Birdball Ready to Hit the Ground Running
February 10, 2020 | Baseball
Boston College baseball opens 2020 season this week in Florida.
The Boston College baseball team was playing at its best in the final weeks of the 2019 season and finished on the bubble of a regional bid after reaching the first ACC semifinal in program history. The Eagles are coming off a 31-27 campaign, which ended with back-to-back series wins over Virginia Tech and Notre Dame before upsetting Clemson and No. 7 Louisville at the ACC Championship. A semifinal appearance against No. 17 North Carolina gave BC a shot at extending its season, which ultimately came to an end on selection Monday when the NCAA field of 64 was announced with the Eagles on the outside looking in.
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BC was hungry to continue playing in 2019 and looks to carry that momentum into 2020 with seven starters returning to the lineup and a trifecta of sophomores coming off freshman All-America seasons in outfielder Sal Frelick, infielder Cody Morissette and pitcher Mason Pelio. The Eagles also feature a veteran group of leaders in the lineup and in the clubhouse with senior shortstop and co-captain Brian Dempsey, senior co-captain and outfielder Joe Suozzi and senior first baseman Jack Cunningham.
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Head coach Mike Gambino, entering his 10th season, and Boston College are seeking the program's first NCAA tournament bid since 2016 after reaching the ACC Championship for the third time in four years; the first time that has been achieved since the Eagles joined the league.
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Boston College opens the 2020 season in Winter Haven, Fla. On Feb. 14 against Northern Illinois for a four-game series. The Eagles ACC opener is March 6 at Clemson. BC's home opener is slated for March 18 vs. Siena followed by the ACC home opener against Virginia Tech on March 20.
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Pelio, who moved from the Sunday role to Saturday midway through conference play last season, ascends to the spot of Friday night starter this season. The 6-foot-3 righty was an All-ACC Freshman Team and Perfect Game Freshman All-America selection. Pelio went 4-3 with a 3.62 earned run average and 62 strikeouts in 72 innings. Redshirt-junior lefty Joey Walsh is expected to become a permanent fixture in the BC rotation after starting five games in 29 appearances last season. He was 5-6 and struck out 49 batters in 56.2 innings.
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A pair of sophomore right-handers Emmet Sheehan and Joe Mancini looks to round out the Eagles' rotation. Sheehan, who stands 6-foot-5, made just one start in 12 appearances, but sported a 4.50 ERA, .220 batting average against and 13.50 strikeout-per-nine-inning average. Mancini, a groundball pitcher that earned a reputation for working quickly on the mound, went 3-6 with a 5.94 ERA in 53 innings across 22 games. In 10 starts, Mancini owned a 3.96 ERA and .205 BAA.
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BC looks to rebuild a bullpen that saw its top three arms drafted or signed by MLB organizations. Redshirt-junior RHP Michael Marzonie is the veteran option from the right side with just one season on the mound due to injuries early in his career. He pitched in nine games last season, including six outings of two or more innings. Redshirt-sophomore Nick Couhig came off of a freshman year injury to pitch in three games in 2019 and appears healthy to contribute in a more significant way in 2020. Sophomore Travis Lane posted the best numbers in the BC bullpen last year with a 3.90 ERA and .234 BAA in 20 games.
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From the left side, junior Will Hesslink brings 22 games of experience to the Eagle bullpen. Sophomore Ryan Smith made four relief appearances as a freshman.
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BC hopes to bolster its bullpen in the middle of the season with the return of redshirt-freshman lefty Samrath Singh, who underwent Tommy John surgery last March. The Eagles also added two freshman lefties in Jake Krzemienski and Daniel Baruch. Krzemienski was a two-time all-league performer at Commack High School, while Baruch, a two-way product, was the Division 2 Player of the Year in Rhode Island.
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The Eagles added six right-handed pitchers to the staff this season, including five freshmen and one sophomore. At 6-foot-5, Max Gieg returned from injury as a junior to post a 0.61 ERA and four saves as a senior. Evan Moore arrives at the Heights after earning Founders League Pitcher of the Year three times, while at Kingswood Oxford. Sophomore Zach Pitzl, who originally tried out as a freshman in the fall of 2018, made BC's 35-man roster this season. He last pitched for Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo.
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Three two-way products round out the staff. Brian McMonagle, an infielder, was All-Burlington County four times and All-South Jersey three times. Outfielder Barry Walsh hit .367 with 2.21 ERA as an All-State performer as a senior at Wachusett Regional. A high school infielder, Jon Campbell Jr. will primarily pitch, but can also play the corner outfield spots. He earned Division II All-State in Michigan as a senior.
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Catchers
Sophomore Peter Burns platooned behind the dish last season with 30 starts at catcher. He threw out 46 percent of potential base stealers and hit .211 from the left side with 16 runs scored. Redshirt-junior Mikey Giordano moves from the mound to behind the plate this season and will carry the honor of wearing the No. 8 this season in memory of Sonny Nictakis.
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Behind Burns, freshman Parker Landwehr and redshirt-junior Aaron Soucy will compete for starts. Landwehr was all-conference and all-metro as a senior at Calvert Hall in Baltimore. Soucy has appeared in one game each of the last two seasons, but has twice been sidelined due to injury. A strong defensive catcher, he made 10 starts as a freshman in 2017. Bringing added depth and seeking his first action since being diagnosed with thyroid cancer last offseason is senior Jake Goodreau. He has made 14 career starts, including 12 in 2018.
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Infielders
Dempsey began his collegiate career as the BC third baseman in 2017. He moved to second base in 2018 and last year started all 58 games at shortstop. A .293 career hitter, he hit .295 last season in the middle of the Eagles' lineup. Dempsey totaled 13 extra-base hits on the season and posted a .781 OPS. Cunningham, the BC first baseman that can also play in the corner outfield, hit nine home runs; the most by an Eagle since major leaguer Chris Shaw hit 11 in 2015. He hit .273 with a .468 slugging percentage and 35 RBI.
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Morissette, a third-team All-American and All-ACC pick at second base last season, is the lead candidate to take over for Jake Alu at third base this year. As a freshman, he hit .320 with 20 doubles, four home runs and a team-high 41 RBI. Sophomore utility man Lucas Stalman and freshman Luke Gold are in competition to earn the nod at second base. Stalman, who primarily started in right field or as the designated hitter a year ago, hit .246 with 16 runs scored in 18 starts. Gold twice earned all-state first team and conference player of the year at Ballston Spa.
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Freshman Vince Cimini is also in the mix in the middle infield after hitting .500 as a senior at Scranton Prep. Adding depth to the corner infield spots are sophomore Ramon Jimenez and Baruch at first. Jimenez made 13 starts last year with five extra-base hits. The Eagles also have freshman Mikey Florides, who will sit out 2020 due to injury.
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Outfielders
Suozzi, the Eagles' fourth outfielder much of last season, took advantage of late-season opportunities to finish the year hitting .282 with a .423 slugging percentage in 35 starts. This year, Suozzi figures to take over as the everyday left fielder. Dante Baldelli, one of the premier defensive center fielders in the country, is looking to break out in his senior season after hitting .221, including a .370 average in the final eight games of 2019.
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Frelick earned freshman All-America and All-ACC honors despite missing the last 19 games of 2019 due to injury. With the speed and ability to play all three outfield spots plus the infield, Frelick will start in right field this season. He hit a team-best .367 with a .960 OPS and 18 stolen bases.
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Senior Jacob Yish and Barry Walsh will also compete for at-bats in the BC outfield. Yish made two starts and totaled 10 at-bats last season and has totaled 36 career starts and 28 hits.
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BC was hungry to continue playing in 2019 and looks to carry that momentum into 2020 with seven starters returning to the lineup and a trifecta of sophomores coming off freshman All-America seasons in outfielder Sal Frelick, infielder Cody Morissette and pitcher Mason Pelio. The Eagles also feature a veteran group of leaders in the lineup and in the clubhouse with senior shortstop and co-captain Brian Dempsey, senior co-captain and outfielder Joe Suozzi and senior first baseman Jack Cunningham.
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Head coach Mike Gambino, entering his 10th season, and Boston College are seeking the program's first NCAA tournament bid since 2016 after reaching the ACC Championship for the third time in four years; the first time that has been achieved since the Eagles joined the league.
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Boston College opens the 2020 season in Winter Haven, Fla. On Feb. 14 against Northern Illinois for a four-game series. The Eagles ACC opener is March 6 at Clemson. BC's home opener is slated for March 18 vs. Siena followed by the ACC home opener against Virginia Tech on March 20.
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WHO'S ON FIRST: A Position-By-Position Breakdown
PitchersPelio, who moved from the Sunday role to Saturday midway through conference play last season, ascends to the spot of Friday night starter this season. The 6-foot-3 righty was an All-ACC Freshman Team and Perfect Game Freshman All-America selection. Pelio went 4-3 with a 3.62 earned run average and 62 strikeouts in 72 innings. Redshirt-junior lefty Joey Walsh is expected to become a permanent fixture in the BC rotation after starting five games in 29 appearances last season. He was 5-6 and struck out 49 batters in 56.2 innings.
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A pair of sophomore right-handers Emmet Sheehan and Joe Mancini looks to round out the Eagles' rotation. Sheehan, who stands 6-foot-5, made just one start in 12 appearances, but sported a 4.50 ERA, .220 batting average against and 13.50 strikeout-per-nine-inning average. Mancini, a groundball pitcher that earned a reputation for working quickly on the mound, went 3-6 with a 5.94 ERA in 53 innings across 22 games. In 10 starts, Mancini owned a 3.96 ERA and .205 BAA.
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BC looks to rebuild a bullpen that saw its top three arms drafted or signed by MLB organizations. Redshirt-junior RHP Michael Marzonie is the veteran option from the right side with just one season on the mound due to injuries early in his career. He pitched in nine games last season, including six outings of two or more innings. Redshirt-sophomore Nick Couhig came off of a freshman year injury to pitch in three games in 2019 and appears healthy to contribute in a more significant way in 2020. Sophomore Travis Lane posted the best numbers in the BC bullpen last year with a 3.90 ERA and .234 BAA in 20 games.
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From the left side, junior Will Hesslink brings 22 games of experience to the Eagle bullpen. Sophomore Ryan Smith made four relief appearances as a freshman.
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BC hopes to bolster its bullpen in the middle of the season with the return of redshirt-freshman lefty Samrath Singh, who underwent Tommy John surgery last March. The Eagles also added two freshman lefties in Jake Krzemienski and Daniel Baruch. Krzemienski was a two-time all-league performer at Commack High School, while Baruch, a two-way product, was the Division 2 Player of the Year in Rhode Island.
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The Eagles added six right-handed pitchers to the staff this season, including five freshmen and one sophomore. At 6-foot-5, Max Gieg returned from injury as a junior to post a 0.61 ERA and four saves as a senior. Evan Moore arrives at the Heights after earning Founders League Pitcher of the Year three times, while at Kingswood Oxford. Sophomore Zach Pitzl, who originally tried out as a freshman in the fall of 2018, made BC's 35-man roster this season. He last pitched for Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo.
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Three two-way products round out the staff. Brian McMonagle, an infielder, was All-Burlington County four times and All-South Jersey three times. Outfielder Barry Walsh hit .367 with 2.21 ERA as an All-State performer as a senior at Wachusett Regional. A high school infielder, Jon Campbell Jr. will primarily pitch, but can also play the corner outfield spots. He earned Division II All-State in Michigan as a senior.
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Catchers
Sophomore Peter Burns platooned behind the dish last season with 30 starts at catcher. He threw out 46 percent of potential base stealers and hit .211 from the left side with 16 runs scored. Redshirt-junior Mikey Giordano moves from the mound to behind the plate this season and will carry the honor of wearing the No. 8 this season in memory of Sonny Nictakis.
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Behind Burns, freshman Parker Landwehr and redshirt-junior Aaron Soucy will compete for starts. Landwehr was all-conference and all-metro as a senior at Calvert Hall in Baltimore. Soucy has appeared in one game each of the last two seasons, but has twice been sidelined due to injury. A strong defensive catcher, he made 10 starts as a freshman in 2017. Bringing added depth and seeking his first action since being diagnosed with thyroid cancer last offseason is senior Jake Goodreau. He has made 14 career starts, including 12 in 2018.
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Infielders
Dempsey began his collegiate career as the BC third baseman in 2017. He moved to second base in 2018 and last year started all 58 games at shortstop. A .293 career hitter, he hit .295 last season in the middle of the Eagles' lineup. Dempsey totaled 13 extra-base hits on the season and posted a .781 OPS. Cunningham, the BC first baseman that can also play in the corner outfield, hit nine home runs; the most by an Eagle since major leaguer Chris Shaw hit 11 in 2015. He hit .273 with a .468 slugging percentage and 35 RBI.
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Morissette, a third-team All-American and All-ACC pick at second base last season, is the lead candidate to take over for Jake Alu at third base this year. As a freshman, he hit .320 with 20 doubles, four home runs and a team-high 41 RBI. Sophomore utility man Lucas Stalman and freshman Luke Gold are in competition to earn the nod at second base. Stalman, who primarily started in right field or as the designated hitter a year ago, hit .246 with 16 runs scored in 18 starts. Gold twice earned all-state first team and conference player of the year at Ballston Spa.
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Freshman Vince Cimini is also in the mix in the middle infield after hitting .500 as a senior at Scranton Prep. Adding depth to the corner infield spots are sophomore Ramon Jimenez and Baruch at first. Jimenez made 13 starts last year with five extra-base hits. The Eagles also have freshman Mikey Florides, who will sit out 2020 due to injury.
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Outfielders
Suozzi, the Eagles' fourth outfielder much of last season, took advantage of late-season opportunities to finish the year hitting .282 with a .423 slugging percentage in 35 starts. This year, Suozzi figures to take over as the everyday left fielder. Dante Baldelli, one of the premier defensive center fielders in the country, is looking to break out in his senior season after hitting .221, including a .370 average in the final eight games of 2019.
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Frelick earned freshman All-America and All-ACC honors despite missing the last 19 games of 2019 due to injury. With the speed and ability to play all three outfield spots plus the infield, Frelick will start in right field this season. He hit a team-best .367 with a .960 OPS and 18 stolen bases.
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Senior Jacob Yish and Barry Walsh will also compete for at-bats in the BC outfield. Yish made two starts and totaled 10 at-bats last season and has totaled 36 career starts and 28 hits.
Players Mentioned
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1B/LHP
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RHP/UT
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IF
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RHP
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IF/OF
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INF
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IF
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IF/OF
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RHP
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C
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LHP
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IF
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LHP
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C
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RHP
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RHP
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RHP
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RHP/IF
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RHP
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IF
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RHP
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RHP
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RHP
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LHP
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LHP
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C
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UT
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OF
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OF/RHP
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LHP
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OF
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