Dartmouth Looking to Bounce Back in 2020

Photo by: Mike Janes/Four Seam Images

2/20/2020 10:11:00 AM | Baseball

The Big Green finished 8-13 in the Ivy League last year

By: Rick Bender

For the first time in over a decade, the Dartmouth baseball team won't have to worry about outside expectations.

Not that head coach Bob Whalen has ever concerned himself with what people outside of his program think about his team. All he worries about is how to help prepare his team and get his players better every day.

Depending on which preseason poll one refers to, the Big Green are expected to finish somewhere between fourth (D1Baseball.com) and sixth (Baseball America) in the Ivy League, while the conference media split the difference and had Dartmouth pegged for fifth. This on the heels of a disappointing 2019 campaign that found the Green tied for seventh with an 8-13 record, ending a streak of 11 consecutive seasons with a winning record in league play.

Every team has to deal with the whims of health, but last year's squad had more than its share of injuries to the pitching staff, which in turn thrust untested rookies into prominent roles. As a team, Dartmouth posted an ERA of just over 7.00 last year, its highest since the last time it posted a record under .500 in the Ivy League (2007). But last year's trial by fire is giving the Big Green a deeper staff for 2020 thanks to the development of those young pitchers and the return of others to form.

Anchoring the starting rotation will be sophomore right-hander Justin Murray (2-5, 5.93), who took the ball every weekend in Ivy League play as a rookie. He exhibited excellent control, walking just 11 batters in almost 55 innings while leading the team with 32 strikeouts, plus kept the ball in the yard as he surrendered only three home runs. Murray is expected to start the final game of a weekend as he will play on the infield the first two games to take advantage of his athleticism and strong bat as well.

Nathan Skinner (3-6, 5.96) is another sophomore right-hander who saw plenty of action last year as a weekend starter. He also did a good job throwing strikes, walking only three batters per nine innings, and did not uncork even one wild pitch while keeping opponents to a .288 average. Although an injury slowed his preseason a bit, he should be ready to step back into his starting role by the time Ivy League play begins.

The third starter will be determined during the first month of the season, but senior right-hander Austen Michel (3-2, 3.38, 7 saves in 2018) is a strong candidate to fill the role. An All-Ivy Second Team reliever as a sophomore, Michel missed nearly the entire spring last year while battling a mysterious ailment. But the co-captain is back to his bulldog ways on the mound, throwing strikes and baffling hitters with his big curve.

Left-hander Trystan Sarcone (0-2, 9.64) is another pitcher who could get starting assignments. He showed flashes of his ability last year, striking out over eight per nine innings, but was held back with occasional bouts with control. He has been on target leading up to the spring season and should see improvement across the board in control and effectiveness.

Senior Alec Vaules (2-3, 6.88) took on the role of mid-week starter last year — even starting an Ivy League game — and provided valuable innings for the Big Green with road wins over Quinnipiac and Siena. The walk-on right-hander can fill any role needed, from spot starter to long relief to finishing out games, making him an invaluable tool for Coach Whalen.

The star of the bullpen is junior southpaw Max Hunter (1-0, 3.98, 4 saves), an All-Ivy Second Team selection last year. He is incredibly difficult to hit, as his .165 opponents' average last year attests, and is another in a long line of strike throwers for the Big Green (24 strikeouts, 10 walks, 31.2 innings). He is not limited to one inning as some closers are; half of his appearances spanned at least four outs and lasted as long as four innings. If the game is on the line and six outs are still needed, Whalen won't hesitate to go to Hunter.

Hunter isn't the only reliable option in the pen, however. Whalen has a nice righty-lefty tandem in junior Jonah Jenkins (2-2, 6.91, 1 save) and senior Michael Parsons (1-0, 7.40). After a couple of rough early outings in 2019, Jenkins consistently got some big outs, like his five shutout innings against Penn and two perfect frames versus Princeton. Parsons was particularly effective in the first half of last season but is ready to finish his career with a flourish.

A wildcard addition to the relieving corps is senior Blake Crossing. Last year the infielder was pressed into mop-up duty a few times and impressed with his velocity and accuracy. After a summer of double-duty, the sight of Crossing trotting in from second base to the mound could become commonplace.

We haven't even touched on the talented freshmen on the staff. Although right-hander Ernest Adendorff (6-4, 210, Moorpark, Calif.) is on the shelf for the season, Dartmouth still has young hurlers who will get opportunities on the mound, particularly LHP Luke Carpenter (6-1, 185, Charlotte, N.C.) and RHP Jack Metzger (6-4, 195, Powell, Ohio). Another RHP, Will Shepherd (6-4, 220, Atlantic Beach, Fla.) has the size to project as a power pitcher, but is working his way back from an injury.

Positionally, Dartmouth has a few spots to fill with the graduation of four of the team's top hitters from a year ago, three of whom earned All-Ivy honors. Three of the four infield spots are in transition, starting with Crossing (.243/.374/.271) at second base. A switch-hitter and co-captain, Crossing is an on-base machine at the plate, spraying balls all over the field with a good eye that has allowed him to draw 43 walks over the last two seasons. Primarily used as a designated hitter in those two years, Crossing is taking over at the keystone for his senior campaign.

Sliding over to shortstop is sophomore Bryce Daniel (.195/.340/.220) after getting a dozen starts between the two middle infield spots a year ago. Never one to shy away from a big moment, Daniel will be front and center on defense, showing off his range and hands, while his speed and quickness will translate well to his offensive game.

Murray spent most of his rookie season on the mound, but did get 12 plate appearances. This year, he takes over at third base when he isn't pitching, but can slot in at either middle infield position as well. At the dish, Murray provides surprising pop and a discerning eye, making him a fit just about anywhere in the lineup.

When Murray is pitching, however, the Big Green will need someone else to man the hot corner, which will give opportunities to a pair of freshmen — Connor Bertsch (6-4, 200, West Roxbury, Mass.) and Peter O'Toole (6-3, 205, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.). Both are expected to develop into solid college players, which they will get to prove in their rookie auditions.

Over at first base, Dartmouth will be manned by a committee, with whomever is hitting and healthy seeing the most action. Junior Ubaldo Lopez (.254/.384/.525), who was listed as the 92nd best Division I hitter returning this season by D1Baseball.com, is working his way back to health. His power bat is a valuable commodity in the Big Green lineup, and finding a place for it will be important to the team's fortunes.

Then there is senior Michael Calamari (.246/.276/.351) who has manned the position most often the past two years. The left-handed hitter from South Carolina is looking to finish off his career on a high note after struggling most of his junior season. One thing is certain when Calamari is at the plate — he will put the bat on the ball. What Dartmouth needs is for that contact to be hard line drives on a more consistent basis.

Junior Oliver Campbell (.143,/200/.214) is another option at first. Last fall, he started to show off his prodigious power potential while making more consistent contact. If he can continue those trends, Coach Whalen will find time for him in the lineup.

Center field will be covered by senior Trevor Johnson (.191/.282/.309). Health has held this son of former big leaguer Mark Johnson back the past two seasons, but he is back to 100 percent and ready to show the talent he flashed as a freshman when he had an on-base percentage of .387, hit four homers and stole 17-of-19 bases. His range in the field has never suffered as he can track down most anything from gap to gap.

The corner outfield spots are not quite settled with a number of players vying for time. There is sophomore Kade Kretzschmar (.132/.258/.151) who started 16 games as a rookie last year and showed marked improvement in a collegiate summer league. Two seniors — Eric Stolt and Henry Eilen — could get looks in the green expanses of Red Rolfe Field at Biondi Park. Stolt is a terrific athlete with a strong arm while Eilen has never been able to quite get past the injury bug.

Junior Jordan Bustabad (.250/.250/1.000) is a walk-on who saw limited action in his first year on the team but is a solid defender with good bat speed, as he demonstrated when he crushed a three-run homer in his first collegiate at-bat. Add in a pair of talented freshmen to the mix in Kolton Freeman (6-2, 205, Laguna Beach, Calif.) and James House (6-2, 185, Houston, Texas) and the competition for those spots will be fierce.

The Big Green are a little short when it comes to the tools of ignorance, which probably shouldn't be a surprise at an Ivy League school. Health issues caused junior Bennett McCaskill to hang up his spikes, leaving sophomore Ben Rice (.278/.346/.431) and junior Logan Adams (.225/.347/.425) to split the catching duties this year. Both are solid defenders (Rice threw out nine of 17 base stealers as a rookie) and have shown power at the plate, which will make for a possible platoon tandem with Rice batting from the left side and Adams the right. But should a situation arise in which a third catcher is needed, Bustabad can strap on the equipment in a pinch.

No one player will strictly serve as the designated hitter. One of the first basemen could end up there, Crossing could reprise his role from the past two years, or an outfielder could be slotted in at DH. Having options to mix and match the lineup with the best available talent will be important for the Big Green throughout the season.

Dartmouth opens up the 2020 campaign in Florida at the Snowbird Classic, beginning with a strong Indiana State team, followed by a doubleheader with Chicago State and the finale versus Omaha. Following a terrific test in a three-game series at ACC power Virginia, the Big Green return to the Sunshine State for a four-game set with Hofstra and solitary games with Bradley and Bethune-Cookman.

The Ivy League slate gets started as soon as Dartmouth returns from the spring break trip, beginning with a three-game series at Penn on March 21-22, the earliest start to conference play ever for the Big Green. The home opener follows when Quinnipiac comes to town on March 25 for the earliest home game in program history.

Dartmouth did not get any favors from the league office with three of its first four conference series taking place on the road. Following three-game sets in Hanover versus Brown and Columbia to end April, the regular season comes to a close at Cornell on May 2-3. Should the Big Green be one of the top two teams in the league standings at that point, they will play in the Ivy League Championship Series, a three-games series to decide which team gets an automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals.