Tag: Emery Dinsmore

Rain or Shine: Baseball Weekend Preview 4/26

NESCAC Baseball Weekend Preview

Despite horrible weather forecasts throughout the entire northeast, it looks like the NESCAC teams will do everything they can to get these games in. Teams playing on turf will likely just grit it out and the other matchups will require lots of help from the baseball gods to get played through.

Tufts (21-6, 6-1 NESCAC) @ Trinity (24-5, 7-2 NESCAC)

Koperniak has top 3 NESCAC talent…can he bring the Bantams back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016?

This weekend the two big boys of the NESCAC East, Tufts and Trinity, are going head-to-head in a series that will likely determine the playoff seeding in the east. Trinity did not play any conference games last weekend, though they did face two NESCAC West teams in Amherst and Hamilton. The Bantams were able to take care of both of these teams as they swept a Saturday doubleheader from Hamilton and then took a mid-week game from Amherst by a score of 10-5. Trinity should have a wave of momentum going into this series, as they have won 10 of their last 11 games and they are 12-1 at home this season. Matt Koperniak ’20 continues to impress, pacing the team in batting average (.374), hits (46), home runs (4), doubles (10), triples (3) and slugging percentage (.602). It is safe to say that Koperniak is Trinity’s dude and is certainly a candidate for POY. For Tufts the narrative is quite similar, an impressive ballclub who has been beating up on their opponents for the majority of the season. While their play last weekend was cut short due to weather, the Jumbos were still able to pick up another NESCAC win at Colby. That marks their 4th straight NESCAC win, and 6th win out of 7. Nearly every time the Jumbos put out a lineup card, you can find 7 or 8 guys hitting over .300, with several of them well eclipsing this mark. They are a dangerous offense that is backed by quality arms such as Brent Greeley ’20 and RJ Hall ’19. This matchup has no clear favorite, which is something that we don’t often see in the NESCAC East so let’s take the opportunity to enjoy it.

Prediction: Trinity takes 2 of 3

Williams (18-7, 3-3 NESCAC) @ Hamilton (14-14, 4-5 NESCAC)

This series is one of two this weekend that will help to determine the fate of the gridlocked NESCAC West. Currently all five teams sit within two game of each other, Hamilton and Amherst having played 9 games and the other three having played six. Therefore this will be Hamilton final NESCAC series this weekend and anything but a positive result will likely see the Continentals staying in the cellar and out of the playoffs. One thing that Hamilton does have going for them is their home field advantage. At home Hamilton is 7-2 while at other sites they are a combined 7-12. The Continentals seem to be much more comfortable on their home turf and they will need to use that to their advantage this weekend. A positive result from this series is also needed for Williams if they wish to continue their playoff hopes. Next weekend Williams faces Wesleyan, who will be a considerably tougher opponent than Hamilton. Williams will need to secure a positive record now because putting all of their eggs on taking down Wesleyan is not a strategy for success. With all of the implications of this series, I expect that these games have a strong possibility of coming down to the wire. This series will be close, it can be a run or two that determine a game and it can be just one game that decides whether or not you go to the playoffs.

Prediction: Hamilton takes 2 of 3

Wesleyan (13-13, 3-3 NESCAC) @ Middlebury (18-8, 3-3 NESCAC)

Can Brooks Carroll’s defense save the day for the Panthers in a huge weekend?

This series in the second one which will heavily impact the future of the NESCAC West. Midd and Wesleyan are two of the three teams in the west which are tied with a 3-3 record, half a game back of Amherst for the #1 seed. If Middlebury is able to win this series, they will either be tied with or be a game up on Amherst for first place. This is especially important for the Panthers because they play Amherst in the final series of the year, so if they are tied with or beating them it will leave Midd’s fate in their own hand. Similarly, Wesleyan faces Williams next weekend, the other 3-3 team in the West. A win in this series is equally as crucial for the Cardinals as a loss in this series and a Williams win in their series over Hamilton could make it nearly impossible for Wesleyan to make the playoffs. Middlebury has been plagued by close games this season, losing both of their games to Williams by one run as well as having 3 of their other 6 losses on the season be by one run. The Midd staff should be more than able to keep their team in the game, it can just be a question of whether the offense or defensive play is going to give out. Another thing to note for Midd is that in nearly all of their close losses, they have both committed more errors than their opponent and those errors lead to unearned runs that changed the outcome of the game. Solid defensive play is the key for the Panthers this weekend and if they can maintain that they should be the favorites to win of their home field.

Prediction: Midd takes 2 of 3

Bates (14-13, 4-3 NESCAC) vs. Colby (9-13, 0-7 NESCAC)

If Nolan Collins rolls, so do the Bobcats…They need a sweep this weekend and Collins should be able to get it done in game 1.

For Colby, they are just trying to improve for next season at this point as they develop their younger players and gain experience with their new coach. Colby is not as bad as their conference record shows–they have five starters hitting north of .290 and another four hitting above .470 SLG%. They have had inconsistent pitching, however, and have used five different starers extensively and need to get a big game out of Frank Driscoll ’21, Emery Dinsmore ’20, or Patrick Carbone ’21 to have a shot. For Bates, Nolan Collins ’20 has been electric all season with one poor start against Tufts. While he has allowed a high number of hits at about one per inning, his swing and miss pitches are likely to stifle Mule hitters. Bates is still looking for a third starter, however, and while Justin Foley ’19 has been serviceable at times as a #2, they need to be better to have a chance to sweep Colby. Look for Jack Arend ’20 and Christian Beal ’21 to have big weekends at the plate, leading the Bobcat offense.

Editor’s Note: Spencer seems to think that there’s no way that this series gets played, but I simply see no way that the Maine teams let the weather dictate their schedule. With two games to make up next weekend each, Bates and Colby simply must play these games. The outcome is simply: If Bates sweeps Bowdoin and Colby, they might get in, but if they falter, they are likely out of it.

Prediction: Bates takes 2 of 3

It Doesn’t End in May: 2018 Summer Ball Top Performers

While many NESCAC students are working for their uncle at Google or Goldman Sachs, most of the conference’s best baseball players are competing in the top collegiate summer leagues out there. Though it may be Division III, NESCAC baseball players see success nearly every year in some of the top summer ball leagues in the country, playing with and against guys from Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Virginia, etc. night in and night out. Every team in the NESCAC had a few guys whose summer performances last year were worth noting, so we did just that. Take a look at who had the most noteworthy summers from each team across the league:

Amherst

Andrew Ferrero ’19
Martha’s Vineyard Sharks – Futures League
4-2, 4.15 ERA, 43.1 IP, 50 H, 36 K, 10 BB

Like many others around the NESCAC, Ferrero took his talents to the Futures League last summer where he played for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. The Futures League is made up of mostly younger guys from Division I schools, but there are a handful of Division II and III guys on every team. With as much talent as there is, pitching in the Futures League should actually be a tougher test than the regular college season against all D3 opponents. Ferrero had himself a good summer, amassing a 4.15 ERA with 36 strikeouts and just 10 walks on the year. His numbers weren’t eye-popping, but this type of consistency against very strong opponents should bode well for Ferrero as he returns to NESCAC play.

Bates

Nolan Collins ’20
Brockton Rox – Futures League
5-0, 2.47 ERA, 47.1 IP, 43 H, 39 K, 17 BB

Collins joined forces with college teammates Brendan Smith ’19, and Jack Arend ’20, as well as current Middlebury Panther, George Goldstein ’21, over the summer as a member of the Brockton Rox, also in the Futures League. It appears that Collins picked up in the summer right where he left off from his breakout sophomore season at Bates. He finished the summer season with excellent numbers and his 2.47 ERA was the 3rdlowest among all starters across the league. Perhaps an interesting aspect of Collins’ success is the fact that he was able to throw to the same catcher both in college and during summer ball. Having consistency behind home plate is key, and the duo of Arend and Collins has been able to take the Bobcats (and the Rox) to new heights with their success.

Bowdoin

Jack Wilhoite ’19
North Shore Storm – North Shore Baseball League
.360 BA (18-50), 9 2B, 2 HR, .448 OBP, .700 SLG

I’ll be honest – I had to look a little bit further for this one. Luckily, the numbers absolutely made it worth it. I don’t know much about the North Shore Baseball League other than that it’s a men’s league, but Wilhoite (along with a few of his teammates from Bowdoin) tore it up. When you have 18 hits and more than half of them are for extra bases, you’re doing something right. In fact, Wilhoite actually had himself a pretty good summer on the mound as well. The senior struck out 20 batters in just 13 innings, allowing 6 earned runs on 8 hits along the way. Bowdoin has really struggled so far this year but Wilhoite proves that they have talent; they just have some things they need to figure out. I’d look for them to get in the win column pretty soon.

Colby

Emery Dinsmore ’20
Norsemen – GNCBL

This one might be even more of a stretch, but for some reason the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League doesn’t allow you to view player stats without having a paid account with GameChanger. So naturally I will have to settle for the fact that Dinsmore threw a shutout in game one of the league championship series and has been off to a great start for the Mules this season. In his first start of the collegiate season Dinsmore tossed 6 innings of one-run baseball, allowing 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7. The southpaw appears to be the ace in Waterville, so hopefully he can bring Colby out of the basement this year.

Hamilton

Gavin Schaefer-Hood ’21
Sherrill Silversmiths – NYCBL
1-1, 3.91 ERA, 20.2 IP, 21 H, 15 K, 10 BB

Schaefer-Hood put together a solid summer in the always-competitive New York Collegiate Baseball League. His number, albeit good, are actually not even indicative of what he was able to do all summer. Schaefer-Hood allowed 9 earned runs on the year, but 7 of them were in one game. If you take out that one bad performance, he finished the summer with a 1.08 ERA, allowing just 12 hits and 7 walks over 16.2 innings. He even had one start where he threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout, striking out 7 and not walking any. These are definitely Friday-starter numbers and that is exactly the type of performance he’ll look to continue as the Continentals move forward in NESCAC West play.

Middlebury

Colby Morris ’19
Green Bay Bullfrogs – Northwoods League/Chatham Anglers – Cape Cod League
1-2, 2.57 ERA, 28 IP, 27 H, 21 K, 9 BB

The NESCAC Pitcher of the Year from 2018 continued to make a name for himself in the very impressive Northwoods League. Similar to Schaefer-Hood, 5 of Morris’ 8 earned runs on the summer came in one outing, so it’s safe to say that the dude shoved. In his last (and best) outing with the Bullfrogs, Morris didn’t allow a run while surrendering just 4 hits and striking out 8. His success earned him a brief stint with the Chatham Anglers of the famed Cape Cod Baseball League – a very rare feat for a Division III player. This guy is legit and the only hardware he has left to bring home is a NESCAC championship trophy.

Trinity

Matt Koperniak ’20
North Adams SteepleCats – NECBL
.318 BA (41-129), 10 2B, 1 HR, 24 RBI

Koperniak absolutely shredded some really good pitching in the NECBL all summer. He finished among the league leaders in batting average, while roping 10 doubles and hitting a bomb. When mid-July rolled around and guys started to slump, Koperniak did just the opposite. The Massachusetts native went on a 15-game hitting streak in the middle of the year that included 7 multi-hit games, 8 of his 10 doubles, and hit lone home run. Not only is Koperniak one of the best hitters in the NESCAC, but he also has the ability to get really, really hot. The Bantams are off to a terrific start in 2019 and this guy has been right in the middle of it – an intimidating presence atop the lineup.

Tufts

RJ Hall ’19
Sanford Mainers – NECBL
3-0, 2.13 ERA, 33.2 IP, 29 H, 25 K, 7 BB

Not that I expected anything else from Tufts, but Hall was very impressive this past summer. His 2.13 ERA represented the 2nd lowest in the league, and he allowed the fewest walks among starters all season. He put on a number of impressive performances, with perhaps the best one taking place at the end of June when he fanned 7 while allowing just 2 hits and a walk over 5 innings of shutout baseball. Hall has had a very impressive career as a Jumbo, serving as a key member of the staff from the day he set foot on campus. It seems that over the past four years the only certainties have been death, taxes, and RJ Hall.

Wesleyan

Kelvin Sosa ’21
Bristol Blues – Futures League
2-3, 5.58 ERA, 29 IP, 31 H, 32 K, 22 BB

Sosa didn’t have quite as strong of a summer as he would’ve liked, but competed and did a decent job considering he was the youngest D3 player in the league. As his strikeout numbers last year would indicate, Sosa has knockout stuff – his only real struggle has been with command. Yeah, allowing 31 hits in 29 innings isn’t great, but it’s a lot easier to hit when Sosa is only throwing one pitch for a strike that day. This seems to be a recurring theme for the Cardinal staff as a whole, so perhaps it’s time for Coach Woodworth to incorporate some more accuracy drills into the practice plan. If they are able to do this successfully then Wesleyan will go a very long way because Sosa knows how to pitch and the rest of the league should definitely be on notice.

Williams

Kellen Hatheway ’19
Martha’s Vineyard Sharks – Futures League
.311 BA (32-103), 6 2B, 6 HR, 28 RBI

Hatheway responded quickly after a lackluster junior season by breaking out over the summer. He teamed up with Ferrero from Amherst for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks in the Futures League and went on a tear all summer long. Hatheway finished tied for 2ndin the league in home runs, 7thin RBIs, and 7thin batting average while playing against almost entirely Division I opponents. He has the Ephs off to an incredibly hot start in his senior campaign and he’ll look to bring his summer form back into NESCAC play so that Williams can be in playoff contention for the first time in a while.

Three-Headed Monster: NESCAC East Preview

NESCAC East Preview

Bates College Bobcats

Head Coach: Jon Martin, 3rd Season
2018 Record: 14-19, 7-5 NESCAC
Projected 2019 Record: 20-14, 7-5 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Jack Arend ‘20 (C) Newfields, NH

Arend was a consistent presence in the lineup and on the field for the Bobcats last season. His efforts throughout the season garnered him first team all NESCAC honors, a title he will look to reclaim this season. Arend is known for his good eye and plate discipline, leading the Bobcats in walks and OBP last year. He’s already off to a blistering start through 11 games this season, hitting .469 while reaching base at a .617 clip. It is clear that Arend will be a key leader for Bates this year and has the potential to take them back to the playoffs.

Pitcher to Watch: Nolan Collins ‘20, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Nolan Collins returns for his junior season and the California native projects to be one of the top starters in the conference this season. After a breakout sophomore campaign in which he kept his season ERA below 3, Collins will need to maintain a similar standard of excellence this season to make it out of the NESCAC East. After a large K/9 jump between 2017 and 2018, I would expect strikeout numbers for Collins to rise even further this year, ever increasing his effectiveness. As the surefire ace for this squad, the Bobcats will rely heavily on the right arm of Nolan Collins every Friday afternoon in some of their biggest games this year.

Everything Else:

Last season Bates was fortunate enough to earn a playoff berth but they failed to get further than that. Close losses saw the Bobcats fall short of their championship hopes, but it is a new year. Although they were a playoff team, Bates finished third to last in the conference in runs last season. Their offensive production will have to beefed up significantly this year in order to compete for a championship, but they have solid pieces to put it together. In fact, their .301 team batting average thus far indicates that they’ve already begun to right the ship.

Bowdoin College Polar Bears

Head Coach: Mike Connolly, 20th Season
2018 Record: 16-17, 7-5 NESCAC
2019 Projected Record: 8-26-1, 2-10 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Eric Mah ‘20 (IF) Newtonville, MA

After a sophomore season in which he maintained a batting average over .350, Eric Mah will return as a pillar of the Polar Bears’ lineup. Last season Mah lead the Bowdoin team in hits, at bats, doubles and on base percentage. Mah is a consistent presence in the lineup that Bowdoin so desperately needs. Offensive woes seem to have been somewhat of a trend for the Polar Bears over the past few seasons and they could use some more players like Mah to break the monotony.

Pitcher to Watch: Brandon Lopez ‘19, Amesbury, MA

Lopez has been a competitor year in and year out for Bowdoin and I would expect more of the same from his senior campaign. Last season Lopez posted a 4-1 record and a sub-4 ERA as one of their most reliable arms. With three seasons of NESCAC competition under his belt Lopez will be able to guide the rest of his staff as well as use his experience to his own advantage.

Everything Else:

Bowdoin has an extremely disappointing 2018 in which they missed playoffs due to a tiebreaker. They lose many quality pieces this season and it looks as if it may be harder for them to compete this year than it was last year. Their offense was not among the elite in the conference last season
and it projects to be more of the same this year. Bowdoin will have to battle and upset some better ball clubs in order to make the playoffs this year but you can never rule them out.

Colby College Mules

Head Coach: Jesse Woods, 1st Season
2018 Record: 7-25, 1-11 NESCAC
2019 Projected Record: 14-18, 4-8 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Andrew Russell ‘21 (IF) Massapequa, N.Y.

Russell started his freshman season hitting the ground running last season and I would expect him to carry that momentum into 2019. He lead the Mules in many statistical categories in his freshman season including at-bats (110), runs (18), base on balls (8), and defensive assists (65). Not to mention he was also second best in hits (33), putouts (43), triples (2), and tied for second in doubles (6). It’s clear to see that Russell is a jack of all trades for Colby and they need the help.

Pitcher to Watch: Emery Dinsmore ‘20, Waldo, ME

Back in 2017 Emery had a very promising freshman season in which he recorded 33 IP and maintained a 4.01 ERA. These numbers seemed promising but unfortunately did not translate into a successful 2018 campaign. Despite a drop in effectiveness this season, I predict that Emery will make a 180 and really dial in this year. His first start looked like a significant improvement – 6IP, 1ER, 2BB, 7K, so perhaps we can view last year as a fluke. If he can maintain control and the ability to put guys away, it could be a breakout year for Dinsmore.

Everything Else:

The biggest story for the Mules this season is their new head coach. Jesse Woods, formerly an assistant at Notre Dame, has taken the helm at Colby and they hope he will lead them into a new era of success. After a pretty dismal performance last season the Mules hope that some new life
in the program will lead to more success. There is certainly talent to be found on the Mules’ roster, the question is whether or not Woods will be able to get the most out of his new squad.

Trinity College Bantams

Head Coach: Bryan Adamski, 6th Season
2018 Record: 18-15, 7-5 NESCAC
2019 Projected Record: 22-13, 8-4 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Johnny Stamatis ‘19 (IF) Ridgefield, CT

Stamatis enters his final season of NESCAC competition after a solid junior year. Last season he led the Bantams in walks and putouts, 2nd on team in home runs, 3rd in RBIs, 4th in runs (tied) and doubles, and 5th in hits, stolen bases, and assists. Alongside his success with the bat Stamatis is also a stud on defense, recording all of 2 errors last year at first base. Becoming a senior means that Stamatis will need to take a bigger role as a leader on the team and one way to show that is through his consistency on field.

Pitcher of the Year: Andrew Deroche ‘20, North Reading, MA

Deroche is another important junior on the Bantam roster. He returns this year to reassume his role as a starter for Trinity. Last year he led the Bantams in appearances, was 2nd on team in saves and earned lowest opponent batting average. Additionally he 3rd on the team in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts. It is clear that Deroche is a workhorse for Trinity and they will lean on him this year to lead them to the playoffs.

Everything Else:

Trinity is one of those teams that has the potential to make a serious playoff run despite the fact that they missed out on playoffs last season. It is well known that it is especially difficult to make the conference tournament in the NESCAC and the Trinity Bantams fell victim to this fact last season. This year they return with yet another strong team but whether they have enough to make it over the hump and play in the postseason will be a different question.

Tufts University Jumbos

Head Coach: John Casey, 36th Season
2018 Record: 20-17, 8-4 NESCAC
Projected 2019 Record: 26-7, 9-3 NESCAC

Player to Watch: Casey Santos-Ocampo ‘19 (OF) Naples, FL

Casey Santos-Ocampo returns for his last year attempting to take Tufts back to the promised land. Santos-Ocampo had a pretty good junior year for the Jumbos. He posted a .291 average and added 23 RBIs as well as 32 BBs. I’m expecting a breakout senior campaign from Santos-Ocampo because he has been through it all with this Tufts squad. The highs and lows that he has experienced over the last three years will serve him well as he can elevate the play of himself and his teammates around him.

Pitcher to Watch: RJ Hall ‘19, Marietta, GA

NESCAC fans alike will not be surprised to see RJ Hall on this list as he has been on many awards lists in the past, whether they be pre or postseason awards. As a junior he earned NESCAC All-Conference first team honors and was a two-time NESCAC Player of the Week. Along with this he was tied for NESCAC lead with five victories and his 54 strikeouts were third best in the conference. RJ Hall has terrorized NESCAC hitters for the past 3 years and this last one looks to be more of the same.

Everything Else:

Tufts is geared up for a monster year after missing out on the NCAA tournament. Their expectations will be to return the NESCAC crown to Medford where it rested for several seasons before they lost it last year. The upperclassmen talent on this team is extremely impressive and that is a key part to deep postseason runs. The bitterness of their championship loss surely won’t leave them soon so they will be hungry for Ws until they take that ship back.