Outlook
2007 Rider University Baseball Outlook
The 2007 Rider University baseball team will be one of the youngest and most talented in recent years, with 18 freshmen and sophomores making up the 25-man roster. “We have young guys, but many of them played a lot last year,” said head coach Barry Davis, the co-winner of the 2006 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award. “I’ve won before with teams like that so youth is not an excuse not to win.”
Last year Rider placed third in the MAAC, qualifying for the championship tournament for the first time since 2002. “Talentwise, we are better than last year,” said Davis. “Last year we had some veterans with good team chemistry. This year we’re young, but talented. Are we a better team? We’ll have to wait and see. We lost a lot of offense, four guys who finished in the top 30 in career hits here, but this year we can run and we have some power, and we have all of our pitching back. We have a lot of potential and talent. How they work as a team is what counts.”
The Broncs return five players who started 30 or more games last season and are led by sophomore Jamie Hayes, the 2006 Rookie of the Year in both the MAAC and New Jersey. “Hayes is coming off a great year so he’s not going to sneak up on anybody,” Davis said. Last year Hayes played right field and was the closer out of the bull pen, leading the Broncs in batting (.372) and saves (four). This season he moves to his more natural position of shortstop and remains the closer. “Hopefully he can continue to do what he did offensively,” Davis said. “He’s going to lead off, so they will have to pitch to him. It will be a little different for him playing shortstop, a little tougher mentally to hit while playing a more demanding defensive position.”
Other returnees in the infield will be senior Jeff Reynolds and sophomores Adam Tussey and Sean Olson.
Reynolds started 41 games last year, 20 at second base, and moves to third base this season. Reynolds batted .366 against MAAC pitchers last season and was the team’s Most Improved Player.
Tussey started 35 games at second base as a rookie, finishing the season second on the team in assists, and looks to remain there this year. Tussey batted .310 with runners in scoring position last season.
Olson will be the Bronc catcher this year, taking over for Scott Knazek who left Rider after his junior season for professional baseball. Olson started 30 games as a rookie, 16 behind the plate, and threw out a team-high 21 base runners attempting to steal. “Sean will be the catcher, but is very versatile and has the ability to play third and first as well,” Davis said. “He’s consistent behind the plate and has the potential to be a pretty good RBI guy.” Olson was third on the team in slugging percentage last year, compiling 12 doubles and a home run in just 103 at bats.
The outfield returns sophomore Mo Williams, junior Jon Leise and senior Brad States.
Williams started 48 games as a rookie and was third on the team in RBI, batting .324 with runners in scoring position, and will begin the season as the starting leftfielder again this season.
Leise is a veteran of 66 games, including 22 in the Bronc outfield last season, and looks to start the year in center field. “Jon is steady out there,” Davis said. Leise has committed just one error in 85 chances in a Rider uniform.
States is one of just four seniors on the squad and has played in 72 games as a Bronc, including 10 starts in right field last year. “Brad is a quality defensive outfielder,” Davis said, “one of our best.”
As always, the name of the game is pitching. Rider returns all but two pitchers from last year and will be led by junior Will O’Connor, sophomore Jimmer Kennedy, and seniors Mike Dyszel and Erik Holck.
O’Connor was 7-2 last season and earned Second Team All-New Jersey honors. “Will should be accustomed to going out and starting now in his third year,” Davis said. “He keeps us in games and looks to be the pitcher in the first game of our three-game weekend series.” Last season O’Connor allowed 1.49 walks per game, best on the Rider staff.
Kennedy was the New Jersey Rookie Pitcher of the Year last season, winning six games, and had the best ERA on the team among starters. “We’re looking for Jim to at least continue what he did as a freshman,” Davis said. “He was throwing pretty well at the end of last season. He will probably be our starter in the seven-inning MAAC game. His key will be the development of that second pitch.”
Dyszel saw action as both a reliever and starter last season, finishing second on the team in appearances, and looks to be a starter this year. “Mike gets an opportunity to be a weekend (MAAC games) starter this year,” Davis said. “He’s pitched for four years so there is nothing he hasn’t seen.” Dyszel has appeared in 57 games at Rider, 27 as a starter.
Holck was a middle reliever and spot starter most of his Rider career, compiling eight wins and four saves, and looks to be the top set-up man this year. “We’re looking to shorten the games this year,” Davis said. “If our starters can pitch six innings, we will look to our bullpen to finish the game,” Davis said. Petrowski has the best ERA (2.27) among returnees and led the staff in appearances as a rookie last season. Opponents batted just .222 against him and just .156 with runners on base. “Mike was pretty consistent all year last season,” Davis said.
Other key returnees on the mound include sophomores Dan Sasso, Mike DiPietropolo and Derek Caldwell.
“Dan started the season in the bullpen last year, but when we moved him to a starting role he pitched better,” Davis said. “We think he can help us more as a starter this year during the week. He changes speeds well and he throws strikes.”
DiPietropolo owned the fifth best ERA on the team last season. “Mike will work out of the bullpen in all situations, long, short and middle relief,” Davis said.
Caldwell won his last four starts as a rookie in 2005, but was forced to red-shirt last season due to “Tommy John” surgery. He led the 2005 team in innings pitched and was second on the squad in strikeouts. “Derek is getting close to where he was before the injury,” Davis said. “He has come a long way. We’re going to bring him along slow. He’ll start the season working in relief.”
Another player who red-shirted last season is Matt McCollum, who appeared in just eight games as a rookie before a knee injury. “Matt will start at first base this season,” Davis said. “His knee is ready to go, and he runs well enough to play some outfield if we need him to. He’s more developed than your average freshman and he gives us a left-handed bat.”
The newcomers are led by junior David Hayes and freshmen Ryan Miller, Eric Woodrow, Nick Wojnowski, Darron Lattomus, Kris Brown, Brian Herman, Garrett Rugg and Tom Clarke.
