BB: General New England Discussion

[bball13]

I agree with Bostonian.  Pretty much the same team as last year just with new seniors and a new freshman class.  They play station to station baseball and look for clutch two out hits when they need them (and often times they get them).  Last year they didn't blow many teams out of the water, they just beat them in close games in the late innings.  Have to give credit to Coach Podbelski and how he can get a bunch of guys, especially guys that used to be studs in their high school just as on every other team, to play such an unselfish game of baseball.  Granted Wheaton has games where they put up a large number of runs but usually just a game of where the pitcher gives a solid 6, 7, 8 innings they get a couple runs and have their bullpen close it out.  Not to many other teams do this in New England and the nation for that matter

[Bostonian]

Their pitching depth is fantastic...I'd say only Eastern CT has that type of depth with starters and relievers.

[bball13]

I would agree.  Econn brings 20 pitchers listed on their roster 14 of which are sophmores on up to seniors, and 6 being freshman.  Some of them are listed as position players as well, I don't know them well enough to know which of them actually get alot of innings or who comes in a big situation. Wheaton has 12 pitchers and returns 9 of them who were on the team that made the run to nationals last year.  I know that Wheaton designates pitchers as pitchers at that's it, so even though Econn may have more guys with quality stuff, I just didn't know if all of them actually through or if they are just used in emergency situations.  I would agree with the depth of both staffs just think that Wheaton has more experience within their staff than Econn, but that's overlooking the fact that I don't know who their real starters and main relievers are or were for that matter.

[Bostonian]

They are the same, experience wise...EConn only lost 1 pitcher from last year...and I would also say their guys throw harder, in general, which means little but should be noted. Esposito and Lavorgna are both 87-91 guys, and I believe they anchor the bullpen.

The only pitcher they have that sees any time off the mound is Gilblair, and I believe he only DH's.

Still, they are definitely 1 and 1a in terms of NE pitching staffs. I think So. Maine is supposed to be healthy this year, so they might be #3. Trinity should also be mentioned because Kiely and Rappaport are helthy again.

[bball13]

Wheaton beats U-Mass Dartmouth 12-2 today.  It was 3-2 going into the 9th but a 9 run inning put Wheaton over the top.  Guess that pitching depth really does mean something

[Bostonian]

ECSU beat WNEC today, 4-3...doesn't look like ECSU has the offensive horses they had last year.

[soxfan42585]

WNEC is an excellent pitching team. so to say that is unjust

[Bostonian]

Didn't meanto denigrate WNEC's pitching...I meant that I didn't see alot of the offensive studs in the ECSU lineup that I saw last year...it seems they lost a lot of their lineup to graduation.

[soxfan42585]

Very true.  I am unfamiliar with ECSU but can speak on WNEC- they are a good team- but beatable.

Any big games in the New England region that will be tests for teams- you know, the games circled on the calander?

42585

[Bostonian]

Trinity-Bowdoin and Williams-Middlebury this weekend in the NESCAC...Bowdoin looks very, very young, and Trinity has whooped on the weaker NE teams. Middlebury is Jekyll and Hyde. They can look great and then get swept by Oberlin. Both teams have big time offenses so expect fireworks...

[363dp]

Bowdoin is not very, very young. They do have two freshmen that are playing a lot, catcher and cf/lf, but the majority of the contributors are seniors and juniors.

[RedDevils36]

However, Bowdoin lost numerous horses.

Jared Lemieux
Trevor Powers
Marc Bulger
Ricky LeClerc

[Bostonian]

I shouldn't have said young...inexperienced is a better word...where has Driscoll been? I don't think he's thrown an inning yet...

[Old Spartan]

All the past stats are available on the web site.  By my calculations, Bowdoin lost 5 of its pitchers to graduation.  These seniors accounted for 227 of the total 330 innings pitched, just under 70%.  Seven players batted above 300, graduation took 4 of those guys.  Graduation leads to opportunities for the next generation's stars, but it makes it hard to predict the future.  I have not done the same analysis for other teams, but may travel to Waltham to see tomorrow's double header.

OS

[kscer]

Any big games in the New England region that will be tests for teams- you know, the games circled on the calander?

Look at Rhode Island College/Keene State for an indication of what's going on in the LEC.