Last Season\u2019s Record:<\/u> 15-37<\/p>\n
Key Additions:<\/u> Mikey Riesner (SS), Jack Berczi (LHP), Jorge Marrero (RHP), Sean Rausch (C\/OF)<\/p>\n
Key Subtractions:<\/u> Brendan Mulligan (LHP), Bowie Matteson (RHP), Alex Eisenberg (RHP), Chris Bonk (RHP), Ryan Karl (INF\/OF)<\/p>\n
After a tough season where they finished in last place in the Colonial Athletic Association, Hofstra looks to improve on their 2016 season. A preseason poll has tabbed the\u00a0Pride to finish in the basement of the CAA this year, but it hasn\u2019t done much to dampen the optimism surrounding this year\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
Strengths:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Head coach\u00a0John Russo\u00a0<\/strong>is kicking off his sixth season at the helm, and this year\u00a0he is particularly excited about the amount of depth he sees on his roster. He said, \u201cWe\u2019ve got about five outfielders, six infielders, and three catchers we\u2019d be comfortable putting out in the field. Then another four or five starters and up to about seven arms in the bullpen.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 2017 season will also mark a change for the Pride. In the past, most of the team\u2019s roster has come from Long Island and the surrounding communities. Nearly a third of the team this year comes from outside of the tri-state area. \u00a0This influx of new blood expands Hofstra\u2019s talent pool, but hasn\u2019t caused Russo to worry about his team\u2019s chemistry. As he said, \u201cBaseball is baseball everywhere, they\u2019ll just have to learn our style of play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hofstra\u2019s style of play may look a bit different from the previous seasons, \u201cLast season we struck out more than I would have liked, I want to focus on guys seeing more pitches and getting on base more often,” said Russo. \u201cOnce they\u2019re on base I\u2019d like to get them running a bit more. There\u2019s around ten guys I\u2019d be comfortable sending in any situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Russo also has confidence in his upperclassmen as leaders. He mentioned David Leiderman<\/strong>, a redshirt senior and four-year starter who was an honorable mention for the 2017 pre-season All-CAA team. Leiderman led the Pride with 56 hits in 51 games and drove in 35 runs, the second most on the team. Brad Witkowski<\/strong> was also mentioned by Russo as another team leader. Witkowski is a senior and four-year starter, he led the Pride with a .289 average and put together a 15-game hitting streak from mid-April to mid-May last season. Russo is excited to see where they will be able to take this offense which is returning seven of last season\u2019s top nine hitters.<\/p>\n
There are some other returning players that are expected to play significant roles. Vito Friscia<\/strong> and Steven Foster <\/strong>have both already had successful seasons with the Pride.\u00a0We named Friscia to our 2016 All-Long Island team, thanks to a stellar .415 OBP. Foster was named to our 2015 All-Long Island team, and he was second on the team with a .407 OBP.<\/p>\n
They will also be counting on a return to full health for Nick Bottari<\/strong>. The redshirt-sophomore has incredible power, but has been unable to put together a full healthy season since eighth grade. He appears ready to roll and that spells trouble for CAA pitchers. Even in an injury-shortened 2016, he still smacked six home runs. But he has only scratched the surface.<\/p>\n
The pitching staff will be led by sophomore southpaw John Rooney.<\/strong> The 6’5″ Rooney showed his 36-0 high school record was no fluke by striking out 77 over 72.1 IP as a freshman. He also lit up the radar gun at the Hamptons League All-Star Game. He started and hit 95 in the first inning in front of a bevy of scouts–which puts him firmly on their radar. We ranked him as the top college player on the island last year (you can read the list here<\/a>).<\/p>\n