Baseball Season Outlook for 2010

3/1/2010 3:00:00 PM | Baseball

By: Dartmouth

Head coach Bob Whalen and his Dartmouth Big Green enter the 2010 season with the bull's-eye planted squarely on their backs. The defending Ivy League champions were picked by Baseball America to successfully defend their title and selected not just six players for the preseason all-conference team, but also a sweep of the league's postseason awards.

For Coach Whalen, a consecutive conference championship — accomplished just twice by Dartmouth since the EIBL (the precursor to the Ivy League) formed in 1930 — is hardly a forgone conclusion.

“Given the competition in our division, we will have to consistently play as well as we can in order to have the opportunity to defend our title,” Whalen stated. “The other division will be very strong as well, and Cornell was quite impressive in the championship series last year. And while our entire pitching staff is intact, there are some important offensive pieces that are no longer here. We will have to get some of our production from new sources.”

One of those offensive pieces to which Whalen referred is the 2009 Ivy League Player of the Year and Blair Bat Award winner, Nick Santomauro. The sweet-swinging outfielder not only hit .372 with eight homers and 40 RBIs in his junior campaign, but also a whopping .473 against Ivy competition. When the New York Mets called his name in the 10th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, Santomauro jumped at the opportunity to play professional ball.

Santomauro is not the only missing cog of an offensive machine that scored a school-record 341 runs. First-team All-Ivy designated hitter Ray Allen graduated after a terrific season at the plate, leading the team with 10 homers, 44 RBIs and a .601 slugging percentage. At first base, Mike Pagliarulo earned second-team honors after stroking the bat to the tune of a .340 average, six homers and 40 RBIs. The opposite corner of the diamond featured Johnathon Santopadre, whose .322 average, five homers and .434 on-base percentage ticketed him for All-Ivy honorable mention.

Senior Captain Robert Young

With those four big offensive contributors gone, as well as the catching tandem of Kyle Evans and Jack Monahan, and you can understand Whalen's concerns. So let us focus first on what is considered the team's greatest strength: pitching.

STARTING PITCHERS
Dartmouth rolled out the same four starters for every Ivy weekend last year with great success. The top three are expected to continue in this role, but there will be competition for the fourth slot.

The unquestioned leader of the staff is senior captain Robert Young (5-4, 5.63 in 2009). As a junior, Young took the hill for the first Ivy game of the weekend, predictably squaring off against the other team's best hurler. The southpaw flourished in this role, going 4-1 with a team-best 3.51 ERA in league play, completing three games. Unflappable on the mound, Young works both sides of the plate with his entire repertoire.

“When you combine quality stuff with great command and a strong understanding of how to pitch, you get a pitcher like Robert,” commented Whalen. “The other guys know he will give them a chance to win the game, and that is a great way to set the tone for a conference weekend.”

Sophomore Kyle Hendricks

Another senior, right-hander Ben Murray (6-1, 5.27), provides a great contrast to Young for the second game of a doubleheader. Murray is a control artist on a team that led the country in fewest walks per nine innings last year, effectively working the corners and staying out of the middle of the zone. Because he works efficiently, he has the ability to go deep into a ball game and preserve the bullpen.

While sophomore Kyle Hendricks (6-3, 4.84)gets the ball for the third conference game, he has the ability of a number one, as attested to by Baseball America which selected him as the Preseason Ivy Pitcher of the Year. He tied Murray for the team lead with six wins a year ago, going 5-0 in his five league starts before winning the clinching game of the Ivy Championship with 7.1 shutout innings. The right-hander can overpower hitters with his low-90s heat or fluster them with his off-speed arsenal.

That leaves the incumbent, sophomore Cole Sulser (3-2, 8.66), to battle with a group of left-handers for the final weekend spot. Sulser, who led the team in strikeouts per nine innings hurled quality starts in three of his five Ivy assignments, fanning at least six in four of them.

Junior Colin Britton (3-2, 5.87) was the main mid-week starter a year ago, but missed the fall season with an injury. How that will affect the lefty this spring is yet to be determined. Two freshman southpaws in Kyle Hunter (Palm City, Fla.) and Michael Johnson (Georgetown, Mass.) are also in the mix either for that weekend slot or as a starter against non-conference competition.

There is also a wild card in the staff deck, that being junior Jake Pruner (4-3, 9.28 in 2008). After working as a weekend starter in his freshman campaign, Pruner missed last season due to Tommy John surgery. How well he bounces back from his injury will dictate his opportunities to break back into the starting rotation.

Junior Ryan Smith

RELIEVERS
When discussing the Big Green bullpen, the first name that comes up is junior Ryan Smith (2-3, 5.88, 11 saves). The closer led the Ivy League in saves, breaking his own Dartmouth record and setting a new career standard at the college as well with 18 saves in his first two seasons. With Smith as a safeguard to close out games, he brings great peace of mind to the Dartmouth squad.

“With Ryan you get a pitcher that thrives in the big moment,” said Whalen. “He will go right after hitters and throw strikes (just four walks in 33.2 innings last year), and his slider gives him that out pitch a closer needs. Most importantly, on the rare occasion when he has a poor outing, he has shown he can put it behind him and get the job done the next time out.”

Emerging as a solid set-up man last year was junior Dan Ternowchek (0-0, 5.79, 2 saves). The sinker-balling righty peppers the strike zone as evidenced by his 28 innings in 2009 without issuing a walk.

Taking on the role of a possible swing man is sophomore Max Langford (1-2, 9.19). He continued to improve his velocity and breaking ball this past fall, but it his command that will dictate how much time he sees on the mound. Another right-handed option will be freshman Spencer Venegas (Costa Mesa, Calif.), who comes from prep powerhouse Mater Dei.

Sophomore Marco Mariscal (1-1, 8.05) provides balance among the relievers, pitching from the port side. Not only can he be utilized as a lefty specialist, but he can provide long relief as well. Mariscal finished his rookie season well with just one run allowed in his last six innings over three appearances. And should Hunter and/or Johnson not break into the rotation, Coach Whalen will be blessed with great strategic options.

INFIELDERS

Double-play combo Joe Sclafani (right) and Jeff Onstott

There really aren't any questions about how Coach Whalen will align his middle infield, what with the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year at short and an All-Ivy second-team performer at second. The corner positions, however, will feature new faces.

It's hard to imagine how sophomore Joe Sclafani (.339 average/.417 on-base/.477 slugging) could have improved upon his first season. Not only did he lead the league in runs scored and triples, he also gobbled up just about every grounder that came his way, posting a Dartmouth-record 162 assists to lead the conference as well. Baseball America believes that Sclafani will be even better as a sophomore, being named the Preseason Ivy Player of the Year.

“Having a player at the top of the lineup that handles the bat exceptionally well from both sides of the plate, plus provides great defense at one of the most difficult positions on the diamond is a great luxury,” Whalen said. “Joe does all that and demonstrates with his actions the right away to go about playing this game.”

Sclafani's double-play partner will be junior Jeff Onstott (.308/.427/.497), who recovered from a bit of a slow start to hit .350 after the calendar turned to April. Another switch-hitter, Onstott has the most discerning eye in the Ivy League having led the loop with 29 walks last year. But he is at his best with runners on base, leading the team in both of his first two seasons with an average of at least .400. In the field, Onstott is quick on the pivot and was a big reason Dartmouth set a school record for double plays turned.

Over at first base, junior Jason Brooks (.185/.290/.222 in 31 plate appearances) will get the opportunity to win the job with the graduation of Pagliarulo. He has the size to develop into a power threat, but is more of a line-drive hitter. This past summer, he displayed that ability by hitting .356 with 12 doubles in 118 at-bats in the California Collegiate League.

The hot corner has several candidates vying for the starting post vacated by the graduated Santopadre, notably a trio of freshmen — Zack Bellenger (Grapevine, Texas), Ennis Coble (Atlanta, Ga.) and Matt Peterson (Berkeley, Calif.) — along with senior Ezra Josephson (.189/.211/.243 in 38 PA).
Bellenger missed out on his senior season of high school ball due to an injury, but he came back to post a solid summer before arriving on campus. A solid glove with a strong arm, he is well-suited to perform the duties at third. Coble, a left-handed hitter, has the athleticism to play just about anywhere on the field, and he comes from the highly regarded East Cobb program. Peterson also has good actions in the field and will at the very least serve as a back-up to Sclafani at shortstop.

The veteran Josephson has been a very useful utility infielder for Coach Whalen, filling in where needed at second, short or third. That versatility is invaluable to the team, and as a left-handed swinger, he could work his way into a possible platoon with one of the right-handed freshmen.

Senior Jim Wren

OUTFIELDERS
The Big Green have five outfielders back from last year's team, headlined by senior Jim Wren (.325/.374/.506), an All-Ivy first team selection in left field. Wren is a pure hitter with the ability to hit the ball with authority to all fields. He also has a penchant for the dramatic, providing numerous clutch hits last year while leading the squad with 27 two-out RBIs. Wren will be planted in the middle of the batting order, but whether he will reprise his role in left or serve as the designated hitter remains to be seen.

Another senior, Brett Gardner (.314/.419/.500), will likely move over from his center field spot to replace Santomauro in right field. In the field he combines good speed with a strong, accurate arm that should make opposing runners think twice about taking an extra base on him. His bat blossomed as a junior, hitting for average and some power, and he can also swipe an occasional base.

Center field could end up being the domain of sophomore Jake Carlson (.269/.359/.358), who started 17 games and played in 22 others, generally as a defensive sub. He enjoyed a fine summer, leading the entire Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League with a .412 average. With his speed on the bases and in the field, Carlson is the top candidate to hold down the position.

If Wren ends up serving as the DH, that leaves left field open for any of sophomore David Turnbull (.158/.256/.263 in 43 PA), junior Sam Bean (.235/.316/.235 in 19 PA) or the rookie Coble. Turnbull is a switch-hitter with base-stealing capability, but must demonstrate more consistent contact at the plate. Bean, a quality defensive outfielder, will get a chance to show his improvement at the plate. While Coble was an infielder throughout high school, his athleticism would translate well to the outfield if his bat forces the issue.

CATCHER

Junior Brandon Parks

While Dartmouth lost four All-Ivy players from last year's lineup, the transition at catcher may have the most impact on this club. Monahan spent the better part of his four seasons behind the dish, guiding the pitchers through the rigors of the Ivy season. His defensive value was inestimable, but considering he did not commit an error in his last 576 chances dating back to his freshman year, it's safe to say his presence will be missed. And even when Monahan wasn't catching, Evans generally was, providing some quality at-bats and solid defense as well (no errors in 115 chances last year).

There is still one catching holdover, however, in the person of junior Brandon Parks (.136/.200/.136 in 25 PA), who is very familiar with the system and has a good feel for the game. He is capable of more at the plate than he showed in his limited chances last year, but defense is the main concern at this position for Coach Whalen.

A pair of rookie catchers join the squad this year with a chance to establish themselves as well. Chris O'Dowd (Cherry Hills Village, Colo.) was labeled as the top newcomer in the Ivy League by Baseball America, and he has the pedigree to go along with that honor (father is Colorado Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd). A switch-hitter with pop from both sides of the plate, O'Dowd is a student of the game and will get a long look as the possible starter.

Chad Piersma (Sioux City, Iowa) will vie for the job as well. A long, lean catcher at 6-4 and 200 pounds, Piersma was a three-sport athlete in high school, and is fundamentally behind the plate. He will make the competition at the position a three-man battle. If needed, he could also move over to first base, giving Coach Whalen some added versatility in his roster.