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| Johns Hopkins' head coach learned his lesson not to schedule time off during the D-III World Series. The Blue Jays' World Series appearance in 2019 was unexpected but it is not in 2021. d3photography.com photo by Steve Frommell |
By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com
Experience is a quality that a lot of teams will be promoting this year. With no eligibility lost among the thousands of seniors throughout D-III nation, every four-year player has the opportunity to return. Without scholarships, paying another years tuition might not be in the cards but a state school might have an edge in luring their seniors back for one more chance at glory. It is no surprise that our favorites for the region, Kean and Rowan, are from the NJAC, a state school conference. Add Johns Hopkins to the list of favorites as they have an all division record seven graduate students on their roster. One must not forget Keystone and Marymount who are expected to be dominant in their respective conferences. Misericordia has found their name at the top of the MACF standings over a decade and will relish another trip to the D-III World Series.
Misericordia is scheduled to open on the third weekend in February but a schedule does not a season make. The bulk of the Mid-Atlantic conferences are waiting to see how a spring season can be played in the Covid-19 era. We will not know until March which conferences are going to take the field in 2021.
New Faces
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| Gwynedd Mercy head coach Paul Murphy stepped down following the 2020 season. He turned a college without a baseball team into one of the most successful baseball programs in the Mid-Atlantic Region, qualifying for the conference playoffs a record-setting 19 of 21 seasons. Gwynedd Mercy athletics photo |
Pat Christopher, Juniata: This summer, Juniata announce the appointment of Christopher as the 25th head coach of the team. Christopher comes to Juniata from Heidelberg, where he was the top assistant for the past five seasons. He was involved in all aspects of the program. "The opportunity to lead the Juniata baseball program is a tremendous honor and truly humbling," said Christopher. "A huge thank you to Coach Curley and the search committee for trusting me with the future of JC Baseball. And thank you to Coach Fitzgerald, Coach Palm, and all of the Heidelberg baseball program for preparing me for this over the last five seasons.
Joseph Clancy, Valley Forge: The new head coach at Valley Forge, Clancy previously served as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Eastern from 2017-2020. During his time at Eastern, Clancy assisted with the day-to-day operations of the program while specializing in pitching, player development, operations, fundraising and recruiting. "I could not be more excited to join the Patriot family and to begin my work as the head coach at the University of Valley Forge," Clancy shared. "After all that has transpired recently, I am really looking forward to getting back on a baseball field with these student-athletes and working to advance this program!"
Pete O'Hara, Gwynedd Mercy: O'Hara becomes the second coach in team history for the Griffins replacing long-time skipper Paul Murphy who started the program back in 1999. A local standout, O'Hara enjoyed a prosperous career at nearby Delaware Valley. As an Aggie, O'Hara was a three-time all-conference standout on the diamond who ranks among the leaders in the Delaware Valley record books in several offensive categories. From there, O'Hara spent time as a volunteer assistant with Division I St. Joseph's starting in 2017 and moved into a full-time assistant position in 2018. He also was part of the coaching staffs at his alma mater and Arcadia. "I am incredibly excited for this opportunity to join the Gwynedd Mercy University community. I felt as though this was the absolute right fit for myself and my family, and I would be able to use my skills and background to contribute to the athletic department and the university right away," said O'Hara.
Conference Previews
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| Junior Ryan Maylie (.432, 6 2B, 14 RBI) will see most of his at-bats as designated hitter for the Saints. Photo by Marymount athletics |
Atlantic East Conference: In January, the AEC announced that spring sport scheduling and championships will have priority over moving a fall or winter sport to the spring due to their lost season in 2020 but will meet at future time to discuss if there will be a baseball season. If the season is on the schedule, this could be the year that Marymount (13-6-1) gets their coming out party. Always second fiddle in the Capital Athletic Conference, that changed with a move in 2019 to the AEC. Coach Frank Leoni touts the depth, talent and experience of his 2021 squad. "The 2020 team was on the verge of a 30 win season. If we stay focused, we should be right back in the mix for a conference championship and NCAA berth," said Leoni. Third baseman/designated hitter Bill Wojci (.540, 4 HR, 14 RBI) was named the the Virginia SID Player of the Year as a junior and should be key to the success of the Saints.
Immaculata (6-7), Marywood (5-6), and Cabrini (5-8), Neumann (4-7), Wesley (4-10), and Gwynedd Mercy (3-8) all fell short of the .500 mark in 2020. The good news is that conference tournament has taken the top six teams and only three wins were needed to be guaranteed a spot in the last conference tournament in 2019. Given this low bar to a possible NCAA playoff bid, nobody will be out of the race until the final weekend. This will be the last year a Wesley team will take the field.
FAVORITE: Marymount
Centennial Conference: No Centennial team completed more than 16 games prior to the 2020 season being canceled, with nine of 10 CC squads boasting .500 records or above. Tops of this strong showing is Johns Hopkins (9-3). The Blue Jays have a pretty decent graduate school and can almost run out an all-graduate nine this year. Lost to graduation are Mike Eberle and Chris Festa but some seniors accepted the extra year of eligibility. It is not just the JHU seniors who were accepted to the graduate school but D-I players from who wanted one more season on the diamond. What this gives coach Bob Babb is an extraordinary experienced team. The strength of the team will be on the mound. With 13 pitchers, including all starters from a team which posted a 3.25 ERA, back for another season. Second baseman Matthew Ritchie (.341, 4 HR, 16 RBI) will anchor the offense and defense. Add in three transfers that are expected to bolster the regular lineup and you have all that is needed for a serious title run.
Haverford (7-5) is one of four teams that is getting some early preseason buzz. It will not be easy with key losses to graduation. Starting outfielders Owen Plambeck and Harrison Burns graduated as did first baseman Luke Wallis. Shortstop Will Karp opted to take his extra year to Rice. To replace this production, head coach Dave Beccaria got his own transfer, catcher Zach Buck from Holy Cross, and a quality freshman class. Because of the uncertainty brought about by COVID-19, there will be a shorter season to find the right combinations but Beccaria should have a solution sooner than later.
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Coleson Hebble (.372, 14 RBI, 4 SB) was just a first |
Swarthmore (10-2) and Washington College (11-4) both started strong in 2020 and the Shoremen will be strong contenders for the 2021 CC postseason. Shoreman outfielder Max Ruvo (.490, 6 3B, 22 RBI, 9 SB) was having a monster 2020 season and should continue his production into 2021. His brother Ben Ruvo (.346, 2 2B, 5 RBI) and Chris Baker (.444, 18 RBI, 10 SB) are part of an outfield tandem that will fill the top of the lineup card. A deep pitching staff head by Jonah Frankel (3-0, 0.00 ERA, 21 K) will be another strength. The only downside this year is that All-Region catcher Ryan Zwier graduated and a search for this key position will start with Ryan Colbert. Swarthmore had already decided to skip the 2021 season.
Gettysburg (6-2), Franklin and Marshall (4-4), McDaniel (8-4), Ursinus (8-4), Muhlenberg (6-6), and Dickinson (7-9) round out the rest of the teams in the Centennial. F&M is the fourth team in the Centennial who has been noticed by the critics. You can see the loss of a Jonathan Cole (graduated in 2020) affecting the prospects of a team. Unfortunately, half the lineup graduated as well as the All-American. New freshmen and a pair of D-I transfers will need to be folded into the mix. While it is a young team, there is the talent to compete at the top level.
FAVORITE: Johns Hopkins
Colonial States Athletic Conference: With the conference season TDB, we find Keystone (2-4) as our favorite to advance to the NCAA playoffs. This is an easy prediction since the Giants have been the top team in the conference ever since they joined in 2009. In a year where you see a lot of transfer players, Keystone is keeping with their tradition in accepting a number of junior college players to add to a already talented lineup. Nick Carlini (.304, 2 2B, 5 RBI) is a potential All-American at second base and MLB draft pick. He joins outfielder Adam Kelly (.550, 3 HR, 8 RBI) who will try to duplicate his fast start last year.
St. Elizabeth (2-10), Wilson (7-3), Cairn (6-9), Centenary (4-7), Valley Forge (0-6), and Clarks Summit (0-9) will all be playing for second place, if the season opening pitch is ever made.
FAVORITE: KEYSTONE
Landmark Conference: Conference activities will occur only among member schools that are willing and able to compete and are slated for a March/April start date. Catholic (10-5) is the only Landmark team to get early-season recognition and Susquehanna (6-5) is the defending champion, with a 24-win season in 2019. In the Cardinals COVID-shortened 2020 season, they posted two wins over 2019 NCAA regional opponents while finishing on a five-game win streak. Susquehanna was the favorite to repeat in the Landmark last year and their 2020 record is deceiving as they had a top 20 strength of schedule.
Scranton (2-5), Elizabethtown (8-3), Juniata (7-3), Drew (5-5), and Moravian (5-5) will play for the lower seeds in the 2021 tournament. The Scranton Royals brings back their program's all-time leader in batting average in Connor Hardin (.500, 1 HR, 4 RBI) as well as fellow outfielder Kevin Johnson (.333, 2 RBI, 4 SB). Sophomore right-hander Hunter Ralston (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 K) was a star in his freshman season and will anchor the pitching corps.
FAVORITE: Catholic
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| Lebanon Valley's Chris DeClerico (.500, 2 3B, 9 RBI) was one of five Dutchmen to be named Captains of the 2021 squad. Lebanon Valley athletics photo |
Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth: Lebanon Valley (10-2) last made the conference postseason in 2017 but in 2020 was looking like title contenders. There were taking a nine-game winning streak into a series showdown with Alvernia but COVID-19 turned those games and the rest of the season into cancelations. With six of eight graduating seniors from 2020 enrolled in LVC for graduate school look for them to make an impact in the MACC. One of those taking advantage of another year of eligibility is first baseman Michael Leri (.364, 5 HR, 11 RBI). Joining Leri in the lineup is fellow infielder Conor Smith (.400, 4 2B, 8 RBI). The starting three will all be upperclassmen with Brendan Ward (1-1, 3.45 ERA, 16 K), Kyle Kingsbury (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 16 K), and Tanner Rock (1-0, 0.90 ERA, 15 K) toeing the rubber.
Alvernia (7-5) has been a top three team in the MACC for years and has earned votes in preseason polls along with Lebanon Valley. It has been a long time ago when Hood's Jordan Patterson (2019 stats: .390, 20 RBI, 6-4, 1.99 ERA, 48 K) was named Mid-Atlantic Rookie of the Year (2017) but he is back to bolster Hood (8-3) and their chances for their first NCAA playoff berth. A near miss in 2018, the Blazers will need all hands on deck to overtake to top conference contenders.
Eastern (6-4), Stevenson (7-5), Albright (4-3), Widener (6-5), York (Pa.) (5-5), and Messiah (3-4) round out the rest of the MACC. York will be playing their first conference slate singe joining the MACC, coming over from the conference formerly known as the Capital Athletic Conference. Widener saw their head coach, Adam LaRosa, jump to his alma mater in late January, leaving the reins in Kevin Burdick's hands, the Prides top assistant coach. Burdick will have plenty of reasons to make this a positive season if he wants to eliminate the interim tag next summer.
FAVORITE: Alvernia
Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom: The biggest news in the Freedom this summer was the addition of Lycoming who will field a team in the 2023 season. Less earth shattering is that Misericordia (5-8) is the team to beat in the MACF. If the Cougars have an achilles heel, it is their pitching as Misericordia will be young and inexperienced on the mound. Isaac Snyder (1-1, 1.64 ERA, 3 K) will be the only upperclassman now that Conference Pitcher of the Year Ian McCole has graduated. Centerfielder Shane Hughes (.139, 4 RBI, 1 SB) had a slow start to 2020 but will be looking to get back to 2019 form where he batted .390 as a sophomore.
DeSales (4-8) will be looking for their first NCAA playoff appearance since 2008 and they have all the tools to displace Misericordia. If you ask the DeSales coaching staff, they are high on their ace, John Poccia (3-0, 2.05 ERA, 13 K). The opposition will have a potent lineup with Robby Lamm (.405, 2 HR, 10 RBI) and Thomas Carpenter (.391, 5 RBI) to fear.
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| Jeremy Sabathne, entering his fifth season on the pitching staff for the Knights, was tabbed as a player to watch in 2021. Arcadia athletics photo |
Arcadia (5-7) has been a top team in the MAC since 2016 when Arcadia transformed themselves from cellar dwellers to World Series contenders. Arcadia will be infused with young talent to complement the current roster. Key for the Crusaders is the return of 5th year senior Jeremy Sabathne (2-0, 2.57 ERA, 12 K) to guide the young pitching core. The double play combination of Justin Massielo (.350, 2 HR, 5 RBI) and Alex Madera (.293, 3 RBI, 7 SB) will be something to keep an eye on.
FDU-Florham (7-4), King's (6-4), Wilkes (4-5), Stevens (5-7), and Delaware Valley (2-6) all will be looking for that final seed if the season gets started in this pandemic era. FDU-Florham will be a good bet for the final quartet. They return most of their lineup and a core of starting pitching that will be around for the next two years.
FAVORITE: Misericordia
North Eastern Athletic Conference: Penn State-Harrisburg (7-5) will start 2021 with a preseason national ranking, its second in a row. The Lions saw their 2020 campaign cut short due to COVID-19 after opening the spring with seven victories and playing an early-season schedule that included other nationally ranked opponents. two years ago, they started a championship season in the Capital AC and now in the NEAC, the path is a little easier, not having to face the likes of Salisbury and Christopher Newport.
Second place will be up for grabs by Penn State-Berks (4-6), Penn State-Abington (6-8). Berks was the presumed front-runner for years and responded with five straight conference wins and NCAA playoff berths before losing out in 2019 to Abington. SUNY-Cobleskill (8-5), Penn College (5-5), Wells (4-5), Cazenovia (3-6), Gallaudet (4-8), Lancaster Bible (2-7), and SUNY Poly (0-0) will all be fighting to the final two seeds in the end of the season tourney. Keuka has moved to the Empire 8.
FAVORITE: Penn State-Harrisburg
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| Alex Kokos has been a team capitan for the Profs since 2018. Rowan athletics photo |
New Jersey Athletic Conference: By far the most storied conference in the Mid-Atlantic region and the nation with nine D-III World Series titles by five members of the conference. Rowan (6-0) last hoisted the walnut and bronze trophy back in 1979 when legendary head coach Michael Briglia led the Profs to their second straight title. With every starting position player but one from last year's team, the Profs' offense will potent indeed. Consider that the same story applies to the starting staff and with almost a dozen new recruits on the roster and you have a have a deep team that should be able to compete with anybody in the country. Keep your eye on Alex Kokos (.308, 6 runs, 6 RBI) and Drew Ryback (3-0, 0.47 ERA, 15 K). The Rowan second baseman will need 41 hits this season to break the school record for hits in a career.
Kean (8-2) and William Paterson (8-1) both started the 2020 season strong. Kean, along with Rowan are both ranked in preseason polls but the Pioneers will field a team just as strong and experienced as the conference front-runners. For William Paterson, their strength is the starting pitching staff that returns intact from one that posted a sub 3.00 team ERA. Ian Metzger (3-0, 1.00 ERA, 18 K), Jordan Manne (1-0, 2.25 ERA, 7 K), and Jason Palmeri (Jr., 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 12.0 IP, 15 K, 13 BB) are a formidable combination. Steve Yelin (.455, 4 2B, 6 RBI) and Steven DiGirolamo (.394, 5 2B, 9 RBI) are part of a lineup that returns every 2020 position starter except one.
Ramapo (1-1) and TCNJ (2-4) did not have the same start to the 2020 season the top of the conference. Ramapo opened with a split with St. Joseph (L.I.) and TCNJ lost three straight to a Randolph-Macon team that ended the pandemic shortened season ranked number two. Ramapo will have some inexperience in places, but a lot of unseen talent. Most of the inexperience will be in the pitching staff while the offense will have players battling it out for starting spots. One spot that is secure is an outfield spot for Kyle Buser (2019 stats: .331, 3 HR, 35 RBI) as he a tough out in the field and a leader in the clubhouse.
As you go down the standings, there are a lot of quality in the second half of the conference. Rutgers-Camden (5-1), Stockton (8-3), Montclair State (8-4), Rutgers-Newark (5-6), and New Jersey City (1-9). Look for two of this bunch to make an appearance in the NJAC postseason.
FAVORITE: Rowan