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| The Wheaton Lyons will have big shoe to fill from the 2022 graduating class but are expected to continue to be a national power in 2023. Wheaton (Mass.) athletics photo |
By Joshua Kummins
for D3baseball.com
With another year of Division 3 baseball upon us, little has changed in the Region 1 landscape as the NESCAC and NEWMAC boast the teams to beat.
The two nationally ranked programs in New England from the other half of the split region, but Middlebury and Wheaton are the reigning champions in the aforementioned conferences and look to compete again.
Middlebury looks particularly poised for another deep run, having returned virtually its entire roster. Of course, Wheaton perennially gets a stiff challenge from NEWMAC rivals like Babson and MIT and should again.
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| Babson junior catcher Ike Kiely should be among the top players in the NEWMAC this spring. Babson athletics photo |
Elsewhere, the GNAC has become increasingly competitive in recent years, while the NAC has recently grown in numbers with the addition of a division based in New York State.
New Faces
Joe DeGroot, Cazenovia: Less than a year after playing for the program, DeGroot will guide the Wildcats for their final season before the upstate New York college closes its doors following the spring semester. DeGroot’s coach, Paul Ludden, left for fellow NAC school SUNY Poly after three seasons.
Cameron Curler, Northern Vermont-Lyndon: After three years as a Division 1 assistant at Dartmouth and Iona Colleges, Curler takes over the Hornets program from Reece Tanguay. He is no stranger to the Green Mountain State, having served as a team captain at Castleton before graduating in 2014.
Austin Straub, SUNY Cobleskill: Straub will serve as the Fighting Tigers’ interim head coach. Previously the team’s pitching coach, he was elevated to that role after Lance Ratchford moved on to lead Division 1 Marist. Straub helped Cobleskill win back-to-back NAC divisional titles and had also managed the New England Collegiate League’s North Adams SteepleCats.
Paul Ludden, SUNY Poly: Ludden became the fourth head coach in Wildcats history in August. The SUNY Brockport graduate served as a first-time skipper for the New York Collegiate League’s Syracuse Spartans this past summer, taking his team to the NYCBL Eastern Division Finals for the first time since 2017.
Brendan Casey, WPI: Casey arrived at WPI from Tufts, where he spent the last two of his seven-year tenure as an associate head coach. He was a part of three NESCAC championship teams, all of which were led by his father John, an ABCA Hall of Famer who retired following the 2021 season.
Key Games
Babson at Trinity (Texas) (February 24-26): The Beavers make their annual trip to San Antonio for the great early-season challenge of a top-five ranked Tiger team that played in Cedar Rapids last year.
MIT at Tufts (March 4): A nearby non-conference clash marks the opening of the new Sol Gittleman Field on the Tufts campus. The Jumbos will also play a California swing beginning two weeks later to gear up for NESCAC play.
Coast Guard at Johnson & Wales (March 21)/WPI vs. Coast Guard (April 21-22): New WPI coach Brendan Casey will face his brother Brian in a three-game NEWMAC series. A month earlier, Brian’s Bears will host Johnson & Wales, which is coached by another brother, Kevin.
Babson vs. Wheaton (April 28-29): Since these two NEWMAC East Division rivals won’t meet until the very end of the regular season, the playoff stakes could be even higher than usual in 2023.
Conference Previews
Great Northeast Athletic Conference: After returning to its familiar place atop the GNAC regular-season standings in 2022, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (31-14) will be steady on the mound as seniors Matt Bergeron (7-2, 3.76 ERA, 42 K, 50.1 IP), Sam Jalbert (4-3, 3.91 ERA, 59 K, 46 IP) and reigning D3baseball Region 1 Rookie of the Year Jason Johnson (6-1, 1.05 ERA, 43 K, 43 IP) all return to the rotation. The Monks have a senior backstop to work with that group in All-GNAC first-teamer Jon Dube (.333, 5 2B, 29 RBI, 21 R), while sophomore center fielder Michael Wearne (.383, 3 2B, 11 R) emerged as the team’s top hitter a year ago. The strong mix of veteran experience and underclass talent will make things go for Will Sanborn, who is one win away from the 800 mark in his career.
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| Anna Maria pitchers Nick Choate (pictured) and Jake Usenia combined to throw a seven-inning perfect game in 2022. Anna Maria athletics photo |
Anna Maria (23-17) should remain a contender as GNAC Pitcher & Rookie of the Year Nick Choate (3-3, 1 SV, 3.29 ERA, 64 K, 46.1 IP) is one of six all-region performers returning even despite losing GNAC Player of the Year Jason Shell from its outfield, though coach Dan Briand believes California junior college transfer Christian Villa could be the team’s best player slotting in at second base. Three veteran AMCATS were 2022 All-GNAC first-team contributors in shortstop Kosta Drosidis (.390, 14 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 37 RBI), first baseman Jeremy Rosenberg (.372, 10 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI) and outfielder Hunter Dunithan (.345, 10 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 42 R, 29 SB). Designated hitter Elijah Spataj (.348, 9 2B, 7 HR, 39 RBI) and catcher James Powers (.366, 10 2B, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 13 SB) round out the returning honorees.
Despite finishing six games behind St. Joe’s and tied for third place in the standings, Johnson and Wales (18-27) captured its second straight postseason crown. The Wildcats lost their top two pitchers, but first-team infielder Miles Kelly (.325, 14 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 49 R), second-team outfielders EJ Leone (.308, 8 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 42 R) and Trevor Juan (.292, 12 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 41 R) and third-team designated hitter Griffin Snyder (.293, 15 2B, 7 HR, 29 RBI) all return. Two-way player Vaun Larisa (3-0, 3 SV, 3.41 ERA, 35 K, 29 IP; .292, 5 2B, 14 RBI) impressed as a freshman for a Lasell (17-22) team that matched JWU in the standings.
Elms (16-20) and Albertus Magnus (10-24) were also playoff qualifiers last spring, while Norwich (16-16), Dean (9-27), Colby-Sawyer (8-29) and Rivier (5-26) round out the league. The reigning All-GNAC third-team outfield came exclusively from this group of teams: Albertus’ Sean Jefferson (.308, 5 HR, 26 RBI), Colby-Sawyer’s Cooper O’Brien (.324, 6 2B, 6 HR, 27 RBI) and Elms’ George Chaya (.310, 24 RBI, 15 SB). The Chargers of Colby-Sawyer also had a rookie honoree in Jesse MacGlashing (.340, 20 RBI).
North Atlantic Conference: Husson (25-17) aims for its third consecutive NAC championship, a feat that only Castleton topped by winning five straight from 2013-18 before departing for the Little East. Senior stalwart Kobe Rogerson (.329, 13 2B, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 30 R, 16 SB) is back to play shortstop, but two of the Eagles’ East Division All-Conference picks are rising sophomores in third baseman Tanner Evans (.325, 36 RBI) and utility player Ty Knowlton (.351, 8 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI).
Atop the West Division was SUNY Cobleskill (21-20), which boasts sophomore catcher Logan Hutter (.355, 13 2B, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 10 SB) and junior Wyatt Palmer (7-2, 2.86 ERA, 33 K, 50.1 IP) returning as the reigning NAC Rookie and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. The Fighting Tigers will be heavy on sophomores and juniors and look to be dominant on the basepaths again under first-year skipper Austin Straub, who was previously the pitching coach. Senior Devin Lewis (4-4, 5.56 ERA, 52 K, 43.2 IP) is another veteran on Straub’s pitching staff. Cazenovia (11-21), SUNY Canton (10-31) and SUNY Poly (8-21) are the remaining West teams. SUNY Poly is a young team that looks to improve on an injury-plagued 2022 under new coach Paul Ludden. Sophomore Don Vento (.313, 14 RBI, 22 SB) was a West All-Conference honoree at third base a season ago and is lined up to play shortstop.
Husson ended up beating Maine rival Thomas (11-25) to hoist the crown last season, with Tony Meza (.348, 6 2B, 26 RBI) contributing heavily on both sides of the ball as a sophomore. Northern Vermont-Lyndon (9-23) contributed second baseman Dylan Wilson (.322, 3 HR, 19 RBI) to the East Division All-Conference squad following a strong freshman year. Maine-Farmington (8-25) and Maine-Presque Isle (6-29) round off the East side. Returning six positional starters and the majority of their pitching staff, Farmington will be led by first baseman Ryan Sargent (.387, 10 2B, 7 HR, 30 RBI) who set the school record for doubles last season. Sophomore Will Harriman (1-3, 5.94 ERA) ate the most innings among returning Beaver pitchers.
New England Small College Athletic Conference: Middlebury (31-14) returns virtually the entire team that won the program’s first NESCAC title since 2006, though losing NESCAC Pitcher of the Year George Goldstein will leave a hole at the end of the bullpen. The Panthers are well positioned for another outstanding offensive season with All-American John Collins (.381, 14 HR, 47 RBI, 15 SB) back behind the plate, two-way NESCAC Player of the Year Alec Ritch (.358, 12 2B, 5 3B, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 49 R, 41 SB; 5-0, 1 SV, 5.26 ERA) returning to the outfield and pitching rotation, and senior designated hitter Mitchell Schroeder (.483, 14 2B, 25 RBI) looking to follow an astounding season at the plate. That trio helped Middlebury hit 65 home runs, 22 more than any other team in the region. Senior Alex Price (5-2, 3.50 ERA, 85 K, 64.1 IP) is the top option on the mound.
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| Colby third baseman Brady O'Brien was named to the D3baseball.com All-Region Team for Region 1. The infielder led Colby in many key offensive categories, and also ranked in the top-10 in the NESCAC in doubles (1st), walks (3rd), on-base percentage (3rd), slugging percentage (5th), and OPS (5th). Colby athletics photo |
Colby (24-13) has plenty of tools returning from the winningest team in program history including reigning all-region and two-time All-NESCAC junior third baseman Brady O’Brien (.376, 13 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 11 SB). The Mules also bring back a pair of All-NESCAC second-team choices in junior catcher Cole Palmeri (.302, 9 HR, 44 RBI) and pitcher Nicholas Thompson (3-1, 3.25 ERA, 49 K, 44.1 IP). Even with the losses of veteran standouts like first baseman Peter DeMaria and center fielder Miles Reid, Tufts (24-12) should be strong again with senior Jimmy Evans (.329, 11 2B, 6 HR, 29 RBI) patrolling the outfield and the likes of senior Cameron Mayer (3-3, 5.28 ERA, 64 K, 46 IP) in the rotation. Junior shortstop Ozzie Fleischer (.354, 18 RBI) and sophomore outfielder Ben Leonard (.350, 13 RBI) are also returning .300 hitters, while Connor Podeszwa (5-1, 3.20 ERA, 34 K, 39.1 IP) led the Jumbos’ staff in victories during his freshman year.
Another program that is looking to continue its steps forward and follow up a single-season record for victories is Hamilton (21-17), and its senior center fielder Phil Bernstein (.359, 21 RBI, 49 R, 28 SB) is a great player to build around. The Continentals bring back a number of other contributors like senior shortstop Ethan Harrast (.381, 24 RBI, 20 SB), junior catcher Shane Dux (.349, 17 RBI) and junior outfielder/pitcher Jackson Sattinger (.333, 4 HR, 34 RBI; 3-2, 2 SV, 3.26 ERA, 34 K, 30.1 IP), the latter who will be a part of the rotation alongside sophomore Jack Eshleman (2-3, 4.76 ERA, 42 K, 34 IP). Wesleyan (18-16) and Amherst (16-18-1) were the West Division’s remaining playoff qualifiers in 2022. The Mammoths’ Ryan McIntyre (.345, 33 RBI) was the only freshman in the entire conference to land on an All-NESCAC team as a freshman, landing a second-team slot on the infield.
Bowdoin (16-18) finished tied atop the East with Colby a season ago and has an exciting young core intact. Junior infielder CJ Brito-Trinidad (.382, 5 HR, 31 RBI) was the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and followed up that performance with an outstanding summer in the Futures League. Fellow infielder Stephen Simoes (.409, 16 RBI) and outfielder Ben McKenzie (.311, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 34 R) were also All-NESCAC honorees for the Polar Bears, with Simoes landing a first-team honor. Trinity (Conn.) (15-20) looks to remain competitive as usual, returning the likes of second-team All-NESCAC infielder Patrick Dillon (.293, 7 2B, 14 RBI) as a senior.
Bates (7-26) and Williams (7-19) will be looking to improve upon their finishes from last spring. Williams returns several players who were forced into bigger roles due to injuries, but first baseman Jakob Cohn (.365, 11 2B, 13 RBI) is an experienced bat who will lead the way. The Ephs also return .300-hitting senior second baseman Dan Lynch (.354, 11 RBI) and right fielder Mike Glove (.291, 8 RBI).
New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference: If any team can recover from replacing NEWMAC and Region 1 Player of the Year Jacob Studley, three starting pitchers and its starting catcher, it is probably defending NEWMAC champ Wheaton (Mass.) (32-12). The Lyons have a load to replace, but Eric Podbelski’s club returns veterans at key defensive positions and still considers pitching depth to be a strength. Senior shortstop Cavan Brady (.340, 25 RBI, 13 SB), second baseman Mike Maher (.297, 25 RBI) and junior center fielder AJ Guindon (.332, 29 RBI, 11 SB) look to have solidified their positions, while senior Robert Wirtanen (8 RBI) will work with a pitching staff that has a pair of veteran starters in Liam Goldthwaite (2-2, 3.62 ERA) and sophomore Ryan McCarroll (1-0 in four games), both of whom look to take on larger roles. Sophomore Jackson Walsh (2-0, 1 SV, 2.42 ERA) and senior Max Pierce (1-0, 1 SV, 2.77 ERA) will be important bullpen options.
Second in the regular-season race a season ago was Babson (24-15), which returns a strong veteran cast on the mound with All-NEWMAC southpaw Tim Noone (6-2, 3.05 ERA, 53 K, 56 IP), fellow starter Tristen Spalter (6-3, 2.62 ERA, 41 K, 65.1 IP) and reliever Stephen McLendon (2-2, 5 SV, 1.46 ERA, 17 games). The Beavers will also carry a number of key bats including sophomore outfielder Walter Sadowsky (.330, 13 RBI), junior third baseman Tanner Santos (.322, 13 RBI) and junior catcher Francis Kiely (.255, 3 HR, 7 2B, 29 RBI). MIT (18-23-1) has an experienced offense that should be able to score some runs, especially with an outstanding tablesetter like junior center fielder Teddy Schoenfeld (.373, 16 2B, 6 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 19 SB) and two other .300 hitters in senior second baseman Kyle Sonandres (.341, 10 2B, 6 HR, 25 RBI) and junior outfielder Michael Finch (.307, 4 HR, 24 RBI). Senior Graham Cartwright (6-2, 2 SV, 3.57 ERA, 56 K, 53 IP) will lead the Engineers on the mound following the graduation of longtime starter Casey Bussone.
Springfield (19-20) won the West Division a year ago with junior catcher Ryan Sorgi (.359, 10 2B, 32 RBI) emerging as the team’s top hitter. Coast Guard (18-15) followed closely behind while boasting a star in center field in the form of senior Blake Carroll (.358, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 11 SB). The Bears return a mix of upperclassmen with experience and youth, bringing back senior catcher/first baseman Greg Boland (.330, 4 HR, 24 RBI) with second-team All-NEWMAC honors. With the top pitcher graduated, Coast Guard looks to sophomore two-way player Wyatt Duthu (3-1, 2 SV, 4.09 ERA, 16 K, 11 IP; .254, 10 2B, 15 RBI) to lead the way for a young staff.
Worcester rivals Clark (16-18) and WPI (16-18) finished last season with identical overall and conference records. These Engineers bring in new coach Brendan Casey, but junior shortstop Jacob Hand (.351, 12 2B, 7 HR, 30 RBI) will be a veteran returnee to count upon on both sides of the ball after landing on the top All-NEWMAC squad last year. Senior Everett Wonson (1-5, 7.93 ERA) looks to be the leader of a pitching staff that hopes to improve. Rounding out the East, Emerson (10-23) brings its leading player back to shortstop in senior Thai Morgan (.317, 24 RBI, 12 SB).