Even though only one Atlantic 10 team made the NCAA Tournament in 2017, that team (Davidson) gave us one of the best moments of the tournament when they upset North Carolina. I think there will be a lot of shake-up in the conference this year as some of the top teams from 2017 lost a lot of key contributors.
Davidson (2017 Record: 25-26, 13-11)
It wasn’t an overly impressive regular season for Davison as they won just 13 conference games. But they fought through the loser’s bracket, beating top seeded VCU twice, to win the A-10 Baseball Tournament. They then shocked the baseball world by taking down North Carolina twice to win the Chapel Hill Regional. After losing a hard fought battle against Texas A&M in game one of the College Station Super Regional, they were eliminated the next day.
Lineup:
Eric Jones returns after hitting .322 a year ago with 42 runs scored, 9 home runs and 39 RBI. He should split time between catcher and third base. Second baseman Alec Acosta hit .315 last year with 37 runs scored, 10 doubles, 5 home runs and 31 RBI. Justin Lebek and Cam Johnson should return in the outfield. Lebek hit .282 last year with 7 home runs and 44 RBI, while Johnson hit .275 with 52 runs scored, 9 home runs, 37 RBI and 5 stolen bases. Brett Centracchio and Max Bazin should also be back in the lineup and are expected to have a major impact. Newcomer Walker Imwalle is expected to see immediate playing time at first base and designated hitter.
Pitching:
Evan Roberts should be back in the rotation after posting a 4.18 ERA last year in 84 innings pitched with 51 strikeouts. Austin Leonard had a 3.86 ERA in 35 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts, while Allen Barry posted a 3.44 ERA in 36.2 innings pitched with 27 strikeouts. All three should have a major impact on the pitching staff in 2018. Freshman Pete Bloomberg is expected to contribute in 2018 as well.
2018 Outlook:
After a magical run in 2018, Head Coach Dick Cooke is looking to follow up on that success by improving their overall defense and finding some depth at pitching.
This lineup should be very good in 2018, but if they want to compete for another A-10 title the pitching staff will need to come together quick.
Dayton (2017 Record: 20-35, 9-15)
The Flyers had a disappointing season in 2017, finishing with just nine conference wins and missing out on the Atlantic 10 Baseball Tournament.
Lineup:
First baseman Brandon Smith returns after hitting .291 and leading the team with 12 home runs and 36 RBI in 2017. Pat Meehan should man the other corner infield spot after hitting .233 last year with 27 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. Head Coach Jayson King said a few new players could step in and get some playing time, including outfielders Mitchell Garritty and John Brus, as well as infielder Riley Tirotta.
Pitching:
Austin Cline started 14 games for Dayton last year, while posting an ERA of 5.82 in 82 innings with 55 strikeouts. Jordan Cox is another arm coming back that coach King will rely on. He had a 5.93 ERA in 27.1 innings pitched last year with 26 strikeouts. Freshman Aaron Ernst could receive some immediate innings on the mound in 2018.
2018 Outlook:
“We hope to be better all-around on offense, defense and pitching. I really like the mix of guys that we have. Our guys will compete hard for sure.” – Head Coach Jayson King
Fordham (2017 Record 27-24, 11-12)
Fordham had a so-so year in 2017 finishing with an overall winning record, but two games back of a spot in the Atlantic 10 Baseball Tournament.
Lineup:
Head coach Kevin Leighton loses a lot from the 2017 lineup, including his top three hitters who all hit over .300. Catcher Justin Bardwell is back after hitting .258 a year ago, while infielder Brian Goulard returns after hitting .240. Outfielder Alvin Melendez is another player coach Leighton mentions as someone who will have an impact on the 2018 lineup. Freshman infielder Jake MacKenzie could get some immediate playing time to try and boost this inexperienced lineup.
Pitching:
Reis Knehr was solid in the rotation last year with a 3.91 ERA in 73.2 innings pitched and 86 strikeouts. Ben Greenberg missed 2017 with an injury, but was very good for Fordham in 2015 (3.04 ERA) and 2016 (2.83 ERA). He could be a big re-addition to this rotation in 2018. Kyle Martin was very solid out of the bullpen in 2017 with a 2.76 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched with 45 strikeouts. Melendez led the team with a 0.76 ERA last year in 23.2 innings pitched with 22 strikeouts. Freshman John Stankiewicz and Matt Mikulski could see some time on the mound as well.
2018 Outlook:
After hitting .259 and scoring 4.4 runs per game in 2017, Head Coach Kevin Leighton said, “we are hoping to improve our overall offensive production (in 2018).”
George Mason (2017 Record: 26-33, 13-11)
George Mason had a winning conference record last year and won their first game in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, but dropped the next two to end their season.
Lineup:
Tyler Nelin should be back for his senior season after hitting .296 with a team-high 15 doubles and 10 home runs. And he was second on the team with 44 runs scored and 40 RBI. He’ll play in the outfield and at catcher. Trevor Kelly will also be back as a senior. He led the team in RBI last year with 56, while hitting .300 with 31 runs scored and 7 home runs. Kelly will likely get the start at first base. Another senior, Michael Smith, should be back at shortstop after leading the team with 46 runs scored last year. Redshirt senior Frank Sturek started 58-of-59 games last year in the outfield, while leading the team with 13 stolen bases. Outfielder Brady Acker should be back as well in the middle of the lineup. Logan Driscoll rounds out the outfield after leading the team with a .323 average last year to go along with 34 runs scored, 10 doubles, 4 home runs and 38 RBI in just 43 games. Pretty much everyone returns to what should be a dangerous lineup in the A-10 this year.
Pitching:
The starting rotation takes a big hit with the departure of Tyler Zombro who started 15 games last year and had a 2.78 ERA in 103.2 innings pitched with 76 strikeouts. Their next best starting pitcher who will be returning is Brian Marconi. He posted a 5.06 ERA in 80 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts. Zach Mort had 13 starts last year and had a 5.71 ERA in 86.2 innings pitched with 68 strikeouts. Those two will need to make big strides this year to get this pitching staff to where they need to be.
2018 Outlook:
The lineup has pretty much everyone coming back from 2017, so this team should be fine offensively. The question will be, who is going to step up in the starting rotation? If they can bring their team ERA down to around four from where it was at 4.70 last year, this team can compete for an A-10 championship.
George Washington (2017 Record: 31-27, 14-10)
It was a very solid 2017 season for George Washington with 31 wins and 14 conference wins. They won their first game in the A-10 Tournament, but then lost to the top two seeds.
Lineup:
Robbie Metz returns after hitting .339 a year ago with 35 runs scored, 10 doubles, 1 home run, 32 RBI and 13 stolen baes. Shortstop Nate Fassnacht had a fantastic freshman season hitting .332 with 37 runs scored, 11 doubles, 5 home runs, 29 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Outfielder Mark Osis is also back after hitting .282 last year with 40 runs scored, 15 doubles and 16 stolen bases. They lost three of their top five hitters from last year, but have a solid group returning.
Pitching:
Elliott Raimo should be back to lead the rotation after a great freshman season where he started 15 games and posted a 3.20 ERA in 90 innings pitched with 73 strikeouts. Brady Renner should also return to the rotation with a 3.42 ERA in 84.1 innings pitched with 38 strikeouts. Will Kobos was very good last year mostly out of the bullpen with a 1.99 ERA in 40.2 innings pitched with 42 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
This team losses a lot of key players from their lineup, but have two really good starting pitchers atop their weekend rotation. If the lineup can come together quickly, this team could have another good year.
La Salle (2017 Record: 10-41, 4-20)
It was not pretty in 2017 for La Salle as they were one of the worst teams in all of college baseball and finished with just four conference wins. They did win all three Liberty Bell Classic games.
Lineup:
First baseman Ben Faso returns to lead the lineup after hitting .290 a year ago with a team-high 6 home runs to go along with 17 runs scored, 10 doubles and 26 RBI. Austin Constantini led the team with a .304 average last year in just 171 at-bats. He should be back atop the lineup, as well as a big part of the pitching staff. Second baseman Kevin McGowan is back as well after hitting .283 last year with a team-high 26 runs scored, while hitting 3 home runs and driving in 22. Those three should form a nice middle of the order for La Salle, but others will have to become key contributors for this offense to improve.
Pitching:
They lose their best pitcher from last season, but Matt Holt does return after posting a 3.97 ERA in 59 innings pitched with 56 strikeouts. Constantini was the team’s closer last year and had a team-best 2.16 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts. C.J. Pruitt could get a shot in the weekend rotation after posting a 5.70 ERA last year in 47.1 innings pitched with 36 strikeouts. With a team ERA over five last year, and losing their best pitcher from 2017, this pitching staff could be in trouble.
2018 Outlook:
The lineup should be improved in 2018 with all of their main contributors from last season coming back, but the pitching staff losses their best starter and could be in for another long season.
Massachusetts (2017 Record: 15-32, 8-16)
UMASS had a disappointing season in 2017 winning just 15 games overall and failing to make the A-10 Tournament. They’re hoping for better luck in 2018.
Lineup:
First baseman Cooper Mrowka returns to the middle of the order after leading the team with 6 home runs last year to go along with a .292 average and 24 runs scored. Shortstop Ryan Lever also returns after he led the team in RBI with 29 a year ago. He also hit .275 with 19 runs scored and 4 home runs. Outfielder Nolan Kessinger was second on the team last year with a .301 average in 153 at-bats. They do lose two of their top five hitters from last year, but there is a solid nucleus here.
Pitching:
They do return one of their best starting pitchers from last year in Justin Lasko. He posted a 3.69 ERA in 83 innings pitched last year with 62 strikeouts. They should get Brooks Knapek back after his freshman season in which he had a 3.86 ERA in 42 innings pitched (8 starts) with 35 strikeouts. Those two should form a very solid 1-2 punch in the Atlantic 10. Christian Rosati led the team with 19 appearances last year, while posting a 4.50 ERA in 22 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts and 3 saves.
2018 Outlook:
There is enough coming back for this team that they should be able to compete for a spot in the A-10 Tournament. I expect solid improvement from last year.
Richmond (2017 Record: 17-36, 6-17)
It certainly wasn’t a banner year for the Spiders in 2017 as they won only 17 games, and only six conference games as they failed to make the Atlantic 10 Baseball Tournament.
Lineup:
Vinny Capra returns at shortstop after leading the team in hitting last year with a .355 average and 47 runs scored to go along with 4 home runs and 19 RBI. Daniel Brumbaugh played second base most of last year and was second on the team with a .332 average, as well as 37 runs scored, 4 home runs and 37 RBI. In limited time last year, catcher Kyle Schmidt hit .313, while center fielder DJ Lee hit .279 with 43 runs scored and a team-high 18 stolen bases. With that core Richmond should be pretty solid up the middle. Head Coach Tracy Woodson mentioned several newcomers who could have an immediate impact on the lineup. Those players include: OF Anthony Forte, UTIL Sage Bruhl, INF Davis Payne, and INF/RHP Jordan Schulefand.
Pitching:
Pitching was a problem last year with a team ERA of 6.04. Robbie Baker returns after throwing the most innings last year with 82, to go along with a 5.05 ERA and 76 strikeouts. Layne Looney was second on the team with 61.2 innings pitched and 65 strikeouts, while posting a solid 3.21 ERA. Those two are expected to be weekend starters again for Richmond. Newcomers Collin Lowe, Jarrad Delarso and Foster Roy could have an immediate impact on this pitching staff.
2018 Outlook:
Head Coach Tracy Woodson said he hopes the team can improve their pitching in 2018. He added that there were signs of improvement in the fall with new pitching coach R.J. Thomas.
Rhode Island (2017 Record 31-22, 17-6)
Rhode Island had a very good regular season in 2017 winning 30 games and finishing second in the Atlantic 10 with 17 wins. But they went 1-2 in the conference tournament and saw their season come to a disappointing end.
Lineup:
Senior center fielder Jordan Powell returns after leading the team with a .353 average in 2017 to go along with 35 runs scored, 10 doubles, 2 home runs, 27 RBI and 6 stolen bases. Head Coach Raphael Cerrato mentioned junior infielder Laurence Hill as an important player for 2018 after missing a lot time in 2017 due to injuries. Other than that, coach Cerrato will be relying on some unproven players coming back and freshman. Xavier Vargas is a plus defender at first base and could be a middle of the order bat as a freshman. Freshman Austin White should get a look in the outfield and has a chance to be the team’s leadoff hitter. Max Mircovich is a redshirt freshman, but will get a chance to play in the outfield as well. Freshman Matt Daller could play on the left side of the infield, and Jackson Coutts could be an important utility player for Rhode Island as a freshman.
Pitching:
Rhode Island gets a big boost to the pitching staff with redshirt junior Tyler Wilson returning after missing most of 2017 due to an injury. He is a two-time Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year with a 2.16 ERA in 2015 and a 2.29 mark in 2016. His sophomore season he struck out 122 batters in 102.1 innings pitched. Senior Matt Murphy had a 3.96 ERA in 2017 with 51 strikeouts in 84 innings pitched. Sophomore Vitaly Jangols was a freshman All-American last year after posting a 2.23 ERA in 60.2 innings with 25 strikeouts. Tyler Barss returns to the bullpen as the All-Time saves leader. In 2017 he had a 1.38 ERA in 32.2 innings with 29 strikeouts and 11 saves. Senior Nick Johnson made 10 starts for Rhode Island last year and had an ERA of 4.31 in 62.2 innings pitched with 61 strikeouts. Coutts could also get some innings out of the bullpen in 2017.
2018 Outlook:
“We lost 40-plus home runs from (the) 2017 team. (We) need returning players (and) a few freshmen to step up. (We) have the ability to steal 100-plus bases. That will be important for our success offensively in 2018. (We have) good depth on the mound in 2018.” – Head Coach Raphael Cerrato.
St. Bonaventure (2017 Record: 26-22, 15-8)
The Bonnies had a very good regular season in 2017 winning 26 games and finishing third in the Atlantic 10. But they flopped in the Atlantic 10 Baseball Tournament going two-and-out.
Lineup:
The only two starters returning from last year’s final starting lineup are outfielders Ryan MacCarrick and Dave Vaccaro. MacCarrick hit .284 with 29 runs scored, 7 doubles, 6 home runs and 22 RBI, while Vaccaro hit .273 with 23 runs scored, 9 doubles, 5 home runs, 31 RBI and 9 stolen bases. They have a couple of junior college transfers coming in to try and fill some holes. Mike Magnanti will likely play somewhere on the infield. Brandon Henshaw is currently listed as the team’s shortstop.
Pitching:
Senior Brandon Schlimm is the team’s leading returning starter after posting a 4.50 ERA in 58 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts. Casey Vincent started 12 games for St. Bonaventure last year with a 4.99 ERA in 70.1 innings with 51 strikeouts. Freshman Tyler Germanowski could also get some time on the mound this season.
2018 Outlook:
“We lost 7-out-of-9 players in our lineup (four to graduation and three to MLB draft). We will have some offensive holes to fill.” – Head Coach Larry Sudbrook.
There may not be another team in the country that has as much to replace as St. Bonaventure. This could be a difficult year for coach Sudbrook as he tries to rebuild almost his entire lineup and pitching staff.
St. Joseph’s (2017 Record: 21-25, 12-12)
St. Joseph’s had a solid year in 2017 and finished eighth in the Atlantic 10 with a .500 conference record, but unfortunately only the top seven make the conference tournament.
Lineup:
“We graduated 11 seniors and lost our catcher, Deon Stafford, to the draft last year (5th round, Pittsburgh),” said Head Coach Fritz Hamburg. “However, we return four positional starters (Sr, SS Matt Maul (Career Stats): 146 games played and started .296 17-1-2-58 24-32 SB .935 fielding %; Sr, 3B, Marc Giacalone (Career Stats): .268 10-4-1-36- 8-9 SB .936 fielding %; Sr, 1B, Dominic Cuoci (2017 stats): .261 8-0-10-31 0-0 SB .995 fielding %; and Jr, RF, Charlie Concannon (Freshman All-American in 2016) (Career stats): .278 28-2-11-69 7-9 SB .995 fielding %. Although not a starter, we return So, C, James McConnon, who started 10 games (2017 stats) .275 3-0-1-5 0-0 SB .985 fielding % and threw out 5-7 SBA.
A couple of new names to watch according to coach Hamburg are:
“Cole Stetzar, FR RHP/INF West Scranton HS (PA) should be a two-way player…Garnered a pair of Perfect Game Underclass Honorable Mentions…Was a 2017 Rawlings Honorable Mention All-American;Liam Bendo, FR INF Garnet Valley HS (PA) Named to the All-Tournament Teams after the 2015 and 2016 Perfect Game WWBA National Championships and the the 2017 Perfect Game West MLK Championship; Brendan Hueth, FR CF St. Rose HS (NJ) Summer 2017 .321 in 27 games 3-0-0-10 9-11 SB in Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (Ocean Gulls)”
Pitching:
Coach Hamburg added, “On the mound we return our Friday Starter, Jr. RHP, Tim Brennan (pitched for Yarmouth-Dennis in the Cape – Summer 2017) (Career stats): 2.71 11-6 162.2 IP 26 BB 132 K .236 BAA ; Saturday Starter, Jr., LHP Lucas Rollins (Career stats): 3.41 7-6 132 IP 15 BB 96 K .260 BAA; Sr., RHP Justin Aungst (led A10 in lowest ERA as a Freshman in 2015 with 50 IP (Career stats): 3.24 9-3 130.2 IP 42 BB 104 K .246 BAA 3 SV; GR, RHP Ryan Kelly (2016 2nd Team All A10)(hurt in 2017) (Career stats): 4.36 4-4 66 IP 47 BB 74 K .212 BAA 8 SV and So. RHP Jordan DiValerio (2017 Stats) 3.38 1-2 24 IP 9 BB 24 K .258.”
A couple of new names to watch according to coach Hamburg are:
“Ryan Devine, FR RHP Jamestown HS (VA)2017 Group 4A Co-State Player of the Year; Jose Martinez, FR RHP Archbishop McCarthy HS (FL) Summer 2017 2.45 2-1 18.1 IP 2 BB 10 K .261 BAA in South Florida Collegiate League (Pompano Beach Clippers)
2018 Outlook:
“Remaining healthy … had several key injuries in the 2017 season. Getting our offense back on track. With several new players filling vacated positions, we will need our veterans to lead the way until our young players catch up with the speed of the college game.” – Head Coach Fritz Hamburg.
Saint Louis (35-22, 12-10)
Saint Louis had a very solid 2017 campaign in which they won 35 games. Their season came to an end in the Atlantic 10 Baseball Tournament with an extra innings loss to eventual champion Davidson.
Lineup:
Saint Louis only loses one starter from their 2017 lineup. Senior catcher James Morisano led the team with a .316 average last year to go along with 29 runs scored, a team-high 12 home runs and 37 RBI. Frist baseman Nick Reeser returns after hitting .303 with 34 runs scored, 2 home runs and 26 RBI. Parker Sniatynski should play left field after hitting .299 with 39 runs scored, 4 home runs, 38 RBI and 10 stolen bases last year. Alex King will be a 4-year starter at shortstop in 2018. He hit .294 with 42 runs scored, 8 home runs and 33 RBI last year. Cole Dubet (second base) and Carter Hanford (third base) round out the infield. Aaron Case should be back in center field after leading the team with 44 runs scored in 2017 to go along with 7 home runs, 33 RBI and 8 stolen bases. Junior college transfer Corrigan Bartlett could get a shot to start in right field. Infielder Zach Frieling and catcher Ben Livorsi could see playing time as freshman.
Pitching:
“We have an exciting team back at Saint Louis as we return 2/3 of our rotation and 8/9 (of our) starting lineup,” said Head Coach Darin Hendrickson. “We return Miller Hogan for his junior year, a 32nd round pick as draft eligible sophomore for the Milwaukee Brewers. He is one of the top three pitchers in the league without a doubt, and had 25 scoreless innings to end the Cape Cod Sumer League. Jackson Wark also returns, a Saturday starter who beat Team USA this summer while pitching in the coastal plains league. Plus, we return 14 save closer Ryan Lefner and seven other arms.”
Hogan was 8-3 with a 2.70 ERA last year, while striking out 78 batters in 90 innings pitched. Wark had a 4.66 ERA in 65.2 innings pitched with 60 strikeouts. Along with those 14 saves, Lefner had a 4.13 ERA in 32.2 innings with 36 strikeouts. Connor Lehman also returns after missing a year with Tommy John surgery. Junior college transfer Cody Luther should have an impact on the pitching staff, as well as Drew Reveno. Freshman Colin Townsend and Cole Samuels could see some time on the mound as well.
2018 Outlook
“We lost in 10 innings last year to go to the A10 title game, and expect to finish it off this year quite frankly. We beat some good teams last year early in Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Creighton and were 16-4 in our first 20, then played .500 ball the remainder of the year at 19-19. We need to stay consistent more in the middle-to-end of the year for sure.” – Head Coach Darin Hendrickson
VCU (2017 Record: 35-22, 19-5)
It was a great regular season for VCU as they dominated A-10 play and finished as the number one seed. Then they won the first two games in the A-10 tournament, including a win over Davidson. But then they lost two in a row to Davidson in the championship.
Lineup:
Second baseman Paul Witt returns after a fantastic freshman season in which he hit .361 with 34 runs scored, 11 doubles, 1 home run and 36 RBI. However, they lose two of their top three hitters from last year in Logan Farrar and Alex Gransback. They also lose their leading home run hitter from last year in Darian Carpenter who hit 15 bombs. Mitchel Lacey and Steven Carpenter will both be back after receiving significant playing time last year and hitting .300 and .287 respectively. There are obviously a lot of key contributors missing, but there are players ready to step up and take their place.
Pitching:
Sean Thompson will be back for his senior season and should lead the weekend rotation after posting a 3.46 ERA last year in 83.1 innings pitched with 77 strikeouts. Michael Dailey should also return to the rotation after posting a 4.61 ERA last year in 68.1 innings pitched with 50 strikeouts. The pitching staff does lose its best starter and closer from last year, but just like in the lineup there are players ready to take their place. Connor Gillispie should be a big part of the pitching staff after striking out 38 batters in 31.1 innings pitched last year with a 4.31 ERA.
2018 Outlook:
It’s hard not to see this team taking a step back after all they’ve lost in the lineup especially, but there is still plenty of talent here to compete for an A-10 championship.
2018 All-Atlantic 10 Preseason Team
C: James Morisano (Saint Louis)
1B: Trevor Kelly (George Mason)
2B: Paul Witt (VCU)
SS: Alex King (Saint Louis)
3B: Eric Jones (Davidson)
OF: Jordan Powell (Rhode Island)
OF: Parker Sniatynski (Saint Louis)
OF: Cam Johnson (Davidson)
OF: Ryan MacCarrick (St. Bonaventure)
DH: Brandon Smith (Dayton)
SP: Miller Hogan (Saint Louis)
SP: Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island)
SP: Sean Thompson (VCU)
SP: Elliott Raimo (George Washington)
SP: Tim Brennan (St. Joseph’s)
RP: Ryan Lefner (Saint Louis)
RP: Tyler Barss (Rhode Island)
RP: Kyle Martin (Fordham)
Honorable Mention:
C/OF: Tyler Nelin (George Mason)
1B: Dominic Cuoci (St. Joseph’s)
2B: Alec Acosta (Davidson)
SS: Nate Fassnacht (George Washington)
SS: Vinny Capra (Richmond)
SS: Matt Maul (St. Joseph’s)
INF: Daniel Brumbaugh (Richmond)
OF: Charlie Concannon (St. Joseph’s)
SP: Justin Lasko (UMASS)
SP: Evan Roberts (Davidson)
SP: Reis Knehr (Fordham)
RP: Ryan Kelly (St. Joseph’s)
Predicted Finish:
- Saint Louis
- Davidson
- Rhode Island
- George Washington
- George Mason
- VCU
- St. Bonaventure
- St. Joseph’s
- Richmond
- UMASS
- Fordham
- Dayton
- La Salle
