February 22, 2007
|
Steve Summer |
2007 Mercy College Baseball Outlook
Schedule | Roster
They say competition makes the heart grow fond. If that's the case, Mercy College baseball coach Bill Sullivan, now in his 13th year guiding the Flyers, should be warming up when they head south to start the year.
After finishing last season with a depleted roster due to injuries, the Flyers' skipper will look down at the game program in 2007, and see a roster almost double the size. On that roster he will find 14 returning letter winners, including seven position starters, and seven pitchers, but he will also see 14 newcomers that will give Mercy a level of depth it has not seen in several years.
"We returned a sound foundation," said Sullivan. "The recruiting goal was to bring in sound character and with that we doubled our roster size."
Pitchers
At the heart of the competition will be a battle within the pitching staff. The Flyers return a core of hurlers that bring a tremendous amount of experience, with seniors Brad Lozano and Steve Parisi, juniors Matt Anzivino and Sean Braille, and sophomore Matt Moreno, headlining the group. This year they will have the luxury of several newcomers in juniors Steve Merslich, Tom Maletta and Eric Dodge, sophomore Bobby Engelhard, and freshman Frank DeRosa also fighting to play key roles.
"This staff shows the ability to throw strikes," said Sullivan. "That, along with sound mound presence should yield successful results."
Infielders
A pair of veterans will anchor the corners this year, as junior Craig Ross will move to third base from short stop and senior Steve Summer shifts across the diamond from third to first base, with sophomore Joe Benedict also joining the Flyers as a first baseman. Ross led the squad in home runs last year with three and knocked in 10 runs, while Summer posted a team-high 12 doubles and drove in 14. Both could also see time on the mound.
Up the middle, Sullivan will see freshman Justin Muscarella step right in at short stop, with another rookie, Julio Torres also competing for time, while sophomores Ryan Johnson, Ken Mundy and Jonathan Cohen will be on the other side of the bag at second base, with junior Dominick Callegari competing as well. Johnson, the lone returning player in the group, recorded five doubles, two round-trippers, and a team-best 15 runs batted in last year. He is also versatile player who should see time with the pitching staff.
"I think the infielders will prove to be one of our greatest strengths," said Sullivan. "Each member of our infield can play at this level."
|
Julian Tosado |
Outfielders
Team captains Joe Mercado and Julian Tosado headline the returning outfielders. Mercado, a senior, led Mercy with a .278 batting average last year and also stole five bases, while making only three errors. Tosado, a junior who had his season shortened due to injury in 2006, will shift from center field to left field. Moving in to patrol center field is freshman Vinnie Tesoriero who will look to use his speed on the base paths, as well as covering ground in the outfield.
Also battling for outfield positions are Eugene DeMayo, a strong-armed senior, versatile junior Luis Bido, and sophomore Justin Roman. DeMayo was performing well at the plate before also having his season cut short due to injury last year.
"All of our outfielders show great instinctive abilities," said Sullivan. "They can all go into the gaps to get the ball."
Catchers
Mercy's depth continues behind the plate as the Flyers have four quality back stops to rely on. Senior Roberto Martinez headlines the group. He posted six doubles and a pair of home runs last year, while throwing out 20 would be base stealers. DeMayo and Johnson will also play integral roles in handling the pitching staff, along with freshman Marc Dern.
"We have a great group of catchers," said Sullivan. "They should all find themselves in the line up and making contributions."
Schedule
The Flyers will embark on a 48-game schedule in 2007, beginning with a four-game trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., where they will compete in the Northeast Challenge from February 23-25. Mercy will open up against Bloomfield, before facing Briarcliffe, Caldwell and Felician, all at The Ripken Experience.
When they return north, the Flyers' home opener is scheduled for March 3, a doubleheader versus Post, followed by road games at Mount St. Vincent on March 5, and Pace on March 7.
Mercy will then head south again, this time to Florida, where they will face a combination of southern and northern programs, including perennial powers Franklin Pierce and Southeastern University.
The full northern slate will begin on March 20 versus Bloomfield, March 21, at Briarcliffe, and March 22, at Kean in a trio of non-conference tilts, before Mercy heads into its 27-game ECC ledger with a home double-header against Adelphi on March 24.
The rest of the 2007 season will also see the Flyers take on area non-conference opponents Dominican and Nyack, before they close out the year at home versus ECC foe Queens on May 6. The conference tournament begins on May 9, with the top four teams qualifying.
"Our schedule will be a challenge, but one we are truly up for," said Sullivan. "All signs tell us that we have the opportunity to compete. If we do that we can position ourselves for overall team success."
