Baseball Looks To The Past For Its Future In 2009
BASEBALL LOOKS TO ITS PAST FOR THE FUTURE IN 2009
Although Elms College's baseball team has a very limited history, fifth-year head coach Don LaValley is quick to note just how formative the program's first four seasons have been toward 2009.
"Every year we keep getting better and better, and the reason for that is because those players have stuck with us and allowed me to go out and recruit even more talented players," Coach LaValley explained.
The Blazers, who have posted a 30-86 in their first four seasons, made significant strides in 2008, as the team set a school record with 12 wins (12-20) and hosted the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Tournament in its first-ever postseason tournament appearance.
Elms College has continued to ride that wave of momentum, as it recently went 4-6 in the season-opening RussMatt Central Florida Invitational two weeks ago.
The early-season improvements from just a year ago have been drastic, as Elms College recently batted .305 as a team in Florida - 44 points higher than its trip south a year ago - and saw its team earned run average plummet from 10.96 to 4.94.
"When you are able to recruit great talent, it helps push the players already in your program to get even better," Coach LaValley pointed out.
As a team in 2008, the Blazers batted .292 during the regular season - 55 points higher than a year ago. Their offensive-record-setting year recorded four home runs, 13 triples (11 more than the previous season), 47 doubles (19 more than 2007), and 173 RBI (65 more than 2007).
"We go two-deep at every position and they all can play," Coach LaValley said. "We're not the same team we were even a year ago. We're younger than we've ever been."
Here's a look at how the Blazers will take the field in 2009:
INFIELDERS
The Blazers' infielders are young, as three sophomores and a freshman will line up around the horn, including sophomore Brendan Cordeiro (Berkley, MA), who was converted from shortstop to second base this season.
As a freshman last season, Cordeiro batted .309 with five doubles, 13 RBI and seven stolen bases in 27 starts.
"Brendan was the best shortstop in our conference last year," Coach LaValley said. "He's a very smart defensive player and he'll fill the leadoff or number two slot for us in the batting order this season."
Sophomore Jonathan Ortiz (Carolina, Puerto Rico) will replace Cordeiro at shortstop. In the Blazers' first 10 games in Florida, Ortiz packed a punch in the cleanup spot, as he batted a sizzling .484 with two home runs, four doubles and 14 RBI.
Sophomores Albert Betances (Haverhill, MA), 6-5 Ramon Sosa (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and freshman Reynaldo Rivera (San Juan, Puerto Rico) will vie for playing time at first base and provide the Blazers with versatility and depth.
Freshman third baseman Nicolino Iavicoli (Hampden, MA) batted .429 and was a perfect 8 for 8 in stolen bases during the Blazers' first 10 games in Florida.
"He was one of the best high school players in the state of Massachusetts two years ago," Coach LaValley said of Iavicoli.
Junior Brian Marrero (Kendall Park, NJ), who batted .269 in 17 appearances at third base a year ago, recently hit .300 in seven games in Florida and will provide the Blazers with a solid backup for Iavicoli at the hot corner.
Senior Mike Bedson (Moriches, NY) and sophomore Hector Roche (San Cristobal, Dominican Republic) will also vie for playing time in the middle infield, and have both proven to be lethal options as designated hitters.
Roche hit at a torrid .625 pace with a triple, three doubles and seven RBI in seven games in Florida, while Bedson hit .353.
The Blazers possess a versatile and lethal one-two punch behind the dish with sophomore Carm Bonavita (Springfield, MA) and freshman Sean Shanley (Bristol, CT).
"They will be great defensive catchers for us and both work well with all of our pitchers," Coach LaValley said.
OUTFIELDERS
Athleticism, speed and depth. There's no shortage of any in the outfield with sophomore Bob Reyome (Westfield, MA) and freshman Felix Montalvo (Carolina, Puerto Rico) in left field, freshmen Zach Cerra (South Windsor, CT) and Donald Morse (Alfred, ME) in center, and senior Nick Mackowiak (Dudley, MA) in right.
Mackowiak enjoyed a breakout season in 2008, as he was named First Team All-NAC after batting a team-leading .364 with one home run, five doubles, and 17 RBI in 29 games.
PITCHERS
With nine pitchers, including five starters, three middle relievers, and a closer, the Blazers are deeper and more specialized than in any of the previous four seasons.
Junior Mike Bieber (Wading River, NY), a Second Team All-NAC selection, returns along with classmate Dan Ingraham (Granby, MA) to provide a potent one-two punch in the top of the pitching rotation.
The two combined for six wins and 50 strikeouts in 75.0 innings of work on the hill.
Sophomore Matt Wood (Feeding Hills, MA), the team's third starter, posted an impressive 1.32 ERA in four appearances at the RussMatt Invitational and was named the New England Collegiate Conference's (NECC) first-ever Pitcher of the Week earlier this season.
Freshmen Craig Hippert (South Barre, MA) and Zach LeBarron (Bennington, VT) will fill the fourth and fifth spots in the starting rotation.
Sophomore Nick Cordeiro (Berkley, MA) has proven a capable fill-in starter and will likely be one of the Blazers' go-to hurlers in middle relief, along with junior lefties James Kosiorek (Springfield, MA) and Pat Moreau (South Hadley, MA).
The three combined for 44 strikeouts in 57.0 innings a year ago.
Senior Joe Esile (Milford, CT) will be the Blazers' closer this season and is expected to get the nod in anywhere from the middle of the sixth inning - on.
"Having middle relievers and a closer that can shorten a game is something you typically only see in the bigger Division III programs," Coach LaValley pointed out. "With the late-inning pitchers we have available, we now only need our starters to go five innings."
SCHEDULE
Once back north, the Blazers have non-conference games against a mix of state and private schools that includes Westfield State, Springfield, Wesleyan, Williams, Fitchburg State, UMass-Dartmouth, Rhode Island College, Framingham State and WPI.
The Blazers, who joined the newly-formed NECC this season, will face conference opponents Becker, Southern Vermont, Newbury and Daniel Webster in doubleheaders.
The NECC will hold then its inaugural tournament on the weekend of Friday, May 1 - Sunday, May 3.
WRAP-UP
The Blazers are deeper and more versatile at every position than in any other season in the program's young history.
With nine quality pitchers, however, Coach LaValley believes success lies on the mound.
"Our defense will be strong," he said. "The key for us will be the ability of our pitchers to stop the opposing team's running game on the bases."