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Baseball Season Preview
Feb. 18, 2003
2003 Johns Hopkins Baseball Prospectus
Coming off back-to-back Centennial Conference Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, the Johns Hopkins baseball team enters the 2003 season with expectations of another highly successful year. After finishing the 2002 season ranked 21st with a 35-9 overall record and a 16-2 conference mark, the Blue Jays are ranked 24th in the 2003 ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll. Hopkins ranks 13th among Division III schools in winning percentage (.722, 375-144-1) since the start of the 1990 season and 16th in total wins. In the last two years, JHU has posted a 68-23 (.747) record, including a 29-7 (.805) mark in Centennial games.
While Hopkins loses several key performers, including four All-Centennial selections from last season's squad, head coach Bob Babb returns 16 position players with starting experience and six pitchers who saw action in three or more games. "This is probably the deepest 30-man roster and easily the strongest team I've ever had," Babb states. "I will end up playing a lot of people this spring and I expect a lot of players to make impacts."
Entering his 24th season at JHU, Babb ranks ninth among active NCAA Division III head coaches in winning percentage (.717) and sports a 615-240-8 career record. He earned his 600th career victory last season with a 4-1 win over Franklin & Marshall in the opening game of a doubleheader on April 6, 2002.
Under Babb, the Blue Jays have captured 10 Middle Atlantic Conference Southeast League Titles, seven UAA titles, five Centennial Conference Championships, and made 10 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances.
After setting the school record with 57 home runs and posting a combined .341 average, the offense is once again expected to be the team's strength in 2003. Babb says, "This is the most power we've had in my tenure. We hit 40 home runs during the fall season, while the most we hit in any previous year was 15." The Blue Jays return nine players who hit three or more home runs and 10 players that batted .333 or better. Last season, JHU averaged 9.09 runs per game and scored 10 or more runs in 16 games.
Leading the offense and a talented group of outfielders will be senior co-captain Joe Urban. Urban, who will start in right field, batted .369 in 36 games last year and totaled five home runs with 34 runs batted in. He also registered 35 runs scored, posted a .475 on-base percentage, and was fifth on the team with a .586 slugging percentage. Urban possesses tremendous power (12 career home runs), has an outstanding arm and is a solid baserunner.
Returning to start opposite Urban in left field is junior Craig Cetta. Cetta had a breakthrough season in 2002 as he started 37 games and led the team with 10 doubles, 47 hits and 39 RBIs. A Second-Team All-Centennial selection, he batted .356 in 132 at-bats and was third on the team with nine stolen bases. In addition to being one of the team's top run producers, Cetta is a solid defensive player with good baserunning skills.
Sophomore Paul Winterling is the leading candidate to start in center field. Winterling started seven games and batted .359 in 39 at-bats. He also totaled 10 runs, one home run and 12 runs batted in. Winterling has the potential to be an outstanding player with five-tool skills. He gets the best jump on the ball of all the outfielders and is one of the fastest players on the team.
Senior Jay Cieri, who earned Second-Team All-Centennial honors last year, is expected to get the starting nod at designated hitter. Cieri started 32 games in 2002 and batted .354 in 99 at-bats with a team-high 30 walks and a .508 on-base percentage. He also belted five home runs and was fourth on the team with 35 runs scored.
Junior Brian Morley could also see time in the starting outfield or the designated hitter. Morley played in 23 games making 10 starts and batted .373 with 19 hits in 51 at-bats. He hit four home runs and collected 14 runs scored and 13 runs batted in. Morley, who has improved his defensive skills, can play all three outfield positions and is slated to be the team's emergency catcher.
Joining the competition for playing time in the outfield will be senior T.W. Bruno, junior Rob Morrison and sophomores Eric Nigro and Dave Montegari.
Last season, Morrison saw the most time playing time as he played in 27 games. He scored 24 runs while adding three home runs and nine RBIs in 61 at-bats. He is a solid defensive player, adds some left-handed power and is a key pinch runner.
Bruno, Nigro, and Montegari all saw limited action a year ago, but could see their roles increased in 2003. Bruno played in just two games before suffering a shoulder injury. He may be the fastest player on the team and is one of JHU's best bunters.
Nigro played in eight games and was 4-for-15 with two runs and two runs batted in, but was the leading hitter for the Blue Jays during the fall season. He can hit for average or power and runs well.
Montegari saw time as a designated hitter and as a pitcher a year ago. He recorded a 4.50 ERA with four strikeouts in four innings on the mound, while going 3-for-9 with two home runs and four RBIs at the plate. Montegari's tremendous power will earn him more at-bats this spring. Babb says, "he possesses the best outfield arm of any player I've had at Hopkins."
The infield will be strong with the return of six significant contributors. Junior Carl Ippolito, a First Team All-Centennial performer in 2002, started all 36 games in which he played and batted .333 with 36 runs scored and 38 runs batted in. He belted five home runs while adding eight doubles, three triples and five stolen bases. Ippolito, who had elbow surgery in the fall, is expected to start at shortstop, but can also play second base and third base.
Coming off an exceptional freshman season, sophomore Mike Durgala will start at first base after playing third base a year ago. He was second on the team with a .412 average as he collected 33 hits in 80 at-bats. Durgala crushed four home runs and added six doubles while driving in 21 runs. The strongest Blue Jay in the weight room, Durgala is a nice target at first base with good hands.
Junior Tim Casale is expected to replace Karl Sineath at second base, while sophomore Paul Long will take over at third base. Casale, who had an excellent fall season, has played in 64 games the last two seasons with 31 starts as a second baseman and shortstop. He batted .277 last year with 21 runs, 10 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Casale is an excellent defensive player and has continued to improve at the plate.
Long, who is an exceptional athlete, could develop into an outstanding player for the Blue Jays. As a freshman he saw action in eight games with four starts and batted .353 with six hits in 17 at-bats. He scored five runs while adding one home run and five runs batted in.
Adding power and depth to first base is junior Sven Stafford. Stafford, who doubles as JHU's top relief pitcher, played in 16 games in the field and batted .366 with 15 hits in 41 at-bats. He hit five home runs and totaled nine runs and 15 RBIs.
Sophomore Mike Spiciarich and freshman Gary Rosenberg will compete for playing in the infield. Spiciarich is a versatile player who could see time at second base, shortstop and third base. He was 3-for-6 in six games last year, but will see increased playing time in 2003. Spiciarich improved his strength in the off-season and is also a solid defensive player.
Rosenberg may be the best pure hitter on the team and is steady as a third baseman. Babb says, "He may have the quickest bat of any player I've ever had." Rosenberg was the only Blue Jay that did not strikeout during the fall season.
Splitting time behind the plate will be juniors Doug Hitchner and Bryan Eberle. The best defensive catcher on the team, Hitchner started 20 games and batted .364 with 24 hits in 66 at-bats last year. He hit two home runs, drove in 21 runs and did not commit an error in 101 total chances. Hitchner continues to improve as an offensive player.
Eberle, who had a breakthrough fall, possesses the strongest arm of the catchers. He has displayed good quickness and has improved his power at the plate. Eberle started seven games and collected four hits with one home run, five runs scored and two RBIs.
Sophomore Brian Harris will also compete for playing time behind the plate after belting five home runs this fall and improving defensively. Morley and Winterling have the ability to fill in behind the dish if needed.
The Blue Jays lost several key performers from a pitching staff that posted a 3.44 earned run average and limited opponents to a combined batting average of .228. Included among the departures are two-time All-American Yani Rosenberg and Jason Setty, who posted an 18-2 career record. Babb stated, "we will have nice pitching depth, but we lack a proven stopper like Yani Rosenberg or Scott Orlovsky." He added, "I'm hoping someone will step up and become that stopper."
Senior co-captain Jeremy Brown has the potential to be the dominant starter the Blue Jays need. Brown, who appears to be fully recovered from an elbow injury that shortened his sophomore season, is a fiery competitor on the mound who always wants the ball. Last season he posted a 5-1 mark with a 4.45 ERA in nine starts and 12 games overall. Brown was second on the team with 46 strikeouts in 54.2 innings and allowed an opponent's average of .238. He also registered two complete games, one save and one shutout. Brown pitched six strong innings to earn the win against Kean in the NCAA Regional Tournament last year.
Returning to join Brown in the rotation are juniors Matt Righter and Russ Berger. Righter made four starts in 14 appearances and was 3-2 with a 3.35 ERA. He recorded one complete game, one save and 21 strikeouts in 37.2 innings pitched. Righter continued to improve towards the end of the 2002 season and has the potential to be a top starter for Hopkins. Also a member of the JHU basketball team, Righter might join the team late depending on when the basketball season ends.
Berger pitched in 11 games overall and made nine starts. He went 4-2 with a 3.91 ERA while totaling 28 strikeouts in 48.1 innings. Berger possesses outstanding control with a variety of pitches and is always in control on the mound. He increased his velocity this fall and is ready to make the next step to become a great pitcher.
Three players return with experience out of the bullpen. Stafford, Montegari and sophomore Jason Hochfelder combined for a 3-0 record and 24 relief appearances.
Stafford, the team's closer, has outstanding velocity on his fastball and excellent control. In 12 appearances and 16.1 innings last season, he recorded a 0.55 ERA with 16 strikeouts while allowing just seven hits and a .125 combined average. Stafford, who continues to improve his strength, could also see time as a midweek starter.
Hochfelder pitched in nine games and posted a 1.35 ERA in 13.1 innings. He gave up just seven hits while striking out seven batters. Montegari made three relief appearances and allowed only one hit in four innings. He struck out four batters and registered a 4.50 ERA.
Sophomore Ryan McConnell and freshmen Tim Denning, Jim Flannery, Andrew Bail and Jason Thayer will get a chance to contribute immediately on the mound. McConnell, a transfer from Division II Millersville University, went 2-3 with a 4.66 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 29 innings last year.
Denning has a lot of potential, but is still rehabbing after suffering a shoulder injury during the summer. He pitched well in two appearances during the fall season.
Flannery was one of the team's best pitchers in the fall and is a tough competitor. He possesses good movement on his fastball with excellent quickness.
Bail could see time as a spot starter or out of the bullpen. He has good control, great poise, and knows how to set the hitters up. Bail and Flannery, both lefties, give Babb more moves out of the bullpen. Thayer was very impressive in the fall and will battle for a spot in the starting rotation. He was a member of Team Maryland last spring featuring the top players in the state.
In addition to a tough Centennial slate, the Blue Jays are scheduled to face five teams ranked in the 2003 ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Preseason Top 30. Hopkins opens at No. 29 Salisbury, hosts third-ranked College of New Jersey and No. 20 York College, and faces No. 19 Lakeland and No. 5 Wooster during its trip to Ft. Myers, Florida.
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