The hallmark of a dominant team is dominating pitching. Farmingdale State has been able to count on a steady ace for the past six years that they have won the Skyline Conference. This year is no different, as senior Mike Dolce is coming off leading the nation in ERA at 0.57. Difference between MLB and college, however, is that the ace is recycled every couple seasons until they graduate.
Here is a briefing on the recent history of aces for the Rams.
During their rise from mediocrity to Skyline Conference champs, the Farmingdale Rams relied on bulldog Tom Heeman. Although he also batted, Heeman was the workhouse, throwing a school record 94 innings in 2009, while compiling a 2.49 ERA while leading the Rams to their first World Series appearance in program history. He pitched himself in school-lore with a complete game shutout to clinch the regionals at their home turf against RPI. The Rams were eventually eliminated in two games at the World Series but his impact was felt nonetheless. When he graduated, it was tough to assume that somebody could fill his shoes.
Little did they know, his replacement was already on the team. Freshman Chris Phelan played a key role on that team, firing 56 innings in relief. He stepped up the next season to assume the staff ace’s responsibility. He threw 67 innings, compiled a 3.22 ERA but more importantly, was the pitcher to end losing streaks and pitch deep into games with a depleted bullpen. Entering the next season, he was the undisputed ace. I got to watch him first hand as he diced through opposing lineups and avoided giving up runs with his mental toughness.
Despite a rough beginning of his junior season, Phelan went on an unprecedented run. Beginning in mid-March he fired 41 scoreless innings. His previously mediocre season was now improbable. He won his regional start again, this time in the torrential rain, and finished with a 7-3 record and 1.93 ERA in 84 innings.
His senior year was much of the same. He compiled a program-record 9-1 record, 2.01 ERA, struck out 79 in 76 innings and threw four complete games. “When he toed the rubbed, you knew you were going to win,” said left fielder David Zilnicki. Phelan went on to suffer an injury in the regionals which hurt his draft stock, he has since went on to play in the Frontier League where he was named an All-Star in 2013.
Already on the radar at that point was his heir apparent, Mike Dolce. The 6’4″ Smithtown native had a tremendous freshman year which showed his toughness on the mound. He started the third game of the regional, and displayed a calmness on the mound seen in pitchers like Greg Maddux. He finished with a 3.09 ERA in 43 innings.
It was clear Dolce was bred to be the next ace in the program. Strangely, however, Dolce did not take the next step in 2012. He scuffled a bit with his control. He did not allow it to ruin his season, though and went on to fire six strong innings of relief in the championship regional game against 38-win Cortland. Despite the 2-1 loss, Dolce was back on track.
In 2013, with Phelan and Bula gone, Dolce assumed the role of ace. He got off to a strong start, and never looked back. He put together one of the best individual season’s in school history with a 0.57 ERA in 47.2 innings. The peripheral numbers of 35:18 K/BB ratio were not mind boggling but showed that he was able to bear down when needed.
Entering 2014, Dolce is off to a 1-0 start with 1 ER in 9 innings over two starts. The Rams will be counting on him once again and he will need to respond in order to take the Rams to the World Series once again.
