Opening Weekend vs. UMass Lowell in Port St. Lucie

[dbmill]

Another hit off Radue scores a run, then Radue gets the strikeout to end the inning. 4-2 UConn up going into the bottom of the 8th.

 

[Baseballguy]

Great day for the starting battery.

 

[dbmill]

Bottom of the 8th. Prato singles and steals second. A Zac Susi triple drives in Prato to make it 5-2 UConn. Nice power surge today for Susi.

 

[dbmill]

John Russell in to pitch the 9th. Gives up a homer and hits a batter, but gets three outs to end the game. UConn wins 5-3.

 

[Stainmaster]

Some interesting stuff to consider here. Granted this is one game against low-major competition, but:

• Prato and Moriarty look like they will be really nice players for us over the course of their careers. I think they will remain in supporting roles this and next year, but they can definitely succeed at this level.
• If Susi keeps flashing this kind of power, watch out.
• Sundberg's graduation and Toppa's injury shows how much we have to work on defense in the outfield. In the early going, I would not be opposed to seeing Loeffler and/or Nucerino (whom I believe were HS teammates, coincidentally) get a couple of late-inning subs to see how they field the corners. Or maybe there's a Feldman-->DH, Gnesda --> 1B, Winkel -->CF, Stefanski --> RF switch coming up soon.
  
• For another year, the bullpen will give us all agita. I can't root harder for Radue but I don't think he can be trusted in high-leverage situations. Poulin and Russell are solid but I would've liked to have seen them be a little sharper today. I'll be interested to see if Dandeneau can build on a solid freshman year, and it was intriguing hearing Jacob Wallace get talked up by the coaches.
• Where he ends up drafted next year is anyone's guess at this point, but Tim Cate has a great chance of putting up better numbers for us than both Cross and Kay did.

 

[huskymedic]

First opening game win since 2012 - ✅

 

[uconnbaseball]

Freshman look like they will give us solid offensive presence.

Will be interesting to see how Texas fares vs. Rice.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[dbmill]

Some interesting stuff to consider here. Granted this is one game against low-major competition, but:

• Prato and Moriarty look like they will be really nice players for us over the course of their careers. I think they will remain in supporting roles this and next year, but they can definitely succeed at this level.
• If Susi keeps flashing this kind of power, watch out.
• Sundberg's graduation and Toppa's injury shows how much we have to work on defense in the outfield. In the early going, I would not be opposed to seeing Loeffler and/or Nucerino (whom I believe were HS teammates, coincidentally) get a couple of late-inning subs to see how they field the corners. Or maybe there's a Feldman-->DH, Gnesda --> 1B, Winkel -->CF, Stefanski --> RF switch coming up soon.
  
• For another year, the bullpen will give us all agita. I can't root harder for Radue but I don't think he can be trusted in high-leverage situations. Poulin and Russell are solid but I would've liked to have seen them be a little sharper today. I'll be interested to see if Dandeneau can build on a solid freshman year, and it was intriguing hearing Jacob Wallace get talked up by the coaches.
• Where he ends up drafted next year is anyone's guess at this point, but Tim Cate has a great chance of putting up better numbers for us than both Cross and Kay did.

In one of the Chris Jones preseason interviews with Coach Hourigan, it was noted that Zac Susi took last summer off from summer ball to get his body in better shape. Susi was worn out after last season and knew he needed to do something about it. I was thinking about this after he followed his homer with a triple, both a career first for Susi. His off season work seems to have paid off, at least for one day. We'll see if Susi becomes a consistent power threat at the bat. If he does, it is a very big step up for him and real good news for the Husky offense.

Loeffler and Nucerino were indeed high school teammates. I have nothing to base this on, but I have this odd feeling that one of them might be redshirted. It's a crowded outfield, and it could be even more so if Conor Moriarty ends up seeing time in the outfield after Yahn and Lambrecht return from their injuries. The coaches have mentioned this possibility more than once in the various interviews I've seen.

 

[huskymedic]

Huskies Take Opening Day Behind Cate's Gem

 

[huskymedic]

Let's play two:

 

[dbmill]

Freshman look like they will give us solid offensive presence.

Will be interesting to see how Texas fares vs. Rice.

No. 23 Rice beat Texas 3-2 last night.

 

[Husky25]

Despite a neutral field, UConn will be the home team and bat last in all four games this weekend, according to Chris Jones on WHUS.

I don't know about you guys, but I really enjoy listening to the games on 91.7 (or streaming). Yesterday's game took about 2:45, but they normally pretty fast paced. Is the broadcast crew made up of students, because it seems the same two have been doing games for years.

 

[huskymedic]

I don't know about you guys, but I really enjoy listening to the games on 91.7 (or streaming). Yesterday's game took about 2:45, but they normally pretty fast paced. Is the broadcast crew made up of students, because it seems the same two have been doing games for years.

Lead radio play by play is Chris Jones who started as a student (he's alum now) and is top notch. He also does play by play for Bourne Braves and CT Tigers. Rising star IMO. He also does the UConn Baseball social media interviews.

"Color" guys have rotated through and have included former UConn Hockey's Kyle Huson who now works for Frederick Keys (Orioles Single A club).

 

[dbmill]

I don't know about you guys, but I really enjoy listening to the games on 91.7 (or streaming). Yesterday's game took about 2:45, but they normally pretty fast paced. Is the broadcast crew made up of students, because it seems the same two have been doing games for years.

I've been listening to WHUS baseball broadcasts for several years now, and I've praised them in a bunch of posts over the years. A great source of information about the team. Chris Jones started doing the games as a student about 5 or 6 years ago, and is the primary reason why almost every game is carried by the station. Jones was so good at doing the games and keeping up with the team that he is now employed by UConn Athletic Communications as an Athletic Communications Assistant, according to the UConn athletics website. Last summer Jones was also the lead broadcaster for the minor league Connecticut Tigers of the the New York-Penn League. The other guys who do games with him are usually students, although the occasional non student will sneak in as well.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[dbmill]

Lead radio play by play is Chris Jones who started as a student (he's alum now) and is top notch. He also does play by play for Bourne Braves and CT Tigers. Rising star IMO. He also does the UConn Baseball social media interviews.

"Color" guys have rotated through and have included former UConn Hockey's Kyle Huson who now works for Frederick Keys (Orioles Single A club).

Adam Giardino preceded Chris Jones as WHUS sports director and did a bunch of UConn baseball games before he graduated. He and Eli Pearlstein were a great team together, and I remember them broadcasting the Norwich regional games back in 2010. Anyway, Giardino is now the lead broadcaster for the Trenton Thunder, the Yankees AA Eastern League club.

 

[dbmill]

Montgomerie gives up a lead off homer. 1-0 UMass Lowell still in the 1st inning.

 

[uconnbaseball]

Well, that isn't a good start. Still very early though.

 

[Husky25]

Listening to WHUS on TuneIn Radio app. Yes, they've played less than 10 innings and he was a back-up and Freshman last year, but did Susi show this type of promise last year?

 

[uconnbaseball]

1-1, 1 out and 2 on. Prato and Susi are in beast mode right now.

 

[uconnbaseball]

Listening to WHUS on TuneIn Radio app. Yes, they've played less than 10 innings and he was a back-up and Freshman last year, but did Susi show this type of promise last year?

Yes, he showcased solid potential as a contact hitter...but I never expected this surge in power.

 

[huskymedic]

Listening to WHUS on TuneIn Radio app. Yes, they've played less than 10 innings and he was a back-up and Freshman last year, but did Susi show this type of promise last year?

Susi was the starting catcher most of the year but as noted above he wore down as the year went on. Big jump from Southington High.

 

[huskymedic]

2-1 after one. Thing that sucks w/ Chris Jones doing PxP is Twitter updates seem to takes a back seat here early on.