Category: Bates

Rain or Shine; 4/19 Weekend Preview

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

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

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

Prediction: Bates wins 2 of 3

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

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

Prediction: Williams wins 2 of 3

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

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

Prediction: Tufts sweep

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

Not Much Left: Stock Report 4/18

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

My longs:

Hamilton

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

Matt Koperniak

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

My shorts:

Colby

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

The West

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

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

NESCAC Baseball All-Roster Pic Team

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

The Lumberjacks

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

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

Nick Nardone ’19 (Amherst)

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

Ryan Sholtis ’21 (Amherst)

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

The Adult-Film Stars

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

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

Peter Schuldt ’21 (Bates)

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

Joe Suski ’21 (Hamilton)

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

Sriharsha Bollu ’22 (Tufts)

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

Sam Thoreen ’22 (Hamilton)

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

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

Brandon Lopez ’19 (Bowdoin)

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

Tyler Mulberry ’19 (Colby)

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

Luke Pascarella ’22 (Trinity)

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

Michael O’Hare ’21 (Hamilton)

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

Michael Volgende ’22 (Tufts)

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

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

Mike Dow ’19 (Amherst)

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

George Goldstein ’21 (Middlebury)

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

Sam Phipps ’21 (Wesleyan)

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

Jeremy Irzyk ’21 (Williams)

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

Brian Lawson ’20 (Hamilton)

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

Kelvin Sosa ’21 (Wesleyan)

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

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

NESCAC Weekend Preview April 11

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

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

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

Prediction: Tufts clean sweep

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

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

Prediction: Trinity clean sweep

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

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

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

Prediction: Amherst takes 2 of 3

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

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

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

Prediction: Midd takes 2 of 3

Not Quite Halfway: Stock Report 4/10

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

Stock Up

Parity…maybe?

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

Helping Your Own Cause

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

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

Stock Down

Colby’s Playoff Chances

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

NESCAC Scheduling

It really isn’t that big of a conference…

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

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

Who’s the Real Deal?: Weekend Preview 4/5

Weekend Preview April 5th

Williams (12-1, 0-0 NESCAC) vs Amherst (9-2, 1-2)

Friday @ Amherst

Saturday Doubleheader @ Williams

After losing a close series to Wesleyan last weekend, Amherst will have a chance at redemption as they will open up a 3 game series versus in-state rival Williams. All three games that the Mammoths played last weekend were close ones and unfortunately for them they found themselves on the wrong side of two of them. Dan Lombardo ’19 provided a quality start for Amherst in the final game of the series and Jake Alonzo ’20 came in and pitched a scoreless 2 ⅔ innings to earn his first save of the year and salvage a NESCAC win for the Mammoths. One of the biggest surprises for Amherst this year has been the success of freshman Daniel Qin ’22. He is hitting at a .426 clip and has an OPS over 1.150. Despite his 0-2 record, Senior Andrew Ferrero ’19 is having a solid season thus far, maintaining an ERA of 2.08 while only allowing 4 walks in his 13IP. Amherst has the opportunity to make a playoff run but they will need more pieces to the puzzle than they have now. While Williams has not officially entered NESCAC play, taking 2 non-conference games from Colby last weekend, they have been nothing but impressive in their games thus far. Their 12-1 record is due, in no small part, to the explosiveness of their offense which has been on display this spring. Senior Doug Schaffer ’19 is playing out of his mind, putting up a slash line of .571/.571/.816. He is second in the conference in hits and slugging percentage, fourth in doubles and leads the league in RBI and batting average. When a guy in on a tear like that it is tough for his teammates to not want to get in on the fun. Sophomore Erik Pappas ’21 has also been impressive, scoring 23 runs and batting .468. As a team the Ephs are hitting .343 so it is safe to conclude that hitting is in fact infectious. Although the team era for Williams is not as impressive as their average, it does not matter so much when your opponent ERA is above 8.5.

Prediction: Williams takes 2 out of 3

Hamilton (8-8, 1-2 NESCAC) @ Wesleyan (8-9, 2-1 NESCAC)

All @ Wesleyan

Ethan Wallis has been off to a very hot start for the Continentals

Hamilton will return from their sunny spring break in Florida to face off against Wesleyan in their second NESCAC contest of the year. In their previous contest the Continentals were able to take one game out of three from Middlebury. This was in large part to Gavin Schafer-Hood ’21, who continued to pitch great in a complete-game one run victory. When it comes to swinging the bats Hamilton has struggled more than most. Leading the pace for the Continentals is sophomore Ethan Wallis ’21 who is posting an impressive .409 batting average. He is also the lone Continental to go yard this season. Hamilton will be looking for a chance to right the ship in what will be a difficult matchup with Wesleyan. While Wesleyan’s non-conference record seemed to be less than impressive heading into NESCAC play, it didn’t seem to matter as they were able to come in and get their first series win of the new campaign. Solid pitching is what propelled the Cardinals, only allowing 7 runs in the 3 game series. Kelvin Sosa ’21 collected the win in the first game while Dan Lombardo ’19 took game two. Offensively Wesleyan’s top performer has been Andrew Kauf ’20. Kauf is batting .426 and leads the team with 20 RBIs (10 more than second place). Wesleyan seems to be an upperclassmen heavy team who knows when to get hot. They could be very dangerous this season.

Prediction: Wesleyan takes 2 out of 3

Bowdoin (0-14-1, 0-3 NESCAC) vs Colby (6-6, 0-0 NESCAC)

Saturday doubleheader @ Colby, Sunday @ Bowdoin

The Colby College Mules enter this series with no previous NESCAC experience, although they did play Williams in two non-conference matchups. Colby had what looked to be a much improved spring break compared to last year as they are already just one win away from matching their season total last year. Lots of thanks is due to their much improved offense. Junior Will Wessman leads the team in hits, doubles, runs, RBIs and home runs. They do not seem to have two or three key starters in the rotation but rather there seem to be 7 or 8 guys who could take the mound to start the game. Perhaps this strategy will play as the spring break schedule has come to an end, but who’s to say? Their team ERA is still a little high, which will hurt them in NESCAC play. Although the transition to NESCAC play can be tough at times, Colby gets a very easy transition in the form of Bowdoin. Not much has seemed to go right for the Polar Bears this season. They are yet to win a game through 15 total contests. They are batting below .215 as a team and their team ERA is near 8. I am not really sure what their is to praise or say about this team. It has got to be tough to watch and even tougher to participate in. I would give most teams an automatic sweep, but given the rivalry and Colby’s problems in NESCAC play last season, nothing is guaranteed.

Prediction: Colby wins 2 out of 3

Trinity (14-2, 3-0 NESCAC) @ Bates (6-9, 1-2 NESCAC)

Johnny Stamatis is one of the most dangerous hitters in the NESCAC this year

The Bantams are riding high right now, entering this series maintaining an 11 game win streak. This streak includes a clean sweep of Bowdoin to start their NESCAC play. Not only are they shining in NESCAC play, but in non-conference games they have some quality wins like their win over MIT. Nearly every guy up and down the lineup is hitting over .300 and it shows in their offensive production. Their 5 states that they rotate between have all been solid as well, maintaining ERAs between 2 and 4. Trinity appears to be a well-rounded team that has the talent and capabilities to go deep into the playoffs. Bates did not fare quite as well in their first NESCAC series. Tufts was able to take the first two games but the Bobcats managed to snatch the last game, which was a close one. Bates had an underwhelming preseason which does not project to a particularly exciting or prosperous conference play. While they may have individual players such as Christian Beal ’21 or Nolan Collins ’20 who can shine on their own, as a team they don’t seem to have what it takes to make it deep this year.

Prediction: Trinity sweeps

It Doesn’t End in May: 2018 Summer Ball Top Performers

While many NESCAC students are working for their uncle at Google or Goldman Sachs, most of the conference’s best baseball players are competing in the top collegiate summer leagues out there. Though it may be Division III, NESCAC baseball players see success nearly every year in some of the top summer ball leagues in the country, playing with and against guys from Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Virginia, etc. night in and night out. Every team in the NESCAC had a few guys whose summer performances last year were worth noting, so we did just that. Take a look at who had the most noteworthy summers from each team across the league:

Amherst

Andrew Ferrero ’19
Martha’s Vineyard Sharks – Futures League
4-2, 4.15 ERA, 43.1 IP, 50 H, 36 K, 10 BB

Like many others around the NESCAC, Ferrero took his talents to the Futures League last summer where he played for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. The Futures League is made up of mostly younger guys from Division I schools, but there are a handful of Division II and III guys on every team. With as much talent as there is, pitching in the Futures League should actually be a tougher test than the regular college season against all D3 opponents. Ferrero had himself a good summer, amassing a 4.15 ERA with 36 strikeouts and just 10 walks on the year. His numbers weren’t eye-popping, but this type of consistency against very strong opponents should bode well for Ferrero as he returns to NESCAC play.

Bates

Nolan Collins ’20
Brockton Rox – Futures League
5-0, 2.47 ERA, 47.1 IP, 43 H, 39 K, 17 BB

Collins joined forces with college teammates Brendan Smith ’19, and Jack Arend ’20, as well as current Middlebury Panther, George Goldstein ’21, over the summer as a member of the Brockton Rox, also in the Futures League. It appears that Collins picked up in the summer right where he left off from his breakout sophomore season at Bates. He finished the summer season with excellent numbers and his 2.47 ERA was the 3rdlowest among all starters across the league. Perhaps an interesting aspect of Collins’ success is the fact that he was able to throw to the same catcher both in college and during summer ball. Having consistency behind home plate is key, and the duo of Arend and Collins has been able to take the Bobcats (and the Rox) to new heights with their success.

Bowdoin

Jack Wilhoite ’19
North Shore Storm – North Shore Baseball League
.360 BA (18-50), 9 2B, 2 HR, .448 OBP, .700 SLG

I’ll be honest – I had to look a little bit further for this one. Luckily, the numbers absolutely made it worth it. I don’t know much about the North Shore Baseball League other than that it’s a men’s league, but Wilhoite (along with a few of his teammates from Bowdoin) tore it up. When you have 18 hits and more than half of them are for extra bases, you’re doing something right. In fact, Wilhoite actually had himself a pretty good summer on the mound as well. The senior struck out 20 batters in just 13 innings, allowing 6 earned runs on 8 hits along the way. Bowdoin has really struggled so far this year but Wilhoite proves that they have talent; they just have some things they need to figure out. I’d look for them to get in the win column pretty soon.

Colby

Emery Dinsmore ’20
Norsemen – GNCBL

This one might be even more of a stretch, but for some reason the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League doesn’t allow you to view player stats without having a paid account with GameChanger. So naturally I will have to settle for the fact that Dinsmore threw a shutout in game one of the league championship series and has been off to a great start for the Mules this season. In his first start of the collegiate season Dinsmore tossed 6 innings of one-run baseball, allowing 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7. The southpaw appears to be the ace in Waterville, so hopefully he can bring Colby out of the basement this year.

Hamilton

Gavin Schaefer-Hood ’21
Sherrill Silversmiths – NYCBL
1-1, 3.91 ERA, 20.2 IP, 21 H, 15 K, 10 BB

Schaefer-Hood put together a solid summer in the always-competitive New York Collegiate Baseball League. His number, albeit good, are actually not even indicative of what he was able to do all summer. Schaefer-Hood allowed 9 earned runs on the year, but 7 of them were in one game. If you take out that one bad performance, he finished the summer with a 1.08 ERA, allowing just 12 hits and 7 walks over 16.2 innings. He even had one start where he threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout, striking out 7 and not walking any. These are definitely Friday-starter numbers and that is exactly the type of performance he’ll look to continue as the Continentals move forward in NESCAC West play.

Middlebury

Colby Morris ’19
Green Bay Bullfrogs – Northwoods League/Chatham Anglers – Cape Cod League
1-2, 2.57 ERA, 28 IP, 27 H, 21 K, 9 BB

The NESCAC Pitcher of the Year from 2018 continued to make a name for himself in the very impressive Northwoods League. Similar to Schaefer-Hood, 5 of Morris’ 8 earned runs on the summer came in one outing, so it’s safe to say that the dude shoved. In his last (and best) outing with the Bullfrogs, Morris didn’t allow a run while surrendering just 4 hits and striking out 8. His success earned him a brief stint with the Chatham Anglers of the famed Cape Cod Baseball League – a very rare feat for a Division III player. This guy is legit and the only hardware he has left to bring home is a NESCAC championship trophy.

Trinity

Matt Koperniak ’20
North Adams SteepleCats – NECBL
.318 BA (41-129), 10 2B, 1 HR, 24 RBI

Koperniak absolutely shredded some really good pitching in the NECBL all summer. He finished among the league leaders in batting average, while roping 10 doubles and hitting a bomb. When mid-July rolled around and guys started to slump, Koperniak did just the opposite. The Massachusetts native went on a 15-game hitting streak in the middle of the year that included 7 multi-hit games, 8 of his 10 doubles, and hit lone home run. Not only is Koperniak one of the best hitters in the NESCAC, but he also has the ability to get really, really hot. The Bantams are off to a terrific start in 2019 and this guy has been right in the middle of it – an intimidating presence atop the lineup.

Tufts

RJ Hall ’19
Sanford Mainers – NECBL
3-0, 2.13 ERA, 33.2 IP, 29 H, 25 K, 7 BB

Not that I expected anything else from Tufts, but Hall was very impressive this past summer. His 2.13 ERA represented the 2nd lowest in the league, and he allowed the fewest walks among starters all season. He put on a number of impressive performances, with perhaps the best one taking place at the end of June when he fanned 7 while allowing just 2 hits and a walk over 5 innings of shutout baseball. Hall has had a very impressive career as a Jumbo, serving as a key member of the staff from the day he set foot on campus. It seems that over the past four years the only certainties have been death, taxes, and RJ Hall.

Wesleyan

Kelvin Sosa ’21
Bristol Blues – Futures League
2-3, 5.58 ERA, 29 IP, 31 H, 32 K, 22 BB

Sosa didn’t have quite as strong of a summer as he would’ve liked, but competed and did a decent job considering he was the youngest D3 player in the league. As his strikeout numbers last year would indicate, Sosa has knockout stuff – his only real struggle has been with command. Yeah, allowing 31 hits in 29 innings isn’t great, but it’s a lot easier to hit when Sosa is only throwing one pitch for a strike that day. This seems to be a recurring theme for the Cardinal staff as a whole, so perhaps it’s time for Coach Woodworth to incorporate some more accuracy drills into the practice plan. If they are able to do this successfully then Wesleyan will go a very long way because Sosa knows how to pitch and the rest of the league should definitely be on notice.

Williams

Kellen Hatheway ’19
Martha’s Vineyard Sharks – Futures League
.311 BA (32-103), 6 2B, 6 HR, 28 RBI

Hatheway responded quickly after a lackluster junior season by breaking out over the summer. He teamed up with Ferrero from Amherst for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks in the Futures League and went on a tear all summer long. Hatheway finished tied for 2ndin the league in home runs, 7thin RBIs, and 7thin batting average while playing against almost entirely Division I opponents. He has the Ephs off to an incredibly hot start in his senior campaign and he’ll look to bring his summer form back into NESCAC play so that Williams can be in playoff contention for the first time in a while.

One in the Books: Stock Report 4/1

Well NESCAC baseball fans, the conference season is upon us. That means it is unlikely to see a 22-3 game with six homers that go over four hundred feet. The warmth of Florida and Arizona aren’t felt anymore. The only thing that these players feel is the biting cold of New England’s early spring. The conference season kicked off with a bang. Defending league champs Amherst lost two out of three games to Little Three rival Wesleyan. Trin looks confident after taking a three game set against Bowdoin. A lot has transpired this past weekend. Let’s take a closer look at what/who I believe is up or down.

Stock up

Trinity pitching

Andrew DeRoche seems to have taken over as the Friday starter for the Bantams

Like in any sports conference, there is a traditional hierarchy. That being said, the NESCAC is one of the most competitive conferences in all of college athletics. Sweeps occur, but they are rare, in my opinion, due to the general parity in the league. Bowdoin hasn’t been strong in years. They have been a middle to lower tiered team in the East division. They have traditionally had trouble swinging the bad even with some solid pitching. This past weekend proved no different. Picking up three wins for Trin is huge. Even if the wins are against Bowdoin, a win is a win. In a league with not very many conference games, each one could be the difference between a playoff appearance or simply only studying for finals. Trinity was lead by their stellar pitching this past weekend. Andrew DeRoche ’20 went 7.1 innings allowing no earned while giving up three hits. Will Simeone ’22 went game two with an almost identical stat line. All hands were on deck for game three with Max Barsamian ’21 going four solid innings with Eric Mohl ’19 going another four innings unearned to pick up the win. Obviously Trin’s largest adversary in the East is Tufts. Tufts had a slow start last year, but ended up going all the way to the end with Amherst. After graduating a few big bats; however, I think it may be time for Trinity to take the reigns of dominance in the East.

Dominance of the West Division

Williams is 12-1 right now without having played a league game. They swept Colby this past weekend with big hitting numbers. Amherst dropped two against Wesleyan, playing sloppy defense for most of the weekend. The result would have easily been flipped if Amherst took care of the baseball. I am certain that a program like Amherst will clean up the defense, and be a force in the division like so many years prior. Middlebury looked strong too and has two perennial POY and Cy Young candidates like Han and Morris, making it no wonder why they’re off to a strong start. Coach Leonard has made the program strong again and it is clear that last year was an anomaly for the Panthers. They lost some close games due to a lack of clutch hitting and some bad breaks. Hamilton had a tough weekend against Midd but the Conts still play a style of baseball where they can absolutely rake and just need to find a way to close out games against strong teams. They have the talent, there’s no question about that, but what remains to be seen is if they can convert that talent to consistent winning. Wesleyan had a dismal spring trip. Hitting, like always, was strong, though their pitching was inconsistent at best. They certainly turned it around this weekend winning two against a strong foe in Amherst. The emergence after a season off for Andrew Keith ’19 is huge. He and freshman Adam Geibel ’22 are strong additions to the team. I can honestly see all these teams make a strong push for the division title. All West division games will be fun to watch.

Stock down

Maine Baseball

Brandon Lopez has been one of the only bright spots for Bowdoin so far

It has been a tough start for every Maine NESCAC team. Bowdoin has yet to win a game; Colby couldn’t contain Williams; Bates lost two out of three to Tufts. After making the playoffs a year ago, I thought Bates was on the rise. The Bobcat pitching has always been its bread and butter. Like everyone knows, you have to score runs to win ball games. Bates has always had trouble putting the ball in play. With Tufts and Trinity playing as well as they are, it is hard to envision Bates making the playoffs*. Bowdoin has yet to win a game. I repeat: Bowdoin has yet to win a game. Not only are they are shooting 0% in conference games, they haven’t beat a non-conference opponent either. A major reason why that’s the case is playing in California for spring training. The teams in California are much better than in Arizona or Florida. I understand wanting to play the top talent, but if you’re unable to pick up even one win, why go? Don’t you want to gain confidence? The addition of Coach Jesse Woods has certainly helped in the early-going, but it’s hard to envision them sustaining this come conference play. The Mules haven’t faced a team from the East division yet, but the games against Williams don’t show much hope. Colby has some talent and maybe even be able to steal a win or two, but the strength of Tufts and Trin makes it unlikely for a Maine team to make the playoffs.

*Editor’s note: Bates has had a mysterious way of performing just well enough to sneak into the playoffs over the last few years despite being one of the worst statistical teams. Tufts and Trinity look like the clear 1 and 2 in the east, but we’ve learned by now that you can never really count out the Bobcats.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I have always liked this quote. It makes sense to me that the dominant teams will stay dominant no matter the changing circumstances. The Patriots, under Belichick, have been able to adapt and beat teams in a variety of ways. The San Antonio Spurs have been able to remain a dominant team even if they don’t have many ‘superstars’. Tufts lost a huge portion of their lineup, but here they are just as good as ever. Bates and Trinity are right there in the mix just like always. That’s the East, though. In the West, I think it’s a toss up. I think Midd will make the playoffs, but after that, it’s a crapshoot. Will Williams be dominant for the first time in a while? They have the pieces, and have played well so far. Will Wesleyan’s pitching come around? It showed up for the most part against Amherst. Will the departure of Brian Hamm from Amherst kill the intimidation the team radiated? We’ll see. It will be an exciting spring season without a doubt.

Opening Weekend Preview: Who’s Coming to Play?

League play has arrived! After a long offseason and a few weeks of non-conference play, NESCAC foes will step on to the same diamond for the first time this season. The first weekend always carries a lot of question marks, because we don’t really know what to expect from every team. Some teams play tougher out of conference schedules than others, but for the first time this weekend we will begin to have a better idea of who is for real and who isn’t.

Williams @ Colby in Kissimmee, Florida

One of the early stories of the season has been the emergence of this Williams team, a team that came into the season with more questions than answers. The Ephs enter this series 9-1, already as many wins as they had last year. They have done it on the backs of their infield, namely sophomores Erik Mini (.390, 15 RBI) and Eric Pappas (.514, 8 RBI), and the white hot IF Doug Schaffer ’19, hitting .561 through 10 game and amassing a preposterous 27 RBI, 8 more than anyone else in the league. But the Ephs have also shown a flair for the dramatic, which could be covering up a few cracks. They’ve won 3 games in their final at-bats, most notably an upset win over then #9 Johns Hopkins and a 5-run bottom of the 8th to beat St. Olaf 10-8. The pitching is yet to come around (4.50 ERA) and it’s always hard to judge how other teams are treating non-conference games. We’ll learn a lot about them this weekend. The same goes for the Colby Mules, who are only 6-1, thanks to Mother Nature. The Mules have shown they can win in a variety of ways, putting up 10+ runs in half of the wins, and holding their opponents to 4 or less runs in 4 of their games. They’re hitting .410 as a team, paced by 3B Will Wessman ‘20’s .400/.448/.800 line to go along with 2 HRs and 11 RBI. But Colby has started 7 different pitchers in their 7 games, so we don’t have a lot to go off of in terms of knowing what they’ll bring to the bump. I’m going to give the edge to Williams in this one—momentum in baseball can be a scary thing and they’re as hot as anyone right now. While this is technically a non-conference series (@NESCAC, this is a problem), it still should reveal some aspects of each team that will reveal who each is.

Prediction: Williams 2-1

Hamilton @ Middlebury in Orlando, Florida

A series worth being exciting about between two teams who are getting right to the nitty and gritty to begin the year. Middlebury comes in at 8-4, but with a scoring margin of +42, while Hamilton has eked out a 7-6 start with a lot of close games. It’s hard not to give the edge to the Panthers in this series, with all that we know about both teams. Hamilton would be smart not to match their ace Gavin Schaefer-Hood ’21 (22.0 IP, 3-0, 2.05 ERA) with reigning league Pitcher of the Year Colby Morris ’19 of Middlebury (21.0 IP, 2-0, 3.00 ERA) if they want the best chance to steal this series. If they save him a day that will ideally put them in a position to split the first two and take their chances in a rubber match Game 3. Middlebury has to feel really good about the contributions they’re getting up and down the roster coming into this weekend, with 5 different guys already having cleared the fence, and 7 different guys having made starts for the Panthers, half of them coming from 4 different freshmen. Reigning Rookie of the Year IF Matt Zaffino ’21 has yet to really get going for the Conts (.270/.415/.324) but I think Schaefer-Hood will be good enough to get them a win if he doesn’t face Morris.

Prediction: Middlebury 2-1

Bates @ Tufts

Justin Foley is one of the most reliable starters for the Bobcats

A matchup between the 2018 playoff representatives of the NESCAC East kicks off divisional play in Somerville. Tufts (9-2) was expected to be able to offset the loss of their superstar senior class, namely Falkson, O’Hara, and Nachmanoff, on the backs of arguably the best rotation in the league in Brent Greeley ’20, R.J. Hall ‘19, and Spencer Langdon ’20, but the Jumbos have come out mashing once again to start the season, plating 124 runs in just 11 games. Langdon has moved to the bullpen, but Hall and Greeley look every bit the best 1-2 combination in the league, combing to allow 2 ER in 28 innings. Bates (5-6) has yet to hit their stride at the plate (.359 slugging as a team, 63 runs), but they have two proven quality starters in Nolan Collins (18.0 IP, 2-0, 2.00 ERA) and Justin Foley (20.1 IP, 1-1, 3.54). But they’re running into a buzz saw to start their conference play. Tufts is hitting the cover off of the ball and their first two starters are as good as anyone in the entire league. We don’t know who their third starter is yet, presumably sophomore Manny Ray (11.0 IP, 1-0, 3.27 ERA), but his classmate Jamie Weiss has also made two starts and freshman Aidan Tucker leads the Jumbos in appearances (5) and innings pitched (15). But whoever it is is going to be able to rely on a lot more run support than anyone Bates throws out there. Collins is 5th in the league with a 9.50 K/9 and he’s going to need to use the punchout to get through this lineup. If he can do that they might be able to steal one, but I would bet against it.

Prediction: Tufts 3-0

Trinity @ Bowdoin in Waterville, Maine

While it’s true you can never take too much away from non-conference play, anytime you go winless in your first 11 games, it’s a red flag. That’s exactly what Bowdoin has done, starting their season 0-10-1. Needless to say, it’s been poor play all around the diamond for the Polar Bears. The offense has logged 33 runs in 11 games, good for 3 a game. They’re hitting .208 as a team. Brandon Lopez ’19 and Colby Lewis ’20 have actually looked like the duo they’re expected to be, combining to throw 20.1 IP with a 2.66 ERA. But the rest of the rotation has been so dismal that their team ERA currently sits at 9.56. And just to make matters worse, their .942 fielding percentage is 8th in the league. The silver lining in all of this however, is that Bowdoin played a tough, tough schedule over their spring break, heading out to Los Angeles to play a number of strong west coast teams, a trip that Williams made last season with similar results. But playing Trinity probably isn’t going to be how they turn it around. The Bantams come in as hot as the Polar Bears are cold, winners of 6 in a row and 9-2 overall. Trinity is second in the league with 101 runs in 11 games, getting production across the board—namely in 4 players with double digit RBI. It has been the usual suspects like Stamatis and Koperniak, but also in breakout performers like freshman Mike Guanci Jr., hitting .295 and driving in 12 in to start his first college season, as well as junior Mack Lauder, hitting .324 and also driving in 12. The Bantams have manufactured runs with their typically terrific baserunning, stealing 45 bases (leading the league) and only getting caught 4 times. Admittedly the pitching has not been stellar, getting touched up to the tune of a 6.03 ERA. Star reliever Erik Mohl ’19 has yet to find his groove (17.0 IP, 5.29) and no pitcher has made more than 2 starts yet so we’re waiting for answers this weekend in terms of a set rotation. But if there was any team to play to get some confidence in a struggling rotation, it would be Bowdoin and their offense.

Prediction: Trinity 3-0

Amherst @ Wesleyan Friday 3/29, Wesleyan @ Amherst Saturday 3/30 (Doubleheader)

If Amherst can find a way to keep the games close, senior closer Mike Dow should be able to shut the door with some of his on-field antics

The series of the weekend is a Little 3 matchup in Middletown that will surely have playoff ramifications. Wesleyan (5-8) has not had a great non-conference performance, and that is because their much-maligned starting rotation has yet to solve the problems that plagued them last year. Mike McCaffrey ‘19’s junior woes have followed him into his senior season, lasting just 8.2 innings across 3 starts, with a 6.23 ERA. Sosa (15.0 IP, 6.00 ERA) and Clare (12.1 IP, 4.38 ERA) have not been much better either. The offense has been rolling, hitting .336 as a team (2nd) and scoring 99 runs (3rd), it’s just the 9th ranked 7.07 ERA that needs improvement. IF Andrew Kauf ’20 has placed himself firmly in the early Player of the Year conversation, pacing Wesleyan with a .474 average, 27 hits, and 19 RBI. They just need some pitching. Amherst (6-4) has had an unremarkable start in either direction. They’re 5th in the league in both batting average (.317) and runs scored (86). Their pitching has been quite good, though, second in the league with a 3.82 ERA and a league leading 10.43 K/9. CF Joseph Palmo ’21 (.432, 1 HR, 11 RBI) and freshman IF Daniel Qin (.387, 1 HR, 8 RBI) have been the guys doing at the dish so far for the Mammoths, which should be exciting for a team that is yet to get its top returners going. On the mound it’s been RHP Wilson Taylor ’19 (10.1 IP, 1-0, 1.74 ERA) who has shone the brightest out of a rotation that could really use some more help from the guys behind it. Amherst has the second worst fielding percentage in the league at .932, but their mistakes have been incredibly costly, as just 33 of the 60 runs they’ve allowed have been earned. The pitching has been good, and you could argue that they’ve just been a little unlucky to start the season. When you take into consideration that 2 of their 4 losses are against ranked opponents, then you realize they’ve been a pretty good team, as opposed to a Wesleyan team that is still trying to find itself defensively.

Prediction: Amherst 2-1

Three-Headed Monster: NESCAC East Preview

NESCAC East Preview

Bates College Bobcats

Head Coach: Jon Martin, 3rd Season
2018 Record: 14-19, 7-5 NESCAC
Projected 2019 Record: 20-14, 7-5 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Jack Arend ‘20 (C) Newfields, NH

Arend was a consistent presence in the lineup and on the field for the Bobcats last season. His efforts throughout the season garnered him first team all NESCAC honors, a title he will look to reclaim this season. Arend is known for his good eye and plate discipline, leading the Bobcats in walks and OBP last year. He’s already off to a blistering start through 11 games this season, hitting .469 while reaching base at a .617 clip. It is clear that Arend will be a key leader for Bates this year and has the potential to take them back to the playoffs.

Pitcher to Watch: Nolan Collins ‘20, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Nolan Collins returns for his junior season and the California native projects to be one of the top starters in the conference this season. After a breakout sophomore campaign in which he kept his season ERA below 3, Collins will need to maintain a similar standard of excellence this season to make it out of the NESCAC East. After a large K/9 jump between 2017 and 2018, I would expect strikeout numbers for Collins to rise even further this year, ever increasing his effectiveness. As the surefire ace for this squad, the Bobcats will rely heavily on the right arm of Nolan Collins every Friday afternoon in some of their biggest games this year.

Everything Else:

Last season Bates was fortunate enough to earn a playoff berth but they failed to get further than that. Close losses saw the Bobcats fall short of their championship hopes, but it is a new year. Although they were a playoff team, Bates finished third to last in the conference in runs last season. Their offensive production will have to beefed up significantly this year in order to compete for a championship, but they have solid pieces to put it together. In fact, their .301 team batting average thus far indicates that they’ve already begun to right the ship.

Bowdoin College Polar Bears

Head Coach: Mike Connolly, 20th Season
2018 Record: 16-17, 7-5 NESCAC
2019 Projected Record: 8-26-1, 2-10 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Eric Mah ‘20 (IF) Newtonville, MA

After a sophomore season in which he maintained a batting average over .350, Eric Mah will return as a pillar of the Polar Bears’ lineup. Last season Mah lead the Bowdoin team in hits, at bats, doubles and on base percentage. Mah is a consistent presence in the lineup that Bowdoin so desperately needs. Offensive woes seem to have been somewhat of a trend for the Polar Bears over the past few seasons and they could use some more players like Mah to break the monotony.

Pitcher to Watch: Brandon Lopez ‘19, Amesbury, MA

Lopez has been a competitor year in and year out for Bowdoin and I would expect more of the same from his senior campaign. Last season Lopez posted a 4-1 record and a sub-4 ERA as one of their most reliable arms. With three seasons of NESCAC competition under his belt Lopez will be able to guide the rest of his staff as well as use his experience to his own advantage.

Everything Else:

Bowdoin has an extremely disappointing 2018 in which they missed playoffs due to a tiebreaker. They lose many quality pieces this season and it looks as if it may be harder for them to compete this year than it was last year. Their offense was not among the elite in the conference last season
and it projects to be more of the same this year. Bowdoin will have to battle and upset some better ball clubs in order to make the playoffs this year but you can never rule them out.

Colby College Mules

Head Coach: Jesse Woods, 1st Season
2018 Record: 7-25, 1-11 NESCAC
2019 Projected Record: 14-18, 4-8 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Andrew Russell ‘21 (IF) Massapequa, N.Y.

Russell started his freshman season hitting the ground running last season and I would expect him to carry that momentum into 2019. He lead the Mules in many statistical categories in his freshman season including at-bats (110), runs (18), base on balls (8), and defensive assists (65). Not to mention he was also second best in hits (33), putouts (43), triples (2), and tied for second in doubles (6). It’s clear to see that Russell is a jack of all trades for Colby and they need the help.

Pitcher to Watch: Emery Dinsmore ‘20, Waldo, ME

Back in 2017 Emery had a very promising freshman season in which he recorded 33 IP and maintained a 4.01 ERA. These numbers seemed promising but unfortunately did not translate into a successful 2018 campaign. Despite a drop in effectiveness this season, I predict that Emery will make a 180 and really dial in this year. His first start looked like a significant improvement – 6IP, 1ER, 2BB, 7K, so perhaps we can view last year as a fluke. If he can maintain control and the ability to put guys away, it could be a breakout year for Dinsmore.

Everything Else:

The biggest story for the Mules this season is their new head coach. Jesse Woods, formerly an assistant at Notre Dame, has taken the helm at Colby and they hope he will lead them into a new era of success. After a pretty dismal performance last season the Mules hope that some new life
in the program will lead to more success. There is certainly talent to be found on the Mules’ roster, the question is whether or not Woods will be able to get the most out of his new squad.

Trinity College Bantams

Head Coach: Bryan Adamski, 6th Season
2018 Record: 18-15, 7-5 NESCAC
2019 Projected Record: 22-13, 8-4 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Johnny Stamatis ‘19 (IF) Ridgefield, CT

Stamatis enters his final season of NESCAC competition after a solid junior year. Last season he led the Bantams in walks and putouts, 2nd on team in home runs, 3rd in RBIs, 4th in runs (tied) and doubles, and 5th in hits, stolen bases, and assists. Alongside his success with the bat Stamatis is also a stud on defense, recording all of 2 errors last year at first base. Becoming a senior means that Stamatis will need to take a bigger role as a leader on the team and one way to show that is through his consistency on field.

Pitcher of the Year: Andrew Deroche ‘20, North Reading, MA

Deroche is another important junior on the Bantam roster. He returns this year to reassume his role as a starter for Trinity. Last year he led the Bantams in appearances, was 2nd on team in saves and earned lowest opponent batting average. Additionally he 3rd on the team in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts. It is clear that Deroche is a workhorse for Trinity and they will lean on him this year to lead them to the playoffs.

Everything Else:

Trinity is one of those teams that has the potential to make a serious playoff run despite the fact that they missed out on playoffs last season. It is well known that it is especially difficult to make the conference tournament in the NESCAC and the Trinity Bantams fell victim to this fact last season. This year they return with yet another strong team but whether they have enough to make it over the hump and play in the postseason will be a different question.

Tufts University Jumbos

Head Coach: John Casey, 36th Season
2018 Record: 20-17, 8-4 NESCAC
Projected 2019 Record: 26-7, 9-3 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Casey Santos-Ocampo ‘19 (OF) Naples, FL

Casey Santos-Ocampo returns for his last year attempting to take Tufts back to the promised land. Santos-Ocampo had a pretty good junior year for the Jumbos. He posted a .291 average and added 23 RBIs as well as 32 BBs. I’m expecting a breakout senior campaign from Santos-Ocampo because he has been through it all with this Tufts squad. The highs and lows that he has experienced over the last three years will serve him well as he can elevate the play of himself and his teammates around him.

Pitcher to Watch: RJ Hall ‘19, Marietta, GA

NESCAC fans alike will not be surprised to see RJ Hall on this list as he has been on many awards lists in the past, whether they be pre or postseason awards. As a junior he earned NESCAC All-Conference first team honors and was a two-time NESCAC Player of the Week. Along with this he was tied for NESCAC lead with five victories and his 54 strikeouts were third best in the conference. RJ Hall has terrorized NESCAC hitters for the past 3 years and this last one looks to be more of the same.

Everything Else:

Tufts is geared up for a monster year after missing out on the NCAA tournament. Their expectations will be to return the NESCAC crown to Medford where it rested for several seasons before they lost it last year. The upperclassmen talent on this team is extremely impressive and that is a key part to deep postseason runs. The bitterness of their championship loss surely won’t leave them soon so they will be hungry for Ws until they take that ship back.