Baseball – 2014 Preview: Barnegat
Barnegat Bengals
Head Coach: Dan McCoy, third season
Record Last Year: 8-14 (6-8, sixth in B South)
Returning Starters | Yr. | Position | 2013 Batting Stats | 2013 Pitching Stats |
Nik Fraim | Jr. | C | .387/.443/.581, 9 2B, 1 HR, 13 R, 8 RBI | |
Ryan Ulrich | Sr. | OF/P | .293/.364/.379, 5 2B, 12 R, 5 RBI, 5 SB | 18.1 IP, 22 H, 8 BB, 17 K, 3.42 ERA, 0-3 |
Joe Letinski | Sr. | OF | .286/.377/.429, 4 2B, 2 3B, 5 R, 6 RBI, 8 SB | 1.1 IP, 0 H, 4 BB, 0 K, 3 ER |
Connor Hoeler | Sr. | 2B | .286/.344/.321, 1 2B, 3 R | |
Marcus Nasce | Sr. | 3B | .194/.244/.355, 5 2B, 5 R, 4 RBI | |
Seamus Brazil | Jr. | P | 0-for-10 | 31.2 IP, 21 H, 12 BB, 26 K, 1.76 ERA, 3-0 |
Jason Groome | So. | P/1B | .172/.242/.172, 3 RBI | 26.1 IP, 25 H, 13 BB, 31 K, 2.14 ERA, 3-1 |
Returning Players | Yr. | Position | 2013 Batting Stats | 2013 Pitching Stats |
Collen O'Connor | So. | OF | .467/.500/.533, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB | |
Ed Rogan | Jr. | 1B | .239/.333/.283, 2 2B, 6 RBI | |
Matt Wolfgang | Sr. | SS | 0-for-11 | 7 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 2.00 ERA |
Garrett Waszkiewicz | Sr. | OF | 2-for-9 | |
Jared Kacso | So. | SS | .250/.348/.300, 1 2B, 4 R |
Key Losses: Justin Chasmar (SS), Rob DeSanti (2B/P), Zak O’Connor (1B), Chris Keesser (P), Adam Tynan (1B/P)
Key Newcomers: Tyler Hubley (Jr., RHP), Aaron McLaughlin (Fr., INF), Matt Owens (Sr., 3B), Justin Geduldick (So., OF)
Team Outlook
Jackson Liberty and Central look like the clear No. 1 and 2 in some order, but Barnegat will be worth keeping an eye on in B South. Although they lose two of their top offensive players from last season in shortstop Justin Chasmar and second baseman Rob DeSanti, the Bengals return the bulk of their young, up-and-coming pitching staff along with a handful of position players who made progress last year. Junior Seamus Brazil and sophomore Jason Groome emerged as Barnegat’s top two pitchers last year as a sophomore-freshman combination, and they will have a chance to remain a one-two punch for two more years. They will be pitching to junior catcher Nik Fraim, who has been starting since his freshman year and hit .387 with a home run and nine doubles as a sophomore last season.
Senior outfielders Ryan Ulrich and Joe Letinski are also back after each hit a little under .300 with extra-base power, giving Barnegat three proven hitters in the middle of the order. Senior Conor Hoeler played second base when DeSanti pitched and hit .286, while sophomore Jared Kacso held his own as a freshman shortstop in sparse action. Senior Marcus Nasce and sophomore Collen O’Connor also flashed potential at the plate, with Nasce hitting five doubles despite a .194 average and O’Connor hitting .467 in a limited number of at-bats.
While Barnegat seems like it might be a year away when compared to the top two teams, it’s possible the Bengals are ready to break out now. With Brazil, Groome and Ulrich on the mound and Fraim behind the plate, Barnegat is going to have an advantage in the battery in a lot of games. It may not be enough to beat Division I arms like DiPiazza or Serreino, but it is enough to pick those teams off if they don’t face an ace. Every coach wants a dominant pitcher to ride in the postseason, but having some depth and two young pitchers with potential to get better is not a bad formula either.