Baseball Preview: Newbury & Becker

Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Elms College baseball team will open their New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) schedule this week with a single game against Newbury Thursday night, followed by a weekend series with Becker. Due to snow at each team's facility, the games will be played at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H.

The Blazers own a 5-4 record on the season after their 2015 spring break trip to Florida. Elms has won five of their last six games with victories over Wilmington (Ohio), Monmouth (Ill.), Emerson, and St. Joseph's (L.I.). Sophomore first baseman Jordan Zima (Berlin, Conn.) leads the Blazers at the plate with team-high in hits (14), runs batted in (5), doubles (5), and batting average (.438). Sophomore infielder Tim Gelzinis (North Dighton, Mass.) has knocked in five runs on 11 hits with two doubles, while senior outfielder Brady Forrest (Hampden, Mass.) has tallied nine hits with six RBIs and a team-high three stolen bases. Senior third baseman Geoff Frost (Ludlow, Mass.) has added five RBIs on nine hits with three doubles; and juniors Nolan Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) and Brian Hungerford (New Preston, Conn.) have registered six hits apiece.

On the hill, junior Tom Weldon (Springfield, Mass.) is 1-1 on the season with 14 strikeouts in 13 innings with two complete games. Junior Andrew Sadowski (1-1; Northampton, Mass.) holds a team-low 2.77 ERA in 13 innings of work with 12 strikeouts and a complete game. Senior Sean Sinnott (Granby, Conn.) is 1-1 in two starts with 12 strikeouts in 12 innings, while sophomore Cody Lemieux (Torrington, Conn.) owns a 1-1 record with four strikeouts in 12-plus innings pitched. Junior Brian Langdon (Beacon Falls, Conn.) has registered a pair of saves in three appearances with seven strikeouts, allowing two runs in five innings of relief.

Newbury sits at 3-8 this season having lost six of their last seven contests, including a conference sweep by Mitchell during the Gene Cusic Classic in Florida. The Nighthawks are batting .231 through 11 games with 52 runs scored. Senior Cameron D'Agonstino (Salisbury, Mass.) paces Newbury at the dish with a team-high 13 hits and a team-high four double. Junior Ryan Zahornasky (Shelton, Conn.) has knocked in six runs on 10 hits, while sophomore Ian Hruniak (Lutz, Fla.) has collected nine hits with five RBIs and a pair of doubles. Junior catcher Craig Barnett (Victoria, Australia) has driven in a team-high seven runs.

Nighthawks senior pitcher Danny Lumb (Stoneham, Mass.) has made three starts on the mound with a 1-2 record, tallying 12 strikeouts in 17.1 innings of work. D'Agostino has surrendered seven earned runs in 13 innings pitched, and sophomore Ethan Forrest (East Bridgewater, Mass.) is 0-1 with seven strikeouts in 11 innings pitched.

Becker holds a 7-3 record on the year, with a 3-0 mark in the NECC after picking up a conference sweep of Daniel Webster. The Hawks have plated 74 runs in 10 games, while sporting a .327 batting average with seven home runs. Six players have amassed double-digit hit totals for Becker, led by reigning NECC Player of the Week sophomore shortstop TJ Sempkowski (Oceanside, N.J.) with 15, including two doubles, two triples and two home runs, with 20 RBIs. Sophomore third baseman Niko Bedell (Manorville, N.Y.) has added 15 hits with four doubles and two home runs for 12 RBIs, while senior Matt Consigli (Whitinsville, Mass.) has tallied 14 hits with three doubles, two long bombs, and a team-high eight stolen bases. Freshman first baseman Francis Baldino (East Brookfield, Mass.) has 12 hits with three doubles; freshman outfielder Sean Stone (Blackstone, Mass.) adds 11 hits; and freshman outfielder Micheal Cloce (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) has delivered 10 hits with three RBIs. 

The Hawks are led on the mound by the duo of junior lefty Nick Lemay (Oxford, Mass.) and sophomore righty Tyler Wagar (Uxbridge, Mass.). Lemay is 2-0 on the season with a save and a complete game, logging nine strikeouts and eight earned runs in 13.2 innings of work. Wagar owns a 1-1 record with a save and a complete game, allowing 11 earned runs on 18 hits with 10 strikeouts in 13-plus innings. Senior Keon Jenkins (Nashua, N.H.) has made four appearances, registering one save and a 0-1 record.

All-time, the Blazers are 15-7 against Newbury, and 8-19 against Becker. Last season, Elms won two of three games over the Nighthawks, while the Hawks swept the Blazers in three games.

First pitch of Thursday's tilt with Newbury is slated for 7:00 p.m. The first pitch of game one of Saturday's doubleheader with Becker is scheduled for Noon. All four games will be played at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H.

ELMS BASEBALL