2022 Delaware Baseball Season Preview

Photo by: Mark Campbell

2/16/2022 1:00:00 PM | Baseball

The Delaware baseball team kicks off its 2022 season this weekend with three games at the Stetson Tournament in DeLand, Fla. The Blue Hens will take on the host Hatters on Friday at 3 p.m., battle Manhattan Saturday at 12 noon, and face fourth-ranked Notre Dame Sunday at 9 a.m.

"We had a good fall, and winter workouts also went well. We have a pretty big cast of new guys with incoming freshmen and transfers, along with our returning veterans. We've got some immediate help on the mound which has given us more depth, so that's a bright spot. Plus, I think we're pretty sound offensively," said head coach Jim Sherman, who begins his 22nd and final season leading the Blue Hens.

INFIELD
Joseph Carpenter, a second team All-CAA pick last year, returns to first base after batting .260 and tying for the team lead with five homers in 2021. Jake Dunion and John Weglarz are expected to battle for the second base and designated hitter roles. Dunion was also a second team All-Conference and All-Rookie selection in 2021 when he batted .397, while Weglarz was named second team All-MEAC when he hit .336 at Delaware State. JJ Freeman, the 2021 Centennial Conference Player of the Year at Franklin & Marshall, will take over the shortstop role. Joey Loynd returns to third base after he ranked second on the Blue Hens with a .294 average and 37 hits a season ago.

CATCHER
Nick Vera, a transfer from Pitt and Tallahassee CC, is expected to start behind the plate while Gabe Dermott, who appeared in four games last year, will provide depth.

OUTFIELD
Jordan Hutchins, who started all but one game last year while hitting .238, is expected to earn the starting spot in leftfield. Dominic Ragazzo is the leading candidate for the centerfield role after playing 41 games in 2021 at West Virginia. The rightfield spot will be a battle between Bryce Greenly, who hit .296 in 2020 before missing all of last season with an injury, and Austin Elliott, a transfer from North Carolina. Aidan Kane, who batted .271 while making 27 starts in leftfield last year, will also be in the mix for a starting spot.

Eric Ludman, who made 14 starts last year as designated hitter, could also return to the DH role in 2022. Aidan Riley, who started the first 25 games in centerfield a year ago, will also look to contribute in April when he is expected to return from shoulder surgery.

"With Ragazzo and Greenly, we've got some pretty good speed at the top of the lineup. Those are two of the top speed guys in our conference. The 3-6 spots can be shuffled between Loynd, Carpenter, Freeman and Dunion, in any combination. So with the first two trips to Florida and then a stretch of home games, that gives us a chance to figure the lineup out before the conference season," Sherman said.

PITCHING STAFF
The staff will be anchored by grad student Chris Ludman, who returns for his fifth season with the Blue Hens. Ludman made 11 starts a year ago, posting three wins and a 4.62 ERA while leading the squad with 78 innings pitched. The rest of the rotation is still to be determined, with Carter Welch and Joey Silan the early favorites, but the team expects to have much more depth than last season.

"We'll have more depth and more options, for both the starting rotation and bullpen," said associate head coach Jad Prachniak. "Roles are still up in the air, but we'll lean on Chris Ludman's experience to anchor the pitching staff. We'll be using those early weekends to stabilize and finalize what those roles will be before we get into conference play."

Mike Biasiello will be an important piece out of the bullpen, looking to build off the experience and success he had last year.

Sophomore pitchers Dom Velazquez and Wyatt Nelson each received valuable innings as freshmen and can be used in different situations. They will begin the season in the bullpen, but could be used in a starting role as the year progresses.

Transfer newcomers Zach Klapak, Jose Ledesma, Matt Kennedy, Gavin Hinchliffe and Dan Frake will help bolster the depth of the staff. This group has college experience and provide versatility with a good mix of pitch arsenals.

Returning pitchers Nate Rolka, Luke Pizzico, Reece Bolton and David Keane will be key pieces in situational matchups.

The staff will have some additional quality options from the outfield group as Austin Elliott, Austin Colmery, Jordan Hutchins and Bryce Greenly may all log some innings along with patrolling the outfield.

MILESTONE WATCH
Jim Sherman has won 799 career games during his 28-year career, and needs just one more to reach the 800-mark. He also has won 581 games as UD's head coach, and needs 19 more to reach 600 for his career.

PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Joseph Carpenter and Jake Dunion were both named CAA Preseason Honorable Mention. The Blue Hens were picked eighth in the CAA Poll, but Sherman expects his club to exceed expectations.

"I don't think we're an eighth place club, I think we're much better than that," he said. "Once we really get our identity and can get going offensively, I think we'll make a run. We're focusing on getting in the CAA Tournament, and anything can happen from there. We want to get off to a good start from a standpoint of playing good baseball those first two weekends, and then get on a pretty good roll at home. It should be a fun year, and I'm looking forward to it."

SCHEDULE
After opening their season at the Stetson Tournament, Delaware heads to Florida Atlantic for a three-game set the following weekend. After a trip to Maryland on Mar. 1, Delaware plays a 14-game homestand from Mar. 4-27. The Blue Hens are scheduled to play 31 games at Bob Hannah Stadium, including CAA home series with James Madison, UNCW, Elon and Northeastern.