After a frustrating 2006 season in which the Cards went 13-19-1 and failed to qualify for the NESCAC tournament, the baseball team is looking to rebound with a robust and productive season in 2007. Although the team lost several key players to graduation last May, including the legendary and Baltimore-banned Jeff Maier ’06, Wesleyan’s all-time hits leader, the preseason has been characterized by a feeling of hopefulness.
“[Our optimism] stems from our veteran leadership, talented newcomers, and from an off-season during which everyone worked very hard,” said John DelGiudice ’07. “We have several seniors who will make a large impact this year, but by no means will we rely solely on them to achieve our goal of winning the NESCAC.”
On defense the Cards look very strong. The infield sports two seniors on the corners and two returning starters up the middle. Shortstop Drew Dominguez ’09 Alex Mautone ’07, who is transitioning from shortstop to third base, will man the left side of the infield.
Two-year starter Daniel “P-town” Poniatowski ’08 will play second base while the first base slot is still up for grabs. The incoming class will certainly see some time as Brice Kelly ’10, Nick Gonsalves ’10, and Jeff Beck ’10 all have a lot to contribute.
Behind the plate, the Cards also have a lot of talent, with veterans Adam Kopiec ’07 and Chris Graceffa ’07 likely handling most of the heavy lifting while Jeff Bizinkauskas ’10 and Adam Gomez ’10 will be strong additions.
The outfield looks formidable as well, despite losing the defensive prowess of both Anthony Gray ’06 and Jesse Leavitt ’06 to graduation. The veteran leadership of Rob Coughlin ’07 and DelGiudice should help ease the transition of both Chris Simpson ’08, and Chris Arvanites ’09 to regular spots in the outfield.
The exceptional freshman class will be a boon to an already impressive pitching staff. On the mound, the Cards will return some quality hurlers: Kit Tholen ’08, Louis Gabel ’08, and Dusty Mones ’09 will all certainly have a strong impact on how the Cards fare this season.
Last season, Tholen was second on the team with a 3.18 ERA, and finished with a 2-3 record, while Gabel sat on a 4.98 ERA and a 2-4 record. Mones was especially impressive last year, holding opponents to a .244 batting average in nearly 40 innings pitched.
The rookie pitchers seem to be capable squad as Michael “Boater” Cifuentes ’10, Andrew Jaycox ’10, Sean Carroll ’10, and Nick Turner ’10 will all seek to make an immediate impact.
“Our pitching staff will be the team’s backbone,” Gabel said. “With eight players returning and the addition of the strong freshman class we will have a very deep pitching staff.”
The Cards are also poised to make a noticeable impact with the bat despite losing some production to graduation. Last season, Simpson was a key offensive force for the Cards, banging out a .622 slugging percentage and a .351 batting average to go with 17 extra-base hits, best on the team.
Chris Waelsch ’07, who hit .395 in 17 games last season, is the front-runner for the DH spot.
“We did lose a lot of offensive firepower with the graduation of Jeff Maier and Alex Brooks [’06], but I still think as a team we will be an offensive force,” said Gabel. “With Chris Simpson anchoring the lineup and defensive wizard Daniel Poniatowski swinging the bat well, we should score some runs.”
Wesleyan is set to kick off the season with a trip to Georgia for five games between March 10 and 13. The Cardinals will then travel across the country to California for a series of eight games in as many days. The home opener is set for March 29 against Coast Guard.
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