The Huskies are back for the 2010 season and are looking to build on last year's success. The team made its second-ever appearance in the CAA Championship and put up some impressive stats despite being eliminated in two games. But head coach Neil McPhee has brought in a strong class of recruits to sprinkle in with the veteran lineup, giving the Huskies a talented, balanced makeup for the 2010 season. Seniors Dan Zehr, David Gustafson and Frank Compagnone are slated to be tri-captains.
The CAA competition will be perhaps even more brutal than ever before, as the conference has chosen to reduce their playoff teams in many sports, including baseball, to four from the previous number of six. Last year, the Huskies tied for fourth after picking up some crucial wins late in the season against Towson.
Northeastern will again play a 24-game conference schedule built around 25 non-league matchups. The season will kick off in Florida, where the Huskies will play the Boston Red Sox for the seventh year in a row at the Sox' spring training facility at the City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla.. After the nine games in Florida, the team will play three games in Philadelphia before heading back to New England to battle a handful of local foes. Northeastern will then travel to VCU for its first conference set.
The month of April will be crucial for the Huskies as they play 10 conference games while mixing in a few non-conference tilts and the 21st annual baseball Beanpot. The next month will test the Huskies' endurance, as they go up against reigning CAA champion Georgia State for a set of games in Atlanta, as well as a couple three-game series against Delaware and Old Dominion, two other contenders at last year's conference tournament. Absent from this year's schedule are Towson and preseason favorite James Madison.
McPhee and his staff will no doubt have lots of options to work with this year. Multiple returners have experience at more than one position, giving the coaching staff the freedom to experiment and find a combination that clicks.
PITCHING
After losing six seasoned veterans from 2009, the mound is, perhaps, the most impacted part of the Huskies lineup. Right-hander Les Williams (1-3, 3.96 ERA) is making a play to be the Friday starter for the Huskies. He's in contention with lefties Andrew Leenhouts (1-1, 2.37), who had a stellar summer in the ACBL, and JT Ross (5-1, 3.90), a surprise breakout performer his sophomore season looking to solidify his spot in the rotation. The coaching staff is also excited about freshmen Kevin Ferguson and Dylan Maki, who may be able to jump in and contend for starts at the beginning of the season.
In the bullpen, the Huskies are lucky to get back Dan Zehr (2-3, 3.30, 7 saves) for another year as their lead stopper. Zehr's left-handed slot delivery has kept hitters off-balance for years, and coach McPhee is hoping Zehr can work that lefty magic for one more season. Joining Zehr in the bullpen will be senior Charly Bashara (3-1, 2.84), some returning letterwinners and a litany of freshmen looking to contribute what they can from the get-go.
Junior Brandon McNelis will look to improve on last season, and Greg Ferguson, a sophomore, will also look to add more innings. Also coming back for the Huskies will be redshirt freshman Michael Murphy, a right-hander who will most likely spend the bulk of season in the bullpen.
Sam Berg will also try his hand at pitching after playing mostly infield last year. Berg batted .192 in 99 at-bats while posting a glossy .937 fielding percentage, but the coaching staff thinks Berg's arm could be a gold mine.
Joining the Huskies this year will be senior transfer Dave Fioretti, a tall right-hander looking to capitalize on his last year of eligibility. Fioretti went 5-0 in 10 starts in 2009, posting a 4.12 ERA with 55 strikeouts and just 16 walks for Johns Hopkins, the D-III College World Series runners-up. True freshman Matt Novak will also be looking to make a name for himself after leading Central Catholic of Lawrence, Mass. to back-to-back Merrimack Valley Conference championships.
CATCHING
Last year's plate rock Frank Pesanello has run out of eligibility, and the catching spot will be one of the most experimented positions at the outset of the season. Returning are Devin Barry and Tucker Roeder who combined for just 62 at-bats last year. Also looking to compete will be highly touted freshman Jon Leroux, who is coming off a senior season at Auburn (Mass.) High School where he hit .450 with eight home runs.
Also angling for playing time will be redshirt freshman John Puttress.
INFIELD
McPhee's infield should be an interesting blend this season—a massive pool of talent and versatility will be mixed with youth and uncertainty. The only sure bet at the beginning of the season will be junior Ryan Maguire, who hit .295 last season with six home runs, the most of any returner on the team. Maguire spent time at both positions up the middle last season, but is projected to be the full-time shortstop this year.
Second and third base will likely be occupied by freshmen this season. Alan Pastyrnak of Bristol, Conn., will be competing for the job at second while Logan Gillis of Merrimack, N.H. will look to be the stopper at the hot corner. Gillis earned four varsity letters each in hockey and football in addition to five years of baseball, where he was twice named team MVP at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. Pastyrnak is a similarly well-rounded athlete who will bring speed to the base paths. An All-State selection as a soccer forward and a two-time All-State sprinter, Pastyrnak's skills on the diamond earned him a baseball All-State selection and helped his team win two national championships at the Sandlot World Series in Nashville.
At first base, coach McPhee is expecting to have three strong options. Matt Miller, a CAA All-Rookie selection last year, played in 53 games (the majority of which were in right field) and put up some impressive numbers. Miller is the team's returning leader in at-bats, hits, runs, triples and stolen bases, and he's projected to improve on those numbers his sophomore season. Brendan Stokes, a senior with an impressive .440 slugging percentage last year, will split his time between first base and designated hitter. Stokes played most of his games at first base last season where he posted a .983 fielding percentage in 274 putouts. The last possible member of the first base platoon is freshman Kevin Ferguson, an All-League selection last year for Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, N.J. Ferguson will balance first base duties with some pitching chances as he searches to identify his most effective contribution to the team.
Filling in around the infield will be redshirt freshman Jason Roth, a big first baseman capable of putting up power numbers. Sophomore Ryan Kemp, who saw action in 15 games last season, will look to compete at third base again. A trio of freshmen will also look to contribute. Chris Carmain will try to break into the first base platoon and try his hand at pitching, following a stellar 2009 where he won his team's MVP award at St. John's Prep school in Danvers, Mass. Carmain's high school teammate Pete Castoldi is another who will trade in his St. John's Prep uniform for the red and black. Castoldi is a large framed shortstop that should get a few chances on the field this year after batting .600 in his team's 2009 playoff run. Ricky Salvucci of Quincy, Mass. will bring some local flavor to the team while he competes for the second base gig. Salvucci has an impressive résumé on and off the field. He helped lead Quincy High School to two state tournament appearances while holding down leadership positions in the National Honors Society.
OUTFIELD
The outfield will be one of the Huskies' most consistent areas heading into the 2010 season. Senior captains David Gustafon and Frank Compagnone will fill left and center field. Gustafson batted .276 last year with 23 extra-base hits while posting a perfect fielding percentage in center field with zero errors in 128 chances. Gustafson started every game last season and hopes to do the same this year. Compagnone is looking to make some noise this year after he sat out 20 games in 2009 due to the injury bug. Splitting time between the outfield, first base and DH, Compagnone hit .343 (the highest of any returner on the squad) with one home run, nine doubles and 19 RBI in 140 at-bats.
Also returning from an injury-plagued season is senior Tony DiCesare, who plans on reclaiming his spot in right field from last year's successful fill-in, Matt Miller. DiCesare struggled in 2009, but proved to be a major contributor when he hit .281 and slugged .452 over 49 games in 2008.
Joining the three seniors in the outfield will be juniors Chris Guillemette and Jeff Dunlap. Dunlap was a solid option in 2009, batting .269 over 130 at-bats in 44 games. Two left-handed freshmen, Justin Kessler of Hillsborough, N.J. and Sean Lyons of Bedford, N.H. are going to battle for some playing time as well. Lyons batted .462 over four years at Trinity High School in Manchester, N.H., twice earning All-State honors, while Kessler was a 2009 All-County and All-Conference selection at Hillsborough High School in Hillsborough, N.J.
