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-> “His biggest tool is his power,” Penders said. “Elliot Ballpark plays up like Yankee Stadium, the ball carries really well to right field. He started to use more of the field this fall and this winter. When he gets it, it goes, over the second fence, up into the woods.”
Dalena, a lefty hitting first baseman, a junior from Montoursville, Pa. — a town with great deer hunting and baseball royalty — was the Big East’s Preseason player of the Year. The Huskies, who also have the pitcher of the year, Ian Cooke, and several all-conference picks, are restocked for another run at Omaha, the College World Series. UConn, which last reached there in 1979, has gotten one step away, losing in the Super Regionals in 2022 and ’24.
“Everything is team, all of us are in it,” Dalena said. “And when all of us are in it, grinding for the same goal, we can do anything with this group. Every single person here has a great work ethic and has the same goal, that’s UConn baseball.”
Dalena, who played part-time as a freshman, broke into the lineup last season and hit .242, with a .358 on-base percentage, 12 doubles, 13 homers and 43 RBI. He hit .281 with an OPS of 1.063 in 16 conference games, earning the respect of the Big East coaches who voted.
“He was a little bit surprised,” Penders said.
“But in the Big East regular season he had some huge weekends. As I told him, ‘Don’t make that the kiss of death.’ We’ve had preseason pitchers of the year or players of the year who have had disappointing seasons, but I don’t think he’s going to lose the chip on his shoulder. He’s got a good motor.” <-