March 23, 2010
AMHERST, Mass. -
After beginning the season with a challenging nine game spring break trip, the UMass baseball team will return to familiar surroundings as the squad is slated to open up its home schedule tomorrow, March 24, at Earl Lorden Field against Hartford at 3 p.m. The Minutemen enter the contest at 0-9 on the year, while the Hawks are 3-6.
The Minutemen In 100 Words
The Minutemen closed out the decade last season with the team's highest wins total since 2001 (27). The squad rebounded from a 1-7 start to Atlantic 10 play in 2009 and won 16 conference games on the way to the A-10 Tournament, its first trip to the postseason since 2003. A veteran lineup, which includes players with three of the top-five batting from 2009 and four of the five top five ERAs (20 or more innings pitched). UMass was picked seventh out of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll. Thirteen newcomers fill out the squad as well.
About The Opponent
Hartford is 3-6 on the season, 2-2 in road contests and is coming off three straight losses to Yale.
Six Hawks are hitting .300 or better, led by Simon Kudernatsch's .471 average (16-for-34) and 12 runs scored. Mike Amendola follows, batting .417, including a team-high 10 RBI.
Though Hartford is hitting .311 as a team, opponents are batting .403 off Hawks' pitching. The Hartford staff holds a 13.26 ERA in 74.0 innings of work.
UMass is 18-9 all-time against the Hawks since the teams first met in 1986, including a 6-4 victory for the Minutemen in Hartford last season on Mar. 25.
Juniors Stepping Up Offensively
Junior infielders Eric Fredette and Matt Gedman are currently leading the UMass offense, batting .438 (14-for-32) and .405 (15-for-37), respectively.
Fredette, a transfer from Vermont, has started all nine games thus far for the Minutemen at second base and began his UMass career with an eight-game hitting streak.
Fredette's 14 hits have already surpassed his career high for a season, 12, set both as a freshman and sophomore at Vermont, appearing in 19 games in 2008 and 31 games in 2009.
Gedman, who predominately played shortstop and second as a sophomore in 2009, has started all nine games this season, eight as the squad's third baseman.
Having hit safely in his final game of 2009, Gedman has extended his hitting streak to 10 straight and needs just one more to tie his career best (11 game hit streak).
Sure-Handed Bunch
The Minutemen boast an Atlantic 10-leading .980 fielding percentage with just six errors in nine games.
UMass has not committed more than one error in a game thus far this season and have posted a perfect fielding percentage in three contests.
Quality Starts Against Nationally-Ranked Sooners
Despite not coming away with a victory, UMass played two tightly-contested games in Norman, Okla., against nationally-ranked #13 Oklahoma earlier this week, aided by quality outings from seniors Bryan Leigh and Mike Gedman in their starts on the mound.
In game one against the Sooners, Gedman made his debut as a starting pitcher and tossed a complete game, striking out a career-high six batters in his eight innings of work with no walks. In 2009, Gedman logged a team-leading five saves in 15 appearances.
Leigh was on the hill for the Minutemen in game two at Oklahoma and racked up a career-best nine strikeouts against just two walks over seven innings.
A CLASS-y Guy
Senior outfielder Mike Donato was selected as a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award last month. He is one of 30 student-athletes in contention for the honor and is the lone representative from the Atlantic 10
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Beyond his success on the field, Donato boasts a 3.41 grade-point average as a History major and aspires to become a teacher and work in a low-income community.
Tremendous Trio
UMass returns all three of members from its talented outfield contingent from a year ago, comprised of Kyle Multner (left), Brian Baudinet (center) and Mike Donato (right). The trio accounted for 148 games played out of a possible 159 in 2009, including a school-record 53 by both Baudinet and Donato.
Baudinet has started 105 consecutive games in a streak dating back to March 9, 2008 at Arizona State. Donato's streak is now at 69 consecutive starts, which began on May 10, 2008 at Rhode Island.
Multner, Baudinet and Donato combined for 22 of the team's 60 home runs and 104 of the Minutemen's 340 RBI. Multner finished 2009 tied for the team lead in homers with nine, while Baudinet and Donato ranked second and fourth on the squad in RBI.
The three outfielders are the team leaders in career homers, Baudinet and Multner with 14 and Donato with 11. Baudinet started off the 2010 campaign on a high note, leading off the season opener at Oklahoma State by hitting a home run on the second pitch of the contest.
Donato, a co-captain along with Baudinet and senior Jared Freni, was an All-Atlantic 10 First Team outfielder in 2009. Baudinet was an All-New England selection in 2008.
New Faces
In addition to the squad's eight freshmen, UMass has five transfers who will see their first action as Minutemen this season.
Sophomore Isaac Oakley transferred to UMass from Oregon State prior to last season but missed all of 2009 with an arm injury.
Cameron McMullen, who played junior college ball at Golden West College, sat out 2009 as he came to UMass last spring after attending the University of California - Riverside in the fall of 2008.
The Minutemen have also added three transfers from Vermont, which discontinued its baseball program at the conclusion of 2009: junior Eric Fredette (2B), sophomore Leif Sorenson (RHP) and sophomore Ben Hart (RHP).
Serino's Strikeout Success
Junior Nick Serino, who spent the bulk of the 2009 season as the Minutemen's No. 2 starter in the weekend rotation, finished his sophomore campaign with an Atlantic 10-leading 10.62 strikeouts per-nine innings and ranked 30th in the nation.
His 72 strikeouts, which ranked second on the team, placed Serino sixth in the Atlantic 10 in 2009.
Serino carried his success into summer ball where he earned an all-star nod playing for the Lowell All-Americans of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL).
In his 2010 debut, Serino struck out six batters in five innings of work at Oklahoma State on March 14.
Welcome Relief
Returning pitchers Mike Gedman, Charlie Benson and Bryan Leigh ranked 1-2-3 in ERA on the squad last season, among pitchers who tossed 20 innings or more and made a combined 50 appearances, logging 10 saves.
Benson was the lone UMass pitcher to throw 20+ and also post a perfect record. He was 3-0 in 16 appearances, including a win over Boston College that vaulted the Minutemen into the championship game of the Beanpot Tournament.
Gedman, an accomplished two-way player, finished 2009 as the team leader in batting average (.345), stolen bases (nine) and ERA (2.42). He was an Atlantic 10 All-Tournament team selection as a junior last season, as well. Last summer, he enjoyed success as a starting pitcher for the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers and was named a Northwoods League All-Star.
A Solid Core
Despite losing two All-Region players to graduation in designated hitter Jim Macdonald and left-handed pitcher Mitchell Clegg, along with the just the third player in program history to tally 200+ career hits, Adam Tempesta, the 2010 squad includes a solid core of returnees.
In the field, seven players currently on the Minutemen roster had 40+ games played last season.
Even with the absence of 2009 staff ace Clegg, UMass brings back its number two and number three weekend starters from a year ago in senior co-captain Jared Freni and junior Nick Serino.
Freni and Serino ranked second and third on the squad last season in innings pitched at 73.2 and 61.0, respectively.
In 2009, Freni set a program record for games started in a season with 15 and is currently sixth all-time with 35 career starts.
Home Sweet Home
The Minutemen enjoyed a great deal of success at Earl Lorden Field last year, posting a 14-6 record with a .356 (255-717) team batting average.
UMass was 9-1 in its last 10 home games in 2009, outscoring its opponents 110-64 in those contests.
The last game of the regular season, a 20-16 slugfest against Duquesne, featured Mike Donato, Peter Copa and Corey Volpicelli knocking in four runs apiece.
Young But Experienced
Tom Conley was thrown right into the fire as a freshman in 2009, earning the role of starting catcher as he played in 49 of 53 games, starting 46 behind the plate.
Conley was an Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honoree and hit .312 with 22 runs scored, seven doubles and drew 24 walks. He was a perfect 5-for-5 on the base paths.
Defensively, Conley boasted the squad's best fielding percentage among regular starters (.979) and had just five passed balls. He picked off three and thwarted 19 stolen base attempts.
2009 Records
The 2009 season was a year of record-book performances for the Minutemen co-captains. Senior outfielders Mike Donato and Brian Baudinet played all 53 games last season, tying each other for the single-season record.
Donato also took first in at-bats (217) and tied for sixth in hits (73), while Baudinet tied for third in single-season triples (5), fourth in walks (35), fourth in at-bats (209), seventh in runs (54) and seventh in total bases (113).
Senior Jared Freni started a record 15 games last season.
Family Affair
With the addition of Anthony Serino, two sets of brothers are on the Minutemen squad this season.
Anthony, a freshman outfielder, joins his brother Nick, a junior left-handed pitcher who went 5-4 last season and finished with 72 strikeouts, second-most on the team, in 61 innings.
The other brothers, junior Matt and senior Mike Gedman, had a combined 78 hits and 50 runs batted in last season. Mike also pitched in 15 games, holding down a 2.42 earned run average to go along with five saves in 2009.
Happy Birthday
July is the only month with no team birthdays. February, June, September and October each have four. Several Minutemen share birthdays: Ben Hart and Sam McDonough (2/12), Joe Popielarczyk and Aaron Zaleznik (6/15), Matt Gedman and Tom Conley (9/26), and Garrett Glashoff and Alex Fischer (11/7).
Freshman Ryan Cusick (3/3) is the lone player with a birthday this month.
Hometown Heroes
Of the 32 members of the team, 21 hail from within Massachusetts.
Five of the Minutemen are alums of Malden Catholic High School, while two of their conference rivals, Boston College High and Catholic memorial, are also represented on the team with one player each.
The 11 out-of-staters come from Connecticut (7), New Hampshire (1), Pennsylvania (1), New York (1) and California (1). 
