2003 Baseball Outlook

 Trinity College

The 2003 Trinity baseball squad, under the direction of Head Coach Bill Decker (13th season, 241-130), returns 18 letterwinners from last year’s record-setting squad. Last spring, the Bantams finished a best-ever 26-10 and advanced to the final game of the NESCAC Championship Tournament. Needing to defeat Tufts twice on the final day of the tourney, the Bantams won the first game and were leading, 4-2, in the fifth inning of the second game when heavy rains ended their title hopes in a frustrating manner.

Trinity will feel the loss of seven seniors from the 2002 squad, which included All-New England athletes Andrew Freimuth and Greg Spanos, as well as All-American right-hander Jonah Bayliss who was signed with the Kansas City Royals after being drafted in the fifth round. The returning players are talented and numerous, led by All-New England senior infielders Kurt Piantek (Wallingford, Conn.), already Trinity’s all-time home run leader, and Jayme Dorr (Osterville, Mass.).

Jayme Dorr '03

Piantek batted .371 last spring and set new College records in home runs (12) and RBI (52), splitting time between 1B and 2B. Dorr started every game at 3B in 2002, hitting .339 with eight home runs and 38 RBI. Slick-fielding sophomore Billy Wise (Longmeadow, Mass.) looks to replace Freimuth at SS, while classmates Jeff Natale (Hamden, Conn.) and Aaron Goldstein (Edina, Minn.) could fill in at 2B and 1B, respectively. Natale batted a team-high .441 with 25 runs and three homers in 59 at-bats while playing several positions last spring.

There is tremendous opportunity in the outfield, where Natale, Goldstein, and fellow sophomores Robert O’Leary (Easton, Mass.), Angel Resto (Framingham, Mass.), and Matt Engster (Glastonbury, Conn.) will compete for positions. O’Leary contributed significantly as a freshman, batting .269 in 18 games.

On the mound, Trinity will replace Bayliss, who was 8-1 with 84 strikeouts and a 2.43 ERA last spring, with a deep mix of veterans and talented underclassmen. Junior righty Kevin Tidmarsh (Meriden, Conn.) was 4-2 last spring with a 3.31 ERA in seven starts, while sophomore righty Mark Tremblay (Hooksett, N.H.) was equally effective out of the bullpen and as a starter, with a 4-1 mark and a 3.83 ERA in 13 appearances. Senior Craig Tredenick (Cornwall, Prince Edward Island) is a proven right-handed starter who has battled injuries the past two seasons. Several other hurlers have quality experience out of the bullpen and will be asked to increase their roles this year, including senior Carlos Resto (Framingham, Mass.), junior Brad Kern (West Hartford, Conn.), and sophomore Derek Falvey (Lynn, Mass.).

The pitching staff will enjoy the luxury of throwing to three solid all-around receivers behind the plate. Sophomore Andrew Fries (Dublin, Ohio), senior Robert Dolliver (Norwich, Conn.), also one the top offensive players on the squad and the regular DH, and junior Tony O’Shaughnessy (Manchester, N.H.) make the catching position the strength of the team. Fries, one the league’s top freshmen last spring, hit .434 with five home runs and 26 RBI, while Dolliver batted .337 with five homers and 24 RBI. O’Shaughnessy is superior defensively and dependable with the bat. He hit .385 as a freshman in 2000.

"As always, we must continue to grow and build on the positive steps the program has taken over the last decade," says Decker. "Preparation is always the key to success, and as long as we continue to work hard on and off the field, the post-season and the NCAA Tournament are realistic goals."