Bates – Page 12 – Nothing But NESCAC

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

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.

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

Conference Tournament Weekend Preview and Predictions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Regular Season Outcome: Wesleyan defeated Bates 13-11

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

Prediction: Wesleyan 14-12

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

Regular Season Outcome: Amherst defeated Bowdoin 16-15

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

Prediction: Amherst 19-13

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

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

Regular Season Outcome: Tufts defeated Middlebury 13-10

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

Prediction: Tufts 17-10

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

Regular Season Outcome: Williams defeated Conn College 11-9

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

Prediction: Conn College 10-9

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.

Wait…What just happened? Stock Report Week 3

WHOA!: Stock Report 3

What. A. Weekend. It was the craziest two days of NESCAC baseball we’ve seen in recent memory, turning the standings and what we thought was a fairly clear playoff picture upside down. Just as I had crowned Trinity the prohibitive favorite and 1 seed-elect in the East Divison, they were swept by Bates in 3 games decided by 4 runs total. Instead of planning their NESCAC championship weekend travel plans, the Bantams will now be glued to their laptops and grainy NSN streams looking for some help from both Tufts and Bates, who play each other this weekend (more on that to come). In the West, Williams has managed to give themselves a fighting chance to make the playoffs thanks to some help from archrival Amherst. Going into the stretch run of the regular season, who’s rounding into form at the right time?

Stock Up

Bates

No one had a bigger weekend than the Bates Bobcats. Heading into Hartford tied for 2^nd at 3-3, but with their remaining 6 divisional games against the two teams above them in the standings, Bates realistically needed to win all 3 games to have a chance to make the playoffs, and that is exactly what they did. They didn’t get their best from ace P Connor Russell ’18 in Game 1 but eked out a win, and rallied down from 2 runs down with 2 outs in the final inning to win 5-2 in game 2, before jumping out early with 3 in the first inning and a clutch performance from P Justin Foley (5 IP, 2 R) to pull out the sweep. All of a sudden Bates sits at 6-3, tied for first in the division with Tufts, who they play this weekend. If they win just one of those 3 games, they are headed to the postseason.

Tufts’ Bats

Was this a statement weekend from the class of the league or what? The Jumbos absolutely clobbered Colby in a 3 game sweep in which they racked up a total of 56 runs. 56! They’re tandem of senior IFs Tommy O’Hara and Nick Falkson has all of a sudden turned into a terrifying trio with the addition of senior OF Malcolm Nachmanoff whose monster week (4 HR, 8 RBI) earned him NESCAC POTW honors. Overall, the three veterans combined for 7 HRs and 24 RBI against Colby, which also brought them to 6-3 and tied for first in the league. The Bates sweep of Trinity actually might have hurt the Bos’ chances of making the playoffs, as their head-to-head record (1-2) against Trinity means that they need to take 2 of 3 against Bates to be in (Check out the playoff scenario breakdown to read more on this: https://nothingbutnescac.com/?p=6063), but the way they’re playing, this should be expected. Their other three-headed monster, the one toeing the rubber of Hall, Greeley, and Langdon, continued to cruise, save for a 3 run Colby 9^th that turned a potential CG, 4 ER for Hall into something a little messier, but they look like the best team in the league right now, and their championship DNA should see off Bates.

Nick Falkson is just one of three big bats for the Jumbos…watch out, NESCAC pitchers.

Parity

Between Bates’ sweep of Trinity, Amherst’s series win over Wesleyan, and Williams’ series win over Hamilton, the standings got a whole lot more crowded this weekend. Last week it looked as if 3 of last year’s 4 NESCAC tournament participants were going to return to the postseason, and now only one of those three (Amherst) can be assured that their spot is safe…for now. It sounded crazy to say a week ago that Trinity might not make the playoffs, but it’s now a very realistically, and honestly, a likely scenario. Did anyone have Williams playing into mid-May? Well they might. It’s simple for the Ephs: take 2 out of 3 from Wesleyan and their season continues. It’s great news for this league in a year where it looked as if everything could’ve shaken out by now, but there is a whole lot left to play for heading into this last weekend.

Williams’ Pitching

What a turnaround for this staff, if you could even call it a staff, because they’ve been getting contributions from all over the field. It took the Ephs a while to adjust to the loss of their top 4 arms, but they showed that they’re more than capable this past weekend against Hamilton. Junior LHP Jack Bohen earned NESCAC pitcher of the week honors with his CG, 2 H, 1 R, 10 K outing in a 2-1 win in Game 2, hurling an absolute gem to effectively keep their season alive. And in another absolute must win on Sunday, it was sophomore OF Mike Stamas (yes, outfielder) who threw 3.2 IP in his first career start, allowing just one hit and one run, as well as striking out 6. Coach Barrale then turned it over to the pen for a combined 5.1 IP of scoreless baseball from 4 different arms. It looks as they have a clear 1-2 in Bohen and freshman George Carroll, who have both been quietly stringing together quality outings, improving each time out. It remains unclear as to who the third starter will be (my money is on LHP Charlie Carpenter ’20), but if Mike Stamas bats leadoff and throws a gem to beat Wesleyan and steal their playoff spot on Sunday, then we might have to revise our Top 5 NESCAC moments of 2017-18 (https://nothingbutnescac.com/?p=6034), because that would have to make the list.

Stock Down

Trinity’s Playoff (Playoff!) Chances

Tough to have a rougher week than the Bantams. Bates’ best chance to steal any games off of this red hot squad was going to be riding on the arm of Connor Russell, but if I told you he had a final line of 5.1 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, you would’ve felt pretty good about Trin and their chances to win that game and clinch a playoff berth. But LHP Eric Mohl ’19 couldn’t match him (3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R), and a bullpen collapse after 26 outs in Game 2 started them down 0-2. The bats didn’t come to town for Game 3, and a 7-2 Trinity team had turned into a 7-5 one before you could blink. This team was white hot going into this weekend, a team that matched up great against a Bates’ team whose strength is their pitching. All of a sudden the Bants need some serious help to make the playoffs, sitting behind Tufts and Bates. But to make matters worse, those two teams, both at 6-3, are playing each other this weekend.

Scheduling

Except the rain did hurt, Charlie Brown.

I do not intend to include bashing the NESCAC in every Stock Report, but this does make two weeks in a row that I have had a gripe with the league, this one coming to light heading into this weekend, with Trinity awaiting their fate in the hands of the Tufts/Bates series. Trinity has played all 12 of its divisional games, while Tufts and Bates have only played 9. I’m not saying that this is unfair to Trinity, as they simply could’ve avoided having their season decided by someone else if they had performed stronger, but as a fan, it certainly takes a lot of the fun and drama out of these final weekends. How great would it be if every team was playing Game 12 on Sunday at 1, frequently refreshing live stats in the stands, in the dugout, and in the bullpen, to see the playoff scenarios changing by the pitch. Middlebury has also only played 6 (50%) of their divisional games up to this point and have back to back conference series coming up. Yeah, they are a long shot to make the playoffs, but they did the same thing last year, so who knows. It’s wild to think that their sweep last weekend of Bowdoin doesn’t factor into NESCAC play at all either, but more excitement is on the way, I guess.

Furthermore, and maybe more importantly, is the way the non-division games are spread out. Trinity could have their season effectively end on Saturday or Sunday, but regardless, they’re due to play three additional doubleheaders against Amherst, Middlebury, and Wesleyan, respectively, games which you’re going to have a hard time convincing me will matter. Could they win the last 8 games on their schedule to finish with a record of 22-13 and have the slightest of chances of catching an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament? You could try to persuade me that they could (not making your conference tournament is usually a negative when it comes to giving out at-large bids), but I doubt it. I don’t want to get rid of those games, because baseball is baseball, and they deserve to play as many games as they can, but stacking up all of the non-league, and to be frank, pointless, games at the end of the season is criminal. While the divisional games are obviously the priority when it comes to managing lineups and your pitching rotation, the league is doing us a disservice by throwing us Amherst-Trinity and Wesleyan-Trinity, two series that have been playoff previews all year, at the end of the season when it is all done and dusted. Spread the out of division games out, or just make all of the league games count the same, although that deserves its own rant for another time.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Week: vs. Bates

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

The Mammoths hold the top spot in this week’s rankings.

#6 Tufts: 10-1 (6-1)

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

This Week: vs. Bates, @ Middlebury

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

#5 Wesleyan (7-1)

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

This Week: @ Hamilton

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

Williams 6-6 (5-3)

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

This Week: @ Western New England, @ Bowdoin

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

Connecticut College 9-4 (5-4)

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

This Week: vs. Stockton

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

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

Bowdoin 8-4 (4-4)

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

This Week: vs. Williams

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

Middlebury: 7-5 (4-4)

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

Next Week: @ Endicott, vs. Tufts

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

Bates (7-5) (3-4)

Last Week: None

This Week: vs. Tufts, @ Amherst

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

Colby: 4-6 (2-6)

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

This Week: @ Maine Maritime, vs. Trinity

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

Trinity 4-8 (1-7)

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

This Week: @ Colby

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

It’s a good photo, but Hamilton doesn’t have too much else to be happy about here.

Hamilton: 1-12 (0-9)

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

This Week: vs. Wesleyan

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

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