|
| Endicott is stocked and ready to make it a three-peat - making the D-III World Series for the third time in as many years. d3photography photo by Steve Frommell |
By Jim Dixon,
D3sports.com
There was a time that one looked at the top of the Little East for the favorites in the region and Mass-Boston and Eastern Connecticut State have teams that could make a long run in the NCAA Playoffs.
This is not that time. The No. 3 Endicott Gulls have firmly established themselves as the Regional favorite and would be a top team in any region with the squad they bring into 2025. While Bridgewater State has established themselves at the top of the MASCAC, they are a dark horse candidate to make the final round for the first time since 1997.
New Faces
|
| For the first time in 40 years, Southern Maine has a new head coach as Scott Heath replaces Hall of Fame coach Ed Flaherty who retired after 39 seasons in Gorham with a record of 1133-532-4. Maine Athletics photo |
Shane Demers, Gordon - Demers, a Gordon graduate returned to Wenham this past summer after a one-year coaching stint at Brown University to become first an assistant coach and now the program's head coach. "I am extremely excited to guide these talented young men in their walk with Christ while developing their skills, character, and passion for baseball, said Demers. "I am committed to growing this program both spiritually and athletically, instilling the values of integrity, discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. I look forward to challenging each player to reach their full potential, focusing on skill development, mental toughness, and the pursuit of excellence." Prior to Brown, Demers worked for Trackman Baseball as a Baseball Data Operations Intern, collecting data from MILB and NCAA games as well as video annotating. While pursuing his undergraduate degrees in Recreation, Sport, and Wellness and Business Administration, Demers interned for the New Britain Bees in game day operations in 2022.
Scott Heath, Southern Maine - Heath has been named the 10th head coach in the 71-year history of the storied Southern Maine Huskies baseball program. A native of Westbrook, Maine and a former all-conference player for the University of Maine, Heath replaces Hall of Fame coach Ed Flaherty who retired after 39 seasons in Gorham with a record of 1133-532-4, including a pair of NCAA Division III National Championship wins. "I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be the next leader of the University of Southern Maine Baseball Program," noted Heath. "I am honored to follow Coach Ed Flaherty, one of the greatest coaches in NCAA history. I am looking forward to continuing the success and development of the student-athletes on and off the field. I am excited to continue my involvement with the Maine Baseball Community where I call home."
Conference Previews
Conference of New England - The biggest news in the CNE is that it has a new name as it dropped the Commonwealth Coast Conference name in August. Endicott (47-4) rolled through the conference tournament, the NCAA playoffs and as the No 1 team, finished their World Series 1-2. The Gulls are ready to return to East Lake, Ohio and have a team that can do just that. The straw that stirs the drink is 1B/OF Danny MacDougall (.309, 9 HR, 42 RBI, 48 SB). He has all the baseball tools and as a senior co-captain, counted on for his experience in big games and leadership qualities. The pitching is in better shape with the likes of John Connolly (8-0, 3.13 ERA, 69K), Charlie Hale (8-0, 3.27 ERA, 58K) and Brady Stuart (5-1, 3.79 ERA, 56K) getting the ball. With a bullpen filled with players like juniors Evan Scully (3-0, 4 saves, 0.89 ERA, 39K) and Kyan Bagshaw (4-0, 4 saves, 1.93 ERA, 39K), head coach Bryan Haley will have a wealth of options how to secure a win. While the lineup is set, there will be plenty of players from a 22 man recruiting class that will be folded into the team for success today and tomorrow.
Nichols (29-13) made a quick exit in the conference tourney as the No. 4 seed. Johnny Knox and Brennan Hyde earned degrees and are off the 2025 squad. The Bisons will have a senior pair of quality starting pitchers in John Steed (5-2, 4.06 ERA, 28K) and Clark Churchill (7-4, 3.27 ERA, 40K) with Churchill spending some time in the bullpen as well. For the offense, the best returning players are seniors Andrew Croteau (.324, 5 2B, 25 RBI) and Ben Jerome (.384, 5 2B, 27 RBI, 35 SB). Roger Williams (24-13-1) has had quite the run, winning 20 games in three of the last four season. Unfortunately, their success has been overshadowed by their conference mate Endicott. Louie Mosca (5-2, 3.74 ERA, 51K) and JT Gunzy (3-1, 3.52 ERA, 36K) will be back in the pitching rotation this spring. Owen Hibbard (.357, 2 HR, 34 RBI) and Ty Cali (.304, 3 3B, 24 RBI) are the top offensive threats.
Suffolk (26-17), Western New England (24-20), and Wentworth (21-19) all made the tournament in 2024 with Western New England making it all the way the championship game. Suffolk will have a good amount of returners back, despite losing three all-Region performers. The Rams added 13 new players as they build off a competitive 26 win season in 2024. Alex Sorenti-Burns (.309, 8 HR, 44 RBI) is back in the outfield for a fifth year, and should be a strong presence in the middle of the order. On the mound, senior Pierce Salbego (6-1, 5.88 ERA, 49K) is the best pitcher for Suffolk. Western New England was a senior led team in 2024 and if they cannot bring a number of those players along for one more year, they will be rebuilding from the returning and recruited players. The one conference All-Star back is John Bova (.362, 4 HR, 39 RBI).
|
| Mariano Jimenez was an All-Little East selection in the outfield in 2024. Mass-Boston athletics photo |
Gordon (9-30), Hartford (11-24-1), and Curry (6-30) had to settle without a shot at the conference auto bid. Gordon is playing catch-up, not having a head coach until mid-January as part of their own Coaching Carousel. Shane Demers has taken the reins and he knows the team's best player well - his brother CJ Demers (.341, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 18 SB). Curry had a single player earn All-CNE honors but he finished his eligibility. With almost a dozen seniors on the team, the Colonels have a chance to improve finish in the conference. Hartford will be in their second season at the D3 level and will be led by a trio of team captains: junior JJ Romatzick (injured in 2024), junior Michael Featherstone (1-2, 2 saves, 4.76 ERA, 27K) and senior Jake Santiago (.452, 4 HR, 37 RBI).
Little East Conference: Mass-Boston (27-16) entered the conference tournament as the top seed and lost in extra innings to Mass-Dartmouth in the LEC title game. Their non-conference schedule did not merit an invite to the NCAA playoffs in 2024 so the Beacons saw their season come to a end too soon. With almost the entire offense is back with more experience, don't expect any drop in the Beacons ability to score runs. Justin Gouevia (.371, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 23 SB), Bostyn Burris (.335, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 17 SB) and Mariano Jimenez (.305, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 18 SB) highlight this returning offense. UMB added some very good young arms who should help right away. If the defense gels, this is a team that can go all the way.
Eastern Connecticut (29-15) was a second seed in the conference tournament and a third place finisher but when at-large bids to the NCAA playoffs were awarded, they skipped ahead of Mass-Boston for one of the coveted Pool C bids. The Warriors return all but two key position starters and all but two key pitchers. Nathan Furino (7-0, 1 save, 1.35 ERA, 54K) is one of the top relievers in the Region and if starters Matthew Wootton (4-3, 3.18 ERA, 70K) and Dan Driscoll (4-3, 4.55 ERA, 80K) get in trouble, is in position to lock in the win. Putting runs on board will be the job of Ray Leonzi (.333, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 14 SB), Josh Cofrancesco (.327, 1 HR, 34 RBI) and Hank Penders (.299, 4 HR, 29 RBI). ECSU will be in the mix for both a conference title and regional wins as well.
Mass-Dartmouth (25-20-1) won the Little East tournament with a 4-0 record and matched their highest win total since 2018. A 1-2 record in the regional round ended the season but the experience should prove useful if they get this far in 2025. Adam Maher (6-3, 3.45 ERA, 84K) and Devyn Vezina (.385, 3 HR, 43 RBI, 14 SB) were part of the junior class in 2024 and were named to All-Region teams following the season. Aiden O'Donnell (3-0, 2 saves, 2.17 ERA, 37K) was also named to an All-Region team and should be the top pitcher in the bullpen. With key players back and a team that returns 60% of their roster, the Corsairs have a shot at repeating their success in 2025.
Southern Maine (17-21), Keene State (21-22), and Rhode Island College (16-19) all have had good seasons in the past and are looking to restoring the glory years for their program. The Keene State coaching staff is glad that they finally have a veteran group to start the season. Their junior class has played a lot and developed physically and mentally over the course of the past two+ years and the best example is the play of OF Tommy Ahlers (.316, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 12 SB). Owls head coach Justin Blood likes the depth of the 2025 squad both positionally and with the combinations of pitchers that can utilize. Rhode Island is led by Daniel Trzepacz (.359, 8 HR, 36 RBI) who had a great season in 2024 and will be looking to build on it and improve for his final season. The Southern Maine Huskies will look to a change in the head coaching position to change their fortunes.
Castleton (10-30), Plymouth State (9-20), and Western Connecticut (8-27) all finished out of the conference tourney. Castleton returns a solid group with competitive back ups. While they are expected to be better, the team is still not where they need to be for a conference championship drive. Senior OF Jackson Cardozo (.365, 3 HR, 20 RBI) will anchor the offense with newcomers Mason Meincke (transferring) and Kelton Klemcke (freshman recruit) adding speed and range to the defense. Pitching should be competitive with increased depth and will give the team a chance to win more games this year.
|
| Starting pitcher Trey Yesu led the Bridgewater State Bears in innings pitched, complete games, strikeouts and WHIP in 2024. Bridgewater State athletics photo |
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference: It was not long ago when asking about the playoff prospects for Bridgewater State (26-16) the answer was: No. Times have changed and the Bears are riding high as the top team in the MASCAC. The Bears will have a very good top half of the lineup and if the new guys can lengthen it, it will be a really good lineup. At the front end of the offense will be Scott Emerson (.345, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 21 SB), Kevin Lindsay (.373, 24 RBI, 12 SB) and Ryan Flaherty (.359, 6 HR, 45 RBI). Look for newcomers Brendan Flaven and Jamie Luna to get some early at-bats. On the pitching side the news is just as good. Bridgewater State has a some really good arms and the deepest bullpen in many a year. Trey Yesu (6-2, 2.84 ERA, 56K) and Shane Handrahan (5-1, 5.70 ERA, 40K) will front the pitching staff with CJ Hess (0-1, 1 save, 2.93 ERA, 13K) and Nick Reiser (1-2, 2 saves, 4.73 ERA, 30K) in the bullpen.
Salem State (23-15) made a deep run in the conference tournament but lost twice to Bridgewater State and saw their season end. Cam Smith, Brock Pare and Mark Smith were the only representatives for the Vikings in the All-MASCAC team and only Smith is back for one more go. Smith (6-1, 2.16 ERA, 29K) was the MASCAC Rookie of the Year and should be delivering wins for Salem State for years to come. Good news for Smith is that fellow sophomore Antonio Belgrove (.319, 76 3B, 25 RBI) also had a solid year in his first season in a Vikings uniform. MASCAC Coach of the Year Andrew Gummow will have some holes to fill but a solid core to build around.
Framingham State (16-19) and Westfield State (27-16) were unable to share in MASCAC glory despite quality 2024 seasons. Westfield State is going to be able to score runs in 2024. A healthy Dan Burnett and Sam Palmer (.333, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 25 SB) will contribute at the top of the order and the return of Nick Marshall is going to be key to wins all season. The young players on the bench are talented and will compete to get on the field. The pitching staff, led by Colton Vasseur (5-2, 3.49 ERA, 20K) and Sean McNamara (3-4, 6.16, 40K), should continue to contribute to the Owls' success. Framingham State will see the loss of the MASCAC Player of the Year but four offensive ALL-MASCAC players return: Lucas Basile (.363, 1 HR, 24 RBI), Jeancarlos Espinal (.346, 334 RBI), Daniel Robichaud (.394, 6 HR, 35 RBI) and Dane Frellick (.400, 1 HR, 221 RBI).
Massachusetts Maritime (17-21), Worcester State (11-28), Fitchburg State (13-25), and Massachusetts College (5-31) round out the rest of the MASCAC. Worcester State was the only bottom seed to win in the conference play-in series and proceeded to go 0-2 in the double elimination round. The sole All-MASCAC player for Worcester State was Ben Smith (4-4, 2.75 ERA, 76K) and the pitcher is back for one more season. Mass-Maritime will be looking to get back into conference tournament contentions with a young team with a lot of core pieces. Infielder Brett Velzis (.364, 5 HR, 36 RBI) will be back for his graduate season, bringing a lot to the lineup as one of best hitters for the past three seasons. Defensive whiz AJ Pietrafesa (.400, 5 HR, 31 RBI) is also back with an eye on a graduate degree. Senior Brenden Baiardi (0-3, 4 saves, 4.31 ERA, 23K) will be adding to his school record for saves every time he locks down a win.
University Athletic Association: Brandeis (6-31) occupied the bottom of the UAA standings and 2024 was not a season to remember. Individual accolades also were missing as none of the Judges were selected to the All-UAA team. Brandeis will be looking to change their direction with the addition of 16 first year players. The top two batters, Eddie Zanor (.290, 5 HR, 23 RBI) and Jake Freed (.276, 4 HR, 15 RBI), are back but the opposite is true of the pitching staff. The only pitchers with more than 25 innings pitched are Andrew Tringe (0-8, 11.13 ERA,, 41K) and Daniel Skourides (0-3, 5.91 ERA, 21K). This might not be the Judges' year but they could be rebuilding to something better.