Baseball: 2020 Season Preview
Story written and posted by Anthony Perry, Rivier University Sports Information Director
NASHUA, N.H. – With a solid foundation to build upon, the 2020 version of the Rivier University Baseball team looks to continue its growth after a productive season a year ago. Despite the team only going 7-33 on the season, the Raiders saw a core group of newcomers account for 30% of the team's at bats and 40.9% of the innings last year. The seven wins was the highest amount of wins the program has achieved since the 2016 season (11).
Rivier will have a solid schedule to matchup against this spring as it includes a 14-game Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) slate along with a seven-game trip to Fort Myers, Florida. The highlight of the trip south will be a double-header with Saint John's University (Minn.), who is currently receiving votes in the d3baseball.com pre-season top 25. Once back in New England, the Raiders will battle some good non-conference opponents in Clark University (March 17), Emerson College (March 18) and Nichols College (April 14).
"I am excited to see what this group can accomplish this year." said Head Coach Anthony Perry, who will begin his ninth year at the helm of the program. "Even though we are a young roster this spring, the energy that this group brings day in day out is amazing to see."
That energy will be tested all season as the GNAC released their annual pre-season coaches poll yesterday (February 20) and the coaches voted the Raiders to finish in ninth place.
Leading the group of returners is junior outfielder Frederick Kazalski (Dracut, Mass.), who was the lone Rivier representative to earn All-Conference honors in 2019. Kazalski led the team in virtually every offensive category including average (.324), hits (46) and runs batted in (30). He also scored the most runs (24) and walked the most (15) while swiping nine bases, good for second on the team. Joining Kazalski in the outfield will be classmate Dillon Brady (Middleboro, Mass.) and sophomore Jalen Shirley (Fishers, Ind.). Both are looking for breakout seasons offensively as Shirley made the move from pitcher to outfielder midway through last season.
Seniors Tyler Jackson (Hyde Park, Mass.) and Eric Maxfield (Lowell, Mass.) will provide veteran leadership for the Raiders. Jackson will be counted upon to be a middle-of-the-order hitter as he led the team in home runs a year ago. Maxfield will be a key two-way student-athlete by handling an infield spot while throwing valuable innings on the mound.
Junior Ryan Schafer (Everett, Mass.) will be the de-facto ace for Rivier. He has made a total of 15 starts during his first two seasons while collecting 39 strikeouts over 68.2 innings of work. Helping out on the pitching staff this season is fellow junior Daniel White (Augusta, Maine). Predominately a bullpen arm over the last two seasons, White will be looked upon to contribute in a starting role in 2020. Rounding out the junior class is Christian Greener (Hermon, Maine), who rejoins the squad after sitting out last season due to an injury. He is expected to contribute at a corner infield spot and on the mound as a relief option.
The sophomore class is the foundation that the program is excited about as they currently makeup 39% of the roster. Sophomore Corey Cochran (Salem, N.H.) is one of the key cogs to the machine as he is a solid two-way student-athlete who will become the everyday shortstop for the Raiders. Last season, Cochran batted .318 with 27 hits and 17 runs scored while also dominating on the mound with a 2-5 record and 4.02 ERA over 47 innings pitched.
Classmate Brandon Kelly (Lincoln, R.I.) set the single-season appearance mark in his rookie campaign and will once again be counted on getting the team out of tight spots. The right-hander made 23 appearances to the tune of a 4.25 ERA while striking out 26 hitters. Jake Mainey (Merrimack, N.H.) will also factor into the starting rotation along with Dax Billingsley (Lynn, Mass.) for the Raiders in 2020 after promising years in 2019. Mainey went 2-3 last year while Billingsley struck out 20 hitters in 23 innings of work.
On the offensive side of the sophomore class, Anthony (A.J.) Mele (Nashua, N.H.) will handle the pitching staff behind the plate. Last year, Mele batted just .216 in 97 at bats however he started at catcher in 32 of the team's 40 games. Devin Albino (North Smithfield, R.I.) will anchor down the hot corner along with seeing some innings on the mound after vastly improving himself over the off-season. Conor Dines (Wayland, Mass.) is expected to be a versatile utility man for the Raiders this spring where he will see action in the infield, behind the plate and on the mound.
The program will welcome seven newcomers to the RivBaseball family for the 2020 campaign from who reside across three different states and one international student-athlete. Freshman Zachary White (Long Beach, Calif.) makes one of the furthest trips to Nashua as the 6-2 infielder will be an immediate impact for the Raiders. Right-hander Tim Scott (Lowell, Mass.) will bolster the pitching staff after a successful senior season at Lowell High, in which the team advanced to the Massachusetts Division 1A Elite Eight. Also joining the program after leading his high school team deep into the Massachusetts state playoffs is freshman catcher Alex Currie (Uxbridge, Mass.). Currie guided his high school team to the Central Division 3 semi-finals a year ago and will solidify a strong catching position for Rivier this spring.
Three local New Hampshire student-athletes will contribute to the overall success of the Baseball program in 2020. John Jepson (Pelham, N.H.) helps provided depth in the infield along with on the mound for Rivier and outfielder Patrick Quinn (Seabrook, N.H.) will also work his way into some valuable innings this upcoming season. Ryan-Anthony Condon (Nashua, N.H.) is a solid athlete who will add quickness and speed to the lineup in 2020.
For the first time in program history, the team will welcome their first female baseball student-athlete in freshman Marika Lyszczyk (Delta, British Colombia, Canada). Lyszczyk joins the squad after recently competing for the Canadian Women's National team in the Women's Baseball World Cup qualifier last August. The 5-10 catcher will see her fair share of innings behind the plate along with being versatile enough to play other positions.
The Raiders will begin their 2020 season on Sunday afternoon (February 23) with a non-conference contest against Emerson College. First pitch is expected for 12pm at Maplewood Park in Malden, Mass. Live stats for the contest can be found by clicking here.