Chase Pratt – Nothing But NESCAC

Time For Hardware: Regular Season NESCAC Baseball Awards

While the baseball season might be over, the awards season is just beginning. Not to be too self promoting here, but our awards are certainly less biased than the real NESCAC awards and should be taken more seriously. As it goes with the MLB awards, they are based on regular season results, not the postseason, and categorized based on league. Here’s to the best ballplayers in the ‘CAC…

West Player of the Year:

Ariel Kenney had a stand out season to finish off a great career.

OF Ariel Kenney ‘18 (Amherst) Chula Vista, CA: Kenney put a monster season this year en route to Amherst clinching of the #1 seed in the NESCAC West. Coming in at 3rd in the conference with his .383 AVG and 5th with his 4 big flys, Kenney was the heart of an Amherst offense that put up the 2nd most runs in the league. A few of Kenney’s impressive performances this season include a game versus Eastern Connecticut St. in which he went 4-5 with a homerun and a 2-2 stint with 3 RBI and a walk against Williams. Kenney’s 16 extra-base hits were third in the conference, helping boosting him to a .600 SLG%. Amherst will look to ride their MVP all the way to a NESCAC ‘ship, starting with Bates in NESCAC playoffs this weekend.

East Player of the Year AND Combat Silver Slugger POY:

Stony Brook transfer, Malcolm Nachmanoff, had by far the best season of any NESCAC player.

OF Malcolm Nachmanoff ‘18 (Tufts) Boston, MA: Another year, another Jumbo winning Player of the Year. That being said, there is absolutely no doubt that Nachmanoff deserves to take home the hardware after an incredible, breakout Senior spring. Nachmanoff lead the conference in Batting Average (.432), Homeruns (7), Slugging (.775), Doubles (15), Total Bases (86) and Extra-Base Hits (23). He was the NESCAC leader in 6 categories which is nothing less than absolute dominance. Nachmanoff transferred to Tufts after his sophomore season at D1 Stony Brook and proceeded to have a fairly rough Junior year for the Jumbos in which he only hit .182. He was able to find that D1 talent this season and prove that he is not just one, but several steps above the rest of the competition. Nachmanoff’s next challenge is to lead the Jumbos to his second ‘ship in 2 years and their first challenge will be the Wesleyan Cardinals.

West Cy Young:

P Colby Morris ‘19 (Middlebury) Ross, CA: Yes folks, the time has come. NBN is going to give our editor the credit he deserves. As much as we all love to make fun of Colby, his numbers are far too good to ignore. Morris was absolutely lights out all year long, leading the conference in Complete Games (4), Wins (5), Innings (63 ⅓) and Strikeouts (52). Along with all those feats, Morris was second in the conference with a jaw-dropping 1.71 ERA. Though, what made Morris’ effort so special this season is the way that he turned it on during conference play. In-conference he was 3-1, including 3 complete games, with 23 Ks and an ERA of 0.93. Despite the fact that Midd will be missing out on the playoffs this year after a tough series loss against Amherst, Morris did absolutely everything in his power to give them the opportunity to get there. Midd’s youthful core this season and Morris’ dominance should translate to a very exciting 2019 in Vermont.

East Cy Young:

RJ Hall has been there and done that in his three years at Tufts and is a tough matchup for any team in the playoffs.

P R.J. Hall ‘19 (Tufts) Marietta, GA: The East Cy Young was a particularly difficult award to pick because there were many good candidates, and almost all of them play for Tufts. Hall takes the cake because he proved himself to be the Jumbo’s most relied upon arm and ace throughout the season. Hall has a solid 5-2 record on the year, contributing immensely to Tufts’ 1st place finish in the East. His 47 strikeouts were far and away the most of anyone on the Jumbo’s staff and was 4th in the NESCAC. Hall notched 3 key conference wins over all 3 Maine schools (Colby, Bowdoin and Bates), including a complete game shutout against Bowdoin. Hall is the face of a three-headed monster for Tufts which will look to continue their success all the way to a three-peat of the NESCAC championship this weekend.

Reliever of the Year:

P Jake Shapiro ‘18 (Bates) Sandy, UT: It seemed as if every time Shapiro entered the game for the Bobcats, it was over. In his 14 appearances this season Shapiro maintained a .98 ERA and amassed 6 saves which were 2nd best in the ‘CAC. 5 of Shapiro’s 6 saves came in conference games, tied for the most of any pitcher this season. The reason behind Shapiro’s success was his ability to put hitters away via the strikeout. Shapiro has been punching out batters left and right and it shows in his 12.27 K/9. #2 Bates will face #1 Amherst this Friday in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs and you can be sure that if they have a lead Shapiro will be there man to finish it off.

Breakout Player of the Year:

P Spencer Langdon ‘20 (Tufts) Westlake, TX: After not seeing a single inning of work his Freshman year, Tufts hurler Spencer Langdon broke onto the scene in the NESCAC this year. He lead the NESCAC in ERA with a staggering 1.66 and holds a perfect 4-0 record heading into the playoffs. The majority of Langdon’s success came in NESCAC play in which he went 3-0 and had an even better ERA of 1.35. The Jumbos managed to win every single game that Langdon started this season, helping them to another first place finish in the NESCAC East. Tufts gave Langdon his first career start in their opening series against Trinity, after his impressive preseason relief stints, and never looked back. Langdon cemented his place as the best #3 starter in the conference this season and certainly as a candidate for POY. Tufts will use their hidden gem this weekend in NESCAC playoffs where Langdon will look to go 2/2 on NESCAC ‘ships.

Rookie of the Year:

P Kelvin Sosa ‘21 (Wesleyan) Bronx, NY: Amongst a 2021 class that was full of talent, Sosa proved to be the best. Earning himself the 2-spot in the rotation in just his first season, Sosa took full advantage of the opportunity he was given. His 2.54 ERA was the 5th best in the NESCAC and his 49 Ks were 3rd best. Some of his highlights this season include 6 ⅔ scoreless innings against Midd where he racked up 11 Ks and a 9 inning, complete game shutout against Williams that notched him 7 Ks. Sosa was a key piece in Wesleyan’s playoff run and will be getting his first taste of NESCAC playoffs this year. While Wesleyan’s next test is #1 seed in the East, Tufts, it is almost certain that Sosa will get the ball in game 2 of the playoffs.

2018 NESCAC 1st Team (Does not include award winners above)

C Chase Pratt ‘20 (Wesleyan) Rye, NY

IF Matt Koperniak ‘20 (Trinity) Adams, MA

IF Max Steinhorn ‘18 (Amherst) Washington, DC

IF Tommy O’Hara ‘18 (Tufts) Glenview, IL

IF Matt Zaffino ‘21 (Hamilton) New Canaan, CT

IF Justin Han ‘20 (Middlebury) Vienna, VA

OF Matt Treveloni ‘18 (Colby) Ashland, MA

OF Alex Capitelli ‘20 (Wesleyan) North Caldwell, NJ

OF Matt Jeye ‘18 (Wesleyan) Holliston, MA

P Brent Greeley ‘20 (Tufts) West Chester, PA

P Alex Shafer ‘20 (Trinity) Baltimore, MD

P Sam Schneider ‘18 (Amherst) San Diego, CA

Ephs on the Rise: 4/27 Weekend Preview

With only a few weeks left in the spring semester, NESCAC weekends are even more critical to a team’s playoff aspiration. The leading teams coming out of the west are the usual candidates: Amherst and Wesleyan. The teams coming out of the east right now, in a somewhat shocking manner, are Bates and Tufts. The three seeds in each division are poised to become two seeds if they play strong these next few weekends. In this weekend edition, I will preview the most important matchups this weekend, and how the outcome will affect the entire league.

The East: Tufts University @ Bates College:

This series will be exciting for a number of reasons. Firstly, both teams were underachieving midway through the season. Once sitting at 3-3, the Bos’ have become hot quickly. As last season’s champs and perennial contender, it wasn’t hard to predict that Tufts’ wasn’t going to receive the stellar starting pitching that it had the year before. I could never predict 3-3, though. You have to understand that Coach John Casey’s Tufts will never be in the bottom of the league. Whether it be the way they recruit, practice, or the tradition that Tufts Baseball has under Casey, the ‘Bos will simply never be bad.

Can Coach John Casey really push Tufts to victory every season? You bet he can.

Bates, on the other hand, under the regime of Jon Martin, has exceeded expectations. Even though some attribute Bates’ playoff appearance last year to luck, the Bobcats still played in the tournament while every non-tournament team was golfing. Bates simply wasn’t good earlier in the year—especially at the plate. Personally, I ripped on and even written off Bates earlier in the year. This weekend is crucial for Bates to establish themselves as a perennial contender. If Bates takes at least two on its home field against Tufts, I will consider them a legitimate team. Hitting is still a problem, though. Starting outfielder Will Sylvia is only hitting .227. Bates’ pitching right now is one of the best in the league, so if the hitters throughout the lineup can figure it out at the plate, Bates could be considered a favorite in the tournament. The .247 average really isn’t helping the Bobcats.

Tufts’ bats exploded against Colby last weekend—putting up run totals in the teens and twenties. Even though Colby is no Amherst, the Mules are still a NESCAC team. The demolition that Tufts put on Colby is truly remarkable. Tufts is either first or second in all major hitting statistical categories; they can definitely mash. Like it always is, Tommy O’Hara, Nick Falkson and Malcolm Nachmanoff are leading the charge with 17 combined dingers and an average just below .400 for O’Hara and above .400 for Nachmanoff. Pitchers are scared to face these guys, and I don’t blame them. With a swing of the bat, they can turn the game around.

This is a series that I doubt anyone predicted would be one of the most critical of the season; dominant hitting against dominant pitching is fun to watch. Normally pitching wins at the highest level, but that could be underestimating how well Tufts swings the bat. Regardless, it’s going to be a fun series.

Prediction: Tufts wins the series two games to one.

The West: Wesleyan University vs. Williams College:

Mike Stamas ’20 made his first pitching start last weekend, showing that he is a versatile diamond in the rough for the Ephs.

Here’s a hot take: Williams isn’t bad. They’re good. How good? We’ll see this weekend against Wesleyan. Wesleyan is coming into this series with a 2-4 conference record these past two weekends. It hurts me to say this: I definitely overvalued Wesleyan after its dominant sweep of Middlebury. I completely overlooked the lack of real relief pitching. Yes, Sosa, McCaffery, and sometimes Olmstead will put together a quality start, but who do you really trust with the ball in their hand in the eighth or ninth on the road with men on base? I definitely trust Pat Clare, but Dan Lombardo has been inconsistent in giving up extra base hits. Jake Alonzo and Ryan Earle are quality right handers as well, but if you want to get a lefty-lefty matchup against a big power guy, who do you go to? Doug Hartshorn can provide a good matchup with offspeed and other secondary pitches, although he spiked a ball during game one against Amherst last weekend that got past C Chase Pratt, which led to a critical Amherst run. Even though I love what smaller southpaws like Hartshorn bring to the table with late movements on fastballs, loopier breaking balls, and changeups that are incredibly hard to sit back on and read, pitchers have to throw strikes at the end of the day. Coming back from that long tangent, I’ve realized that the reason I overvalued Wesleyan is because of the bats against Midd. When the bats were hot– that means Cappitelli through Walek were stringing together quality at bats, the relievers faced no pressure. When you know what hit the fan at Hamilton, I first saw Wesleyan’s relatively weak bullpen. It’s inevitable that a lineup will ebb and flow. For Wes to be successful with its thin pen, everyone has to hit.

Williams supringly isn’t as bad as I thought they were going to be. Sitting at 4-5 in conference play, if they take two against Wes, the Ephs have a serious shot at making the playoffs. 4-5 really isn’t a bad record. People forget that last year’s breakout star Johnny Lamont is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Similar to Bates, it seems that Williams’ achilles heel is its lack of production at the plate. Kellen Hatheway, the guy who’s getting the most AB’s, is barely hitting is weight (full disclosure, I don’t know his true weight. He’s hitting .209, so I assume he’s between 180-220). The pitching doesn’t seem stellar either. No pitcher is below a 3.50 ERA with a minimum of one innings pitch. What picture do these numbers paint? Williams is average at best numbers wise? How’d they win four elusive league games so far? They haven’t been swept yet. The Ephs have won some close games against quality teams. They took one against Amherst, one against Midd, and one against Bates (non-league), and two against Hamilton. They’ve beaten some quality teams, which makes me think that they have clutch at bats and get outs when they need them.

With all this said, I’m not saying Wes is a bad ball club or that Williams will win it all. Wesleyan at the end of the day will win ball games. Remember Dennett’s clutch hit against Tufts’ in 2014 to score Cimino and Yin to jump ahead against Tufts. That was when Wes won its first ever NESCAC title. Guys like Jeye, Andrews, Coppola, Ferrara, and Howard remember that bus ride back to Middletown with the feeling that they accomplished something no Wes baseball player ever did. The pride of stepping off the bus outside of Freeman Athletic Center knowing that you wore that W on your chest, represented the school, and won is a feeling that is indescribable. These guys know how to win under pressure, but let’s see if the rest of the squad can do it. Williams be up to the challenge if Wes can’t come through in the clutch. This is a little three game, so I know it’ll be a great series.

Prediction: Wesleyan wins two games to one.

Benches Are Clearing; Baseball Weekend Preview?

It’s been a great start to the MLB season. The Red Sox are unbelievable, dominating the Yankees on the field and in a Fenway Park WWE fight. Baseball brawls are essential to the baseball identity. In no other sport do you have an individual with a wooden weapon or people hauling in from the other end of the playing field. In this edition of my weekend update, I’m going to compare two teams, one from the east and another from the west, to see who would hypothetically win in a bench clearing brawl. While we know this isn’t as informative as a normal weekend preview, the weather brought all of the games into question (Midd v. Amherst was moved to May 4th and 5th), so we wanted to mix it up in the wake of some angry behavior in MLB games (Red Sox vs. Yankees; Padres vs. Rockies).

Let’s start out with the east:

The Colby Mules wouldn’t be your first guess on a team who would be interested to brawl. Mainers are such down to earth, empathetic people. But let’s not forget about the swagger the Mules possess.

2017 Colby Baseball Team

The first attribute that the Mules possess that could give them an edge in any fight is their roster pictures–particularly their facial hair. These guys are scary. Cameron Garfield looks like Billy the Kid on his way to rob a train in the Wild West. Let’s just say the next time I’m on the T, I’m not sitting anywhere near Garfield. He would probably whip out a weapon, and ask me how much gold I have. He’s clearly reached his peak as a freshman in the facial hair department; I don’t see how he could one up his roster picture. In all seriousness, Colby has a big weekend coming up. Their pitching has been solid with a 3.96 ERA in conference. Their hitting, on the other hand, isn’t helping out the pitching staff. A .228 average in conference won’t win any ball games, no matter who’s on the bump.

Another guy’s facial hair that has evolved over the years is junior pitcher Will Cohen. I’m not giving him airtime because he’s a former teammate and friend, but I actually respect his facial hair. It’s well trimmed, which is a major improvement from his freshman year photo. Unlike Garfield’s roster picture, Cohen’s freshman year picture makes me slightly nauseous (the picture can’t be found, the college took it down due to complaints). Cohen came into Colby as a freshman, and contributed to the cause. He pitched five scoreless innings in 2015 against the potent Tufts Jumbo offense. He hasn’t really been the same since. As a pitcher who relies on masterful control, he hasn’t been able to locate quite the same as before.

The Mules dropped two out of three against Bates last weekend, which is concerning because the Mules clearly have the talent advantage. Trinity won’t be an easier opponent to face this weekend, but if the Mules can right the ship by taking two out of three, they’ll find themselves in the playoff hunt. Right now, they just need to figure it out at the plate.

If not, I definitely think they can intimidate opponents in a bench clearing brawl. Cohen and Garfield will lead the charge in the fight.

The West:

Wesleyan 2017 Baseball Team

I have to pick Wesleyan. I’ve only seen Wesleyan’s games live, so I don’t pretend to have a feel for the entire NESCAC’s character. However, the Birds definitely have the swagger right now with a 3-0 conference record that could help them win a fight. Let’s see why:

We have to start off with Ryan Earle and Chase Pratt. These guys are thick and bulky. I’m sure they could put up thirty plus reps of two plates on the bench, and be pictured chopping wood on the cover of a Carhartt magazine with husky jackets and their yellow labs. These guys are also mashing at the plate. As big guys, they’re incredibly short to the ball which allows them to barrel up inside fastballs. They use the whole field, which shows how well they’re seeing and timing up the baseball. Both are hitting well in the .300’s with low strikeout numbers. That says a lot for big, powerful guys. These bash bros are like Chad and JT advocating for southern California house parties: they have swagger, confidence, and are the power of the Wesleyan lineup. But of course, two guys can’t beat twenty other guys in the fight. Kevin Walek, Wesleyan’s shortstop, is their version of Baker Mayfield on the diamond. He wears a red bandanna, and blares Straight Outta Compton as his walkup song. He hits towards the bottom of the lineup, but has been an important piece towards Wesleyan’s success. He hit .600 last weekend against Middlebury, and plays stellar defense shortstop.

Wesleyan dominated Middlebury last weekend in all aspects of the game; it was quite obvious as a spectator that Wesleyan had the emotional edge. Any foul ball to the backstop was corralled by Nick ‘Val’ Valicenti. Obviously, there’s no stat in the book that illustrates hustle. Val’s not an everyday player, but his hustle on each foul ball is indicative and is a microcosm of the Wesleyan baseball team: they’re gritty.

This grit is apparent in close games. In game one against Middlebury, they edged out a win by scoring their only run on a walk. They fought and clawed for that win, which gave them the momentum for the rest of the series.

In a non-league game on Wednesday, freshman pitcher and #4 on NBN best roster pictures took a line drive straight to the dome. The play stopped, and the whole squad was genuinely concerned for Reddy. Taking line drives to the head builds character that helps in a bench clearing brawl.

Kidding aside, Wesleyan needs to bring that same character, energy, and swag into their games against Hamilton this weekend. If they keep an emotional edge, given their superior talent, the Continentals will be on their heels all weekend.

Wesleyan’s temper getting tested in 2015

In conclusion, if Cameron Garfield and Will Cohen came toe to toe with Ryan Earle and Chase Pratt in a bar, I would be intimidated by the rocking facial hair of the Mules. However, the Mules would run away when the clean version of Straight Outta Compton came on, and 160 pound Kevin Walek from Minnesota walked out with his bandana on. Yeah, sportsmanship is cool and all, but who doesn’t love watching a good fight?

Make or Break in Week Two: NESCAC Baseball Weekend Preview

NESCAC baseball is full steam ahead, despite what this weather is telling us. This past weekend we got to smell the sweet fresh cut grass, the ear ringing BBCOR aluminum bats, and baseballs snapping leather. NESCAC baseball, as always, is giving us upset alerts. Tufts, the most dominant team in 2017, has already dropped two conference games, just one off of last season’s total. On the filp side, as expected, Amherst is off to a hot start. Most teams, however, are in the middle of the pack only a week in. This second weekend is crucial for those teams who want to distance themselves from average. Here’s the weekend preview:

Bowdoin @ Trinity:

I wrote to the NESCAC universe in my season preview that Trinity is a team to take very seriously. I said that they potentially figured out how to optimize their pitching. Taking two out of three games over Tufts isn’t just good; it’s remarkable. Tufts is like the 2014 and 2015 Wesleyan teams: they were dominant the past two seasons. The ‘Bos graduated quality starting pitching, and it showed. The mark of a good ball club is winning close games. Trin took both games by three runs or less. The Bantams simply didn’t have the run support in the game they lost. I normally pick out a player that was the difference maker; however, there’s one team stat that illustrates how talented the Bantams are: they rank first in the conference in walks. Walks increase pitch count, make fielders lose focus, and put unneeded stress on the pen. If the Bantams can keep drawing walks, they’re going to be tough to stop.

Bowdoin is also 2-1 in conference. They took two games against Bates this past weekend. Wins are wins in the end, but Bates is no Tufts. Brandon Lopez is a jack of all trades for the Polar Bears. He’s both a pitcher and utility player. He has a .250 average so far and a 4.41 ERA. These are solid stats, but they’re nowhere near Lopez’s potential. He’s a freak athlete, both football and baseball, and played a major role for the Polar Bears last year. He’s a crucial piece if the Polar Bears want to make a playoff run. They’re first in the league in stolen bases, which is a dynamic aspect to the team. Lopez can fly. If he gets on base more, the team will be even more scary on the bases.

Series prediction: Bowdoin 1, Trinity 2

Colby @ Bates:

I’ll be blunt here. Both teams probably won’t make the playoffs. Even though the season is early, I don’t either team has the depth to beat the elite of the NESCAC. I do have a bias towards Colby. Two of my high school teammates, Matt Treveloni and Will Cohen, are Mules. Trev is already on track to be in the discussion of NESCAC player of the year and is hitting .469 with 11 RBIs–leading the team by far (a figure that should fall back to earth against better competition). Trev’s the key player for the Mules as a leader in the lineup, and a guy with scary range in the outfield. Cohen has pitched decently so far. He will need to pick if the Mules want to make a deep run this season.

Bates is picking up where they left off last season: without much momentum. Bates still isn’t hitting. They are only hitting .201. They’ve only scored nine runs in three games. That’s simply not enough in NESCAC baseball. Bates needs to figure at the plate if they want to have a record over .500. The pitching has been decent and Connor Russell is their ace with a 3.95 ERA but even he hasn’t been blowing guys away. It has to be frustrating for him without any support from their lineup.

Series Prediction: Colby 2, Bates 1

Williams lacks pitching, but range in the infield and lots of backpicks from C Alex Panstares ’19 might keep them in a ballgame or two. (Photo courtesy of David Goldstein)

Amherst vs Williams

The Amherst vs Williams rivalry is one of the most storied rivalries in college. Both schools are on opposite poles, however. Amherst is on the rise. Coach Hamm has figured it out once again. Amherst can mash. They’re first in the league in homers and second RBIs. Ariel Kenney is hitting .400 with two homers on the season. Harry Roberson was one player that I said would be Amherst’s best hitter. Kenney is absolutely crushing right now, and looks like he won’t slow down. The pitching staff is doing its job too as Andrew Ferrero holds a 0.96 ERA. That’s insane in his significant sample size of over 18 innings, but he was used out of the pen last weekend rather than as a starter. Amherst is strong top down without any glaring weaknesses.

Williams was lucky to go 1-2 last weekend against Middlebury. Midd’s a strong team, and Williams appears to be weak in multiple areas. The greatest area of concern for the Ephs is starting pitching. They have no depth. The team has a 7.21 ERA, which isn’t great to put it lightly. George Carroll has a 2.81 ERA which looks great on the surface, but he has zero strikeouts in 16 innings, showing that his numbers likely are not sustainable. That tells me that he doesn’t have an electric fastball. That’s a real shame because the Ephs’ lineup is solid. They’re hitting .271 as a team, but with a 7.21 ERA, that’s not nearly high enough to compensate for a lack of quality pitching. Williams has a long way to go, so if they pick up at most one win against Amherst, that’s a win.

Series Prediction: Amherst 3, Williams 0

Middlebury @ Wesleyan

This is my series of the week. Wesleyan has shown that they’re an all around solid team. Kelvin Sosa, a freshman pitcher, has a Kershaw like delivery that doesn’t allow hitters to consistently time up their stride. He doesn’t throw hard necessarily, but his southpaw late movement is really strong. He has a 1.62 ERA with 20 k’s on the season so far. To put it bluntly, he’s nasty. Jonny Corning is showing that he’s an elite player. I personally think he has all five tools. He’s not physically imposing, but he has pop. Look for him to be on the all conference team this year or in the years to come.

While Wesleyan has a young lefty arm up in their rotation, Middlebury’s Will Oppenheim ’21 is making a name for himself, too. (Photo courtesy of David Goldstein)

Midd comes into the series with some regrets. They should’ve taken all three games against Williams last weekend. Colby Morris, my editor, is going to be key in this series. Wes can hit, and Colby can pitch. Colby isn’t making me write this about him, which is going to be made clear in the next few sentences. He has to face a deep Wesleyan lineup. Even though the Cards’ strength is obviously 1-4 in the lineup, 1-9 will not give up easily. You rarely see three pitch strikeouts against the Cards. They string together quality at bats game in and game out. I’m not saying Colby will get shelled, but he can’t try to work around guys like Ryan Earle and Chase Pratt. He has to get out of three innings below sixty pitches. If Colby has a few early innings less than ten pitches, Middlebury will win the opener, and probably the series. Game one holds all the momentum.

If Wesleyan wins game one, I don’t think Middlebury can win the next two with Olmstead or Sosa on the bump for the cards

Series Prediction: Wesleyan 3, Middlebury 0

The Snow is Starting to Thaw: NESCAC Baseball Spring Break Recap

Editor’s Note: All of the NESCAC spring break trips are now over and conference play has started for eight of 10 teams. While it might be easy to predict some weekend results, others become muddled after looking at teams’ overall records. Depending on the region of spring break trips (Florida, Arizona, the Mid-Atlantic, or California) there are vastly different strengths of schedules, leading to either inflated or deflated stats. Generally, California has the strongest teams, while all of the other regions have extremely weak competition. For a more in depth look at strength of schedule, check out this site which provides a ranking and strength of schedule assessment for ever D3 baseball team in the country: http://www.boydsworld.com/baseball/isr/d3_isr.html.

Amherst:

Trip Location: Florida

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

Despite a stretch of losses in the middle, Amherst (9-5, 2-0) came out of their preseason contests boasting a respectable 7-5 record. While their offense did its job, hitting .279 as a team and scoring 5.9 runs per game, their pitching is really what carried their success. Andrew Ferrero ‘19 has been the Mammoths’ best pitcher so far, only allowing 2 runs in 18.2 IP on the young season, however, mostly out of the bullpen. Also impressive was Zach Horwitz ‘20 who holds a 1.64 ERA after 11 innings on the bump. Offensively, Amherst was led by Ariel Kenney ‘18 who hit .364 and had a sky-high OPS of 1.157 as a result of two home runs on their trip down south. The Mammoths have set a solid tone for their club for the rest of the season and if key pieces like Harry Roberson ‘18 start to find a groove, Amherst could be title contenders.

Bates:

Trip Location: California

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Strong

Bates (4-9, 1-2) started out their 2018 campaign slowly, dropping six straight games in California. Although they started off on a bad note, both for themselves and for the NESCAC, the Bobcats were able to pick themselves up a little bit once they got back to the East Coast, taking 3 of their next 4 games. A 3-7 record going into NESCAC play is nothing to brag about, but maybe Bates can use some of their recent success to jumpstart them in conference play. With a team ERA of 6.12 and team batting average of .195 going into the opening weekend, there weren’t a whole lot of individuals who stood out as noteworthy after their early trip to SoCal. One bright spot may be Dan Trulli ‘19 who hit .262 over their 10 games and dropped Bates’ only bomb all preseason long. While Bates did play poorly, they traveled to California on February 18th, just three days after official practices started, so we will give them a break here as they couldn’t have been adequately prepared to compete.

Bowdoin:

Spring Break Location: Florida

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Medium

Bowdoin (8-7, 2-1) exits their preseason going an average 6-6. While they had a few lopsided victories (10-1 and 10-2 over Keuka), they also had lopsided losses (16-3 against #3 Rowan). Bowdoin really came into their own over their last 6 games, going 5-1 and holding opposing offenses to only 2.5 runs per game. While their staff as a whole has a very unimpressive ERA of 5.82, Seamus Keenan ‘20 sets the pace for the Polar Bears with a 1.42 ERA and 13K through his first 12 ⅔ IP. The offense has been led by Joe Gentile ‘18 and Jack Wilhoite ‘19 who are each hitting .405 and .406, respectively. While Bowdoin does have 4 guys hitting over .340, nobody in the rest of their lineup is able to crack .260, creating a stark contrast between the middle of their order and the rest. Bowdoin’s keys to success this season will be to lower that team ERA, and get everyone involved up and down the lineup.

Colby:

Spring Break Location: Florida

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

After a huge 13-4 victory over Keuka on opening day, the Mules (2-8, 0-0) have looked stagnant. Going 1-6 since that win is not the look that Colby needed going into NESCAC play. Their only other win after Keuka comes against Waterville rival Thomas College, which is not a particularly impressive win to say the least. Captain Matt Treveloni ‘18 has had a stand out spring so far hitting .440, with the majority of his knocks being for extra bases. Will Phillips ‘20 has also been lighting it up for the Mules at the plate hitting .444. On the other side of the equation, Colby has been giving up an average of 6.6 runs per game, and the offense can’t keep pace with that so far. One success the Mules have had on the mound so far has been Frank Driscoll ‘21, who allowed no earned runs and recorded 8 Ks in the first start of his college career, earning the win over Thomas. The clear problem the Mules have right now is not their ability to put runs on the board, but rather keep them off of it. As their younger pitchers gain more experience, perhaps the Mules can take an opportunity to climb in the standings from their last place finish in 2017.

Hamilton:

Spring Break Location: Florida

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

Hamilton’s (6-9, 0-2) preseason has been an absolute rollercoaster ride. Dropping their first 7 contests, the Continental’s trajectory seemed to be on a crash course for disaster. That is until their bats caught fire and proceeded to win them their next 6 games in a row. Talk about getting hot at the right time, Hamilton is coming into conference play riding a huge wave of momentum, even though they couldn’t finish out a game against Amherst on opening weekend. A large chunk of their success so far has come from freshman duo Jarrett Lee ‘21 and Matt Zaffino ‘21 who both look to be in the early running for NESCAC Rookie of the Year. Zaffino’s 10 extra base hits, three big flys, .405 AVG. and absurd .892 SLG% pace the Continentals through this past weekend. Hamilton’s freshman heavy lineup continues with Gavin Schaefer-Hood ‘21 who leads the Continentals with 16 ⅓ IP saw his 3.77 ERA balloon to 6.06 after a rough outing against Amherst. While Hamilton would not appear to be in the running for a NESCAC crown this season, I would expect them to find a lot more success this season than last with lots of help from their newfound fountain of youth.

Andrew Corcoran ’18 and the Panthers take big swings and will try to continue their suddenly hot offensive streak into Middletown this weekend.

Middlebury:

Spring Break Location: California

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Strong

While Midd (6-9, 2-1) boasts a weak 4-8 non-conference record, their strength of schedule may be to blame. Unlike their competitors who venture down to Florida or Arizona for the duration of their spring break games, Midd throws themselves right into the fire. They played in both Georgia and Southern California to face quality competition on their turf. The Panther’s 3-3 record on their SoCal trip in comparison to Bates’ 0-6 shows the caliber of players that Middlebury has. While their offense has been lackluster, hitting .223 as a team before playing Williams, Justin Han ‘20 has been a diamond in the rough hitting .347 with 12 RBI for the Panthers. On the mound, NBN editor and Middlebury ace Colby Morris ‘19 has been getting the job done, already amassing 28 ⅔ IP on the young season and maintaining a stellar 2.08 ERA befoer facing Williams, which ismuch improved from his first two seasons. While Midd is slated to be a major contender for the NESCAC championship this spring, it is still clear that they have issues that need addressing both offensively and defensively in order to compete at the level they are expected to.

Trinity:

Spring Break Location: South Carolina

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Medium

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Trinity’s (6-8, 2-1) spring so far has been quite below-average. Their 2-4 record in South Carolina screams “meh” and the fact that they have already had 5 home games, a luxury most all NESCAC teams have not enjoyed, hasn’t seemed to serve them too well. With a vital series win against Tufts, the Bantams showed that they put themselves in a good position, however, to outplay the Jumbos. One guy who has been getting it done for the Bantams has been Matt Koperniak ‘20 who leads Trinity in AVG (.404) and extra base hits (6). On the bump, Trinity’s starting rotation has been fantastic. Their top 3 arms Erik Mohl ‘19, Alex Shafer ‘20, and Justin Olson ‘21 have each started at least 2 games and still maintain sub 3 ERAs. This makes Trinity’s problems all to clear, their offense in which nobody buy Koperniak is hitting over .300 and their bullpen which has been blowing games that their starters are setting up for them quite nicely. Although their preseason wasn’t too promising, it looks as if their starting pitching could carry the Bantams to the playoffs due to a down year in pitching for the rest of the conference.

Tufts:

Spring Break Location: Virginia

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

Unsurprisingly, Tufts (7-6, 1-2) is one of the only NESCAC teams to exit spring break with a winning record at 6-4. The Jumbos can flat out rake, with a team AVG of .301 and scoring 11.1 runs per game exiting spring break. The blue and brown machine seems unstoppable, but their stats are not all that they appear to be. During their classic trip to Virginia, they played an unchallenging schedule, looking to leave ranked like in 2016 and 2017. Their 6-4 record, while respectable, is an illusion. They usually exit VA with at most one loss and showed that their pitching staff is much weaker than any could’ve imagined. While RJ Hall and Brent Greeley are off to hot starts with sub-3 ERAs, Tufts lacks the bullpen depth to dominate the NESCAC. As a result, their team ERA is an abysmal 5.85. and they failed to take home a series win against Trinity who didn’t even make the NESCAC playoffs in 2017. Malcolm Nachmanoff ‘18 , Nick Falkson ‘18, and John Moschella ‘19 bolster a strong lineup that should continually allow the Jumbos to compete, even if not at their usual dominant level. Tufts, as always, is favored to win it all this year but they will not be able to do it without some vast improvement in their pen. That being said, I am looking forward to some weekend slugfests between the Jumbos and their NESCAC opponents that could very well result in some football-esque scores.

Wesleyan:

Spring Break Location: Arizona

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Weak

The Cardinals (10-6, 0-0) can be crowned spring training champs of the NESCAC despite a weak strength of schedule. A dominant 9-4 performance shows that Wesleyan is firing on all cylinders to start of the 2018 season. With a team batting average of .314, everyone is eating for the Cardinals. They have an incredible 7 starters hitting over .300 and Chase Pratt’s ‘20 statline of 412/.553/.735 is scary good but down from.520/.618/.920 before last weekend, showing that the Tucson fields aided his bat. Tanner Fulkerson ‘20 has started his season red hot too, hitting .393 with a conference leading 24 RBI. There are almost too many names to mention for Wesleyan so let’s just say that Ryan Earle ‘19, Alex Cappitelli ‘20 and Matt Jeye ‘18 also rake. Although when it comes to pitching, Wesleyan looks like any other NESCAC team with their 5.53 team ERA. Mike McCaffrey ‘19 has had a solid showing so far as the Cardinal ace, with a 3.86 ERA and 12.12 K/9 before a rough start against a great Endicott team which inflated his numbers. His strikeouts are impressive but 27 hits in 21.1 innings and a current 5.48 ERA isn’t dominant. When it comes to offense, I recommend that Wesleyan doesn’t change a thing. On the bump there are certainly problems to be resolved. Nevertheless, McCaffrey, Alec Olmstead, and Kelvin Sosa make up a solid rotation lots of Ks and lots of BBs. The impressive showing the Cardinals put up in Arizona shows that, perhaps, they can go deep into the playoff race this year, but they will likely fall significantly back to earth in the Northeast.

Williams:

Spring Break Location: California

Strength of Schedule Assessment: Strong

All I can say about the Ephs (2-10, 1-2) preseason so far is yikes. If a 1-8 non-conference record isn’t enough to sound an alarm, maybe the fact that they had a 10 game losing streak before beating Midd 5-3 in game three of their opening series. Although they were able to pick up a win on opening day against historically bad Cal Tech, I’m not convinced that Williams’ 1-8 record in SoCal is too much better than Bates’ 0-6. To be fair to the Ephs, they have had several close losses, losing 5-4 to La Verne, 2-1 to Whittier and once again 9-8 to Whittier. It is clear that Williams is missing just some little pieces to turn themselves from a 1-8 club into a NESCAC contender. One piece that has been working for them is Erik Mini ‘21 who starts off his college career hitting .306 with a .611 SLG% and team leading 2 HR. On the mound there is not much to mention for Williams with their team ERA at 7.21. Williams needs to treat their preseason like MLB Spring Training and ignore the numbers. Their series in California against Midd was their first real test of the season and they showed that their pitching is a huge issue. They allowed 29 runs in three games to Midd (20 in game one), and unless they figure something else out, they won’t be able to win 2/3 games in any NESCAC series.