Stony Brook Head Coach Matt Senk on winning the 2019 America East Championship pic.twitter.com/7h4QQVSm2x
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 28, 2019
In more than one way, 2019 was a banner year for Stony Brook baseball.
The proud program captured their sixth America East Championship in thrilling fashion with the go-ahead run coming on a two-run double by Chris Hamilton to give them the lead for good over rival Binghamton. They trailed 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning but scratched-and-clawed their way back. They trailed in all three conference playoff games.
Additionally, SS Nick Grande (Smithtown West 2016) and OF Michael Wilson were both selected in the MLB Draft to add to their impressive list of alumni sent into professional baseball.
On the flip side, they did lose both of their NCAA Regional games to end their season with a record of 31-23. They had the misfortune of facing two powerhouses in LSU and Arizona State. They lost by a combined score of 30-8 at legendary Alex Box Stadium.
The benefit of having endured those losses under the spotlight of ESPN3 is that there’s no way they will face any situation that is as high-stress as that until the Super Regionals. That type of experience can be valuable for young players, especially pitchers.
In that elimination game, they used Sam Turcotte (4.04 ERA), Adam Erickson (4.32 ERA), Ben Fero (2.19 ERA) and Nick DiGennaro (37.2 IP) in relief. All four of those pitchers will be used extensively this season as they begin their title defense. Today at Scout Day, they displayed their impressive stuff in front of a dozen MLB scouts.
Turcotte, an impressive 6’5 RHP from Canada touched 90 MPH and coupled that with a sharp 75 MPH breaker and 82 MPH change up. There’s a good chance he is at the top of the rotation. They are also hoping that 6’4 RHP Brian Herrmann is able to fully recover from Tommy John surgery and be prepared for the season. When healthy, he is arguably their most accomplished and reliable arm on the staff after the graduation of Greg Marino and Bret Clarke last season.
An X-Factor for this season will be 6’4 LHP Jared Milch. The California-native is a scout’s dream. A lean 6’4 with a beautiful delivery armed with a 91 MPH fastball and 75 MPH changeup is ideal. He has the swing-and-miss stuff and is a senior, so should be ready to shoulder the load of a weekend starter. He struggled last season as opposing batters hit .344 against him in 37 innings, but he should not be counted out.
DiGennaro also threw today. He has a power fastball as well–sitting 88 and touching 90 MPH. He will be given an opportunity to compete for a spot in the rotation.
Fero, who had the best season of the bunch, is only a sophomore. Despite being a freshman last year, he looked mature beyond his years compiling a 2.19 ERA over 24.2 IP. He held opposing batters to a .218 AVG and walked just eight. He was outstanding today, showing his 89-90 MPH and pinpoint control. I think he’s the type of pitcher that will ultimately seize his opportunity and either be an Aaron Pinto-type closer or a weekend starter.
The 2019 team was carried by their offense. They hit .280 with a .423 SLG and .360 SLG. Much of that, however, came from the trio of Nick Grande, Michael Wilson and Brandon Alamo (.335 AVG, .953 OPS) who all graduated. The challenge will be finding the personnel that can replace that.
The most likely source of power will be Chris Hamilton.
He’s a player with pro potential. He batted .325 last season with a .930 OPS. He was second on the team with 8 HR and 42 RBI. He can also curtail opposing teams from taking extra bases as his arm strength is a true weapon in right field and he can play a great first base.
Additionally, Christian Montez–who is coming off an injury last year–will likely hit in the middle-of-the-order. He put on a nice show in batting practice and run a 6.95 60-yard dash.
Johnny Decker is a SS that can swing it. He batted .299 last season with 38 total bases. He will be an important piece for them as well.
Outside of that unit, they are a pretty young team that will count on some inexperienced players to step up and solidify roles.
This is our final stop on the Fall Ball Series Powered by East Coast Strength & Performance. We hope you enjoyed following along–and we will see you in February when the games count!
