Tag: Jackson Ward

Not Much Left: Stock Report 4/18

Believe it or not, we only have a few weekends left of NESCAC baseball. It feels like just yesterday when we were finishing up our last mid term before Spring break. Spring was upon us with the glowing prospect of a fresh start for many NESCAC teams. The East division vs West division couldn’t be more different right now. The East is headlined by Tufts and Trinity (and sort of Bates). It’s fair to say that Bowdoin and especially Colby are out of the playoff hunt. In the West, it’s really anyone’s ballgame. Amherst leads the conference at 5-4, but with Midd, Williams, and Wesleyan tied for second at 3-3, a positive weekend can swing the standings. Let’s take a look at my stock report from this past weekend.

My longs:

Hamilton

That’s right. I said it. I think Hamilton has a serious shot at earning a playoff spot this year. If I were a true investor, Hamilton would be considered a growth investment. Not an investment like Lyft where profitability is unlikely and the increased vetting process of drivers may seriously hurt the industry. I categorize Hamilton like a Pinterest or Slack. Hamilton has been largely flying under the radar for years in a division that includes the likes of Wesleyan, Amherst, and Midd. Hamilton could always hit without question – their Achilles heel for years has been defense and so-so pitching. I watched Wesleyan’s weekend series two weeks ago against Hamilton. Not only did Hamilton outplay Wes, but they did so in a way that stuck out to me: they were ultra-confident. The infield made clutch plays. Pitchers got outs in critical situations. Everyone did their job to perfection. Hamilton may be sitting in last right now in the conference, but I think that’s only temporary. Wesleyan isn’t the Wesleyan it used to be. Midd is streaky. Williams won’t make it until the end. Amherst graduated so many guys, it’s hard to tell if they’re still dominant. Let’s see.

Matt Koperniak

Koperniak is my value investment. When I analyze the fundamentals of his game, I understand why he’s a leader in many of the main statistical hitting categories. He has the most ABs of many in the league, while still hitting .376. All NESCAC pitchers are definitely throwing the kitchen sink at Koperniak, but he has had an answer for everything and everyone. He’s an all-around player that is exciting to watch. Trinity goes against Hamilton in a non-conference affiar this weekend. I’m really excited to see how Hamilton deals with Koperniak. Like I said before, there’s no question he is the best hitter in the league right now. Will Hamilton still have the same swagger they’ve shown all season by going right after him? Or will they stay away, and nibble the corners. You can’t miss against Koperniak. He’ll make you pay for the smallest of mistakes. We’ll see how that turns out.

My shorts:

Colby

I shorted Bowdoin in my last stock report because they were winless in league play. Now, it’s time to short their local rival. It’s tough for me to do this to Colby because a number of their current players and former players have helped me with pieces throughout the years. The Mules haven’t won a conference game all year. They suprisingly got swept by Bowdoin, and unsuprisingly were swept by Trinity. This weekend doesn’t get any better. The Mules will face Trinity for a three game conference set. The biggest problem for the Mules right now is hitting. The team only has scored fifteen runs in conference play. The pitching hasn’t been terrible, but only scoring fifteen runs in compared to Tufts’ forty-three tells the story. A high point for the Mules is William Wessman. He has played well throughout the year, hitting .316. It is unfortunate that the team hasn’t picked him up. If Colby can somehow beat Tufts, that would help a miserable season.

The West

The West has been stronger than the East in the past few years. Obviously you have Tufts dominating the East under Casey’s tenure, but beyond that, Trinity has been up and down. The Maine schools haven’t been great either. Wesleyan, Amherst, and Middlebury have been putting up competitive teams year in and year out. The West is good this year don’t get me wrong, but they’re not dominant like in years past. Tufts and Trinity are dominant. I don’t see any West team beating those two. The depth in hitting that both teams have outweigh any team from the West. This will be a big weekend for the West as conference games will differentiate teams from one another. We shall see.

Swagger Wins Rings: NESCAC Baseball Roster Pic Power Rankings

NESCAC Baseball Roster Pic Power Rankings

As we all know, sports come down to much more than stats and analytics. In baseball especially, teams are more and more reliant these days on metrics and all sorts of things their computers tell them. Well, today we’re telling the story untold. Being a college baseball player really boils down to one thing: your roster pic. People can go any direction with their roster pic and it really is important. The message you choose to send is a big deal and it says a lot about you. Take a look at Middlebury skier Pate Campbell’s photo for instance:

This is a big time roster pic. I feel like I’ve known Pate Campbell my entire life after seeing this picture, and that right there is exactly the point. It’s a good thing this article focuses on just baseball players, because Campbell’s might possibly be the greatest roster pic I’ve ever seen. Naturally, we had to figure out which players had the best pictures across the league because that tells us more than stats ever could. After sifting through literally every single picture of every player on every team, one player was selected from each squad with the most outrageous pic, then ranked 1-10. This ranking is absolutely open for discussion because personal preference really affects the way each picture is perceived.

 

10. Justin Olson ’21 (Trinity)

Trinity is the only team besides Hamilton who takes their pictures without the team hat on, and I have to say it really paid off here. We’re fortunate enough to get a great look at a terrific head of properly coiffed, searing red hair. What happens if you combine that with an inviting smile and dreamy eyes? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Justin Olson.

 

9. Ian Kinney ’18 (Tufts)

This one isn’t anything too crazy, but Kinney gives us a nice beard, a cheesy mustache, and a psycho stare that tells us he’s a relief pitcher before the program even has to. If you really want to dig deep, you’ll see that Kinney has added the beard to his repertoire since last year’s picture, which I must say is a great touch.

 

8. Sam Schneider ’18 (Amherst)

Schneider’s pic is interesting because my guess is that most people wouldn’t have even put him as high as 8. Well that goofy smile and teen wolf hair poking out from his shirt makes me think otherwise. I don’t like that Amherst wears purple hats with a purple background in their pictures though. It’s just too much purple.

 

7. Arlyn Lopez ’21 (Hamilton)

I liked Ian Kinney’s psycho stare, but I like Arlyn Lopez’s hardo stare even more. As a freshman you really have to go one of two ways: intimidating or completely goofy. Evidently, Lopez chose the former and we’re blessed to see this work of art. The chin piece is trimmed nicely and he looks ready to go. Well done.

 

6. Gray Goolsby ’20 (Middlebury)

The only reason Goolsby finds his way this high up the list is because of how long it took to figure out if he actually has a mustache or not. I think he does. This roster pic doesn’t tell us much about Gray Goolsby, but there’s a subtlety in his eyes that makes me think there’s something soft underneath that tough exterior that he may not be letting on. Also, that kind of grit reminds me of Lt. Aldo Raine which tells us all that he means business.

 

5. Connor Speed ’18 (Bates)

The crazy eyes. The mustache not quite connecting to the beard. The blank stare. Each of these help leave a bread crumb trail of insanity. Once you see the unorthodox, pseudo-submarine delivery that Speed offers, the picture is complete. This kid was born to be a pitcher and a pitcher he is – with a killer roster pic.

 

4. David Redfield ’21 (Wesleyan)

Wow. Here’s a guy that I would pay to see without his hat on. That kind of luscious, red hair is once in a generation. The fact that it covers almost the entire back of his neck while still providing a subtle curl is almost majestic. His stern look offers a nice contrast to the flowing locks, making this a nearly perfect effort at a freshman roster pic. The best part: His last name is Redfield! Talk about an electric nickname, Red.

 

3. Brandon Lopez ’19 (Bowdoin)

This pic oozes swagger almost as much as Lopez’s presence on the field. The facial hair that almost isn’t there but kind of sort of is perfectly complements the popped chains and bat on his shoulder. You can tell just from the picture that he isn’t here to mess around. Lopez nailed it with this one.

 

2. Adam Regensburg ’18 (Williams)

Sadly there weren’t very many killer mustaches to choose from. Luckily, Regensburg crushes this one out of the park. I’m a huge fan of the mustache with the 5 o’clock shadow look, so this hits home a bit. This is another guy who has undergone some serious changes since his earlier days – see his freshman football roster pic for some legitimate progress.

 

1. Cameron Garfield ’21 and Jackson Ward ’19 (Colby)

There was just no way to pick one winner from these two gems. Garfield’s working man beard reflects on his background from notoriously blue-collar Phillips Andover Academy. This confusing yet powerful facial hair is bold, but he pulls it off in a way I’ve certainly never seen before. Props to him. Then we have Ward whose ‘stache alone would’ve earned him a top 10 spot on this list. Throw in the lacrosse flow and hilarious smirk and he makes his way to the top.