2019 Boston College Baseball
February 13, 2019 | Baseball
A position-by-position breakdown of the entire 2019 roster.
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Following back-to-back postseason appearances, including a 2016 NCAA Super Regional run, the Boston College baseball team entered a spring of uncertainty a year ago. This year, the Eagles are no longer strangers in their own home as they will close in on a full calendar year playing at the Harrington Athletics Village by the time BC's home opener come to Brighton against Siena on Wednesday, March 20.
Boston College opened its new stadium in dramatic fashion last season. March 20, 2018 was not only the date of the Eagles' first game on their home turf, but also the first day the Eagles stepped foot on the field since its completion. The game went well into the night; an 18-inning affair won by the visiting Northeastern Huskies, 7-4. BC picked up its first win on its new field three days later; 7-4 over Virginia Tech. The Eagles even claimed the series the following day on a walk-off grand slam by Dante Baldelli.
The 1,000-seat, AstroTurt®-covered, Musco LED-lit field became the permanent home of the Eagles the rest of the season and hosted the first BC fall ball season throughout the first semester in preparation of the coming 2019 season. Boston College is coming off a 17-32 campaign in 2018 and opened play at Jackson State on Friday, Feb. 15 under ninth-year head coach Mike Gambino.
BC returns 19 letterwinners, including seven starting position players and three starting pitchers. Senior left-hander Dan Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) anchors the BC lineup and returned after being selected by the New York Yankees in the 2018 MLB Draft. The Boston College lineup is led by top hitter Brian Dempsey (Potomac, Md.), who hit .319, and All-ACC Third Team outfielder Chris Galland (Sudbury, Mass.).
The Eagles welcomed 11 student-athletes to its class of 2022 last fall. BC added six pitchers and five position players from a class with a footprint that stretches from Massachusetts to California.
Returning with midweek starting experience are junior right-hander Matt Gill (Simsbury, Conn.) and senior right-hander Jack Nelson (Sparta, N.J.). Gill will be called upon to serve in a weekend spot this season after going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in six starts and eight relief appearances last season. Nelson, who is 7-2 in his career, went 1-1 with a 5.53 ERA a season ago.
The BC bullpen returns 135 of 146 relief appearances from 2018, including three senior righties. Thomas Lane (Georgetown, Mass.) made a team-high 30 appearances last season with a 3-5 record, three saves and 4.53 ERA as he held opponents to a .158 batting average across 45.2 innings. Sean Hughes (Williamsburg, Va.) pitched in a career-high 20 games with a 3.24 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 16.2 innings. John Witkowski (Melrose, Mass.) spent a stint of the 2018 season as the BC closer and collected two saves. He was 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA in 17 games.
Graduate lefty Carmen Giampetruzzi (Manchester, N.H.) comes back to the Eagles' bullpen after being shut down four games into his senior season for shoulder surgery. He has pitched in 31 career games, including 16 in 2017 with a 3.66 ERA. Senior Zach Stromberg (Lafayette, Calif.) provides another veteran presence from the left side. He has pitched in 55 career games, including four starts, and has the ability to impact BC out of the bullpen and in the rotation. Stromberg posted a team-best 2.96 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 27.1 innings last season.
Additional returning right-handers looking to impact the pitching staff are redshirt-junior Austin Batchelor (Peabody, Mass.), redshirt-sophomores Mikey Giordano (Orlando, Fla.) and Michael Marzonie (Greenwich, Conn.) and redshirt-freshman Nick Couhig (Falmouth, Mass.).
Redshirt-sophomore Joey Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) and sophomore Will Hesslink (Shelburne, Vt.) add returning depth to the left side. Walsh, who pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer, returned from Tommy John to pitch in 18 games last season. Hesslink appeared in nine games as a rookie, while holding opponents to a .225 average.
The Eagles added four new righties for this season, including Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.), who was ranked as the No. 364 draft prospect by Baseball America last summer. Travis Lane (Georgetown, Mass.), Thomas' younger brother, Joe Mancini (Fairfield, Conn.) and Emmet Sheehan (Darien, Conn.) could all be called on to get outs early in their careers. New lefties Ryan Smith (Tarrytown, N.Y.) and Samrath Singh (West Windsor, N.J.) will also be in the mix out of the bullpen.
Providing depth behind the plate is freshman Peter Burns (Reading, Mass.); a left-handed bat that hit .401 in his career at Austin Prep. Redshirt-sophomore Aaron Soucy (Brooklyn, Conn.), a strong defensive option behind the plate, looks to return from a season-ending injury early in 2018. The Eagles will be without junior Jake Goodreau (Southwick, Mass.), who underwent surgery and began treatment for thyroid cancer in the preseason.
A career .275 hitter, senior Jake Alu (Hamilton, N.J.) held down third base last season and returns to that spot looking to bounce back into the .331 hitter he was as a sophomore in 2017. Junior Jack Cunningham (South Riding, Va.) hit .243 last season and is poised to solidify the first base position. He drove in 34 runs, while playing first and right field in 2018.
Four freshmen will see playing time on the Eagles' infield this year. Cody Morissette (Exeter, N.H.) and Sal Frelick (Lexington, Mass.) will earn starts at second base. Morissette was a three-time All-State selection in New Hampshire and Frelick, who will provide depth at third and in the outfield, was named the top prospect in the Futures League this past summer.
Ramon Jimenez (Chicopee, Mass.) will contribute at both corner infield positions. Lucas Stalman (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) will get on the field in a super-utility role with the ability to play the outfield, infield and catch.
Junior center fielder Dante Baldelli (Cumberland, R.I.) saw his batting average jump 150 points as a sophomore. He added 29 runs and 19 stolen bases with a .359 OBP. Junior right fielder Joe Suozzi (Glen Cove, N.Y.) emerged midway through last season with his first start on April 7 and went on to hit .250 with a .368 slugging percentage in 25 games played in his first season with BC.
Providing outfield depth are redshirt-junior Connor Bacon (Hudson, Mass.) and junior Jacob Yish (Byfield, Mass.). Bacon, a left-handed hitter, missed all of 2017 and has played in just nine career games. Yish has made 34 career starts and has 26 career hits.
Boston College opened its new stadium in dramatic fashion last season. March 20, 2018 was not only the date of the Eagles' first game on their home turf, but also the first day the Eagles stepped foot on the field since its completion. The game went well into the night; an 18-inning affair won by the visiting Northeastern Huskies, 7-4. BC picked up its first win on its new field three days later; 7-4 over Virginia Tech. The Eagles even claimed the series the following day on a walk-off grand slam by Dante Baldelli.
The 1,000-seat, AstroTurt®-covered, Musco LED-lit field became the permanent home of the Eagles the rest of the season and hosted the first BC fall ball season throughout the first semester in preparation of the coming 2019 season. Boston College is coming off a 17-32 campaign in 2018 and opened play at Jackson State on Friday, Feb. 15 under ninth-year head coach Mike Gambino.
BC returns 19 letterwinners, including seven starting position players and three starting pitchers. Senior left-hander Dan Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) anchors the BC lineup and returned after being selected by the New York Yankees in the 2018 MLB Draft. The Boston College lineup is led by top hitter Brian Dempsey (Potomac, Md.), who hit .319, and All-ACC Third Team outfielder Chris Galland (Sudbury, Mass.).
The Eagles welcomed 11 student-athletes to its class of 2022 last fall. BC added six pitchers and five position players from a class with a footprint that stretches from Massachusetts to California.
PITCHERS
Metzdorf has been a mainstay in the Boston College rotation for the last two seasons; occupying the Saturday role last year. He posted a record of just 1-8 as a junior with a 5.74 earned run average and 61 strikeouts in 69 innings. Despite earning only one win, Metzdorf offered up an eight-inning, 13-strikeout no-decision vs. Virginia Tech, an eight-inning, one-run no-decision vs. Pittsburgh, a seven-inning, two-run loss to Wake Forest and an eight-inning shutout win at Notre Dame.Returning with midweek starting experience are junior right-hander Matt Gill (Simsbury, Conn.) and senior right-hander Jack Nelson (Sparta, N.J.). Gill will be called upon to serve in a weekend spot this season after going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in six starts and eight relief appearances last season. Nelson, who is 7-2 in his career, went 1-1 with a 5.53 ERA a season ago.
The BC bullpen returns 135 of 146 relief appearances from 2018, including three senior righties. Thomas Lane (Georgetown, Mass.) made a team-high 30 appearances last season with a 3-5 record, three saves and 4.53 ERA as he held opponents to a .158 batting average across 45.2 innings. Sean Hughes (Williamsburg, Va.) pitched in a career-high 20 games with a 3.24 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 16.2 innings. John Witkowski (Melrose, Mass.) spent a stint of the 2018 season as the BC closer and collected two saves. He was 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA in 17 games.
Graduate lefty Carmen Giampetruzzi (Manchester, N.H.) comes back to the Eagles' bullpen after being shut down four games into his senior season for shoulder surgery. He has pitched in 31 career games, including 16 in 2017 with a 3.66 ERA. Senior Zach Stromberg (Lafayette, Calif.) provides another veteran presence from the left side. He has pitched in 55 career games, including four starts, and has the ability to impact BC out of the bullpen and in the rotation. Stromberg posted a team-best 2.96 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 27.1 innings last season.
Additional returning right-handers looking to impact the pitching staff are redshirt-junior Austin Batchelor (Peabody, Mass.), redshirt-sophomores Mikey Giordano (Orlando, Fla.) and Michael Marzonie (Greenwich, Conn.) and redshirt-freshman Nick Couhig (Falmouth, Mass.).
Redshirt-sophomore Joey Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) and sophomore Will Hesslink (Shelburne, Vt.) add returning depth to the left side. Walsh, who pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer, returned from Tommy John to pitch in 18 games last season. Hesslink appeared in nine games as a rookie, while holding opponents to a .225 average.
The Eagles added four new righties for this season, including Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.), who was ranked as the No. 364 draft prospect by Baseball America last summer. Travis Lane (Georgetown, Mass.), Thomas' younger brother, Joe Mancini (Fairfield, Conn.) and Emmet Sheehan (Darien, Conn.) could all be called on to get outs early in their careers. New lefties Ryan Smith (Tarrytown, N.Y.) and Samrath Singh (West Windsor, N.J.) will also be in the mix out of the bullpen.
CATCHERS
A two-year starter behind the dish, senior Gian Martellini (Johnston, R.I.) anchors the Eagles' catching unit once again. He hit .230 and slugged .374 with 15 extra-base hits, including four home runs last season. Over the summer, Martellini helped the Wareham Gatemen to a Cape League title as he hit .276 with 10 RBI in 19 games.Providing depth behind the plate is freshman Peter Burns (Reading, Mass.); a left-handed bat that hit .401 in his career at Austin Prep. Redshirt-sophomore Aaron Soucy (Brooklyn, Conn.), a strong defensive option behind the plate, looks to return from a season-ending injury early in 2018. The Eagles will be without junior Jake Goodreau (Southwick, Mass.), who underwent surgery and began treatment for thyroid cancer in the preseason.
INFIELDERS
Dempsey moved from third base to second base for his sophomore season and this year will look to shift back to the left side and take over as the starting shortstop. He was 89 career hits in 98 games, including 90 starts. Last season, Dempsey owned a .414 on-base percentage, stole seven bases and laid down 12 sacrifice-bunts.A career .275 hitter, senior Jake Alu (Hamilton, N.J.) held down third base last season and returns to that spot looking to bounce back into the .331 hitter he was as a sophomore in 2017. Junior Jack Cunningham (South Riding, Va.) hit .243 last season and is poised to solidify the first base position. He drove in 34 runs, while playing first and right field in 2018.
Four freshmen will see playing time on the Eagles' infield this year. Cody Morissette (Exeter, N.H.) and Sal Frelick (Lexington, Mass.) will earn starts at second base. Morissette was a three-time All-State selection in New Hampshire and Frelick, who will provide depth at third and in the outfield, was named the top prospect in the Futures League this past summer.
Ramon Jimenez (Chicopee, Mass.) will contribute at both corner infield positions. Lucas Stalman (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) will get on the field in a super-utility role with the ability to play the outfield, infield and catch.
OUTFIELDERS
Galland hit .316 with a .801 OPS as the Eagles' freshman left fielder. He scored 36 runs and stole a Boston College-record 28 bases. Galland became the first player in program history to earn both All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman in the same season.Junior center fielder Dante Baldelli (Cumberland, R.I.) saw his batting average jump 150 points as a sophomore. He added 29 runs and 19 stolen bases with a .359 OBP. Junior right fielder Joe Suozzi (Glen Cove, N.Y.) emerged midway through last season with his first start on April 7 and went on to hit .250 with a .368 slugging percentage in 25 games played in his first season with BC.
Providing outfield depth are redshirt-junior Connor Bacon (Hudson, Mass.) and junior Jacob Yish (Byfield, Mass.). Bacon, a left-handed hitter, missed all of 2017 and has played in just nine career games. Yish has made 34 career starts and has 26 career hits.
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