Amherst (27-13, 9-3 in 2013)
What They Lost:
There is one major difference between this year’s team and the 2013 version that had a program-record 27 victories and won the NESCAC championship; 1B/DH/P Bob Cook posted a NESCAC-leading 0.95 ERA on his way to earning Pitcher of the Year honors in 2013 (a year after being named NESCAC Player of the Year) and still found time to hit .368/.487/.484 in 76 at bats, but this year will be on the bench as an assistant coach. Adding to the void is the loss of Nolan Stewart, the team’s top qualified hitter from 2013. However, Amherst is one of few squads in the NESCAC with the bevy of talent to replace such dynamic players.
2014 MVP: P/OF Mike Odenwaelder ’16
Odenwaelder garnered Rookie of the Year honors last season by slashing .331/.538/.383. It’s that middle number that really stands out. His .538 slugging was good for third in the NESCAC last season, and three bombs tied him for third in the league, as well. Odenwaelder manned rightfield for most of 2013, and should continue to anchor an offense that was neck-and-neck atop the NESCAC with Wesleyan last season in almost every offensive category. Odenwaelder brings speed as well. He tallied 10 stolen bases last year and five triples. And just in case your jaw hasn’t hit the floor yet, Odenwaelder has been competing for a spot in the starting rotation, in which case he would likely move to DH, allowing a tandem of Alex Hero ’14, Jonathan Ramirez ’16 and Tyler Jacobs ’15, in his return from injury, to man the outfield.
2014 Pitcher of the Year: Dylan Driscoll ’14
Cook is out, but that doesn’t mean this staff is without the talent necessary to capture another NESCAC crown. Captain Dylan Driscoll fronts the rotation. Driscoll posted a 2.76 ERA last season and an absurd 34:4 K:BB ratio, good for eighth in the nation, while his 0.58 BB/9 ratio was good for fourth in all of Division-III. Driscoll tossed one shutout and two complete games in his nine starts last year, and should be one of the league’s most durable hurlers, as he was one of three pitchers to surpass the 60 IP threshold in 2013.
Season Outlook:
Amherst returns nine hitters who played at least 19 games last season. All but one hit .304 or better. Rookie of the Year Mike Odenwaelder should improve, Defensive Player of the Year Taiki Kasuga ’14 will continue to vacuum up everything hit his way at shortstop, and Andrew Vandini ’16, who posted the third-best average in NESCAC games last season, will continue to quietly produce. Senior centerfielder and three-year starter Alex Hero should not be overlooked, too. Hero started 24 games and triple-slashed .333/.475/.352 while stealing 12 bases, and will again be in the running for best surname in the NESCAC. Leftfielder Jonathan Ramirez ’16 posted a Votto-like .430 OBP in 2013, and the versatile Brendon Hardin ’15 hit .304/.365/.372, while swiping 13 bags, one less than his teammate, Kasuga. Hardin will likely return to 2B after playing outfield for most of last season. Connor Gunn ’16 and David Cunningham ’16 both garnered at bats behind the dish last year. Gunn started 37 games on his way to batting .328. Last but not least, corner infielder Eric West ’15 got 20 starts last year and slashed .364/.530/.434, leading the Jeffs in slugging. Additionally, OF Tyler Jacobs ’15 returns after missing all of 2013 due to injury. Jacobs hit .244 his freshman season and has a shot to start in 2014.
As for the pitching staff, losing Bob Cook hurts, but his younger brother John Cook ’15 will get the first chance to lock down the third spot in the Jeffs rotation behind the formidable 1-2 of Driscoll and Frank Shepard ’14. While Cook started six games and recorded a 4.29 ERA, Driscoll and Shepard started nine and 10 games, respectively, and were each dominant with ERAs hovering around 3.00. Eric Kotin ’14 returns as the team’s best combination of effectiveness and reliability in the bullpen. Kotin tossed 24.0 innings in relief and posted a 3.38 ERA in 2013. The Jeffs’ other top bullpen arms graduated from last year, but a deep first-year class of hurlers could immediately bolster the Amherst pen.
All told, Amherst will once again be in contention for a NESCAC title.
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