Feb. 26, 2015
EASTON, Pa - It is not a stretch to say that the Lafayette baseball team has had a lengthy at-bat with Mother Nature in its preparation for the 2015 season.
Ever since snow and ice coated the Kamine Stadium field and forced the team into makeshift baselines on the football stadium's plowed turf, the weather has continued to foul off each of the Leopards' metaphorical pitches.
Head coach Joe Kinney's squad has already endured multiple postponements, cancellations and site changes due to the winter elements, but the ball will finally be put in play this weekend when the Maroon and White travel to Goose Creek, S.C., to begin the 2015 campaign
It's a team that only lost two major contributors to graduation, welcomes back numerous veterans with starting experience, and mixes in several promising freshmen who are expected to start immediately. Add in the fact that Kinney feels this is the healthiest his team has been in three years, and it's hard not to think this squad can snap a two-season Patriot League playoff drought.
"We have the ability on our team to make the playoffs - there's no question about that," Kinney said, "It's time to go out and win."
Here's a breakdown of the team as it hits the road to begin the season on Friday against UMBC.
STARTING PITCHING
The Leopards welcome back three right-handed starters from a year ago in junior Mitch Leeds and sophomores David Bednar and Trevor Houck, who combined to start 23 games and strike out 117 batters over 131.1 innings in 2014. Also returning to the mound is senior left-hander Toby Schwartz, who made two starts early in the season before suffering a forearm strain.
"They're very experienced and have steadily improved," Kinney said of his starting pitchers. "Based on last season and based on the fall, I'd say it's the strength of our team."
Bednar was the strikeout artist last season, fanning more than a batter per inning while limiting opposing hitters to a .204 batting average. Houck led the starters with a 2.48 earned run average and an opponents' batting average of .174, while Leeds was the workhorse, leading all returners with 55.1 innings pitched. Schwartz impressed in his limited time, striking out eight with a 2.45 ERA over 11 frames.
"Starting pitching sets the tone and drives the ship as far as how the game goes," Kinney said. "Pitching is 1 and 1A with baseball and having those guys to rely on is important."
Among freshmen, the one who has made the biggest impression, both figuratively and literally, is 6-foot-10 left-hander John Cain, who could possibly factor into the mid-week rotation at the start of the season.
RELIEF PITCHING
The bullpen will also be a strength for the Leopards and will be anchored by five upperclassmen. That group is headed up by senior righty Cory Spera, who was the named to the All-Patriot League First Team last year after ranking second in the league with a 1.52 earned run average. He had a four-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio and led Leopard relievers with a .235 opponents' batting average while earning a team-high four victories.
"We're obviously looking for big things from Cory, but Connor McMahon is a side-armer who presents a lot of matchup problems because of the way he throws," Kinney said. "He has added some pitches and really took it to another level with a tremendous summer."
McMahon, now a junior who led the team with 17 appearances and three saves in 2014, pitched in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League over the summer and went 4-1 with two saves, 20 strikeouts and a 1.00 ERA while allowing just eight hits over 18 innings pitched.
"I don't have a guy who is designated the closer," Kinney said. "But I have pieces that I can use - both left- and right-handed - and with Connor, a completely different look."
In addition to Spera and McMahon, junior left-handers Ryan Callanan and Ari Kaufman, and senior right-hander Alex Farina, have all had experience. Farina also saved three games last year and according to Kinney, has as good of an arm as anyone on the team. Kaufman made 10 relief appearances with a save in 2014 but also started three times, while Callanan was called upon 13 times.
Other pitchers who figure into long relief or mid-week roles include sophomore Coleman Strohm and freshmen Brendan Ball, Conor Russell and Hadley Stone.
INFIELD
While the Leopards will rely heavily on their pitching staff, they must undoubtedly improve at the plate and in the field.
"Pitching keeps you in the game but you've got to play defense and score runs to win," Kinney said. "Those are two areas that we need to improve upon if we're going to have any kind of success."
Lafayette has a big advantage in accomplishing those goals because of senior Parker Hills, who will spend yet another season behind the dish as the catcher. It is a rare opportunity to have a four-year starter on the team, let alone at arguably the most important position.
Kinney is encouraged by the health of second baseman Jackson Kramer and third baseman Tyler Hudson, both juniors who played hurt as sophomores. Despite being limited in what they could do, they still ranked third and fourth, respectively, on the team in batting average. Kramer ranked second on the team in runs scored and Hudson was third in runs batted in.
First base will be a combination of players led by Schwartz (when he's not pitching) and junior Campbell Lipe. Kinney said he began experimenting with the idea of Schwartz in the field after seeing the plays he was making while shagging balls during batting practice. Schwartz responded with a .462 batting average over eight appearances last year and could be a difference maker in 2015. Lipe, meanwhile, returns from a back injury of his own and may also see time at designated hitter.
Freshman Steven Cohen, the 2014 Interacademic League Player of the Year from Newtown Square, Pa., is penciled in as the starting shortstop, and senior Rob Caliento is said to have made a good jump in the fall and will serve in a backup role.
OUTFIELD
Gone to graduation and leaving the outfield as a bit of an unsolved puzzle is centerfielder Andrew Santomauro, who was near the top of the stat sheet in almost every offensive category.
"Corner outfield will be a combination of who gives us the best chance at improving the offense at any given time," Kinney said.
Statistically, the best returning hitter is sophomore Alex Woinski, who was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American a season ago while also being named to the All-Patriot League Second Team. He batted .326 as a rookie and figures to slot in at either left field or designated hitter on most days, anchoring the middle of the batting order.
One of the main candidates for left or right field will be junior Andrew Landolfi, who made strong offseason improvements offensively and will make the shift after spending his first two seasons as an infielder. Senior co-captain Tim Lazor may factor into a corner outfield spot, though he also spent half of his time as a junior at first base.
Freshman Drew Aherne is the early favorite to play center after earning 2014 All-Met Washington Post honors in high school. The Chevy Chase, Md., native served as the leadoff man in the fall and will likely do so in the spring.
Other players looking for playing time will be senior Brett Thompson, junior Alex Nickles and freshman Luke Robinson.
COACHING/SCHEDULE
Kinney returns for his 16th season as the Lafayette head coach and is again joined by his longtime assistants Gregg Durrah (16th year) and Brandt Godshalk (eighth year).
New to the program is assistant coach Tanner Biagini, who graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 2010 and spent three seasons coaching at the University of Richmond. Kinney said Biagini has been a good fit so far.
"I think Tanner gained instant credibility among our players," Kinney said. "Although our guys wouldn't have played against him, they know the discipline it takes to go to a school like VMI, and they know that Richmond is very similar academically to Lafayette."
The staff also welcomes new director of operations Jeremy Gigliotti.
Kinney said the non-conference schedule is as challenging as he's ever had, and it includes road trips to Delaware, Penn State and The Citadel. The non-conference home opener is scheduled for March 21st against Penn, while the Patriot League opener is set for March 28th against Holy Cross. The Leopards will benefit from having three of the five Patriot League series at Kamine Stadium, including Holy Cross, Army and Lehigh. They will face Navy and league favorite Bucknell on the road.
