University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Baseball Inks Eight For 2005-06 Season
December 06, 2004 | Baseball
Dec. 6, 2004
AMHERST, Mass. - Thomas Cote (East Swanzey, N.H.), Joseph Cotone, Jr. (Yorktown, N.Y.), Michael DiCato (Malden, Mass.), Jeffrey Giannino (Beverly, Mass.), Gregory Lyons (Canton Mass.), James MacDonald (Cheshire, Conn.), Adam Tempesta (Brockton, Mass.) and Ryan Walczak (Taunton, Mass.) have signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Massachusetts announced head baseball coach Mike Stone.
Cote is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound left-handed pitcher from East Swanzey, N.H. At Monadnock Regional HS, he was 8-1 in his junior season with a 1.40 ERA. In his 60 innings pitched, the 2003-04 First Team All-New Hampshire selection fanned 122 opposing batters. The Class I Player of the Year runner-up in 2004, Cote has also participated in the Top 96 New England Showcase.
Cotone, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound outfielder, hit .463 with 25 RBI's and a .750 slugging percentage last season for Lakeland HS. The native of Yorktown, N.Y. earned all-league, all-conference, and all-section honors.
One of two right-handed pitchers added to the staff is DiCato from Malden, Mass. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound hurler played four seasons at Malden Catholic HS. Last season, DiCato was 3-3 on the mound with 57 strikeouts and a 1.17 ERA in 57 innings of work. The Catholic Conference All-Star for 2004 also pitched over the summer for the Malden Bambinos where he posted a 6-0 record with a 0.87 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched.
Giannino will suit-up at first base where the 5-foot-11, 180-pound native of Beverly, Mass., hit .487 with 28 RBI's a season ago for Bishop Fenwick HS. The Central Catholic League Batting Champion and League All-Star selection led the Crusaders.
The Minutemen add one more left-handed pitcher to the team in Lyons. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound southpaw from Canton, Mass. finished his junior season with a 7-2 record posting a 1.04 ERA. While on the mound for Canton HS last year, Lyons struck out 94 batters in 69 innings en route to Hockomock All-Star honors. An all-scholastic selection, he also participated in the Top 96 New England Showcase.
MacDonald will join UMass as a third baseman from Cheshire, Conn. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder played prep ball for Cheshire HS where he hit .371 with four home runs and knocked in 24 RBI. This past summer he hit .439 with 29 RBI for the Cheshire Legion and was named a Legion All-Star. For 2004-05, MacDonald will attend the Salisbury School before enrolling at Massachusetts in the fall of 2005.
Adding depth in the infield will be Tempesta - a 5-foot-7, 175-pound shortstop from Brockton Mass. Tempesta worked the gap for three seasons at Brockton HS where he has hit .325 for his career with 24 RBI and has been named to three straight conference all-star teams. His .405 average at the plate, 13 stolen bases and 15 RBI as a juior earned him league MVP honors in the 2004 spring. Tempesta also played American Legion baseball for Brockton Post 35. With Post 35, he batted .447 driving in 17 RBI and scoring 34 runs. Tempesta went deep four times and collected nine stolen bases in 25 games.
The final pitcher of the group is Walczak from Taunton, Mass. At an impressive 6-foot-5, 220-pounds, Walczak was dominant on the mound in his junior season at Taunton HS recording a perfect 8-0 record with a 1.14 ERA. The OCL All-Star and Brockton Enterprise All-Scholastic member also participated in the Bay State Games and was featured in the Top 96 New England Showcase.
The UMass baseball team will begin the upcoming season on Feb. 25 when the Minutemen head to the University of New Orleans for a three-game, weekend series.
