University of Massachusets Athletics
Vermont Scoreboard Feature: Fredette, Hart, Sorenson
May 12, 2010 | Baseball
May 12, 2010
Three new additions UMass baseball team for 2010, junior Eric Fredette sophomore Leif Sorenson and sophomore Ben Hart, have been enjoying great success this spring as members of the Minutemen. The trio transferred to UMass last fall from Vermont, which discontinued its baseball program at the conclusion of 2009. All three are featured in Shane Bufano's "Where Have All The Catamounts Gone?" for Vermont Scoreboard.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
On February, 20, 2009, the University of Vermont athletic department decided to cut the baseball and softball programs that had held a rich tradition in the fabric of Vermont due to budgetary cuts deemed essential by the college. Baseball, specifically, had a long and proud tradition at the University of Vermont as its first season began in 1888 with an 11-1 record under the direction of A.L Kennedy. On April 17, 1906, the Catamounts played the first ever baseball game at a new ballpark, Centennial Field, when the University of Vermont defeated the University of Maine, 10-4. Centennial Field has hosted several local area high school and youth games and has been home to many minor league baseball teams in the summer. Currently it hosts the Vermont Lake Monsters (Single-A Affiliate of the Washington Nationals).
A BRIEF HISTORY
Other than brief gaps of seasons without Varsity baseball in 1918, 1943-45, and a five year lapse during 1972-1977, the University of Vermont had been playing Varsity Baseball at the Division 1 collegiate level. Over the 112 year span of Vermont Baseball, the Catamounts amassed a 1507-1339 record, reaching the NCAA Tournament three times in 1956, 1962, and 1965. The Catamounts had had recent success as the Regular Season Champions of the America East in 2003, and 2006.
During the 112 year tenure there have been several Catamounts who have gone on to play in the minor leagues. Out of these players, 10 have been lucky enough to play in the Major Leagues, most recently Kirk McCaskill ('83) who played for the California Angels and Chicago White Sox between 1985-1995 where he played in 380 games with a career 106-108 record and a combined 4.12 era.
All these historical facts of tradition and importance concerning the baseball program at the University of Vermont are now, in fact, history. After the public outcry of many local Vermonters, angered parents of University of Vermont Baseball/Softball players, and Little League/High School athletes who dreamed of playing at a Division 1 program in their home state, the decision to eliminate the baseball program stood as the team played its final game at Centennial Field on Tuesday May 12, 2009 against Bryant University.
The Catamounts finished the 2009 season with a 23-33 overall record, going 14-10 in the America East. The final edition of the Vermont Baseball Catamounts bolstered a roster of several talented players who were unable to complete their four-year tenure at the University of Vermont. Of these players, four whose careers at Vermont were cut short were named to All-Conference honors, including Mark Micowski and Justin Milo (Second Team All-Conference), Mike McCarthy (All-Rookie Team), and most notably Matt Duffy who was named to the All-Conference First Team, and took the Len Harlow America East Player of the Year Award as a sophomore.
In 2010, there technically are no University of Vermont Varsity Baseball players competing for the college, but there are Catamounts who are playing and thriving at other universities. So, out of the 22 underclassmen who would have been eligible to play baseball next year at the University of Vermont, where did they end up? I was able to catch up with several players over the past few weeks and have learned a great deal about their success on the field as they have carried on with their careers after the nightmare that was bestowed upon them last February.
A TRIO OF MINUTEMEN
Another group of players who departed the 2009 Catamounts also travelled in a pack to a new destination. Eric Fredette, a junior second basemen, and pitchers Ben Hart and Leif Sorenson (both sophomores) have enjoyed the transition to another Northeast school as they have been competing at UMass-Amherst. UMass-Amherst also has local ties to the University of Vermont as their current head coach Mike Stone, who is in his 23rd season, coached at UVM from 1983-1987.
The trio admits that having familiar faces has made the transition to a new school much easier. "Having Freddy and Ben here definitely helped the transition process. Knowing that they were going to UMass too definitely influenced my decision to go there. I knew a few of the guys on the team already from summer ball, but having Fred and Ben on the team helped because I had already played a full spring schedule with them," Sorenson said on the selection process.
Fredette, who was the first to commit to UMass added, "When I heard from Leif that he and Ben were also going to join me at UMass I was relieved and excited that I would know at least two people to make the transition with. Not only did that make the transition smoother, but there was a lot of comfort knowing they were going through the same process. With the help of Coach Stone and the assistants, they made me feel welcomed and part of the team instantly."
Sorenson has been successful in 2010 for the Minutemen as the team's closer. As of May 8th, he currently leads the team in 4 pitching categories: appearances (16), saves (4), ERA (3.55), and batting average against (.273). He boasts a record of 2-1 and his 4 saves also ranks fourth in the Atlantic-10 Conference. He has only allowed a single earned run in 15.0 innings of Atlantic-10 play.
"I wasn't specifically told that I was going to be closing the whole year. I just have had some opportunities to close out some games and I have been successful thus far. I am throwing more strikes this year and am keeping the ball down more. I struggled doing those two things last year. Coach Sweeney has helped me make a few adjustments in order to keep the ball down and throw strikes. My ball seems to have more sink this year which allows me to get groundballs and keep the ball in the park," Sorenson told us about his new role with UMass late in games.
Hart is a valued member of the pitching staff who has a more limited role contributing in the bullpen. The sophomore has enjoyed his time as a Minuteman this year, "My role has changed in some ways since coming over from Vermont. I feel like I am definitely being used more which is always nice. I feel that UMass is a good fit for me," said Hart.
Hart has appeared in 7 games without a decision, pitching in 14.2 innings and is learning quickly in a more competitive league. "I have grown a lot as a player...I feel that the Atlantic 10 is a better league than the America East so I feel that last year prepared me for this year. Also, Coach Stone does a great job preparing his players physically for the season through conditioning and baseball related workouts," said Hart of his experience.
Out of the three former Catamounts at UMass, Eric Fredette has put up the most impressive numbers. Fredette, who in 2 years at Vermont had only appeared in 50 games with a career batting average of .197 (24h-122ab), is giving Atlantic-10 pitchers fits in 2010. He is currently hitting .403, which is a team best and is good for 4th in the Atlantic-10. He also ranks 11th on the Atlantic-10 League Leaders list for on-base percentage (.466), which is also a team high. In addition, he leads the Minutemen in hits (62), walks (16), and sac bunts (7), as he has started in every game this season for UMass.
Fredette just recently had the team's longest active hitting streak snapped at 16 games on May 4th against Holy Cross when he went 0-3. "To be honest, I really do not follow my personal statistics and would not even know a lot of these numbers if I did not hear them from others. My core focus is mainly based on a game to game basis, and trying not to get too ahead of myself is vital," Fredette told us during the streak. Since going hitless on May 4th, he has started a new streak, recording a hit in each of his last 3 games for the Minutemen.
Fredette and teammates are focusing their energy to get one of the final playoff spots in the Atlantic-10 Tournament as the season winds down. In the 14-team league, 6 make playoffs as the Minutemen are 10-10 (15-23 overall) tied for 8th place, sitting one game behind Fordham, St. Louis, and Xavier, who are all tied for 5th place at 11-9 in the conference.
"Right now I am focusing all my energy on finishing up the season strong and helping my team achieve its goal of making the Atlantic-10 Tournament. Once we get in the tournament we know we are capable of competing with the best teams in the league and are confident we can earn a spot to the NCAA's," Fredette said on the Minutemen's playoff push.
The trio of Ben Hart, Leif Sorenson, and Eric Fredette seem to be doing well coming from Vermont to UMass. Hopefully, these three can help another trio from Vermont (Essex High seniors Adam Picard, Dylan Begin, and Aaron Plunkett) transition to Amherst in 2011 when the Hornets stars invade their campus.