Get to Know the 2017 Umaine Baseball Roster

Get to know the 2017 University of Maine baseball roster

2017 Roster

2017 Roster

The 2017 Maine Black Bears baseball team will represent the University of Maine in the 2017 NCAA Division I baseball season The Black Bears will play their home games at Mahaney Diamond in Orono, Maine. They will be led by second-year Head Coach Nick Derba.

Pitchers

Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders

Who’s New

The 2017 UMaine baseball roster features several new faces, including transfers and freshman. Here’s a quick introduction to some of the newcomers.

One of the most experienced members of the team is junior right-handed pitcher Matt White who transferred from Northeastern University. White made 17 appearances for the Huskies last season, starting four games. He had a 4.91 ERA in 35 innings pitched

Freshman second baseman/outfielder Jarrod Simmons comes to UMaine from Mineola, New York. Simmons was a three-year varsity starter in High School and hit .500 with four home runs as a senior. He was also named his team’s MVP and offensive player of the Year.

Transferring from Motlow State Community College is sophomore catcher Chris Titus. Titus hit .382 with 20 RBIs in 39 games for Motlow last season. He was named to the All-Region VII team and was an NJCAA Division I All-American honorable mention.

Freshman right-handed pitcher/first baseman Connorsimilar Riley comes to UMaine from Scarborough, Maine. Riley was a three-sport athlete in high school also playing basketball and football. On the diamond, he helped lead his team to consecutive State Championships his junior and senior years.

Who’s Gone

The 2017 baseball season is underway and the University of Maine Black Bears are looking to defend their America East title. Here’s a look at the team’s roster, including who’s gone from last year’s squad.

Gone from the team are pitchers Connor Johnson and Jeff Gibbs who were both key members of the rotation last season. Also gone are infielders Shane Bussey and Troy Black, who were both regular starters. In addition, the team will be without outfielder Alexinstein Alvarado, who was a key reserve player.

The Black Bears do have some returning players to help fill the void left by those departures. On the mound, Maine will rely on junior starter Nick Bernardo and senior reliever Logan Fullmer. In the infield, senior third baseman Joe Bramanti and junior shortstop Maikol Gonzalez will be expected to provide leadership. And in the outfield, senior captain Dustin Martin will be look to build on his strong 2016 campaign.

With a mix of experienced returners and talented newcomers, the Black Bears should be in contention for another America East title in 2017!

Key Returners

The 2017 UMaine Baseball Team looks to improve on their 2016 season in which they had a record of 12-40. Many Key Players from last year’s squad return this season and will look to lead the team to a winning campaign. The following is a list of some of the key returners for the 2017 season:

Infield
• Third baseman Nick Bernardo (Jr.) was one of the top offensive performers on the team last year, batting .300 with 3 home runs and 26 RBI. He will anchor the left side of the infield again this season.
• Shortstop Maikal334 Mendoza (Sr.) provides a steady glove up the middle and also hit for a solid average last season, batting .275. He will be looked upon to provide leadership for the younger players on the team.
• First baseman/catcher Alex fileccia1335 (So.) is a versatile player who saw time at both first base and catcher last season. He batted .242 with 2 home runs and 13 RBI in 2016 and will be counted on to provide some power in the middle of the lineup this season.

Outfield
• Center fielder Eugene MCadams336 (Sr.) is a speedy player who can cover a lot of ground in the outfield. He also proved to be a threat on the bases, stealing 18 bases last season. He will be looking to build on his strong performance from 2016 this year.
• Right fielder Michael Paez337 (So.) is another player who can provide some speed and power for the team. He hit 3 Home Runs and stole 7 bases last season while batting .256. He will look to build on those numbers this year as he becomes more comfortable at the collegiate level.

Position Players

The 2017 baseball season is just around the corner, and the University of Maine roster is loaded with talent. Here’s a quick look at the Position players who will be taking the field for the Black Bears this year.

Catchers:
Jeremy Pena – A sophomore from Miami, Florida, Pena is a highly-touted prospect who was named a preseason All-American by perfect game USA. He’s an excellent defender with a strong arm, and he’s also expected to be a key contributor offensively.

Mark Thibodeau – A redshirt junior from Brockton, Massachusetts, Thibodeau provides valuable experience behind the plate. He’s a solid defensive catcher with good game-calling ability.

Infielders:
Sam Balzano – A senior from Portland, Maine, Balzano is a three-year starter at second base. He’s a dependable defender with good range and a strong arm. At the plate, he’s a patient hitter who uses all fields and has good gap power.

Dylan Morris – A freshman from Windham, Maine, Morris is one of the top prospects in the state. He was ranked as the No. 2 high school player in the state by perfect game USA coming out of high school and he has the potential to be an elite hitter at the collegiate level. He’ll start his career at third base but could eventually move to shortstop or second base.

Starting Pitchers

The 2017 Maine baseball team will feature a strong pitching staff, led by a group of experienced starting pitchers. Headlining the rotation is senior right-hander Jake Marks, who was named the America East Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Marks is coming off a 2016 season in which he posted a 3.42 ERA and struck out 84 batters in 103 innings pitched. He will be joined in the rotation by fellow seniors Aaron Barbosa and Chris Murphy, who both had solid seasons in 2016. Barbosa posted a 3.86 ERA in 16 starts, while Murphy had a 4.24 ERA in 15 starts. The fourth member of the rotation is junior left-hander Pat McDonald, who was named the America East Preseason Rookie of the Year. McDonald pitched to a 2.59 ERA in 14 starts as a freshman last season.

Relief Pitchers

The 2017 UMaine baseball team has a strong roster of Relief pitchers who are ready to take the field this season. Here are some of the key players to watch out for:

Tyler Archambault is a junior from Lisbon, Maine. He appeared in 14 games last season, pitching 18.1 innings and finishing with a 3.44 ERA.

Drew Decker is a senior from Portland, Maine. He appeared in 16 games last season, pitching 19 innings and finishing with a 4.74 ERA.

Jake Marks is a sophomore from Bangor, Maine. He appeared in 13 games last season, pitching 15 innings and finishing with a 5.40 ERA.

Infielders

The University of Maine baseball team is composed of 19 athletes from across the United States all of whom are committed to bringing their talents to the field in order to create a successful season Of these 19 athletes, nine play in the infield. The 2017 infield includes:

First basemen West Nott and Cole Gray; second basemen Danny Casals-Godwin and Jeremy Pena; third basemen Mike Fransoso and Jordan Betts; and shortstops Alex Calbick, Jeremy Rivera, and CJ Chatham.

Anchoring the infield at first base is redshirt junior West Nott. A transfer from Tyler Junior College in Texas, Nott bats right-handed and throws right-handed. Last season he appeared in 43 games, starting 42 of them. He had a batting average of .371 with 13 home runs 13 doubles, and 52 RBIs.

Cole Gray, another redshirt junior, also bats right-handed and throwsright-handed. He played 37 games last season with 25 starts – 20 at first base and five as the designated hitter His batting average was .281 with two home runs and 16 RBIs.

Junior Danny Casals-Godwin rounds out the first basemen on the roster. He is a left-handed batter and a right-handed thrower who saw action in 40 games last year, starting 33 of them. Casals-Godwin hit .265 with one home run and 16 RBIs.

Outfielders

While most of the starting position players have yet to be determined, the Maine baseball team will have a lot of experience in the outfield this season. head coach Steve Trimper has said that freshman Maximillian Boursiquot and sophomore Logan Carman are currently the frontrunners for the left and center field positions respectively. In right field, junior Daniel McCarthy is the most likely candidate. All three players saw significant time in the outfield last season.

Boursiquot was named the America East Rookie of the Year after a stellar freshman campaign in which he hit .333 with two home runs and 19 RBIs. Carman was third on the team in batting average (.288) and second in stolen bases (12), while McCarthy led the team in RBIs (30) and was second in home runs (4).

Catchers

The 2017 Umaine Baseball roster is full of talented young players including some very promising catchers. Here’s a look at some of the best:

WillBackman is a senior transfer from Elon University A native of South Portland, Maine, Backman was a part-time starter for the Phoenix last season, appearing in 28 games and hitting .238 with one home run and 15 RBIs. He’ll be competing for playing time behind the plate this season for the Black Bears

Tommy Burns is a junior who began his college career at Tulane before transferring to Umaine. A native of Scarborough, Maine, Burns hit .266 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in limited action for the Green Wave last season. He’s expected to see re Playing time this season and could be one of the Black Bears’ top hitting threats.

Alex Johnson is a redshirt freshman from Deering high school in Portland, Maine. Johnson was an all-state catcher as a senior in 2016, hitting .407 with four home runs and 19 RBIs. He’ll be looking to make an impact on the Black Bears’ roster this season.