St. Joseph’s Is Ready to Roll

by Danny Gatta

After falling short just a year ago, the St. Joseph’s College Golden Eagles enter this season with one goal; a conference championship. They are a team primed to have a successful year and take the final step needed to compete for a Skyline Conference title. This Golden Eagles squad has the skills and experience to challenge teams at the top of the conference, namely Old Westbury and Farmingdale State.

Ryan Aloise is expected to be a key cog in the rotation for the Golden Eagles

St. Joseph’s, returning twelve seniors, is stacked with experience and leadership, and head coach Rick Garrett thinks that is a very important component to their success.

“These guys are a very close knit group and have bought into the system.”

After 2015, a season with injuries to some of their key guys, the Golden Eagles are fully healthy and ready to compete at the highest level.

Last season, the team’s starting nine combined for an average above .300. This year’s starting lineup is packed with offensive production.

“I expect to have a solid offensive team,” said Coach Garrett.

Returning players who contributed significantly to the team’s offensive production last year include Nick Girardi, Anthony Bonilla, Joseph Calabrese, Joseph Lynn and Brendan Sullivan. These five players finished top ten in hits in the conference last year. Girardi was named Conference Most Valuable Player and was named to our All-Long Island team along with Sullivan.

Third basemen Joseph Calabrese was among the conference leaders in OBP, hits, RBIs, doubles, and homeruns. Outfielder Anthony Bonilla and first basemen Brendan Sullivan were among the conference leaders in hits, RBIs, and doubles.

Outfielder Joseph Lynn was fourth in the conference in OBP, while outfielder Nick Girardi was among the conference leaders in batting average, slugging percentage, hits and doubles. Bonilla was third in the conference in runs scored with 33, and second in the conference with 47 hits.

The Golden Eagles will be able to rely on consistent offensive production, and when asked about the strengths of his team, head coach Rick Garrett said, “I think our pitching, defense, and timely hitting will be great.”

Photo Credit: St. Joseph’s Athletics

Pitching is another area where they expect to see improvement. Previously, their pitching staff had some injuries, and this year their rotation is healthy and ready to roll.

Sophomores Josh Outsen and Ryan Aloise pitched well for the Golden Eagles in 2015. Outsen led the conference with an ERA of 1.32 and an opposing batting average of .188. He struck out 44 batters over 54.2 innings and is expected to have another stellar season. Aloise struck out 38 batters over 50.2 innings, and was among the conference leaders in ERA, strikeouts, and wins. They also add lefty pitcher Nick Clemente from the College of St. Rose, and Brandon Lubrano from Mount St. Mary’s.

In the third year of his tenure, coach Garrett is excited to have such a talented group of experienced ballplayers. He believes his team is hungry and ready to chase success.

“I think they are very motivated to build on each game and stay the course. I don’t think they are thinking ahead because it is a long season.”

The attitude around the program since head coach Rick Garrett arrived has shifted towards a winning mentality. “I was left with some really good ballplayers, and they’ve developed over the past couple of years. We have put them in a program that’s not just about one season, but about the long term and building upon the weaknesses.”

The Golden Eagles will begin their season on February 27th, when they take on Plattsburgh State. Their first in-conference game will be played against Yeshiva on March 9th.