New uniforms, new team for the 2013 Rivier Baseball program
(Nashua, NH) The 2013 Rivier University Baseball season will be one of promise and potential for the young talented Raiders.
Second year Head Coach Anthony Perry has done a tremendous job turning around a once struggling program into one of potential and substance. Coach Perry has brought in over 20 new student-athletes to complement last season's returners.
Leading the group that will be back in 2013 are the three senior captains Kyle Bowser (Newington, NH), Aramis Velez (Lowell, MA) and John DiBenedetto (Tampa, FL). Bowser and Velez will be entering their fourth season wearing Raider blue and have been a vital part in the transformation process. DiBenedetto transferred from Saint Anselm College, a Division II program. He started every game behind the plate in 2012 while displaying strong team leadership.
Also returning from last year's team are sophomores Lucas Palma (Bristol, CT), Michael Scanlon (Plantsville, CT) and Bryar King (Berlin, NH). All four student-athletes are expected to make contributions to the lineup and the overall success of the 2013 Raiders. King was the winning pitcher in Coach Perry's first career win last March in Florida and will be looked to as a key piece in a revamped pitching rotation. Palma, the self-proclaimed "Bullpen General" will lead the charge at the end of the game. Junior Justin Chenevert (Wilmington, MA) will continue to add depth to the pitching staff. He appeared in a Rivier baseball record setting 15 games last season on the hill. Scanlon will be a valuable asset on the left side of the infield and sophomore John Basurto (Newark, NJ) will be in the mix at second base.
Pitching is the name of the game especially in New England and the Raider Staff should be one of the best in the GNAC. Sophomore Jesse Turcotte (Tyngsboro, MA) will lead a very talented freshman group when the season begins in March. He transferred from Northern Essex Community College that finished third in the NJCAA Division III World Series last spring. Also joining the Raiders staff in 2013 is junior transfer Gabe May (Portsmouth, NH). May, a right-hander, will anchor a rock solid rotation as he joins the program after spending the past two seasons at UMass-Boston. He pitched in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League last summer striking out 22 hitters in just 15 innings. Freshman Jonathan Chotkowski (Tewksbury, MA), a 2012 Merrimack Valley Conference All Star, fellow freshmen Nicholas Pica (Derry, NH), and Edward Soucie (South Ryegate, VT) are all expected to see quality time on the hill. Sophomore Steven Carlberg (Dover, NH) has transferred from Saint Joseph's College of Maine and will solidify the rotation. Freshmen Spencer Aguiar (Malden, MA) and Zachary Briggs (North Kingstown, RI) will be key cogs in the Rivier bullpen.
Playing behind the Raider Pitching staff will be a very talented group of freshman position players. Michael Janerico (Waquoit, MA), Michael Yebba (Everett, MA) and Alan Nahigian (Saugus, MA) will be major factors as they are slated to contribute in the infield. Freshman Taylor Black (Springfield, MA) transferred from Franklin Pierce University and is expected to be a strong factor in the middle of the diamond. In the outfield, a trio of freshman student-athletes will see a majority of time – Marc Medeiros (Arlington, MA), Jeremy Ball (Swanzey, NH) and Frederick O'Brien (South Boston, MA). Freshman David Feole (Scituate, RI) and New England College freshman transfer Austin Biery (Raymond, NH) will work with DiBenedetto behind the plate. Freshmen Mauro Da Silva (Pepperell, MA), Joshua Muench (Fredericksburg, VA) and Kywane Thomas (Hartford, CT) will also see action in the outfield for the Raiders in 2013. Freshmen Matthew Keefe (Bradford, MA) and Nick Gagnon (Providence, RI) will be valuable team members as they will be counted on to play third and pitch this season.
The Raiders will begin their season this upcoming Sunday afternoon as they travel to Auburndale, Florida for thier annual Spring Break trip. Rivier will square off against fellow New England school, Clark University in a 12:15pm double-header.
