Boston College Athletics
Baseball Heads To Alabama For Auburn Classic
February 24, 2010 | Baseball
Feb. 24, 2010
The Boston College baseball team will travel to Alabama to take part in the Auburn Classic this weekend. The Eagles will face the host Tigers, Florida Atlantic and Missouri during the trip.
BC opens the weekend with Auburn on Friday night at 6 p.m. CT. The Eagles will then face Florida Atlantic on Saturday and Missouri on Sunday. Both of those games are slated to begin at 11 a.m. CT. Boston College will be the designated home team against the Owls on Saturday.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH UPS (BC listed first)
Friday: LHP Pat Dean (1-0, 2.57) vs. RHP Jon Luke Jacobs (0-1, 7.71)
Saturday: RHP Mike Dennhardt (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Mike Gipson (1-0, 0.00)
Sunday: RHP Andrew Del Colle (0-1, 99.00) vs. LHP Aaron Blunt (0-0, 1.80)
WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST
Friday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the low 30s.
Saturday: Clouds giving way to sun. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 20s.
Sunday: More sun than clouds. Highs in the mid 50s and lows in the mid 30s.
BC TRAVELS TO ALABAMA FOR AUBURN CLASSIC
• The Boston College baseball team, which opened the season 2-1 last weekend at Tulane, will take part in the Auburn Classic from February 26-28.
• The Eagles will play Auburn on Friday night (6 p.m. CT), Florida Atlantic on Saturday (11 a.m.) and then close the tournament with Missouri on Sunday (11 a.m.).
EAGLES TAKE SERIES AT TULANE
• Boston College traveled to New Orleans last weekend and took two of three from the Green Wave at Turchin Stadium.
• The Eagles won the first two games by a combined 20-5. Their starting pitching was dominant in those contests, throwing 14.0 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits.
• The offense was spurred by senior CF Robbie Anston and sophomore INF Anthony Melchionda. Anston hit .429 with four runs, four RBI and a .714 slugging percentage. Melchionda batted .400 with a homer and seven RBI.
• Senior OF John Spatola hit a pair of solo home runs as well.
THE TRAVELS OF A NEW ENGLAND TEAM
• BC will travel nearly 10,000 miles before its first home game on March 23. In fact, approximate numbers by Google Maps puts the number at 9,999 miles.
• Boston College opened the season with a series win at Tulane in New Orleans, La.
• The Eagles head to Auburn this weekend for three games vs. the Tigers, Florida Atlantic and Missouri.
• BC heads back to campus on Sunday from Auburn before leaving for Fort Myers on March 2 to play the Red Sox the following day.
• The Eagles will spend 13 days in Florida with a series at both Florida Atlantic and Florida International before opening ACC play on March 12 at Miami.
• BC will then take bus trips to UConn and Bryant on March 16 and 17, respectively, before traveling to Virginia on the weekend of March 19-21.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
• Junior C/INF Garret Smith started at shortstop in high school and was the starting shortstop last year for BC, but now he is the starting catcher.
• Smith had never caught a game in his life entering the season.
• His defense is needed to replace the loss of All-American Tony Sanchez and his experienced bat is needed as well.
• He is a career .288 hitter and has started 86 games since he arrived on campus in 2008.
MELCH MAKES AN IMPACT
• Sophomore INF Anthony Melchionda, who saw limited time last year as the backup third baseman, started all three games at Tulane at first base.
• He was also the clean-up hitter for the series and produced in that spot.
• He batted .400 in the three games with a team-leading seven RBI. He also hit a home run and stole a base.
• Melchionda had five RBI in his first six at-bats to start the season.
• He had two hits in all three games and had a career-high four RBI in the opener.
WATTY DEBUT
• Freshman C Matt Watson had a solid opening weekend to his collegiate career as the DH.
• The Portland, Maine product went 4-for-8 with a double, a three-run homer and four runs.
• His slugging percentage is 1.000 and his on-base percentage is .556, both tops on the team.
SOLID TO START
• Boston College's starting pitching last Friday and Saturday couldn't have gotten much better.
• The Eagles' starting pitching threw 14.0 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits in the first two games of the series.
• Junior LHP Pat Dean allowed two runs on six hits, struck out eight and walked just one on Friday night. He retired 12-straight batters between the second and fifth innings.
• Sophomore RHP Mike Dennhardt tossed seven innings of two-hit baseball Saturday afternoon. He allowed seven base runners and none of them advanced past second base.
FRESH PEN
• BC used a pair of freshman out of the bullpen last weekend.
• RHP Hunter Gordon and RHP Jay Jeannotte both pitched two innings - Gordon on Saturday and Jeannotte on Sunday.
• Gordon helped BC secure a 12-0 shutout win when he pitched the last two innings and allowed two hits.
• Jeannotte saw mop-up time in the 14-6 finale loss, allowing just one hit.
WISWALL NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
• Junior INF Mickey Wiswall was named to the Baseball America Preseason All-America Second Team.
• A product of nearby Stoneham, Wiswall was an All-ACC Second Team and All-Northeast Region Second Team selection last year.
• He was also named to the Austin Regional and ACC All-Tournament teams. He was one of two players to start all 60 games last season and he has started 107 games in his two years at BC.
• Wiswall led one of the best offenses BC has ever seen in 2009 with 14 home runs, 63 RBI and 141 total bases. His RBI and hit (82) totals rank second in a season in program history and his 14 home runs rank third.
• Wiswall was also second on the team in slugging (.551) and fourth in batting average (.320). He ranked seventh in the ACC in RBI, ninth in homers, 12th in total bases and 15th in hits.
...AND TO THE GOLDEN SPIKES WATCH LIST
• Wiswall was also named one of 50 members to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List, marking USA Baseball's first step toward identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country.
• Sponsored by Major League Baseball, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented in 2010 for the 33rd time.
• On June 1, USA Baseball officials will cut the watch list of players to 30 names.
• The final list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of select professional baseball personnel, past USA Baseball National Team coaches, select members of the media, former USA Baseball sports information directors and current USA Baseball staff.
• Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2010. June 1 will mark the day when college baseball fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player on GoldenSpikesAward.com.
• On June 8, USA Baseball will announce the five finalists and voting will once again commence that same day.
• The 2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award will be presented July 13 on an award show via live telecast from Anaheim on GoldenSpikesAward.com, USABaseball.com and MLB.com in conjunction with All-Star FanFest.
EAGLES PICKED THIRD IN ATLANTIC
• The Boston College baseball team was picked to finish third in the ACC Atlantic Division in a preseason vote of the conference's 12 head coaches.
• The Eagles' third-place pick was the highest they have been voted in the ACC preseason poll since their first season in the league in 2006.
• BC was picked to finish fifth in each of the last three seasons.
• Florida State garnered 10 first-place votes in the Atlantic and is the coaches' pick to win the division. Clemson earned two first-place votes and finished in second. NC State, Wake Forest and Maryland were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
• Defending ACC champion Virginia is the coaches' selection to win the Coastal Division and become the overall champion. It earned 11 first-place votes to win the division and eight to win the entire conference.
• Florida State received three votes to win the ACC and North Carolina had the other vote.
MORAN NAMED TO STOPPER WATCH LIST
• Junior RHP Kevin Moran was named to the initial watch list for the sixth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in the nation.
• Moran, a product of Yarmouthport, Mass., made 26 appearances out of the bullpen in 2009 and emerged as the go-to reliever for BC.
• The fiery righty finished with a 5-2 record and a 2.75 ERA in 52.1 innings of work.
• He allowed 22 runs (16 earned) on 51 hits and struck out 37 while walking 26 batters.
• Moran pitched a perfect ninth inning in the season opener at Tulane with a strikeout.
PUT THE BROOMS AWAY
• For the first time since 2005, Boston College did not get swept in a three-game series in 2009.
• The Eagles won four of the first five ACC series of the season against Florida State, Maryland, NC State and Wake Forest.
• BC lost two games each in series against Clemson, Virginia, Duke, Miami and North Carolina.
A DEEP ROTATION
• Boston College enters the season with numerous proven starters in its rotation.
• Junior LHP Pat Dean will anchor the team in the No. 1 weekend slot. He allowed two runs on six hits, struck out eight and walked just one in his season debut.
• Sophomore RHP Mike Dennhardt has tabbed as the No. 2 starter by head coach Mik Aoki. He tossed seven innings of two-hit baseball last Saturday. He allowed seven base runners and none of them advanced past second base.
• Freshman RHP Andrew Del Colle has been the No. 3 starter for the first two weekends. He had a rough debut at Tulane last Sunday, throwing a third of an inning and giving up seven runs on six hits.
• Junior RHP John Leonard should battle for a spot in the weekend rotation. He was the third guy for most of last year and came on strong at the end of the season. He was a Cape League all-star over the summer with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.
• The place where BC could be the most improved is during the week with numerous options to choose from.
• Senior RHP Dane Clemens came on strong in the fall and spring and sophomore RHP Taylor Lasko has talent and experience.
2009 AT A GLANCE
• Boston College had a number of firsts and bests during the 2009 season.
• The Eagles advanced to their first NCAA postseason since 1967 - a total of 42 years.
• They advanced to their first ACC Championship where they went 2-1 to earn a berth into the Austin Regional.
• Junior C Tony Sanchez was the first All-America first team honoree in school history when Baseball America put him on that list. He was also the first All-ACC first teamer BC has had.
• Sanchez was drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in the MLB First-Year Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the highest any BC player has been drafted in baseball and only football's Matt Ryan (No. 3) has been drafted higher in any other sport.
• Senior CF Robbie Anston broke the single-season hits record and junior INF Mickey Wiswall tied the previous mark. Anston finished with 85 and Wiswall had 82. The previous record was Jared McGuire's 82 hits in 2007.
BIG SHOES TO FILL
• The Eagles will have to replace a few very important pieces that left early for the MLB Draft.
• C Tony Sanchez was drafted fourth overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates - the highest anyone from BC has been drafted.
• Nobody on the Boston College roster had seen time in a game behind the plate going into the season, but junior C/INF Garret Smith has taken over behind the plate.
• LHP/1B Mike Belfiore was drafted by Arizona in Comp Round A (45th overall). He was BC's closer (nine saves) and was an important piece to the lineup (.273, 11 HR, 62 RBI).
• Junior RHP Kevin Moran and sophomore RHP Matt Brazis will be relied on to fill the role in the bullpen and sophomore Anthony Melchionda performed well at first base in the opening series.
• Melchionda hit .400 with a home run and seven RBI.
• Barry Butera, who spent time in RF and in the infield, was drafted in the 21st round by Houston.
• Senior captain John Spatola made the move from first base to right field at Tulane. He hit .364 in the opening series and hit two solo home runs.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
• Boston College ranked third in the ACC and 28th in the nation in fielding percentage last year at .972.
• The only major loss on the diamond, though, was Tony Sanchez behind the plate. He started 58 games last season.
• To help soften the blow, junior Garret Smith has been converted from shortstop to catcher.
• Sophomore Brad Zapenas, who started 52 games at second in 2009, moved to shortstop. Junior Matt Hamlet, who did not commit an error last year, starts at second.
• Junior Mickey Wiswall returned to third and senior captain John Spatola starts in RF.
• The Eagles returned senior CF Robbie Anston, who started every game in 2009.
• Despite the loss of Barry Butera, BC have plenty of options at either side of the outfield, including: Spatola, freshman Matt McGovern, sophomore Andrew Lawrence, senior Mike Sudol and sophomore Marc Perdios.
• The Eagles only committed one error in the field last weekend and that was by backup second baseman Philip Miclat. The other two errors came on errant pick off throws.
SUMMER ALL-STARS
• Six BC baseball players earned all-star accolades in their respective summer leagues last year.
• Junior RHP John Leonard and junior INF Mickey Wiswall played in the Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game at Fenway Park.
• Senior RHP Chris Kowalski was named to the Eastern All-Star Team in the New England Collegiate Baseball League as the team's closer.
• Junior INF Matt Hamlet was named the starting second baseman for the National All-Stars in the Coastal Plains League and served as the team's leadoff hitter.
• Finally, sophomore RHP Matt Brazis and sophomore INF Anthony Melchionda were both all-stars in the Valley Baseball League.
DEAN IS DOMINANT
• Junior LHP Pat Dean earned a spot on the weekend rotation on April 12 of last season and hasn't looked back since.
• Eleven of his last 16 outings on the mound have been quality starts.
• He led the team in 2009 in starts (15), wins (6) and strikeouts (90).
• Dean walked just 16 batters in his 95.1 innings of work as well.
• For the season, Dean had a 3.30 ERA and a 6-4 record.
• He ranked fifth in the ACC in ERA, sixth in innings pitched and seventh in stirkeouts.
HARD TO REPLACE
• BC lost two of its most productive hitters from last season to the draft in Mike Belfiore and Tony Sanchez.
• Belfiore smacked 11 home runs and drove in 62 which ranked third and second on the team, respectively, in 2009. Sanchez belted 14 homers and 63 runs and was third with 51 RBI.
• The Eagles returned junior INF Mickey Wiswall who batted .320 and also had 14 homers and 63 RBI. He batted .214 in the opening series with a homer and five RBI in the three-hole.
• Sophomore INF Anthony Melchionda did his part as the clean-up hitter last weekend, batting .400 with a homer and a team-leading seven RBI.
• Senior captain John Spatola is in the fifth spot in the order and hit .364 with two solo homers at Tulane.
POWER SURGE
• Boston College hit 58 home runs last year - the most since 2000 when it also had 58.
• It also had three players with 10 or more home runs in Mike Belfiore (11), Tony Sanchez (14) and Mickey Wiswall (14).
• The Eagles' three players with double-digit homers was the most in program history.
• BC did not have a player with 10 or more homers since 2002 when it had two.
• Boston College hit 24 round-trippers in 22 games at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field last year. In all of 2008, the Eagles hit just eight out of Shea Field in 21 games.
• The Eagles hit five home runs in their opening series at Tulane.
THE LONGEST GAME
• BC made history when it played the No. 1 national seed Texas in the second game of the Austin Regional at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
• The two teams battled for 25 innings before Texas finally scored in the top of the inning to win, 3-2. It was the longest game in NCAA history.
• Below are a few highlights from the historic evening:
- Both teams received a standing ovation at the conclusion of the game
- It was 96 degrees at first pitch at 6:02 p.m. The game finished at 78 degrees at 1:05 a.m.
- Texas introduced the 21st inning stretch
- There were 683 pitches thrown in the game
- Texas stranded 24 men on base
- There were 11 walks in the game compared to 42 strikeouts
- The 10 p.m. ET game at UC Irvine game started and finished
- BC and Texas combined to set NCAA records with 42 strikeouts, 222 total chances, 69 assists, 192 plate appearances and 171 at-bats.
THE 30-WIN MARK
• The Eagles reached the 30-win mark last season for the first time since 2005 and it was the sixth time they reached that number in program history.
• The Eagles' 34 wins in 2009 was the third-most in program history.
EARLY BIRDS
• The Eagles have made a habit of getting ahead early in the ball game.
• BC scored first in 41 of its 60 games and scored in the first inning 26 times last season.
• The Eagles scored three or more runs 11 of the 26 times they scored in the first inning.
• BC outscored opponents 72-39 in the first inning last year.
• Boston College was 29-12 when it crossed the plate first.
• In the opening series at Tulane last weekend, BC scored first in the first two games and won both of them.
CLUTCH HITTING
• BC had 142 RBI with two outs last season and Mike Belfiore led the team with 33.
• Junior INF Mickey Wiswall was second on the team with 22 two-out RBI and Tony Sanchez had 15.
• A total of 37 percent of the RBI that BC has recorded came with two outs.
• BC recorded 13 two-out RBI against Tulane last weekend. Wiswall and sophomore INF Anthony Melchionda both had four and senior OF Robbie Anston had three.
SMALL BALL
• BC forced the action last season with sacrifices and stolen bases and will do it again this year.
• The Eagles had 73 sacrifice hits in 2009 which led the ACC and was fourth in the nation.
• Miami was second in the conference in the category with 45.
• Twelve different players successfully moved runners along.
• The Eagles were also 41-for-72 when attempting to steal last season.
• Senior CF Robbie Anston led the team with 15 stolen bases on 18 attempts.
• A total of 11 players stole at least one base.
• BC did much of the same at Tulane last weekend, laying down five sacrifice bunts and going 3-for-5 in stolen base attempts.
ANSTON SETS HITS RECORD
• Senior CF Robbie Anston emerged as one of the best leadoff hitters in the ACC last season.
• The Odessa, Fla., product reached base on 57 of 121 opportunities leading off an inning. That is a .471 average.
• Anston racked up 85 hits last season which set the Boston College record.
• He broke Jared McGuire's record of 82 hits in 2005.
• He also scored 55 times which is the fourth-most in a single season at BC.
• Anston finished the season ranked fourth in the ACC in doubles (22), eighth in hit batsman (12), 10th in steals (15), 12th in hits (85) and 20th in on-base percentage (.436) and runs (55).
A LOT OF YUK
• Junior LHP Nate Bayuk came out of nowhere to become a key component of the Boston College bullpen last season.
• The Foxboro, Mass., native had the most appearances with 32. He threw a total of 14.1 innings and allowed five runs on 15 hits.
• In his first four appearances, none of the six runners he inherited scored. For the season, he allowed 14 of 48 inherited runners to score.
• Bayuk came on in relief with one out in the ninth in a bases loaded jam on April 29 vs. Dartmouth. He picked up his first save of the year after striking out the Big Green's two best hitters to end the threat.
• Bayuk appeared in each of the three games in Austin and inherited seven runners. None of them scored.
TEAM BESTS
• The 2009 squad was one of the best offensive teams BC has ever produced.
• The Eagles set program records with 649 hits and 151 doubles and also had the most runs (416) and RBI (380) since 1999.
• BC also has the best team fielding percentage (.972) dating back to 1990. That number was tied for third in the ACC and 22nd nationally.
