University of Delaware Athletics
Young Delaware Baseball Squad Opens 2016 Season This Weekend at Stetson
2/19/2016 12:11:00 AM | Baseball
Delaware ranked third in the CAA in batting average last season with a .298 team mark and ranked among the league leaders with 6.3 runs scored per game. Although eight of the nine starting position players have graduated and Delaware has lost 74 percent of its run production and 77 percent of its hits, Sherman is confident this year's team can get the job done at the plate.
“I think we can be as good offensively as we've been at any time over the last 10 years,” said Sherman, who is looking to guide his team to its first league title and NCAA Tournament berth since 2001. “Even though we are young, we have the talent. It's just a matter of them putting it together in live situations under pressure. We can be very good in this conference if we are hitting on all cylinders.”
The lone returning starter is sophomore third baseman Diaz Nardo, who earned Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American honors in 2015 when he hit .281 with five home runs and a team-high 35 RBI. Junior designated hitter Doug Trimble (.308) and junior catcher Brian Mayer (.227) also bring experience. Among the top newcomers are redshirt freshman centerfielder Kevin Mohollen, junior second baseman Nick Tierno (LaSalle transfer), junior outfielder Jordan Glover (Cumberland, N.J. County JC), junior shortstop James Meeker (Akron transfer), freshman first baseman Nick Patten, and freshman outfielder Kyle Baker.
Delaware appears to be solid on the mound led by sophomore right-hander Ron Marinaccio, a 2015 CAA All-Rookie pick who went 4-3 with a 4.11 earned run average as a freshman. Freshman left-hander Brandon Walter, the Delaware high school Player of the Year at Hodgson Vo-Tech in 2015, will also be counted on as conference starter as will junior co-captain Burk FitzPatrick, who sat out last season after playing two years at Maine.
Marinaccio will start Friday's opener with Walter slated to start Saturday and FitzPatrick set for Sunday. Returnees Colman Vila, Kevin Milley, and Nick Spadafino and Tulane transfer Zach Flowers will also play key roles on the mound with Spadafino most likely to serve as the closer.
Delaware will remain on the road next week as the Hens travel to Norfolk, Va. to take on Virginia Tech, Manhattan, and host Old Dominion in single games Feb. 26-28. They will return to Bob Hannah Stadium for the home opener March 1 to take on 2015 NCAA Super Regional participant Maryland and then host Delaware State and UMass Lowell in the Bob Hannah Invitational on Mar. 4-6.
In all, Delaware will play 31 homes games, including CAA homestands vs. James Madison, Northeastern, Elon, and UNCW. The CAA Tournament will be held May 25-28 at the College of Charleston in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129
