By Vince DeBlasio
for D3baseball.com
| Mike Occhi is just one of several Kean players returning after missing 2015 with an injury. Heidelberg athletics photo |
A year ago, Salisbury was the winner of the Mid-Atlantic regional, marking the second-straight year an out of region team won the Mid-Atlantic Regional. Kean and Misericordia, top teams in the D3baseball.com Preseason poll, went down in the regional, while Alvernia (Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth) and Catholic (Landmark Conference) made unexpected runs that fell just short of the DIII final round.
No. 5 Kean will be the team to beat and will have to duke it out in May with the best in the region. Johns Hopkins, No. 25 Alvernia, and Catholic all come off stellar seasons with postseason aspirations once again. From the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom, Misericordia presents a challenge to any of the World Series hopefuls.
New Faces
| Adam Sheibley is Juniata's third head coach in the last six years. Juniata athletics photo |
Adam Sheibley, Juniata: Sheibley will step into his first head coaching job after serving as an assistant coach around Division III for several years. The skipper, who replaces Jesse Leonard, served as an assistant and recruiting coordinator at Shippensburg University the past three seasons, and as an assistant at Elizabethtown College before that. "I'm really excited about the opportunity and I can't wait to meet all the guys on the team and get started," Sheibley said.
Nate Ramsey, Wilkes: The team’s hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for 2015 was given the promotion to head coach following the departure of Matt Hollod. Prior to his time with Wilkes, Ramsey held the title of head coach in the Austrian Baseball Federation and was also an assistant coach at Holy Cross College in South Bend, Indiana. "I am truly blessed and excited to be named the next head baseball coach at Wilkes University," said Ramsey. “The baseball program at Wilkes is in a great place right now with a balanced mix of returners and incoming freshmen, and I look forward to teaching, coaching, and continuing to build on the foundation of the program."
Conference Preview
Centennial Conference: Johns Hopkins stormed back in 2015 to take the conference title, just edging out Franklin and Marshall. With seven playoff appearances in the last eight seasons, the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays stand as the favorite in the Centennial. The Blue Jays’ strength in 2016 rests on pitching, lead by graduate student Jake Enterlin (6-3, 2.07). The team brings back seniors Carter Burns (5-1, 2.25, 57 SO) and Trevor Williams (6-1, 2.91) to go along with Enterlin and an excellent freshmen class. But the conference-frontrunner must go through national champion Cortland as well as regional-qualifier Salisbury, with additional big games against Alvernia, Keystone and Rutgers-Camden.
| The Diplomat's iron man was Matt Mezansky, leading the team in games played and plate appearances. Franklin and Marshall athletics photo |
Conference runner-up Franklin and Marshall narrowly missed out on the Centennial title and a regional berth in 2015. The Diplomats will look to seniors and team leaders Brett Poniros at shortstop (.309) and Matt Mezansky at third base (.266) to return them to dominance. Franklin and Marshall needs a couple pitchers to step up in a rotation down two top starters from a season ago.
Vying for the final spots in the four team conference tournament will be McDaniel, Gettysburg, Washington College and Haverford. McDaniel earned its first tournament spot in 12 seasons, while Haverford nabbed its 10th straight appearance after finishing fourth. Gettysburg will turn to junior outfielder Connor Tom (.399, 14 2B, 22 RBI, 6 SB) to get the a CC postseason berth. Senior outfielder Brian Baquer will lead the offense for Washington College in quest of a shot at the conferences' pass to the regional round.
At the back end of the Centennial Conference are Muhlenberg, Ursinus, Dickinson and Swarthmore. Muhlenberg is forced to turn to youth and a new identity with 21 seniors graduating. For Dickinson, it will come down to a mix of young and veteran talent, headed by standout senior outfielder Ryan Dolan (.385, 6 2B, 23 RBI, 24 SB).
| Felix Baez's 1.52 ERA was second-best in the CSAC. Keystone athletics photo |
Colonial States Athletic Conference: Make it now 10 straight titles and eight straight tournament appearances for Keystone. The program is poised to keep its streak going, having picked up 32 or more wins four of the last five seasons. Keystone returns 24 players including three top pitchers in James Dunning (8-1, 1.34, 53 SO), Felix Baez (6-0, 1.52, 77 SO; Preseason All-America Second Team and CSAC Pitcher of the Year) and Jesse Arnold (5-3, 2.48, 42 SO). All four positional starters back for their senior seasons hit over .350 in 2015.
Marywood could pose a challenge once again after splitting the regular-season conference title with Keystone. With 12 CSAC wins in 2015, the Pacers set a program record, but the team failed to advance to the conference championship game. Seven All-Conference players will be on the roster this season, notably First Team second baseman Vince Rebar (.371, 4 3B, 22 RBI) and Second Team pitcher Justin Haddix (4-2, 1.67 ERA, 44 SO).
Close behind in the race will be Neumann and Immaculata with neither team having ever won a conference title. Neumann expects an exciting season with a couple of pitchers returning plus the addition of a number junior college arms. The Knights are coming off a runner-up finish in the conference tournament a season ago. In their first ten games the team will face Mary Washington, No. 1 Cortland St., No. 24 Marietta, No. 23 Methodist, Christopher Newport and No. 4 Salisbury.
| Dan Whalen was named First Team All-CSAC in his sophomore season and came back in 2015 with a solid junior campaign as the staff ace. Immaculata athletics photo |
Immaculata seeks a return to the tournament behind a veteran squad, after taking third place in the CSAC. Of eight returning starters for the Mighty Macs, three were named as NCAA Division III Baseball Players to Watch this season. Utility player Jason McCormick (.438, 2B 11, 33 R, 15 SB) was All-Conference First Team for 2015.
Centenary and Gwynedd Mercy should have a fight of their own at the backend of the conference. After three straight seasons with at least 20 wins. Gwynedd Mercy dropped off in 2015 with only nine and is looking to rebound in 2016.
Cairn is likely to pull up in last yet again. Outfielder Caleb Lang, an All-America Second Team selection, will look to add to the list of career and season records he has broken at Cairn. In 2014, Lang hit for a .444 average with 18 doubles, nine home runs and 11 stolen bases.
Landmark Conference: Last season, the conference had four teams finish with 20 or more wins. Catholic, which held the best overall record, wound up winning the Landmark title in the tournament despite placing fourth in the regular-season standings. It was the first championship for the Cardinals in four years. Catholic will vie for the repeat, which hasn’t been done since 2008-09, behind youth and a dominant core of pitchers. The team returns seven starters including centerfielder Stefan Poggioli (.377, 4 HR, 32 RBI) and pitcher David Gately (5-5, 2.49 ERA).
| Moravian will play their first nine games on the road before meeting Muhlenberg at Gillespie Baseball Field. Moravian athletics photo |
After winning the tiebreaker with Elizabethtown for the second seed in the tournament, Moravian was narrowly defeated by Catholic in a conference championship that required three games. Expecting to be in the thick of it come championship time, the Greyhounds bring in a team with 19 starters for the 2016 season. Moravian had 11 fewer wins in 2015 than the year before and missed regionals for the first time since 2012.
Five players have graduated from a solid 2015 team for Elizabethtown. However, nine starters (23 players in total) including second baseman Kyle Fackler (.338, 3 3B, 27 RBI, 41 R) return for the program in its hope to advance further into the conference tournament.
Scranton, Susquehanna and Drew could finish in any order, with the possibility of one emerging as a dark horse team. Susquehanna posted 18 wins after having 30 in a playoff year in 2014, while Scranton doubled its wins (from 11 to 22). Scranton features Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year outfielder Tommy Trotter (.404 BA, 2 3B, 18 RBI, 28 R, 5 SB) in its lineup. Merchant Marine and Juniata will likely be in the cellar of the Landmark Conference. Juniata gets a new pair of eyes from command in first-year coach Adam Sheibley.
| Lou Marotta collected 9 wins on the year with an ERA of 1.92 in 25 appearances. Alvernia athletics photo |
Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth: No. 25 Alvernia, minus a couple down years, has been at the top of the conference and is expected to be there once again this season. The Crusaders had a clear path to the championship last year, knocking off defending-champ Widener before later advancing to the final game of regionals. In going for a seventh tournament appearance in eight seasons, Alvernia has a number of returners that include pitchers Ryan Sheekey (9-2, 4.83 ERA) and Matt Backlund (4-1, 3.06 ERA). Back on the offense are catcher Chris Burns (.344, 5 HR, 15 2B, 33 RBI) and first baseman Cameron Coons (.359, 13 2B, 31 RBI). Also receiving one first-place vote each in the MACC preseason poll were Widener and Stevenson.
Widener was picked to finish second by the conference coaches. In attempting to take back the conference title, the Pride have 27 players back from the 2015 season, which includes seven starters and four pitchers. At the plate, the team is led by All-Conference First Team outfielder Greg McDonough (16 2B, 37 RBI, 26 SB). Pitcher Joe Santone (4-4, 3.64 ERA), another All-Conference First Team player, heads the rotation.
Selected as the third-place team in the MAC Commonwealth poll was Messiah. The Falcons, who ended the season in second but came in fourth in the conference tournament, seek their first 20-win season since 2012. Baseball America named pitcher Steven Ridings (4-4, 3.84 ERA, 52 SO) the No. 3 prospect in Division III. Messiah lost three .300 hitters to graduation but return six starters, headed by All-America honorable mention first baseman Joseph Saufley (.419, 5 HR, 7 3B, 30 RBI, 6 SB).
Stevenson is expected to finish fourth and earn the final tournament spot this season. The program picked up 20 wins last season but could not find a way to win in the conference tournament. Having not made the regional tournament since 2007, the Mustangs are looking for more of what they got in 2015 to get there. All-Conference First Team designated hitter Craig Joseph and Second Team pitcher Alec Romanowski return for their senior seasons.
Arcadia was predicted to end up as the fifth team in the conference. The team will return seven seniors, and three of four players who were named to All-Conference teams: First Team third baseman Nick Todero, Second Team outfielder Michael Nessel and honorable mention second baseman Justin Chasmar. The Knights missed out on the conference tournament a year ago after losing a tiebreaker with Widener.
Hood, Lebanon Valley and Albright were chosen as the bottom three in that order in the MAC Commonwealth. In the second-ever season for the program, Hood expects to be more talented and athletic and will have more depth than in 2015. The lineup will feature reigning MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year catcher Josh Gall (.435, 5 HR, 55 RBI, 21 R).
| Chris Boroch led the Cougars with 154 assists as he fielded at a .943 clip. Misericordia athletics photo |
Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom: A unanimous choice for first place by the conference coaches, Misericordia looks to rake in its sixth straight MAC Freedom crown. The Cougars were not deterred by a runner-up conference finish in the regular season a year ago as they went on to win the MAC Freedom crown and make a deep run in regionals (ended in semifinals). Pete Egbert’s squad for the 2016 season features three preseason All-Americans in first-team pitcher Cory Vogeli (8-0, 1.14 ERA, 63 SO; MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Year) and honorable mentions shortstop Chris Boroch (.409, 26 RBI, 45 R) and pitcher Ryan Dorosh (7-0, 2.47 ERA, 58 SO). Misericordia will have the majority of its roster intact from a season ago.
Picked to finish second in the MAC Freedom, DeSales nearly came away with the conference title a year ago before faltering in the second game of the conference championship. The Bulldogs benefit from 25 players returning, 10 of whom are starters. Experience and quickness define the team. One of the Bulldogs’ top players, outfielder Tommy DePaul (.397, 12 RBI, 33 SB) enters his junior season.
Manhattanville, selected to come in third, has posted back-to-back winning seasons. With eight starters back and a total 23 players returning, the team hopes to continue to achieve success. The Valiants have a solid group of senior leadership which includes shortstop Jordanis Nunez (.331, 18 RBI), outfielder Jake McGrath (.309) and reliever Julian Ponce (1-0, 3.32 ERA). All-MAC Freedom First Team third baseman Robbie Lynch, who is 12 home runs away from program record, is a major spark to the lineup with consistent hitting (.342) and power (9 HR).
Eastern was selected to finish fourth in the conference after earning that placing in the regular season for 2015. The program jumped from seven to 16 wins over the past two seasons but has been back-and-forth in the win total over the last five. Returning as part of a core group for the Eagles are All-Conference Second Team catcher Tim Gorton (.343, 13 2B, 24 RBI; MAC Freedom Rookie of the Year) and honorable mention first baseman Joey Grato (.318, 10 2B, 23 RBI).
Noted to place fifth is Wilkes who enters the 2016 season without a winning season since 2013. New coach Nate Ramsey looks to keep the team’s win-total on the rise from the past two years. The skipper will have four MAC Freedom All-Conference players back in pitcher Jeff Roedell (2-1, 1.23 ERA) and first baseman Joe Champi (.360, 24 RBI), second team, and outfielders James Brown (.304, 36 RBI) and Jarret Clymer (.310, 13 2B, 38 RBI), who were honorable mentions.
Rounding out the MAC Freedom are FDU-Florham, Delaware Valley and King’s, respectively. DelVal, which has recorded only one winning season over the last seven, had outfielder Kyle Wenger (.432, 5 3B, 5 HR, 29 R, 36 R; MAC Freedom MVP) earn preseason All-American honorable mention for the second straight year. The Rams hope pitching and experience of team will result in a conference tournament berth. King’s has not made the tournament since 2011.
| Zach Reis was a second team all-NEAC selection last season. Penn State Berks athletics photo |
North Eastern Athletic Conference: Though Penn College, in its first-ever season, came away as the 2015 NEAC champion, the team’s NCAA provisional membership status halted them from competing in the regional tournament. This led to runner-up Penn State-Berks earning the automatic qualifier into regionals, where the team had an opening-round win. Penn-State Berks will look to reclaim the conference title from Penn College after winning the season before, while SUNY Poly and Penn State-Abington figure to be in the mix as well.
Penn State-Berks returns 18 players and 10 starters from a 2015 team that finished third in the NEAC in the regular season but came on strong late. Berks has increased its win total each of the last two years, making regionals in both of those seasons.
Penn College didn’t have many expectations going into 2015 due to it being the program’s inaugural season. With a conference title under their belt already, coach Chris Howard and company have a lot to build off. Penn College brings back much of its championship roster with only three seniors on the team a season ago. However, the program’s provisional status keeps it from playing in the regional tournament.
SUNY Poly and Penn State-Abington finished the regular season as the conference co-champions but both went down in the tournament. Lancaster Bible returns NEAC All-Conference First Team shortstop Justin Taylor (.400, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 27 R). Cazenovia, Keuka and Gallaudet round out the NEAC. Gallaudet posted just eight wins last year after three straight seasons of at least 20 wins.
New Jersey Athletic Conference: The NJAC features two teams in the DIII preseason top 25, both strong contenders nationally. No. 4 Kean, the defending conference champions, looks to bring in its fifth title in the last seven seasons en route to yet another run at regionals. The Cougars’ will be boosted by a large senior class, some players coming off injury, led by first baseman Sal Taormina (.382, 40 RBI), infielder Chris Amato (.373), and outfielders Ryan Kelley (.331, 35 RBI), Eric Fernandez (.346, injured during 2015) and Matt Meleo (.327, 3 HR). Hitting, speed and defense are the strengths of a Kean team that returns 13 starters, including 2015 NJAC Rookie of the Year Matt Krupa (.358, 14 2B, 33 RBI).
| Joe Venturino led the Roadrunners in ten offensive categories in 2015. Ramapo athletics photo |
Despite an early exit to the conference tournament, No. 18 Ramapo comes off a season in which it advanced to the World Series after earning an at-large bid into the New England regional and winning out. Preseason All-America First-team second baseman Joe Venturino (.410, 20 2B, 41 RBI, 48 R) leads the charge for the Roadrunners.
After ending the regular season as the conference leader for the second straight year, Rutgers-Camden lost in the tournament championship game and was snubbed a regionals berth. But the team is on still on the rise having notched back-to-back seasons with at least 27 wins. Led by NJAC Coach of the Year Dennis Barth, the Scarlet Raptors will try to make their second regional appearance in program history. Rutgers-Camden lost just one pitcher from a staff that had a combined 3.41 ERA in 2015.
Rowan was ousted from the conference tournament early, leading to the team missing the regional tournament for just the first time since 2009. Gone from the Profs are big time players at the plate—DH Casey Grimes (.429, NJAC Co-Player of the Year) and third baseman Kevin McMenamin (.373)—and on the mound—Richie Suarez, Ryan Sharkey and Ryan Easterday (combined 16-4 record, 2.96 ERA). Second-year coach Mike Dickson is confident that his team, which returns 14 players, will be able to consistently pitch and play defense.
In the middle of the conference will be Montclair State, TCNJ and Stockton. The three have been steady upper 10/lower 20-win teams over the last five seasons. Each team lost a 2015 All-Conference First Team player to graduation—first baseman Chris Reynolds (Montclair State), shortstop Anthony Cocuzza (TCNJ) and outfielder George Eisenhart (Stockton). William Paterson, New Jersey City, and Rutgers-Newark will likely close out the NJAC standings, with Paterson looking to return to the conference tournament after a year absence.