Though there have been past trips to the NCAA tournament for the
Bryant baseball team, 2004 will go down as perhaps the best season in
school history. For the Bulldogs not only reached the NCAA
tournament for the fourth time in school history, but punched the
school’s first-ever ticket to the College World Series with a Northeast
Regional Championship.
When the dust had finally settled, the Bulldogs picked up a school record with 40 wins and posted the school’s best team ERA thanks in part to the arm of a junior All-American.
| Baseball Media Guide |
| 2005 Player Bios (pdf) |
| 2005 Coaching Staff (pdf) |
While
Bryant must find a replacement for the graduated B.J. Gagnon, the
Bulldogs that can still get the job done. Here’s a look at how
the Bulldogs shape up heading into the spring season:
INFIELD
Bryant
will lose two infielders: Gagnon and shortstop Kevin Mahoney, but the
Bulldogs will be sound on the corners, thanks to the return of first
baseman Mike Rocco (Tewksbury, Mass.) and third baseman Paul Novakowski
(Prospect, Conn.). Rocco earned Northeast10 Conference Freshman
of the Year honors after hitting .319 and picking up 25 RBIs. In
addition to his offense, Rocco was valuable defensively, setting a new
school record for putouts and committing only five errors in more than
500 plays (.990 fielding percentage).
Anchoring the left side
is Novakowski. In his sophomore season, Novakowski hit .282 with 63
hits and 23 doubles. He was second on the team with three home
runs and drove in 40 runs. But like Rocco, Novakowski has excellent
range in the field defensively that helped make the Bulldogs one of the
top defensive teams in the conference last season.
Junior
Adam Rourke (Rowley, Mass.) will move to the infield and take over at
shortstop for the Bulldogs this season while newcomer Jason Alexander
(Simsbury, Conn.) should challenge to take over for Gagnon at second.
Rourke hit. 251 last season and had 12 stolen bases on the year.
Freshmen Ben Conn (Holden, Mass.) and Adam Vuolo (Walpole, Mass.)
will give the team depth at the infield.
OUTFIELD
The
Bulldogs will return two starters - including a Third Team All-American
in the outfield this season. Senior Mickey Ryan (Lowell, Mass.)
leads the returners in center after hitting a team-best .350 with 77
hits and 27 stolen bases. Named all-American by the ABCA, Ryan is a
valuable leadoff hitter who can find a way to get on base and create
scoring opportunities. In 2004, Ryan was tied for the team lead with 50
runs scored. Tied with Ryan was leftfielder Daryle Crowley
(Danvers, Mass.). Crowley hit .302 with 14 doubles and was the
team’s top slugger with four home runs. Chris Brown (Norwalk,
Conn.) and Chad Valenti (Glastonbury, Conn.) return this season and
will joined by newcomers Mark Dondero (Medfield, Mass.) and Jeff
Fiorini (Westfield, Mass.).
CATCHER
The Bulldogs
will have three veterans back with game experience behind the plate led
by starter Nick Tucarella (Salem, N.H.). Tucarella, a junior, hit
.278 with 13 doubles and three homeruns but his leadership and
defensive skills in working with the Bryant pitching staff proved
critical during the team’s run to the World Series. Tucarella
posted the team’s second-best fielding percentage, committing just four
errors all season long while throwing out 16 runners attempting to
steal during the year. He’ll be backed up by sophomores Chris
Neil (Cambridge, Mass.) and Ryan Doyle (Wakefield, Mass.).
PITCHERS
The
Bulldogs will need to replace 10-game winner Mike Florest who graduated
last spring, but the Bulldogs won’t be short on arms as Bryant welcomes
the return of senior All-American Stephen Sloan (Franklin, Mass.) back
to the lineup this spring.
Sloan, the team's No. 1
pitcher throughout the season, posted an 11-1 record with a conference
leading 1.40 final ERA in earning the NE-10 Pitcher of the Year award.
With an ERA hovering around 1.00 entering postseason play, Sloan
guided the Bulldogs to an impressive win over third-ranked Rollins
College in the opening game of the College World Series and was later
named a First Team ABCA All-American for 2004.
Joining Sloan
in the starting rotation, the Bulldogs will look to sophomore Matt
Gaynor (Hyde Park, N.Y.) and David Rappoli (Wilmington, Mass.) and
Chris Bowser (Danvers, Mass.) to provide a solid rotation of quality
starters.
Rappoli was 6-4 in 15 appearances last season
and he'll be joined by returners Jordan Copes (Windsor Locks, Conn.),
Matt Davis (Tewksbury, Mass.), and Brian Fioretti (Huntington, N.Y.)
are back looking to help provide middle relief and possible gain a few
starts this season.
The Bulldogs will have six newcomers to
the bullpen this season led by sophomore UMass Lowell transfer Mike
Upton (Chelmsford, Mass.) who will join freshmen Brian Cleary (West
Boylston, Mass.), Luke Cowan (Wilton, Conn.), Zack Keckley (Port
Jefferson, N.Y.), Eric Loh (Old Greenwich, Conn.), and Steve Salerno
(Mt. Sinai, N.Y.).
