Weekly Notes

The Stags will open their 2008 campaign this weekend as they head to the Coca-Cola Classic hosted by the University of South Alabama. Fairfield faces the host Jaguars on February 22 and will then face Kentucky on February 23 and Xavier on February 24.

Fairfield finished strong last year finishing the season at 18-28 overall and 12-14 in the MAAC. The Stags return their entire starting lineup and most of their pitching staff this season. In addition, head coach John Slosar, in his 24th season, has added 10 newcomers.

Infield: One year ago, Fairfield had an entirely new infield. This season, the Stags will have the luxury of returning every single position player.

At first base, junior Dave Brizzolara will return to the bag. Brizzolara played 31 games, hitting .250 with nine RBI and 11 runs scored. Defensively, Brizzolara committed just three errors all season. Splitting time will be senior Mike Joyce who appeared in 23 games, collecting 11 hits. Brizzolara and Joyce also provide an essential lefty-righty combination.

Up the middle, senior captain Albie DeSimone and junior Dave Jermine are interchangeable at second base.  DeSimone started 45 games at shortstop and, as the leadoff man, hit .252 with 27 runs scored. He also was 15-for-18 in the stolen base department. Jermine played 34 games at second base hitting .275 with eight RBI and 20 runs scored.

Senior captain Pat Hoban will make the shift and get the starting nod at shortstop. Hoban, who was a utility man last season, played in 36 games with 26 starts, driving in 15 runs while scoring 14 times.

Sophomore David Dudish will return to the hot corner after a solid rookie campaign. He hit just .203 a season ago but drove in 10 runs and scored six times in 28 games. Another option at third base is rookie Tucker Nathans. Nathans, who is also a member of the Fairfield men's soccer team, was a two-time first team All-New England selection at Salisbury Academy. As a senior, he hit .605 with six homeruns in 20 games.

The Stags will be stacked at catcher as senior Mike Weiner provides an offensive punch while freshman Mike Bourdon brings added defense. Weiner will get the starting nod after batting an impressive .347 with 19 RBI and 13 runs scored in 40 games last year.

Bourdon, the Stags' most highly touted recruit, hails from Simsbury, Conn. Bourdon was drafted in the 41st round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 First Year Player Draft. At Northwest Catholic, he hit .390 and drove in 31 runs while not allowing a passed ball as a senior. He earned numerous accolades which included first team Hartford Courant honors along with All-State and All-Conference honors.

Outfield: The outfield will also be similar to last season with sophomore Jason Rago continuing to patrol centerfield and senior Brian Rudolph roaming in right field. Senior captain Peter Allen will head to left field.

In his debut, Rago started 43 games, batting .287 with 25 RBI, 25 runs scored, and four stolen bases. Rudolph started 45 games and drove in 24 runs on .253 hitting. Rudolph also swiped nine bases and crossed the plate 23 times. Allen had a breakout season as the designated hitter in 2007, earning a host of postseason accolades, including first team All-MAAC. Allen led the squad in every major offensive category, setting a single-season program record, and earning national rankings in three offensive categories. Allen started 45 games, posting a .380 batting average, with 35 RBI and 35 runs scored. He also had a .626 slugging percentage, good for second in the conference. He notched a league-best 23 doubles on the year to set Fairfield's single season record, eclipsing a mark set in 1996. He was nationally ranked throughout the season in doubles, batting average, and slugging percentage and finished the year ranked third in the country in doubles per game (.51). Entering this season, Allen was named to the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List.

If added defense is needed, Slosar will insert senior captain Adam Chilelli into the starting lineup. Chilelli appeared in 29 games committing just one error in that time.

The Pitching Staff: Fairfield will return the majority of its pitching staff from last season, including starters Doug Ciallella, Ryan Calabrese, and Rob Gariano.

Ciallella went 2-3 last year, posting a 3.57 ERA in 15 appearances which included six starts. He was solid in MAAC games during the year, securing a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings pitched. Calabrese struggled during the second half of the season, and finished the year with a 4-6 record and a 5.64 ERA. He was the workhorse of the staff, logging 68.2 innings. Calabrese threw two complete games, including a one-hit shutout against Niagara. Gariano had a solid rookie campaign despite a 3-7 record. Gariano yielded a 4.04 ERA but mowed down 46 batters in more than 64 innings of work. He tossed three complete games, including a one-hit shutout against Rider.

Sophomore Kevin Fico will be the fourth starter for the Stags after making great strides during the off and fall seasons. Fico made 12 appearances with a 5.94 ERA.

The closers will consist of sophomores Dan Urbanovich and junior Dan Gallagher. Urbanovich posted a 2.18 ERA with 16 strikeouts during his rookie campaign. In his last 11 appearances of the season, he did not give up an earned run, while Gallagher (1-1) notched a 5.91 ERA in nine appearances.