Feb. 16, 2006
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Fairfield University baseball team will begin the 2006 season with a three-game series at James Madison University, February 24-26 at Long Field at Mauk Stadium in Harrisonburg, Va. The season opening series begins on Friday with first pitched slated for 2:30 p.m. Saturday's contest is slated to begin at 1 p.m., followed by the series finale on Sunday at 12 p.m. The Stags, who were picked to finish eighth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) preseason poll, will face the Dukes for the first time since the 1998 season, and trail the all-time series 0-2.
Head Coach John Slosar saw the 2005 team go through the usual ups and downs that a young team normally goes through during the course of the season. Despite the peaks and valleys, the Fairfield faithful could see some positives things in the young group of Stags.
One of those positives that caught the eye of Slosar and the rest of the coaching staff was the play of defense. Fairfield finished with the best fielding percentage in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with a .967 mark.
Fairfield returns 22 returning players, including seven positional starters. Of the 34 players on the roster, 22 are either freshmen or sophomores. So, with such a large group of underclassmen, the senior class is going to be expected to provide leadership this season.
The seven members of the Class of 2006 include a first-team All-MAAC selection at shortstop, Doug Anderson. In addition, catcher Tom Arpino reliever Dan Breen, centerfielder Jim Girolamo, third baseman Dewey Raymond, first baseman John Scaife, and hurler Steve Tyburski, are going to be the players Slosar leans on for leadership this season.
"We had a great fall and we continue to work hard in the preseason," Slosar, who is entering his 22nd season as the Stags skipper said. "We are a team that has to get better everyday and the players have taken it on themselves to do that."
Here is a closer look at the 2006 Fairfield University baseball team by position.
Pitching
"Our biggest question mark is our pitching staff," Slosar said. The Stags have to replace their number-one starter to graduation, Tim Dugan. He was 7-4 last season, and finished his career third on the all-time strikeout list with 189.
The coaching staff will look to count on junior Ed Kamintzky for continued improvement this season. Last year, the lefty posted a team-best 4.26 ERA, en route to four victories. One of those four wins came in dramatic fashion at home against Siena College. Kamintzky took a no-hitter into the top of the eighth inning, in an 8-2 win over the Saints. The crafty lefty has been a sparkplug for the Stags both in the bullpen and in the starting rotation for the Stags the last two seasons.
Tyburski will look to return to form for his senior season. The Holy Ghost Prep graduate endured a difficult junior season, but Slosar expects good things from Tyburski this season. Last year against Le Moyne, Tyburski pitched seven and one-third innings to pick up a 10-3 win over the Dolphins. He scattered three runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out four. Against Iona, he held the Gaels scoreless for six and a third innings.
Slosar can also pencil in graduate student Paul DeMarco in to the weekend starting rotation. DeMarco played two seasons at Duke, before an arm injury sidelined him. He returns healthy and at full strength for his final season of eligibility. With the Blue Devils, he split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation, leading the team in saves as a freshman, and recording 61 strikeouts in his two-year career.
The bullpen is going to be vital to the Stags' success this season according to Slosar. "We are going to need the bullpen to keep us in ball games, and put us in a position to win," the coach stated. "The success of the staff will depend on the backend to give us consistency."
Late last season, no one was more consistent than Breen. The Troy, N.Y. native, set a school-record for appearances with 22, and led Fairfield with four saves out of the bullpen. From March 18-April 9 he pitched 14.1 innings, while allowing just one earned run. He finished the season with 19 strikeouts in 42.1 relief innings.
The rest of the pitching staff features junior Michael Colucci, sophomore Steve Flynn, sophomore Ryan Hoffmann, and sophomore Matt Kessler. "All four return with a year of experience under their belts," Slosar said. "They are coming off a season in which they pitched in somewhat limited roles. We look for them to be featured in a more prominent role this year."
Colucci had the biggest win of the season for the Stags, as he tossed six innings of relief in an 18-13 win over St. John's University. The New Jersey native scattered three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks, while striking out a career-high six batters. He would finish the season with a 2-0 record with 25 strikeouts in 34.2 innings on the hill.
Flynn made eight appearances out of the bullpen as a freshman. He had six strikeouts in 16.2 innings. Hoffmann appeared in eight games, while earning four starts in his first year with the Stags. In 19 innings of work, the St. Anthony's High School product struck out 16 batters. Kessler made seven appearances and struck out five in 7.2 innings of work.
Among the newcomers to the staff, freshman Doug Ciallella and freshman Dylan Gandossy could play sizeable roles for the Stags this season. As a senior, he went 7-4 and garnered first-team All-NNJIL honors, and All-Passaic County kudos. Gandossy a local product from Redding, Conn. played scholastically at Joel Barlow High School.
Catcher
Arpino has been the main receiver for the Stags for the last two-plus seasons. He has started 81 of 99 games behind the plate, in his Fairfield career. He has developed into a potential run-stopper as he threw out 34 runners last season. Arpino returns a better all-around player, after coming off his best offensive season in 2005. The Brooklyn native hit .261 with five homeruns and 32 runs batted in. He finished fifth on the team in hits with 43, and was second with 13 doubles. Against Saint Peter's he went 5 for 6 with a homerun, two doubles, four runs scored and five runs batted in.
There are three candidates for the backup to Arpino, as junior Philip Espinosa, sophomore John Glancy and freshman George Lisi are competing for jobs in preseason. Espinosa and Glancy had limited roles for the Stags last season. Lisi was named all-state by the Connecticut Post, Hartford Courant, and New Haven Register.
Infield
Three of the four infield spots will be occupied by seniors, anchored at first base by Scaife. His game developed in all areas last season, especially defensively according to Slosar. He also improved his approach at the plate, as he finished the season fifth in the MAAC in runs batted in with 47, and tied for fifth in the MAAC with seven homeruns. He led Fairfield with 51 hits, and finished second on the team with a .401 on-base percentage. The Ansonia, Conn. native led Fairfield with 15 multi-hit games 18 extra base hits, while finishing the season with a .304 batting average.
At second base, junior Brian Schappert looks to have the inside track at the starting job. As a freshman at Saint Joseph's he started every game at shortstop. After transferring last season to Fairfield, he led the Stags with a .347 batting average with one homerun and 12 runs batted in. He had 34 hits in 98 at-bats, and scored 22 runs.
Anderson was an all-conference selection last year at shortstop, as he hit .292 with two homeruns and 27 runs batted in. He was third on the team with 49 hits and scored a team-best 32 runs. He finished third in the MAAC with 16 stolen bases. In the field, he gave the Stags a stellar glove, as he posted a .975 fielding percentage recording 82 putouts and 152 assists in 240 chances. In the summer he was named to his second Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) All-Star Game appearance, playing for the Jersey Pilots.
Raymond will man the hot corner at third base for the second year in a row. The Stags will be looking for the Norwalk, Conn. native for more production this season, especially in the power numbers. He is a very capable defensive third baseman who made several outstanding plays for the Stags last season. He hit .263 with two homeruns and 17 runs batted in.
Sophomore Albie DeSimone will back up Anderson and Schappert at the middle infield positions. According to Slosar he is very dependable backup that has the ability to start at either position. He appeared in 10 games for the Stags last season, mostly in pinch-running situations.
Newcomer freshman Dave Brizzolara looks to backup Raymond at third. As a senior at Bergen Catholic he was selected the team's captain.
Freshman Dave Jermine could also be in line for a backup spot at second base. He was a second-team All-State selection at Notre Dame of West Haven. Freshman Michael Joyce could also backup either of the corner infield positions. In addition, sophomore Patrick Hoban is also looking for playing time this season as a backup infielder.
Outfield
The outfield will have a pair of second-year players flank Girolamo in centerfield. Last season, Girolamo batted .279 with 50 hits and 18 runs batted in. he led Fairfield with 206 plate appearances and 179 at-bats. In addition he was successful in 15 of 18 stolen base attempts. He had a nine-game hitting streak, in which he was 15 for 38 (.395) with four doubles, five runs batted in, and 11 runs scored.
Sophomore Adam Chilelli will make the switch to right field, after patrolling left field last season. As a freshman, he hit .269 with 39 hits and 20 runs batted in. Nine of his hits were for extra bases, and he was named MAAC Rookie of the Week on March 14.
In addition, sophomore Peter Allen and sophomore Tyler Birrittella will also play vital roles in the outfield. Allen has a lot of power potential according to Slosar, and with a year of collegiate experience under his belt, should be able to produce for the Stags this season. Birrittella appeared in 16 games as a freshman last season, in 20 at-bats he hit .450 with one homerun and three runs batted in. He may also see some time as the backup to Raymond at third base.
Schedule
The 2006 schedule is again loaded with some of the top-notch teams in the East and begins with a three-game series at James Madison University, February 24-26. The Stags then travel to Fordham University for a three-game series March 3-5, before embarking on its spring break trip to Florida.
The Stags will travel to Bradenton, Fla. and will play seven games in six days at the IMG Sports Academy, beginning with Duquesne University, Sunday March 12 at 10:30 a.m. The next day, Fairfield will meet Valparaiso at 10 a.m., followed by a pair of games in Tuesday, March 14. Eastern Kentucky will face the Stags at 10:30 a.m., and Eastern Illinois completes the twin-bill at 3 p.m.
On March 15, Fairfield will face its first Big 10 opponent in recent memory with Indiana at 3 p.m. The southern portion of the schedule concludes on St. Patrick's Day with Bradley University at 3 p.m.
Upon returning to Connecticut, the Stags will host NCAA Regional finalist St. John's on Tuesday, March 21 in the home opener at Alumni Diamond. MAAC play will being with a three-game series at home against Le Moyne, March 25-26.
