2014 Record: 16-17 (4-8, Fifth in the NESCAC East)
Postseason Outcome: Missed NESCAC Playoffs
Returning Starters: 10 (9 Position Players, 1 Starting Pitcher)
Projected Starting Lineup (Stats are from 2014)
2B Matt Mortimer ’16 (.294/.360/.353, 0 HR, 9 RBI)
RF Scott Huley ’15 (.236/.331/.330, 0 HR, 12 RBI)
3B Daniel Pidgeon ’15 (.300/.374/.364, 0 HR, 15 RBI)
1B Bryan Wolfe ’15 (.317/.430/.446, 2 HR, 18 RBI)
C Scott Cullinane ’16 (.263/..396/.395, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
DH Carson Kenney ’15 (.259/.310/.296, 0 HR, 5 RBI)
CF Ryan Vultaggio ’18
SS Adam Moossmann ’15 (.180/.276/.180, 0 HR, 6 RBI)
LF Evan Abraham ’15 (.183/.306/.183, 0 HR, 8 RBI)
RHP Sean Meekins ’15 (1-4, 3.43 ERA, 8.92 K/9, 39.1 IP)
LHP Jed Robinson ’16 (5-2, 3.48 ERA, 7.19 K/9, 41.1 IP)
LHP Chris Speer ’17 (0-0, 4.50 ERA, 2.25 K/9, 4.0 IP)
Offensive Overview:
Literally every single position player who got at-bats last season is back this season, and the Bantams are hoping that those players can make a massive improvement on their performance from a season ago. Indeed, they have to because this offense sputtered and was one of the worst in the NESCAC last season. The only thing that this group did well was draw walks. Besides that they didn’t do much. They didn’t hit for a great average or for much power. They only stole twice in conference games so opposing pitchers always felt comfortable, something that is a huge advantage. The bottom of the lineup contributed nothing. Wolfe was one of the bright spots, but this unit needs to be much better all around. Manager Bryan Adamski will be flexible in getting a lot of different guys at-bats as he continues to search for his best starting group so don’t be surprised if the lineup ends up very different than the one listed above when conference play rolls around.
Defensive Overview:
The Bantams need to be more sure-handed this year. They finished with the second lowest fielding percentage in the NESCAC, ahead of only Hamilton. The correlation between errors committed and finish in the standings is actually surprisingly closely correlated. The left side of the infield, Moossmann and Pidgeon, combined for 13 errors on the season. Both of them had fielding percentages barely above .900. One area where Trinity did do decently was defending the running game. Opponents stole 10 bags against them in conference play which ties them with Amherst for the fourth-lowest amount in the NESCAC.
Pitching Overview:
Meekins and Robinson are pretty firmly entrenched as the top two starters. Meekins struggled a little in conference play in part because of control problems. Robinson was not originally a regular part of the weekend rotation, but he pitched his way into this spot. His seven inning, two run start against Wesleyan in an end of season non-conference game was one of the bright spots for the Bantams last season. Behind those two, things are pretty wide open. Speer is the frontrunner right now based on the big strides he has taken in the offseason, but expect him to have a short leash given his limited experience. The positive side is that Adamski is a pitching coach first and he had great staffs at Amherst. He could have possibly brought in an impact freshman arm who will be able to make an instant impact for the Bantams.
Storylines to Watch
1. Was last year a fluke?
To call last year a disappointment for Trinity baseball would be somewhat of an understatement. Go watch this video of players and Adamski before the 2014 season began talking about their hopes for last year. You hear talk of winning the NESCAC as if it’s almost a given. Obviously a lot of coaches and teams emphasize setting high goals, but I don’t think anyone at Trinity was expecting to finish the season below .500. Their 4-8 NESCAC record is the worst for the Bantams since at least 2000 (there aren’t available records for further back). For Adamski, now in his second season, he needs to make large tangible gains on the playing field in order to show that 2014 was a blip for the Bantams. Trinity is considered a baseball powerhouse, and they have dipped before only to come back just as strong. Adamski has to show that last season was a brief though severe dip.
2. Where does the beef come from?
And by beef we mean raw power. The Bantams finished dead last in slugging percentage last season. In their 12 NESCAC games, they had an abysmal .268 mark. They didn’t hit a single home run in conference, and Wolfe was the only player to hit one all season. The fact that Trinity is somewhat known for their power hitters makes the outage last season all the more confusing. Guys like Pidgeon and Cullinane have to provide some additional pop. Obviously the NESCAC isn’t the big leagues where guys are about to go yard on the regular, but two home runs for an entire team all season is pathetic. For comparison’s sake, Nate Pajka ’15 has four home runs THIS SEASON for Bates. Go look it up.
3. Can they win close games?
We are going to beat this to death over the next couple of weeks, but that second spot in the East really looks like it is there for the taking. Still, this is going to be an uphill battle for the Bantams. Last season, all four of their conference victories came by one run. Yes, they lost a few close games as well, but they were closer to going 2-10 than 6-6. They need to continue to find ways to win close games. Their lack of many power hitters means they are unlikely to blow many teams out, but if they get on-base then they might be able to manufacture runs and pull out some victories.
Biggest Series: April 3-4, home against Colby
Trinity has their two home conference series in back-to-back weekends. They play Colby in this one and then Tufts a week later. The Bantams need to jump all over the Mules and have some confidence before playing the Jumbos a week later. The talent is there for a quick rebound in Hartford, and a key for them is going to be believing that they are capable of it. Last season they didn’t win a single one of their conference series, so notching one early will go a long way.