Tag: Season Preview

Colby Season Preview

Colby (11-23, 2-10 in 2013)

What they lost:

They lost a few players from last season, but none that were true impact players. The best position player Colby lost was Jack Kramer, a decent hitting, but by no means irreplaceable player. Kramer had only one extra base hit in 65 at bats. Brady Hesslein threw 40 innings for the Mules last year, but had a 6.07 ERA. The best player Colby los was reliever Ian Bezahler, who sported 1.00 ERA albeit in only 18 innings.

2014 MVP: OF Jason Buco ’15

Buco had an up and down sophomore campaign after an exceptional freshman season, but we expect him to return to his form from two years ago. Besides his bat, he is a real threat on the basepaths and last year hit five triples, so his speed is exceptional. He only had 84 plate appearances last year, and if that number is in the 120 area he could have 15 steals easily. The fact that he had more walks (10) than strikeouts (seven) bodes well for the season.  Buco is part of a very good defensive outfield that is a huge boon for Colby pitchers, and doubles as a wide out on the football team.

2014 Pitcher of the Year: Soren Hanson ’16

Hanson was Colby’s best starter last year as a freshman and will need to be a full-fledged ace this year. He has the potential to shut teams down as evidenced by his 41 strikeouts in 43 innings, but he finished the season with a mediocre 3.74 ERA. The Belmont Hill product should see his innings increase this season as the Mules tighten their rotation. He finished the season on a high note going 7 1/3 innings while striking out 11 against Bates. The power right-hander could be poised for an All-NESCAC performance.

Season Outlook:

The Mules bring almost everybody back from a team that was a disappointment in 2013. They should be better this year given their depth, but unless their pitching increases leaps and bounds they will be at best a middle of the road team. They benefit from having two sport stars Buco and Luke Duncklee ’15 who play football in the fall. The lineup should be good as there are experienced players at every position. We don’t expect last year’s best hitter Nate Ellis ’14 to replicate his .380 average, but he is still an above average player. Hanson has the chance to be a very good starter, but others will need to elevate their game on the mound. Scott Goldberg ’15 or captain Greg Ladd ’14 are the most likely to make a jump. One interesting tidbit about the Mules is that their season preview lists seven second baseman. We are sure the competition for that spot is fierce.

 

Bates Season Preview

Bates (19-17, 5-7 in 2013)

What they lost:

From last year’s seniors only two were impact players, Ryan Sonberg and Kevin McGregor. The impact of those two on the Bates offense was enormous as both posted on-base percentages above .400. McGregor, despite being the bigger of the two, was actually a walks savant, and Sonberg had 11 more total bases than any other Bobcat last year. The biggest loss however might come from the departure of last year’s innings-pitched leader Tom Baroni. Baroni ought to have been a senior this year but has decided to step away from the team this season. Whatever the reason for his absence, his 63.2 innings pitched and 2.12 ERA would have been very useful for the Bobcats.

2014 MVP: C Mekae Hyde ’15

The junior catcher enjoyed a great sophomore campaign capped off with a first team All-NESCAC honor. The stocky catcher is a Lewiston native so he has been right at home from day one on the Bates campus. Hyde is a powerful and balanced hitter with three home runs and a .324 average last year. Hyde might see some time besides catcher especially on the second game of doubleheaders in order to keep him fresh and let veteran catchers Jeff Gunn ’14 and John Anagnost ’15 get some at-bats. Still, Hyde is most valuable at catcher where he combines elite offense and defense.

2014 Pitcher of the Year: Brad Reynolds ’14

The 6’2” left-hander made the switch from reliever to starter last year with great results. He held batters to a .208 average in 43 innings last year which is low for a top of the line starter. This year he is likely to pitch close to 60, but it isn’t likely he will get worn out from the increased workload. Reynolds, like many other southpaws, relies more on deception to induce weak grounders and flyballs than overpowering hitters. If he cuts down on the 23 walks he gave out last year, he will be able to lead a Bates staff that boasts some other talented arms.

Season Outlook:

There is a lot of talent up in Lewiston, but that doesn’t mean results are a given. The team already completed their trip to Georgia and posted a record of 1-6. Hyde only played in the last two games so hopefully he is healthy when the team resumes play this weekend. Last year, Bates played a lot of close conference games including three one run losses against Trinity. They should win more of those games this year given regression to the mean, but that alone doesn’t guarantee a better record. The team’s disappointing performance in Georgia can be attributed to their shoddy defense. They averaged 3.6 errors in their seven games, and considering the team lacks any overpowering starters, the defense needs to be rock solid. If they improve there they have the bats to make some noise, but the pitching will not be enough to get Bates to the top.