressure on the defense and force them to make plays. Our pitchers need to throw strikes, keep the ball down and minimize hard hit balls. We can’t afford to give up free bases by walking batters as Tufts will take advantage of those opportunities. I’m confident in our defensive ability to make the plays behind our pitchers.

AM: What’s the mentality you take to the mound when you’re not getting run support?

BP: When I’m not getting run support I try to stay focused on what I can do to help the team win. For me, my mentality is very similar whether we’re up by a lot of down by a lot. I just try to make my pitches, hit my spots and keep the game close to give us an opportunity to win the game. I know that if I do my part on the mound, the runs will eventually come. Our team has some great hitters and although we’ve been slumping in conference games this season, I’m confident that we will find a way to score runs if our pitchers and defense can keep us in the game.

AM: What has been your best pitch this season and why?

BP: I’d say my best pitch this season has been my curveball. When everything’s working, my best pitch is my changeup, but I’ve had some trouble locating that pitch this season, which is something I’ve been working on. I love going to my curveball early in the count because most batters will not swing at it unless they have 2 strikes on them. I can generally locate my curveball very well and it allows me to get ahead in the count to come back with a fastball or changeup just out of the zone to hopefully get a swing and miss or softly hit ball.

My conclusion: Colby hasn’t been good all season; the road doesn’t get any easier this weekend against Tufts. I know there have been injuries and sickness up in Waterville, but the Mules have to figure it out at this 1-5 record. It all starts with solid pitching. With Brooks’ ERA coupled with his 0 wins, it’s clear that he hasn’t gotten the run support he needs. I love his answer to question two because it’s clear that he’s mature enough to bring a positive attitude to the mound inning to inning when the Mules’ bats are silent. That’s the attitude of a winner. If Colby can take two from Tufts, they really hurt Tufts’ chances at a playoff bid. I’m sure the Mules would love that.

Hot Takes Like Steven A. Smith; NESCAC Baseball Week 3 Stock Report

After another weekend of NESCAC baseball that featured three divisional series, we are starting to gain a little more clarity and direction in the standings. Trinity swept Colby putting them at 7-2, 4.5 games clear at the top of the East division, essentially locking up a playoff spot and the 1 seed, although Bates (3-3) might have something to say when they come to Hartford this weekend. The West has the potential to get a little messy. While Amherst (4-1) and Wesleyan (4-2) are the only teams with a winning record, the two Little 3 rivals face off this weekend, and there is always a chance of a sweep that could throw the race for the second spot into complete chaos.

Stock Up

Tufts Pitching

I highlighted the ‘Bos trio of pitchers in last week’s Power Rankings but they were really on display this weekend at Bowdoin. R.J. Hall ‘19’s 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 7 K line earned him NESCAC Pitcher of the Week honors in a 10-0 win on Friday while Brent Greeley and Spencer Langdon added in another combined 13.2 IP and 5 ER in a much needed 2-1 weekend for Tufts. There are 7 qualified pitchers in the league with sub-3 ERAs and those three are all on that list. Langdon (1^st, 1.08), Greeley (T3rd, 1.85), and Hall (7^th, 2.57) have been excellent in NESCAC play so far, and they’re going to need them to continue that trend as they are in a dead heat with Bates for 2^nd in the East at 3-3. Should they make it out of the regular season (I expect them to), they might be the favorites to win the league for a 3^rd straight year on the backs of their pitching staff. No one else has even close to the arms for the double-elimination championship format. Facing Spencer Langdon and his 1.08 ERA in your third game of the weekend for a chance to hang a banner? Good luck.

Trinity’s Title Chances

Trinity has everything going for them, riding high after three straight series wins.

I thought about also titling this “Trinity Pitching” but I decided to go with their title chances as a whole because no team should be feeling better about themselves than the Bantams following a 3-0 weekend against Colby in which they outscored their opponents 31-6. We talked about the potential Achilles heel of Trinity’s volatile starting rotation pitching them out of games against inferior opponents, but there was none of that on display this weekend. Eric Mohl ’19 and Alex Shafer ’20 both went 6+ IP and allowed less than 2 ER in their starts, while the bats took care of the rest, behind a POTW performance from sophomore IF Matt Koperniak and his hitting for the cycle on Friday. Everything is clicking for Trinity right now.

The Future of the League

One of the best storylines of this NESCAC season has been the performances of the underclassmen. Hamilton freshman IF Matt Zaffino has been so good that there isn’t much of a ROY race left, and (the season isn’t over yet) if it wasn’t for lack of greater team success he would be in the POY race in his first year as well. He extended his hit streak to 15 games this week, bringing his line to .394 (6^th in the league), 3 HR (T3rd), 19 RBI (8^th). But he is far from the only newcomer making a name for himself this year. Williams freshmen Eric Pappas is third in the league in batting average, hitting at a .415 clip, while his classmate Erik Mini is hitting .315 with 2 HR and 8 RBI. Matt Koperniak, as previously mentioned, is just a sophomore, and is in the midst of what could be the first of many All-League seasons. More than half of the 10 league leaders in ERA are underclassmen as well. Up and down the league there are underclassmen contributing, a trend that should continue as teams at the bottom of the standings begin to give their younger guys a chance at the end of the season. The future is bright for the league.

Editor’s Note: While I appreciate that the league will be solid for years to come with such good first year players, we still have only seen one team make the NCAA tournament for two seasons in a row. Not a single NESCAC team is ranked nationally which means this will be the third year of NESCAC teams relying on the automatic bid to the tournament. To really make the league good, more players need to play baseball in the summer and stop worrying about internships. Or the league needs to add fall baseball with coaches for so many reasons.

Stock Down

Bowdoin’s Playoff Chances

Bowdoin needs to turn on the afterburners in the second half.

Coming into this weekend, the Polar Bears still had a very much realistic chance at postseason play, sitting at 3-3, just one game outside of Trinity and the top spot at 4-2. But that chance quickly evaporated after a series loss to Tufts. Bowdoin is actually only half a game out of the playoffs, so theoretically they’re right in the thick of things, but they’re at a disadvantage in the fact that they’ve played 9 division games, while the teams they’re chasing, Tufts and Bates, have only played 6. But Tufts and Bates have yet to play each other (they play the 27^th/28^th), so the winner of that series will stretch its lead over Bowdoin even further. While also holding the head-to-head tiebreaker, Tufts’ three other games are against Colby, which does not bode well for Bowdoin. They’re going to need to take all three in their own series with Colby this weekend if they want a realistic chance at the playoffs, because while 7-5 gives them a (slim) chance, 6-6 isn’t gonna cut it.

NESCAC Playoff Format

Following up a discussion on why Bowdoin probably isn’t going to make the playoffs is the question, why shouldn’t they? Bowdoin, like Bates, like Middlebury, and probably even like Hamilton, deserve to play postseason baseball. The two division and four team playoff format have their own merits, and the double elimination NESCAC tournament is certainly exciting, but to play a 30+ game regular season where only 12 games matter (a discussion for another time) is silly. After such a long schedule, should the league title really be decided by just four teams? More importantly, in a league where more often than not the only NCAA tournament participant is going to be the league champ, why should any taste of the postseason be excluded from the other 6 teams? Open it up to at least 6 and have the 2 and 3 seeds play a one game playoff to get to the final 4. It incentivizes winning the division, it gives more teams a chance to play extra baseball, and anything can happen in baseball in one game.