University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Baseball Game Notes
March 08, 2002 | Baseball
March 8, 2002
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After winning its season opener for the first time since 1997 and just the fourth time in 18 years, UMass dropped a pair of games at South Florida last weekend to finish the series 1-2. Despite the pair of losses to close the weekend, the 1-2 mark is UMass' best since 1998, when the Minutemen took the third game of a series at South Florida. With a sweep this weekend, Massachusetts will have its best 5-game record since 1997, when the team began the season 3-2.
UMass, Quinnipiac Have Faced off Just Once: This weekend's series against Quinnipiac will mark just the second and third times the two teams have faced each other, with the only other meeting coming on March 21, 2000. UMass won that contest 5-4 when Connell Clark scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth. Quinnipiac out hit the Minutemen 10-8 in the contest, but UMass hit the game's only extra-base hit, an Aaron Senez double in the bottom of the eighth.
On the Mound For the Minutemen: University of Massachusetts head coach Mike Stone will send senior righthander Jesse Santos to the hill on Saturday afternoon. In his first start this season, Santos picked up the win on opening night at South Florida. In the game, the senior threw his third-career complete game, scattering five hits and allowing just one earned run. He did not allow more than one hit in any inning, and recorded five strikouts while walking four. Santos and USF hurler John Gorham, who tossed eight innings on Friday, were the only pitchers on either squad to throw more than six frames over the weekend. Last season, Santos started nine games for the Minutemen and compiled a 7-5 record in 14 appearances. His 4.90 ERA was tops among regular starters in 2001, and he led the squad with 71.2 innings pitched.
On Sunday, UMass will turn to one of two sophomore righthanders Brandon White or Eric Chown. White pitched in seven games for the Minutemen a year ago, posting a 4.91 ERA in 18.1 innings of work. He started two games, including a solid seven-inning outing at Hartford on May 3, 2001, in which he picked up the win. While White has not seen any action yet this season, Chown drew the start in last Sunday's contest at South Florida. Although he picked up the loss, Chown was impressive, allowing just one unearned run in five innings of work. Chown was UMass' top reliever last season, compiling a team-best 4.08 ERA. Stone and his staff hope to see several pitchers in action over the weekend. Senior righthanders David Loonie and Brian Hourigan, along with freshman southpaw Keith Doherty, could all work out of the bullpen. All three pitched last weekend in Tampa, with Doherty drawing the start on Saturday afternoon. In his first career start, Doherty was roughed up for nine runs, eight of which were earned, on seven hits in just one inning. Hourigan threw in relief in Saturday's game, going three innings without letting up a run, and Loonie tossed an inning on Sunday, allowing two runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Lineup Full of Familiar Faces: The UMass batting order should have a familiar look in 2002. The Minutemen return seven starters from last season's Atlantic 10 Tournament lineup, and the two newcomers to this year's batting order have seen extensive action as well. Massachusetts returns all five starters from the infield, and only outfielders Nick Gorneault and Gavin Clark were lost to graduation after last season. To replace them, the Minutemen will look to juniors Tim Klett and Chris Morgan and senior Connell Clark. Klett moves from the designated hitter role that he occupied at the end of last season into left field. He finished the year with a .344 batting average, and closed the season with eight hits in the final six games. Connell Clark takes over for his brother in right field. Clark started 32 games a year ago, and he led the team with 17 stolen bases. Morgan began the year at the DH spot in the lineup after missing the 2001 season due to an arm injury. Morgan was an All-New England selection at catcher following a 2000 season in which he hit .329 with six home runs and 33 RBI.
Stone Looking for 400th Win at UMAss: Head coach Mike Stone has compiled a 399-259-2 (.606) record in his 14-plus seasons at the University of Massachusetts. With one win this weekend, Stone would become the first UMass coach ever to eclipse the 400-win total. Stone became UMass' all-time winningest coach with his 393rd win last season, surpassing legendary coach Dick Bergquist, who managed the Minutemen from 1967-87. Including five years as the head coach at the University of Vermont, Stone has compiled a 453-349-4 overall record.
Minutemen Playing 14 of First 15 Away from Amherst: The University of Massachusetts baseball team will be a well traveled bunch when they face George Washington on March 30 at Earl Lorden field in Amherst. The Minutemen will begin the 2002 season with 14 of their first 15 games away from home. This weekend's scheduled matchup with Quinnipiac at noon on March 9 is slated to be the only Minuteman home game until the Colonials make the trip to UMass on March 30. After the Minutemen travel to Quinnipiac on Sunday and to Sacred Heart on Thursday, they will return to the Sunshine State for six games in Bradenton, Fla., during the week of March 16-21.
Baseball America Picks UMass to top A-10 East: According to preseason publications, UMass should finish in the upper echelon of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Minutemen, who have won at least a share of the league title in seven of the last eight years, were picked by Baseball America to finish atop the Eastern Division of the Atlantic 10 in that publication's preseason poll. UMass won Eastern Division titles from 1996-1999 and claimed the overall A-10 title last year when the league was not split into divisions.
Coaches Agree, UMass to Win East: In a vote conducted by the Atlantic 10 Conference office, the baseball coaches of the A-10 selected the University of Massachusetts to finish atop the Eastern Division of the conference. UMass has been selected to win at least a share of the league title in each of the last seven seasons. UMass won Eastern Division titles from 1996-1999 and claimed the overall A-10 title last year when the league was not split into divisions.
Senez Named 2002 Team Captain: Senior third baseman Aaron Senez (Springfield, Mass.) has been voted team captain for the 2002 campaign by his teammates. Senez has played in 112 games as a Minuteman, with 103 starts. He has been in the starting lineup in every game over the last two seasons, playing both shortstop and third base. A solid run producer, Senez ranks sixth all-time at UMass in sacrifice bunts (15) and eighth in doubles (32).
UMass Infield Intact After Last Season: The 2002 University of Massachusetts infield should look familiar to followers of the 2001 team. The Minuteman lineup includes all four starters from the end of last season. Aaron Senez (Springfield, Mass.) and Cullan Maumas (New Orleans, La.) return to the left side of the infield, while Adam Stojanowski (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Jeff Altieri (Whitinsville, Mass.) hold down the right side. Senez has started 95 games for the Minutemen, including the last 71 at third base. Maumas, a sophomore, took over at shortstop late last season, finishing the year with 19 starts. He led last year's team with a .379 batting average. Stojanowski was the only other true freshman to see significant playing time last season. He finished the year with a .345 batting average as the team's starting second baseman. Junior first baseman Jeff Altieri will return to his post after starting all 46 games for UMass last season. The right-handed slugger finished last season with 13 doubles, eight home runs and a team-leading 42 RBI.
UMass Players have History Against Quinnipiac: Though the teams have met just once prior to Saturday's encounter, UMass has several players on its roster that have seen action against Quinnipiac. Senior Brian Hourigan (Beacon Falls, Conn.) earned his first career start against the Braves two years ago. In the contest he allowed three runs, all of which were earned, on six hits in five innings. Hourigan walked four and struck out five on the afternoon. Several current UMass players contributed to the 5-4 win, as Aaron Senez (Springfield, Mass.) finished with two hits and Chris Morgan (Cranston, R.I.) drove in the first Minuteman run. Senez went 2-for-4 with a double, the only extra-base hit of the game. In the bottom of the ninth, then-freshman Jeff Altieri (Whitinsville, Mass.) led off the inning with a single to begin the UMass rally. Connell Clark (Springfield, Mass.) pinch ran for Altieri and eventually scored on a wild pitch while Morgan was at the plate.
Morgan, Senez Off to Quick Start: After missing all of the 2001 campaign with a shoulder injury, it would have been understandable for junior catcher/designated hitter Chris Morgan to get off to a slow start as he returned to the UMass lineup. Quite the opposite was true, as Morgan sparked the Minuteman offense to a 3-2 win on Friday's season-opener. After being hit by a pitch in his first at bat, Morgan singled up the middle to drive in UMass' first run of the season in the third inning. In his next trip to the plate, Morgan drove in his second and third runs of the day with another base hit. Morgan finished the weekend 4-for-8 with a double and three RBI. Senior captain Aaron Senez quietly put together a solid weekend in Tampa, hitting safely in each game. He finished the weekend 3-for-7 with a team-leading three walks.
Two Starting Catchers Return for UMass: Head coach Mike Stone has a problem that most coaches would love to have. The UMass skipper has two returning starters at the catcher position. Chris Morgan and Tom Ellerbrook (Northampton, Mass.), a pair of junior receivers, have eached served a season behind the plate for the Minutemen. Morgan was the starting catcher in 2000, drawing starts in 41 games. He hit .329 on the year with six homers and 33 RBI. Defensively, he threw out 17 runners (21.2%) and allowed five passed balls, while committing just three errors. When Morgan suffered a shoulder injury to his left arm during preseason drills that held him out all last season, Ellerbrook stepped into the starting role. He caught all but 12 innings for the Minutemen in 2001, finishing the year with a .301 batting average, one homerun and 29 RBI. He gunned down 21 potential base-stealers (21.6%), allowed eight passed balls and committed six errors.
On Deck: After the Minutemen host Quinnipiac at noon on Saturday, March 9, the two teams will then play again on Sunday at Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn. Next Thursday, UMass will play its first mid-week game of the year, a 3:00 p.m. contest at Sacred Heart. The next morning, the Minutemen will board a flight back to Tampa for a week of games in Bradenton, Fla. On the Spring Break Trip, UMass will face Northern Illinios, Wright State, Vermont, Illinois, Florida and Dartmouth over six days in the Sunshine State. On the way back to Amherst from Florida, the Minutemen will stop to open conference play in Richmond on March 23-24.
