An early look at Light Blue baseball

I was looking forward to previewing the Columbia baseball team all winter, but I just couldn’t do it in my last column. Question marks at several starting positions made it difficult to definitively flesh out a starting lineup or rotation, and I ultimately decided to wait until opening weekend to see who head coach Brett Boretti had in his plans.

That was probably a good idea, as Columbia debuted a brand new look in Las Vegas, for their four game set with University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Here’s my better-informed breakdown:

Pitching

The Lions pitching staff allowed 44 runs on the weekend as the team went 1-3 in the desert. While this does not reflect too well on the staff as a whole, there is actually cause for optimism, specifically in the starting rotation. Sophomore Pat Lowery struggled in game one in the shoes of the graduated Joe Scarlata, but the Lions got solid outings out of junior Dan Bracey, freshman Stefan Olson, and junior Geoff Whitaker in games two, three, and four.

Olson’s performance stood out, as he allowed 4 runs in his first 6 collegiate innings while striking out 6 in game two on Saturday. A surprise in the three spot in the rotation, Olson’s 6’ 5’’ frame gives him a big upside in the Ivy League where freshman often contribute.

Whitaker was also solid through the first four innings on Sunday before being chased from the game in the fifth. It was not a performance he’ll hang his hat on, but his presence at the back end of the rotation highlights the potential depth of this starting group. Probably the most consistent strike-thrower on the staff, Whitaker will be as solid a fourth starter as you will come by in the Ancient Eight this year.

The bullpen, on the other hand, is a different story. Senior Clay Bartlett was stellar as the sophomore closer of the ’08 Ivy League Championship team but has struggled ever since. After struggling with control last season, Bartlett once again went wild in the ninth inning of game two on Saturday, allowing the winning run to score in the bottom of the ninth on a wild pitch with the game knotted at 12. Freshman Tim Giel was preferred in the ninth inning on Sunday, and got the last two outs to save Columbia’s first win of the season. It was his second solid outing of the weekend, and he is likely to be the new favorite for the closer spot.

Eric Williams, Harrison Slutsky, and Brian Valero all struggled in their relief debuts, but Roger Aquino was fantastic in relief of Geoff Whitaker on Sunday. After a great summer, Aquino looks primed to become Brett Boretti’s go-to man in middle relief, a role he steadily improved in last season. Junior Max Lautmann is also one to watch as the bullpen’s best left-hander, but he did not make an appearance in the weekend series.

Infield

I anticipated a major change on the left side of the infield for the Lions this season and was not let down, as transfer Alex Godshall took over the shortstop duties from Alex Ferrera this past weekend, moving Ferrera to third base. Godshall gives the Lions more range defensively and will function as a double-leadoff man in the ninth spot in the batting order.

Sophomore Jon Eisen returns as the starting second baseman, but Boretti is high on freshman Nick Crucet. Crucet started at second and batted leadoff, going 2-4 with 2 runs in the Lions’ Sunday victory, while Eisen DH’ed and batted second.

The situation at first base is just as compelling, as freshman Eric Williams, sophomore Alexander Auricchio, and Jason Banos all got starts in Vegas. Banos, who batted third this weekend, is returning from a knee injury that ended his season last year, and split time between first base and his old position, left field against UNLV. Where he ends up landing for the remainder of the year will depend on his health and the play of Auricchio, and freshman left fielder Dario Pizzano. As of now, Pizzano has done more to earn a spot in the starting nine, which is why Banos finished the weekend at first.

Dean Forthun returns as the vocal leader and catcher of the team. After batting third last season, the supremely defensively talented Forthun will probably bat sixth this year, a spot that will highlight his clutch hitting and decrease his responsibility to hit for power.

Outfield

Probably the most new-looking of all the areas of this Columbia team, the Lions’ outfield saw two fresh faces for most of the weekend. Freshman Nick Ferraresi had a breakout series in right, with seven hits (four for extra bases including a triple on Sunday) and six runs batted in. He is also a defensive standout, probably the reason he won the starting job this winter. Dario Pizzano also impressed, hitting his way into playing time with three doubles and four runs batted in for the series. Watch-list candidate for Ivy League Player of the Year Nick Cox had only three hits on the weekend, but still scored four runs while holding down center field.

It looks as though sophomore Bill Rumpke will serve as the “fourth outfielder,” with the defensive ability to play all three outfield positions and the speed to figure as Boretti’s first-choice pinch runner. Strangely out of the mix is junior right fielder Bobby O’Brien, who broke out during Ivy League play last season and finished the year with the team’s best batting average. Ferraresi’s phenomenal weekend might make it hard for O’Brien to break back into the lineup for the time being, but he could become a very useful weapon for the Lions in about a month when Ivy play begins to heat up.

Tom Di Benedetto is a Columbia College junior majoring in history.
sportseditors@columbiaspectator.com