Feb. 27, 2007
Weekly Notes
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The baseball team opens its 2007 campaign this Saturday with a three-game series at Delaware State (1-6). Fairfield will play a doubleheader beginning at noon on March 3 followed by the third game on March 4 at noon. The Stags have made great strides in the last few seasons and will continue to strive for success this season.
Last year, Fairfield went 18-29 overall and 12-14 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The Stags, which took five of nine conference series from opponents, return 11 letterwinners from that squad and have added 17 talented newcomers.
"We have a very good combination of youth and experience, mainly juniors and freshmen," Head Coach John Slosar said. "We also have depth in the pitching staff and athletic position players."
While the Stags have set goals for themselves, the overall feeling among the coaching staff and the players is to take the season one day at a time.
"We expect to be improved over last year and should be playing our best ball by the end of the season," Slosar said. "In a way, we are a work in progress because we have so many new players but, at the same time, they're players we have confidence in."
Infield Fairfield will have an entirely new infield from one season ago with the majority of its starters graduating. While the faces may be different, the hopes of producing an equally solid infield are the same.
"Last year the strength of our team was our defense and the cornerstone was our infield," Slosar said. "We hope to produce the same kind of results this year."
At first base, sophomore Michael Joyce will be the primary starter after seeing spot duty last season.
Slosar will have four options in the middle at shortstop and second base. Juniors Albie DeSimone and Patrick Hoban along with sophomore Dave Jermine, will bring their experience to middle, while freshman Kyle Lustenberger is a promising player.
DeSimone played a number of positions last year while adding a dependable left-handed bat to the line-up. DeSimone led the team with a .299 batting average and was tied for the team lead in stolen bases, with 14. Hoban saw limited action last year, while Jermine developed into a regular last season. Jermine played in 24 games with 15 starts and did not commit an error in 35 chances. Lustenberger, a native of New Jersey, is a rising talent, coming off an outstanding high school career at River Dell. The three-time All-League selection finished his career with a .485 batting average, 87 runs batted in, 62 stolen bases, 105 runs, and 139 hits.
"All four can contribute and it is a position of strength," Slosar said.
The freshman duo of David Dudish and Matt Tiagwad will be vying for time at third base. Dudish is a big, athletic third baseman who should develop into an offensive power. Tiagwad is slightly more offensive oriented. As a senior at St. Joseph Prep in Philadelphia, Pa., Tiagwad hit .503 with 41 hits, including 10 doubles, while striking out just four times. Tiagwad will also show his versatility as a back-up in the outfield.
The Stags will have considerable depth and experience behind the plate with senior tri-captain Philip Espinosa and junior transfer Mike Weiner splitting time at catcher. Espinosa is one of the most improved players from last season, developing into a solid all-around catcher after appearing in 24 games with 15 starts.
Weiner, who transferred from the University of Massachusetts, will provide some power in the lineup along with strong defensive skills. During his sophomore year with the Minutemen, he started 47 of a team-best 48 games played, hitting .252 on the season and finished second on the team in doubles with nine.
Sophomores George Lisi and Dave Brizzolara will be used primarily as back-ups at catcher and should see some time at first base.
Outfield The Stags will return the majority of their outfield from one season ago and will combine their abilities with a host of talented newcomers.
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Junior Adam Chilelli is a very strong defensive outfielder and is expected to improve on his offensive numbers. He will be joined by junior Brian Rudolph and transfer Jason Rago.
Rudolph, who missed all of the 2006 season, will pick up where he left off. As a rookie he was named to the All-MAAC Second Team after he batted .305 with two homeruns and 23 runs batted in. He finished the season tied for third in the MAAC with 16 doubles, and at one point was ranked sixth in the NCAA. He was second on the team with 50 hits, of which 20 were for extra bases, and 31 runs scored. He also had a 10-game hitting streak from March 19-April 4, in which he hit .524 (22-42) with a homerun, 10 runs batted in, 12 runs scored, and nine doubles.
"Brian brings the whole package: defense, speed, and an above-average throwing arm. He is on the verge of becoming a force offensively," Slosar said.
Rago, a native of Fairfield, transferred from NC State after red-shirting for the Wolfpack last season. Rago, who attended Fairfield Prep, ranked in the top-100 by PerfectGame and was an AABC All-American as a senior. He hit .586 in his final year at Prep with six homeruns and 35 runs batted in. Rago was also a two-time All-State and three-time All-Conference selection.
"Jason has all of the physical tools and we look for him to hit in the middle of the line-up. He brings a lot of speed and power and is a very good defensive outfielder," Slosar said. Freshman Bill Rafferty will be worked into the outfield rotation. Rafferty, a hard-nosed, aggressive player brings outstanding speed to the lineup. Based on a strong fall season, Rafferty should be in the mix as a starter.
Junior Tyler Birrattella also returns for the Stags after starting 31 games last season. Birrattella hit .245 with 23 hits and 14 runs.
Along with playing the outfield, junior Peter Allen will again assume the role of designated hitter. Last season, Allen hit .238 with 31 hits, including a team-best 10 doubles and four homeruns. He also scored 23 RBI and 16 runs scored.
Pitchers The mix of experience and youth also extends to the pitching staff. The Stags, who return three starters from last season, will have considerable depth as they continue to develop into a solid staff.
Fairfield will have a trio of reliable weekend starters in senior tri-captain Ed Kamintzky, junior transfer Ryan Calabrese, and freshman Rob Gariano.
Kamintzky has been one of the workhorses on the staff, tossing more than 196 innings. Last season the south paw started 13 games, with two complete games, and tossed 90 and two-thirds innings, the fourth-highest single season total in Stags' history. He yielded a 4.67 earned run average and struck out 76 batters, the fourth-highest single-season total. For his career, Kamintzky is seventh on the Fairfield wins list with 12 and seventh on the strikeouts list with 157 batters set down.
Calabrese brings a lot of experience and maturity to the staff. The righthander enjoyed two successful seasons at Nassau Community College, including a no-hitter.
Gariano, also a righthander, is a hard-throwing freshman with a lot of potential. He was a two-time first team All-League selection and a two-time second team All-County pick at Nutley High School in New Jersey.
Rounding out the potential mid-week starters will be sophomore Doug Ciallella and freshmen Scott Gussaroff and Chris Nieves. Ciallella made 12 starts and posted 4-3 record on the season. He pitched 60 innings on the year with 24 strikeouts.
Gussaroff, a native of New York, is coming off an impressive senior campaign at Cold Spring Harbor High School. He posted an 8-2 record and a 0.97 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 65 innings of work.
Nieves is a durable left-handed pitcher also from New York. A four-year varsity letterwinner at Monroe-Woodbury High School, Nieves recorded a 15-6 career record a 3.02 ERA and 120 strikeouts.
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The Stags will also have depth in the bullpen with sophomore Dan Gallagher leading the way. Gallagher, a right-handed closer, notched seven saves in his first collegiate season, for the second-highest single season total in program history.
Also coming out of the pen will be senior tri-captain Michael Colucci, who is expected to have more consistency and make bigger contributions in middle relief. In 2006, Colucci made 13 appearances, including a start against Canisius, posted a 1-1 record and with a save.
Freshmen Mike Fournier and Rick Piccirillo are two others that the Stags' will look to in key spots in the late innings. A four-year varsity letterwinner as a pitcher at Ludlowe High School, Fournier went 9-2 with a 1.90 ERA and 53 strikeouts as a senior. Piccirillo posted a 6-3 mark with a 1.90 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 45 innings of work as a senior at St. Joseph High School.
Freshman Kevin Fico will also join the Stags. Fico, a native of Stamford, Conn., pitched for Brien McMahon High School where he had a stellar playing career. As a senior, the two-time All-State honoree posted a 1.66 ERA with 55 strikeouts in just more than 50 innings of work to help the Senators to a FCIAC Central Division Championship.
Sophomore Joe Pijanowski and Dan Urbanovich will also see sometime in relief.
