1/15/2004
WASHINGTON, D.C. ? After an up and down season in which the Hoyas finished 14-33, Head Coach Pete Wilk believes that the last two weeks of the 2003 campaign will be indicative of the product ready to hit the field in 2004. With a healthy line-up and steady pitching, they finished the last eight games in 2003 with a 5-3 record, pounding out 92 hits and scoring 66 runs along the way. The 2004 Hoyas have returned the heart of their line-up and have added depth on the mound with the addition of three freshman arms.
One coaching change occurred over the summer as 2003 assistant Matt Daily has left the hilltop. Both Doc Beeman and Steve Alhona return for the 2004 season to resume their roles working with the pitchers and hitters respectively.
Carrying the majority of the catching load for the fourth straight season will be Captain Michael Lombardi, an Honorable Mention All-Big East selection in 2003. Lombardi spent the summer with the Keene Swamp Bats winning the NECBL championship. Lombardi saw time in all 47 games for the Hoyas last season, finishing with a .983 fielding average and a .374/2/34 season at the plate. "Michael has a chance to be the best catcher in the league this year," says Head Coach Pete Wilk. Sharing time behind the plate with Lombardi this year will be junior Andrew Cleary, a pre-season All-Big East selection for 2004. Cleary finished last season with terrific offensive numbers of .338/12/47, enough to garner second team All-Big East honors. "Cleary brings back stability to the middle of the line-up and should spend his time in the outfield when Michael is catching,? says Wilk. Junior Chris Burling, and freshmen Brandon Davis and Nick Barnicle round out the Hoya backstops.
The infield will have a new look this year with the middle being filled with sophomore Matt Johnson and junior Parker Brooks, both returning from medical red-shirts in 2003. This duo should shore up a Hoya defense that saw four different shortstops last season. At the corners, sophomores Danny Gronski and Drew Dargen look to end their battle for the nod at third as Dargen will move across the infield to first base. This will keep Gronski?s .295 average in the lineup every day. Wilk commented on the move, ?Both Drew and Danny proved they should both be in the lineup last year. It was important to get them both there and Drew handled the switch pretty well toward the end of the season and through the fall.? Nipping at Dargen?s heels are junior Jim Supple and sophomore Ryan Craft. Supple has the ability to play all of the infield positions, but played the majority of 2003 at first base. He will be called on frequently as a defensive replacement all around the diamond and his left-handed bat will get him some starts along the way. Craft was quite impressive in the fall and will have the opportunity to battle for starts at the DH position. Freshman Tommasso Trento will back up Brooks and Johnson in the middle, and Davis will shed his gear from time to time for some action at second base.
In the outfield, junior Bill Quinn will return in right field to join Cleary and Lombardi at the heart of the order. His .315/10/42 numbers last year solidify him as one of the premier offensive threats in the conference "Billy is as talented a player as any in the league right now," comments Wilk. "He provides us with athleticism and versatility, as well as a tremendous bat that we will count on for production." Sophomore Tim Jones returns to patrol centerfield for the second straight year. Jones played in all 47 games last year, fielding .990, hitting .296 and swiping 11 bases. The real battle in the outfield is in left. While Cleary will see his time there, senior Ron Cano and freshman Derek deGrijs will both be called on throughout the year. Cano followed two consecutive .300 seasons last year with another solid year at .287 and took 10 bases along the way. DeGrijs impressed the coaching staff in the fall with his versatility playing all three outfield positions. Both are tremendous athletes and each will get plenty of playing time in the spring. Rounding out the outfield positions will be Trento, and junior Alex Wayman.
At the designated hitter position, the front-runner will be either Cano or Cleary, depending who is in left. Also look for Craft, Trento, and freshman Kevin Giles to get some early at-bats from the DH spot.
Pitching continues to be the largest question mark for this year?s squad. The Hoyas bring in three new arms and only lost one to graduation and the 2004 staff is deeper and more experienced than those in the past. How quickly they establish themselves will be the telltale sign for this year?s success. ?Our staff was young last year and it took a while for some guys to shore down roles,? said Beeman, ?This fall answered a lot of questions for us and we hope to see that carry over into the spring.?
One of those young arms, sophomore Warren Sizemore will anchor the staff this year. Last year?s Sunday starter led the team in wins and ERA. Beeman believes the move to Saturday will only mean more success for the right-hander, ?Warren just wants to win. He doesn?t care who he is facing, however, he recognizes the big game and attacks it better than anyone on the staff.? The big battle will be between those who hope to join Sizemore on the weekend. The front-runners right now are sophomore Stephen Burns, senior Kevin Field, and juniors Eddie Pena and Travis Danysh. Burns looks toward 2004 as his first season at 100%. He was hampered early last year by a nagging ankle injury that has had plenty of time to heal. Field has been a mainstay in the Hoya pitching staff for three years and Pena and Danysh both have Big East experience.
The added depth will bode well for the Hoyas as they look toward mid-week games. Those not winning weekend roles will battle senior Tom O?Connor, junior Tom Braun, and freshmen Trey Martin and Erick Chandler for those all-important starts.
The bullpen will also be strengthened with three solid lefties, including last year?s relief specialist junior Michael Halloran, junior Tyler Abbott, and freshman Mark Dutmers. Those not winning starting jobs will also see time in long and middle relief. While Halloran will be the go-to guy from the left side, Quinn will take on the duties from the right side.
A tough slate in 2004 will test the Hoyas early as they open the season on the road on Feb. 14 against William & Mary. Georgetown will hold its home opener at Shirley Povich field on Feb. 25 against Mount St. Mary?s. The Wednesday game marks the beginning of a nine-game home stand that includes a pair of double headers against Buffalo, a lone mid-week game against Maryland-Baltimore County, and a three-game set against Yale. The team will take part in the Rollins College Baseball Week again this year from March 10-14, with multiple games against Long Island, Penn and Rollins. The Hoyas look to improve on their 3-3 finish in last year's Baseball Week Tournament. Georgetown will kick off its Big East schedule on March 20 with a home doubleheader against Seton Hall. Conference opponents St. John?s, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Villanova will all visit Shirley Povich Field this year, while the Hoyas will travel to St. John's, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Boston College. The Big East Championship tournament will be held from May 27-29 in Bridgewater, N.J.
