University of Maine
Stony Brook
Top-Ranked Black Bears Open America East Tournament
5/22/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
America East Notes
The University of Maine baseball team heads to the America East Tournament this weekend, which will be played in Lowell, Mass. The Black Bears won the 2013 America East regular season title for the first time since the 2002 season. Maine opens the tournament on Wednesday, May 22 when it faces Stony Brook at 4 PM.
2013 AMERICA EAST REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS: Maine won the 2013 America East regular season championship after taking two of three games from Binghamton May 11 and 12. It is Maine's first regular season baseball title since 2002. Maine also won the America East / North Atlantic Conference title in 1993, 1991, 1990.
MAJOR POST SEASON HONORS: After winning the 2013 regular season, Maine was highly rewarded in the post-season awards. Michael Fransoso was named the America East Player of the Year. He becomes the fourth Black Bears to receive the honor, joining Mark Sweeney (1991), Chad White (1993) and Curt Smith (2008). Tommy Lawrene was a unanimous selection for America East Pitcher of the Year. He joins Larry Thomas (1991), Mark Ballard (1993), Garrett Quinn (1997), Rusty Tucker (2001) and Mike MacDonald (2002) as Maine players chosen as America East / NAC Pitcher of the Year. Head coach Steve Trimper was named America East Coach of the Year. Paul Kostacopoulos earned the honor in both 1997 and 2001.
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS: Tommy Lawrence, Mike Connolly (at catcher), Michael Fransoso and Eric White were all named to the America East First Team. Lawrence, Fransoso and White were all unanimous selections. Connolly (at pitcher), Troy Black, Brian Doran and Sam Balzano were each named to the America East Second Team. Colin Gay earned a spot on the America East All-Academic Team.
IT'S A FIRST: Maine's Mike Connolly became the first player in conference history to be named to two America East All-Conference teams at two difference positions. He earned a spot on the first team as a catcher and the second team as a pitcher.
AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT NOTES: This is the fourth straight season that Maine, Albany, Binghamton and Stony Brook have comprised the America East Tournament field... This is the third time in Maine's last four appearance that it will have opened the tournament against Stony Brook (2012, 2010 as well).... Since 2002, Maine is 5-8 in the America East Tournament against Stony Brook... Since 2002, Maine is 4-0 in the tournament against Albany... Since 2002, Maine is 2-3 in the tournament against Binghamton.
SCOUTING THE MAINE BLACK BEARS: Maine is led by Troy Black, who is hitting .368 with 28 runs scored and 23 RBI. He has five doubles to go along with 12 stolen bases. Michael Fransoso is hitting .356 with 41 runs scored and 45 RBI. He has 16 doubles and three home runs to go along with 19 stolen bases. Eric White is batting .329 with 35 runs scored and 31 RBI. He has eight doubles and leads the team in home runs with five. Brian Doran has a .321 average with 31 runs scored and 22 RBI. He has 10 doubles on the season. Sam Balzano is hitting .311 with 40 runs scored and 21 RBI. He leads the team in stolen bases with 21. Mike Connolly has a .311 average as well with six doubles to go along with 14 RBI. Scott Heath is hitting .277 with 20 runs scored and 22 RBI. He has eight doubles on the season. Colin Gay has a .272 average with 37 runs scored and 25 RBI. He has eight doubles and 18 stolen bases. Alex Calbick is chipping in with a .266 average with 27 runs scored and 32 RBI. He leads the team in doubles with 19 and has belted a pair of home runs.
The pitching staff is led by Tommy Lawrence who is 9-3 with a 2.59 ERA. He is tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 67. Mike Connolly is 5-3 on the mound with a team-best 2.04 ERA. He has struck out 41 batters. A.J. Bazdanes is 6-5 with a 3.23 ERA. He has also fanned 67 batters on the season. Rookie Jake Marks is 4-0 with a 3.26 ERA. Shaun Coughlin, D.J. Voisine, Luke Morrill and Logan Fullmer each also have a pair of wins on the season.
aine is coached by Steve Trimper (Eastern Connecticut State University '92), who is in his eighth season at the helm of the Black Bears. He is assisted by Jason Spaulding (Vermont '00), and former student-athletes Billy Cather (Maine '09) and Ryan Forrest (Maine '09).
MAINE COACHING STAFF IN 2013: Maine head coach Steve Trimper (Eastern Connecticut State University '92) is in his eighth season at the helm of the Black Bears. He has an overall record of 410-372-4 in his 15th season as a head coach. He has a record of 238-198-2 with the Black Bears. Trimper won his 400th game at Maine on Saturday, April 20, 2013 against Stony Brook. He is assisted by Jason Spaulding (Vermont '00), and former student-athletes Billy Cather (Maine '09) and Ryan Forrest (Maine '09).
SCOUTING THE STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES: Stony Brook, the reigning America East Champion, is 24-32 on the season. America East Rookie of the YearJack Parenty paces the Stony Brook offense as he is hitting .348 with a league-leading 69 hits. Parenty has scored 30 runs with 17 RBI. Cole Peragine is batting .286 with 28 runs scored and 19 RBI while Johnny Caputo is adding a .260 mark with 20 runs and 19 RBI. Tanner Nivins is hitting .246 and is a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts while scoring 18 runs and driving in 27. Kevin Courtney supplies the power for the Seawolves as he leads the league with six home runs. Courtney is batting .237 with 29 runs scored and a team-leading 28 RBI while also leading the team in walks with 34. Joshua Mason is batting .298 with 16 runs and 12 RBI.
rankie Vanderka leads the Seawolves pitching staff, as the junior is 8-3 with a 2.27 ERA. Vanderka has eight complete games as he has struck out 58 in 95.1 innings. Brandon McNitt is 3-6 on the year with a 3.61 ERA in 14 starts. McNitt has struck out 59 hitters in 94.2 innings. Daniel Zamora is 2-7 with a 5.11 in 75.2 innings. Zamora leads the team with 64 strikeouts.
tony Brook is coached by Matt Senk (23rd season) who is assisted by Joe Pennucci, Mike Marron and Steve Hassan.
MAINE AGAINST STONY BROOK THIS SEASON: The Black Bears enter the tournament 4-2 on the year against Stony Brook. Mike Connolly hit .364 against the Seawolves (4-for-11). Brian Doran batted .300 with a run scored. Kyle Silva is also hitting .300 against the Seawolves, as he is 3-for-10 with two runs, two doubles and a pair of RBI. In three games, Scott Heath is batting .300 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI. Alex Calibick is batting .278 with four RBI, two runs and three doubles. Troy Black is batting .263 with five hits, two RBI and a run scored. Overall, Maine is hitting .238 as a team with 15 runs scored and five stolen bases against Stony Brook.
SCOUTING THE BINGHAMTON BEARCATS: Binghamton enters play this week with a record of 27-22. The Bearcats are led by sophomore Jake Thomas who is hitting a league leading .374 with team-highs in hits (58), runs (39), RBI (36) and home runs (5). Junior Daniel Nevares is batting .325 with 22 runs scored and 30 RBI. Nevares has 17 doubles on the season with a pair of home runs. Freshman David Schanz is adding a .293 average with 16 runs scored and eight RBI in 25 games. Junior outfielder Bill Bereszniewicz carries a .288 average into the post season with 23 runs scored and 10 RBI. Sophomore Zach Blanden has 52 hits with 35 runs scored and 24 RBI while leading the team with 11 stolen bases. Blanden is hitting .272 on the year.
enior Jay Lynch is 6-4 on the season with a 2.81 ERA in 13 games, including 12 starts. Lynch has struck out 46 hitters in 73.2 innings. Junior Jack Rogalla is 4-4 on the mound with a 2.84 ERA and has also fanned 46 hitters in 76.0 innings. Rogalla has tossed four complete games on the season. Senior Jake Lambert is 5-2 on the hill with a 3.59 ERA to go along with a team-leading 63 strikeouts in 77.2 innings. Sophomore Anthony Grillini has racked up four wins out of the bullpen to go along with a 3.71 ERA. Grillini has struck out 24 batters in 26.2 innings.
inghamton is coached by Tim Sinicki (21st season) who is assisted by Ed Folli, Ryan Hurba and Dustin Johnson.
MAINE AGAINST BINGHAMTON: THIS SEASON Maine is 4-1 on the season against the Binghamton and enters the tournament hitting .341 against Bearcats. Maine has scored 28 runs on the year against Binghamton while going 9-for-12 in stolen bases. Troy Black leads the offense against the Bearcats as he is hitting .529 (9-for-17) with four runs scored and four RBI. Eric White is batting .450 with nine hits, including a home run, four RBI and three runs scored. Michael Fransoso is also hitting .450 against the Bearcats as he has scored five runs while driving in three. Fransoso also has a home run in the season series. Sam Balzano is batting .421 with a run scored and an RBI while Fran Whitten is adding a .385 average with a run scored and a pair of RBI.
ommy Lawrence is 1-0 in two appearances this season against Binghamton with a 2.57 ERA as he has struck out 13 hitters in 14 innings. A.J. Bazdanes is 1-0 with a 4.35 in two starts. Bazdanes has struck out six in 10.1 innings. Shaun Coughlin has one start against Binghamton, a no decision, while recording a 1.29 ERA with a pair of strikeouts in seven innings.
SCOURING THE ALBANY GREAT DANES: Albany is 23-23-1 on the campaign. The Great Danes are led by junior Josh Nethaway who is batting .324 with team-highs in hits (57) and doubles (17) to go along with 26 runs scored and 35 RBI. Senior Nolan Gaige is batting .313 and leads the team in runs scored (33) and stolen bases (8) while scoring 33 runs and driving in 30. Gaige has six triples on the year and nine doubles. Fellow senior Greg Muller is batting .311 with a team leading 38 RBI. Muller has scored 28 runs with 10 doubles. Brian Bullard is adding a .294 average while leading the team with three home runs.
asceim Graham is 7-4 on the mound with a 3.89 ERA. Graham has struck out 49 hitters in 69.1 innings pitched. Austin Chases is 6-4 with 10 starts in 13 appearances while leading the team with 54 strikeouts in 68.0 innings. Cameron Sorgie is 2-5 with a 4.94 ERA and 51 strikeouts, with over half of his time coming out of the bullpen.
lbany is coached by Jon Mueller (14th season) who is assisted by Jeff Kaier and Drew Pearce.
MAINE AGAINST ALBANY THIS SEASON: Maine is 4-2 against the Great Danes this season and is led by Eric White who is hitting .500 (11-for-22) against Albany with seven runs scored and four RBI. Alex Calbick is batting .389 in the season series with four runs scored and three RBI. Troy Black brings a .350 average into the postseason as he has scored three runs against Albany while driving in four. Michael Fransoso is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts against Albany while hitting .348 with five runs scored and six RBI. Overall, Maine has outscored Albany 35-23 this season and enters the tournament hitting .303 against the Great Danes while going 11-for-12 in stolen bases. Maine is averaging 9.3 hits per game against Albany.
ommy Lawrence is 2-0 this season against Albany with a 3.86 ERA to go along with 12 strikeouts in 14.0 innings. Lawrence has gone the distance in both wins. A.J. Bazdanes is 1-1 with a 4.50 with six strikeouts in 14.0 innings. Mike Connolly is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in six innings against the Great Danes. Connolly has struck out four Albany hitters this season.
Career Leaders
Hits, Player, College Years No.
1. Mark Sweeney, 1988-91 328
2. Curt Smith, 2005-2008 300
3. Joel Barrett, 2004-2007 283
4. T. J. Sheedy, 1995-98 266
5. Michael Fransoso, 2010-present 263
Gary LaPierre, 1985-88 263
THROWING RUNNERS OUT: Opponents base runners have stolen just 38 bases in 70 attempts this season. Maine as a team is throwing runners out 46 percent of runners trying to steal. Maine's starting catcher Connolly has an even better ratio. He has thrown out 51 percent of people trying to steal against him.
BLACK NAMED AMERICA EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior Troy Black was named this week's America East Player of the Week, on Monday. Black batted .692 (9-for-13) in three games for the Black Bears with three runs scored, five RBI and five stolen bases. Black slugged .923 to go along with a .733 on-base percentage in Maine's weekend series with UMBC.
STEALING THE SHOW: Maine has stolen 92 bases on the season in 121 chances. Sam Balzano leads the way with 21, while Michael Fransoso has swiped 19. Colin Gay has 18 stolen bases, while Troy Black has stolen 12.
CONNOLLY NAMED TO NARROWED OLERUD WATCH LIST: Junior catcher/pitcher Mike Connolly is one of 11 baseball players nationally to be named to a recently-narrowed watch list for the 2013 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year award. Connolly, who was on the initial list of 25 players, was the only player selected from the America East Conference or from the Northeast. In addition, he is believed to be the lone two-way player in the nation who is catching in addition to pitching. Connolly is hitting .311 on the season with 21 runs scored and 14 RBI. He has six doubles. In addition, he is one of Maine's weekend starters. He is 5-3 with a team-best 2.04 ERA.
TRIMPER RECORDS 400TH CAREER VICTORY:Maine head coach Steve Trimper recorded his 400th career victory on Saturday, April 20 in the Black Bears 3-2 win over Stony Brook. Timper recorded 172 career wins at Manhattan College and has 235 victories as head coach of the Black Bears.
