Philadelphia, Pa. - (3/1/2018) – The Chestnut Hill College baseball team departs tomorrow, Thursday, March 1, for the warm weather and greenery of Florida's southeast coast. There, they will begin their 2018 campaign with a slate that includes three games against Florida Memorial University, single games opposite Stonehill College and Barry University, a doubleheader versus first-year program Florida National University, and a pair of contest at Palm Beach Atlantic University. The Griffins have already received votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Regional Preseason Poll (2/21/18) and garnered the #3 spot in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll (2/1/18) – a statement that will surely serve as motivation for a team that has competed in three of the last five CACC Championship Series.

 

"The offense struggled at times last year, but many of our key weapons are back," admitted Head Coach Bob Spratt, who has led Chestnut Hill College to the CACC postseason in seven of the last eight seasons. "I feel this is the deepest we have been on the mound, which will help us tremendously as we transition to the conference's six-game per week schedule. The challenge for us will be creating the "big" inning. If our bats mature, we should once again challenge for the CACC Championship and garner more respect in the East Region."
 
Chestnut Hill College offense remains tied to the success of senior shortstop Alec Craig (Hammonton, N.J.), who garnered All-CACC Second Team honors and the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award after finishing the season tied for 11^th in the CACC for runs (35), third in on-base percentage (.462), and second in both walks (38) and stolen bases (20). All four figures served as Chestnut Hill College highs, as did his totals in hits (45), slugging (.413), and runs-batted-in (19 RBI, T1st), and total bases (59). Joining him at the top of the lineup will be sophomore second baseman Ameir Uzzell (Levittown, Pa.), who came on strong at the end of 2017. His speed and athleticism gained him a starting spot for the 2017 CACC postseason where he went 4-for-18 (.222) with, two walks, two runs, and two RBI.

The heart of the order will feature senior first baseman Matthew Owens (Cherry Hill, N.J.), junior catcher Eric Gilham (Deptford, N.J.), and junior Eric Small (Downingtown, Pa.), whose strong sophomore campaign as the Griffins primary designated hitter - .256 (31-for-121) BA/.372 OB%/.322 SLG% - produced 35 runs (20 runs, 15 RBI). Small will transition to the outfield in 2018, currently penciled-in as the Scarlet and Gold's starting left fielder.
 
Owens offered team-highs in doubles (11) and RBI (21) with his .261 (40-for-153) batting average, while Gilham added a .390 SLG and a .401 OBP to his team-best .316 (43-for-136) batting average. The result was 21 runs scored and 20 RBI, which along with his high-level defense (161PO, 28A, 1E, .995 FLD%) earned him a spot on the CACC All-Tournament Team and the 2017 Coach's Award. With a solid balance of power and speed, junior Zach Szumigala (Fairless Hills, Pa.) will continue to get at-bats as the Griffins' starting center fielder. Szumigala spent parts of his first two seasons a shortstop, third base, and right field, this year he will get the opportunity to showcase his arm as one of the Scarlet and Gold primary relief options. Another versatile fielder, senior Evan Grimes (Norristown, Pa.), has found a home as the Griffins' starting third baseman. Over the past two seasons, Grimes' superb defense has earned him time at second base, shortstop, and first base. The Griffins will look for him and Szumigala to help carry the bottom of the lineup. Right field remains up for grabs to start the season with senior Demetrius Isaac (Philadelphia, Pa.), senior Vincent Case (Southampton, Pa.), junior David McBrearty (Sicklerville, N.J.), and junior Justin McFadden (Galloway, N.J.) all vying for the starting role. In 18 games (9 starts), Isaac contributed to 11 runs (5 runs, 6 RBI) with a .294 (10-for-34)/.419/.324 slash line. Sophomore catcher Thomas Spratt (Doylestown, Pa.) and junior outfielder Joseph Argentieri (Laurel Springs, N.J.) also return as top reserves, but the bench will provide plenty of reinforcements including sophomore Nicholas Smalley (Blue Bell, Pa.), transfer Erving Nazario (Hamilton, N.J.), and a healthy crop of freshman fielders; Sam Barletta (Royersford, Pa.), John Contidous (Jenkintown, Pa.), Andrew Dietz (Warrington, Pa.), Victor Gonzalez (Douglassville, Pa.), Jared Healey (Philadelphia, Pa.), Kevin Jenkins Jr. (Erial, N.J.), Michael Perugini (Tamarac, Fla.), and Grant Schwartz (Delta, Pa.). Nazario, Barletta, and Perugini are quality left handed bats, while righties, Dietz and Schwartz both offer the Griffins size and power – both standing approximately 6-5 and tipping the scales at 230-plus. Jenkins' legs will earn him some pinch running assignments, while the defense of Healey and Gonzalez will allow them a chance to take the diamond this season.
 
Coach Spratt's rotation will go six deep in 2018, a rare luxury that help the Scarlet and Gold battle the rigors of another CACC season. Senior Patrick Kelley (Pipersville, Pa.) returns as the ace of the staff, sporting a 3.12 earned run average (ERA) and a 5-3 record in 2017. He and former closer, junior Dino Cattai (Philadelphia, Pa.) both ended last season on the CACC All-Tournament team with Gilham. Cattai broke program records for saves in a single-season (9) and a career (15) on a misleading 3.50 ERA. He went 1-2 and struck out 26 while issuing 10 walks in 43.2 innings of work. With Kelley and Cattai, Chestnut Hill College's rotation will also feature senior Andrew Sibson (Galloway, N.J.), juniors Matthew Kress (Lansdale, Pa.) and Anthony Vlahovic (New Hope, Pa.), and freshman Will Shaffer (Sicklerville, N.J.). Sibson offered a team-high six wins (6-2) with a 3.99 ERA and a 51/22 strikeout-walk ratio, while Kress posted a 3-2 record on a 2.63 ERA before suffering a season-ending injury. Kress was a surprise asset in 2017, tossing a pair (2) of complete games and recording a 24/9 strikeout-walk ratio over 37.2 innings of work.

Out the of the bullpen, Chestnut Hill College will look for senior Pat Geraghty (Morristown, N.J.), and juniors Tim Casey (Ivyland, Pa.) and Isaac Diaz (Freeport, N.Y.) to provide leadership for sophomores Charles Coyle Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Jerry Mangan (Wayne, Pa.), and a host of freshmen arms that include Johnny Almonte (Pennsauken, N.J.), Justin Anderosky (Warrington, Pa.), Billy Bethel (Yardley, Pa.), Mike Gladis Jr. (Laurel Springs, N.J.), Thomas Hughes (Phoenixville, Pa.), and Pat Woltemate (Philadelphia, Pa.).
 
"We want to win every pitch, every free base, every inning," touted Coach Spratt. "If we can do these little things, we can create big innings, minimize damage on the mound, and be a very successful team." The Chestnut Hill College baseball team hope to fulfill their coach's charge starting on Saturday, March 3, when they visit Florida Memorial University for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader.