East Division Preview:
Bates:
Head Coach: Jon Martin, 2nd Season, 16-18 Career Record
Projected NESCAC Record: 4-8
Key Losses: 2B/SS Brendan Fox (.270 AVG, 27 H, 17 RBI)
OF Ryan McCarthy (3 HR, 13 RBI, 7 SB)
RHP Anthony Telisca (49.2 IP, 3-2, 3.26 ERA)
1B Brendon Canavan (.257 AVG, 1 HR, 12 RBI)
Returning Starters:
3B Dan Trulli ’19 (.282 AVG, 2 HR, 14 RBI)
C Jack Arend ’20 (.271 AVG, 1 HR, 18 RBI)
SS Asher MacDonald ’18 (.241 AVG, 21 H, 12 RBI)
INF Kyle Carter ’20 (.217 AVG, 20 H, 12 RBI)
OF Will Sylvia ‘20 (.287 AVG, 1 HR, 23 H)
RHP Connor Speed ’18 (54.1 IP, 1-7, 2.98 ERA)
LHP Connor Russell ’18 (8 APP, 33.0 IP, 3.27 ERA)
Biggest Series: March 31st vs. Bowdoin
Everything Else:
The Bobcats enter the 2018 season as a team that could finish, realistically, anywhere from 1st to last in the East division. They finished second last year at 7-5, but limped into the NESCAC tournament, winning their first 7 games but losing their last 5, wrapping up the year by losing both of their postseason games to Middlebury and Amherst, respectively. If you include their “non-conference” games against Williams, they dropped their final 9 games against NESCAC opponents. Bates stayed in games with their pitching (3.51 ERA, 2nd in the league) and their defense (league-best .966 FPCT) but combined to hit for an abysmal .234 as a team, with a .294 slugging percentage, both comfortably last in the NESCAC. They return two of their top three pitchers in innings pitched in seniors Connor Speed and Connor Russell, who will be tasked with keeping this team in games until they can figure out how to hit. They also return their three leading hitters in Will Sylvia ’20 (.287), Dan Trulli ’19 (.282), and Jack Arend ’20 (.271). Much of their success will be determined by whether those three underclassmen can take the jump up and become difference makers, but they need to get off to a good start. Their opening NESCAC series against Bowdoin is my series to watch for them because after finishing their season the way they did, they’re going to need to find the confidence earlier rather than later in the league schedule. They boast the best defense in the league, which is generally something that is not hard to replicate, and if their pitching can be in the sub 4 ERA range, even the slightest improvements to their hitting could make a difference.
Bowdoin:
Head Coach: Mike Connolly, 19th Season, 352-290-1 Career Record
Projected NESCAC Record: 4-8
Key Losses:
IF Evann Dumont-LaPointe (.270 AVG, 2 HR, 18 RBI)
IF Sean Mullaney (.240 AVG, 24 H, 12 RBI)
Returning Starters:
C Colby Joncas ’19 (.276 AVG, 27 H, 13 RBI)
1B Sawyer Billings ’18 (.313 AVG, 12 XBH, 14 RBI)
P/UTL Brandon Lopez ’19 (.333 AVG, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 44.2 IP, 4-1, 2.62 ERA)
OF Jack Wilhoite ’20 (.268 AVG, 3 HR, 10 RBI)
IF Cody Tedesco ’19 (.347 AVG, .418 OBP, 4 XBH)
IF Eric Mah ’20 (.232 AVG, 16 H, 7 RBI)
P Max Vogel-Freedman ’19 (41.2 IP, 2-3, 4.10 ERA, 7.34 K/9)
P Colby Lewis ’20 (32.0 IP, 4-3, 3.94 ERA)
Biggest Series: March 31st vs. Bates
Everything Else:
Dropping all three to Bates to open league play last season put the Polar Bears behind the 8 ball and although they were able to get to 6-6, it was too little too late to have a chance to make some postseason noise. But their season this year will mostly come down to how they perform against Bates, and the parallels between the two are quite strong. Like their in-state rivals, the success of their season will be determined by how many guys can take the jump up this year—for them both on the mound and at the dish. All-NESCAC selection Brandon Lopez is only a junior and will hope to continue to do his best Shohei Otanei impersonation, but he’s going to need some help. Colby Lewis ’20 and Max Vogel-Freedman ’19 combined to log nearly 73 innings pitched last season, but they’re going to need one of them to step up and perform as a consistent number 2. They have guys like Jack Wilhoite ’20 (.268 AVG, 3 HR, 10 RBI) and Sawyer Billings ’18 (.313 AVG, 14 RBI) to set the table with Lopez at the plate, but they’re going to need some depth at the bottom of the order and an improvement from their .259 average as a team last year (9th in the NESCAC) if they want to see consistent success this year. Their opening series vs. Bates might as well be the NESCAC quarterfinals, and they’re probably going to need to take 2 out of 3 if they want to make the playoffs. They would be much better off playing those games in April, as it would give them more time to sort out their order and rotation, but they’re going to be tested early instead. They’re going to win most of the games that Lopez pitches in and they need the same to be true when Lewis and Vogel-Freedman take the mound. If they can do that, they have the talent to play into May, but they need to show it in March first.
Colby:
Head Coach: Dale Plummer, 12th Season
Projected NESCAC Record: 3-9
Key Losses:
OF Ryder Arsenault (.285 AVG, 1 HR, 13 RBI)
C Andrew Della Volpe (.286 AVG, 6 XBH, 11 RBI)
Returning Starters:
OF Matt Treveloni ’18 (.333 AVG, 39 H, 6 SB)
OF Matt Garcia ’18 (.259 AVG, 2 HR, 14 RBI)
INF Tyler Mulberry ’19 (.304, 10 2B, 17 RBI)
INF Jackson Ward ’19 (.239, 22 H, 10 RBI)
3B William Wessman ’20 (.209 AVG, 7 RBI)
P Taimu Ito ’20 (50.2 IP, 2-3, 2.84 ERA)
P Brooks Parker ’19 (49.0 IP, 7.35 K/9, 3.31 ERA)
P Emery Dinsmore ’20 (33.2 IP, 2-3, 4.01 ERA)
Biggest Series: April 13th-14th vs. Trinity
Everything Else: The Mules return in 2018 looking to improve on their 3-9 record from last year. For Colby it starts in the field. Their pitching staff’s 4.22 ERA was 4th best in the league, but their fielding percentage was dead last at .949, no thanks in part to their league leading 65 errors. When you put those two things together it should be no surprise that although they allowed 205 runs (second last), only 133 of them were earned. The pitching was really good all year, especially when you consider their three-headed monster was comprised of two freshmen in Taimu Ito and Emery Dinsmore, and a sophomore, Brooks Parker. That trio will now be one junior and two sophomores, and we all know what a difference the jump from freshman to sophomore year can make in this league. But they have to cut down on the errors, and they have to find a way to hit. The bottom three in the league in hitting looked a whole lot like the 2017 football standings: Colby, Bowdoin, and Bates. All three of these teams have other strengths, but they need to hit. Colby’s ability to go three deep in their rotation will give them to compete in all three weekend games. Hopefully Ito can take the jump into the top tier of NESCAC pitching, because they’re going to need someone that can match up with the aces in this league, and he’s my pick for most likely candidate. Parker and Dinsmore bringing up the rear means there shouldn’t be a lot of 0-3 weekends as long as they cut down on the mistakes in the field. It’s going to be an uphill battle in the league for Colby this year, but they have room to improve and there’s no reason to think they shouldn’t.
Trinity:
Head Coach: Bryan Adamski, 5th year, 69-72 Career Record
Projected NESCAC Record: 9-3
Key Losses:
INF Nick DiBenedetto (.354 AVG, 1 HR, 30 RBI)
Returning Starters:
C Alex Rodriguez ’20 (.342 AVG, 11 XBH, 23 RBI)
INF Ben Reinsch ’19 (.282 AVG, .401 OBP, 35 H)
INF/OF Matt Koperniak ’20 (.310 AVG, 1 HR, 20 RBI)
INF Cooper Mooney ’18 (.300 AVG, 1 HR, 29 RBI)
1B Johnny Stamatis ‘19 (.311, 24 RBI, 33 H)
UTIL Brendan Pierce ’19 (.275 AVG, 5 HR, 18 RBI)
P Eric Mohl ’19 (53.0 IP, 7-2, 2.55 ERA)
P Alex Shafer ’20 (44.2 IP, 3-1, 4.23 ERA)
P McLane Hill ’18 (35.1 IP, 3.57 ERA, 8.92 K/9)
P Chris Speer ’18 (32.0 IP, 3-0, 0.84 ERA)
P Alex Herbst ’20 (30.2 IP, 2-1, 4.70 ERA)
Biggest Series: April 20th-21st vs. Bates
Everything Else: Well to say this team returned a lot would be a gross understatement. Of the 301.2 innings they pitched last year, they return all 301.2 of them. A senior-less pitching staff a year ago is now a pitching staff with 5 pitchers returing having logged 30 or more innings, including junior ace Eric Mohl and his 2.55 ERA, as well as senior stud reliever’s McLane Hill (8.92 K/9) and Chris Speer (0.84 ERA). The Bants and their 22-14 overall record were the second-best team in East, but a disastrous 0-3 weekend in Brunswick against Bowdoin, highlighted by a walkoff loss in 12 innings, did them in and they finished 5-7 and in 4th place. But this team was second in the league in runs scored, and return a lineup that includes co-Rookie of the year C Alex Rodriguez (.342 AVG, 23 RBI), INF/OF Matt Koperniak ’20 (.310 AVG, 1 HR, 20 RBI), Brendan Pierce ’19 (5 HR, 18 RBI), and like 4 other guys that I don’t have time to mention because there is so much good college basketball on. Another thing about this Trinity team is that they can flat out run. I mean, RUN. Their 104 stolen bases were almost 50 more than the next closest team (Hamilton), and when you combine their baserunning prowess with the bats in their lineup, they have the firepower to win every league game they play. The key for them is keeping the poor pitching performances to a minimum and giving their offense a chance to win them the game. They had a couple games against league opponents that they gave away due to some self-destruction on the mound (15 runs allowed in an inning against Tufts, anyone?), and if they don’t shoot themselves in the foot like that they have the depth both on the mound and at the plate to be contenders for a championship.
Tufts:
Head Coach: John Casey, 35th year, 699-394-4 Career Record
Projected NESCAC Record: 10-2
Key Losses:
OF Oscar Kutch (.315 AVG, 2 HR, 24 RBI)
IF Tom Petry (.289 AVG, 2 HR, 23 RBI)
OF Harry Brown (.261 AVG, 30 H, 21 RBI)
P Speros Varinos (77.1 IP, 8-1, 1.98 ERA)
P Tim Superko (54.1 IP, 6-1, 3.98 ERA)
P Rory Ziomek (14 APP, 1.04 ERA, 12.98 K/9)
Returning Starters:
3B Nick Falkson ‘18 (.373 AVG, 2 HR, 37 RBI)
INF Tommy O’Hara ’18 (.351 AVG, 4 HR, 46 RBI)
IF/OF Mike McLaughlin ’18 (.304 AVG, 2 HR, 20 RBI)
IF Casey Santos-Ocampos ’19 (.278 AVG, 1 HR, 22 RBI)
IF Will Shackleford ’19 (.368 AVG, 1 HR, 28 RBI)
OF Malcolm Nachmanoff ’18 (.182 AVG, 2 HR, 15 RBI)
P R.J. Hall ’20 (58.1 IP, 3-4, 3.39 ERA)
P Brad Marchetti ’20 (36.1 IP, 2-2, 2.97 ERA)
Biggest Series: March 30th-31st vs. Trinity
Everything Else:
The reigning NESCAC champions appear to be reloading this year. The loss of OFs Oscar Kutch (.315 AVG, 2 HR, 24 RBI), Harry Brown (.261 AVG, 30 H, 21 RBI), and IF Tom Petry (.289 AVG, 2 HR, 23 RBI) would be crippling to most teams attempting to repeat, but not the Jumbos. Tufts returns reigning player of the year Nick Falkson ’18 (.373 AG, 2 HR, 37 RBI) and I would like his chances to win that award again, if not for the additional return of IF Tommy O’Hara, who managed to hit .351 to go along with 4 HR and 46 RBI last year. He has a legitimate gripe over being snubbed for POY, but it went to his teammate instead. This lineup is loaded up and down with guys who can hit for both power and contact, and if Falkson, O’Hara, and co. manage to all improve on their numbers from last year then the rest of the league is in way bigger trouble than they already were. The loss of pitcher of the year Speros Varinos (77.1 IP, 8-1, 1.98 ERA), and number 2 Tim Superko (54.1 IP, 6-1, 3.98 ERA) mean that their pitching staff will certainly not be as dominant as they were last year, but RJ Hall and Brad Marchetti (94.2 IP combined) will be forced to take the step up and anchor this rotation in just their sophomore seasons. The top end starting pitching will decline, as will the depth in the lineup, but as long as the batting order features the names Falkson and O’Hara, I think Tufts should be just fine. Trinity appears ready to give them a run for their money, but the Jumbos are still the class of this division, and it will stay that way unless otherwise noted.