Men UConn Baseball 2023

[MarkyMark]

Shpur will be hard to keep out of the lineup. 44 SBs and 29 XBHs in 52 games, best player on a Endicott team that made the D3 CWS for time ever.

On the pitching side. I would expect Cooke back even though he is a draft eligible sophomore. Sears should be back. S. Quigley has eligibility left. Ellison and Sullivan should be back. Coe and Afthim could be back. Abadessa will likely take a step forward.

Fogell would be a luxury in the BP if he does not go pro.

Freshmen coming in could be a factor. We have four guys slated to play in the FCBL which is a good sign that they could be factors out of the gate (Turner, Wolff, West, Galusha). Although Turner could potentially be a loss to the draft.

The pitching Im not sure if it needs an overhaul, a tweak or something in between. I’m lost in regards to that area.

 

[PASTE04038!]

The following players have used up all their eligibility and will not be back with UConn baseball next season.

Dom Freeberger
Ben Huber
Justin Willis
Devin Kirby

The following players were honored on Senior Day, but do have eligibility left over. Whether they are back next season with UConn baseball would depend on a few things, including being taken in the MLB draft, and for a few, probably availability of scholarship money, as well as other considerations.

Ryan Hyde
Garrett Coe
David Smith
Luke Broadhurst
Paul Tammaro
Chris Brown (did not play this season, he is in the Transfer Portal for the second straight summer)

Chris Jones said a number of times during game broadcasts that Broadhurst and Tammaro are expected back with the team if they are not taken in the MLB draft.

David Smith to me is an interesting case. Chris Jones said a number of times during game broadcasts that it is expected that Smith will be selected in the MLB draft. At first I was inclined to disagree that Smith would be drafted, as offensively he had a very similar season last year and did not get selected in the MLB draft.

However, this season Smith played a lot of both 2B and OF, and he did it very well, so he was able to show off his defensive flexibility out on the field this season. I'm inclined to think that showing that he can play all over the field and do it well in addition to his offensive production would certainly be an attractive trait when the MLB draft comes around this summer.

Assuming Smith is taken in the MLB draft, UConn would still seem to have a solid infield next season with the players they have right now who were on the roster this season. That would include Paul Tammaro, Ryan Daniels, and Bryan Padilla. Also, Maddix Dalena looks like a likely solid candidate for 1B with Huber having used up his eligibility. Of course, you never know at this point what the Transfer Portal will produce for possible transfers into the program this fall as well.

Obviously, given the Transfer Portal, it will be interesting to see who on the current roster, especially those who did not get much playing time, ends up as possibly leaving UConn baseball after this season. Also possible player(s) who did get some significant playing time could leave as well.

Smith and Sears are in Baseball America's top 500 for this years draft. Do they go high enough to sign is the question. Huber definitely helped himself the last few weeks but a little on the older side as far as being drafted. I can see him getting signed like Stock after the draft. Freeberger and Fogel should also get a shot in my opinion.

 

[dbmill]

Smith and Sears are in Baseball America's top 500 for this years draft. Do they go high enough to sign is the question. Huber definitely helped himself the last few weeks but a little on the older side as far as being drafted. I can see him getting signed like Stock after the draft. Freeberger and Fogel should also get a shot in my opinion.

Seems to me that Sears was a bit too inconsistent to get drafted, but we'll see what happens with him.

I was surprised that Huber was not taken in the MLB draft last season. I'm inclined to think that being another year older is not going to help his case, but we'll see. Getting signed as a free agent like Stock did certainly would not be a big surprise. Freeberger and Fogell would certainly seem to be draft possibles as well.

 

[HCCForever]

Speaking of next year, is there a potential 2024 schedule or do we have to wait until fall ball? I am aware of potential games against USF and Auburn but that is all.

 

[Hookknows]

 

[Shortking98]

The following players have used up all their eligibility and will not be back with UConn baseball next season.

Dom Freeberger
Ben Huber
Justin Willis
Devin Kirby

The following players were honored on Senior Day, but do have eligibility left over. Whether they are back next season with UConn baseball would depend on a few things, including being taken in the MLB draft, and for a few, probably availability of scholarship money, as well as other considerations.

Ryan Hyde
Garrett Coe
David Smith
Luke Broadhurst
Paul Tammaro
Chris Brown (did not play this season, he is in the Transfer Portal for the second straight summer)

Chris Jones said a number of times during game broadcasts that Broadhurst and Tammaro are expected back with the team if they are not taken in the MLB draft.

David Smith to me is an interesting case. Chris Jones said a number of times during game broadcasts that it is expected that Smith will be selected in the MLB draft. At first I was inclined to disagree that Smith would be drafted, as offensively he had a very similar season last year and did not get selected in the MLB draft.

However, this season Smith played a lot of both 2B and OF, and he did it very well, so he was able to show off his defensive flexibility out on the field this season. I'm inclined to think that showing that he can play all over the field and do it well in addition to his offensive production would certainly be an attractive trait when the MLB draft comes around this summer.

Assuming Smith is taken in the MLB draft, UConn would still seem to have a solid infield next season with the players they have right now who were on the roster this season. That would include Paul Tammaro, Ryan Daniels, and Bryan Padilla. Also, Maddix Dalena looks like a likely solid candidate for 1B with Huber having used up his eligibility. Of course, you never know at this point what the Transfer Portal will produce for possible transfers into the program this fall as well.

Obviously, given the Transfer Portal, it will be interesting to see who on the current roster, especially those who did not get much playing time, ends up as possibly leaving UConn baseball after this season. Also possible player(s) who did get some significant playing time could leave as well.

Smith looked more natural in the infield to me than the outfield. With his work ethic I think his reads in the outfield could improve and take him to another level defensively if he gets a shot at playing every day as a pro.

 

[PASTE04038!]

Smith looked more natural in the infield to me than the outfield. With his work ethic I think his reads in the outfield could improve and take him to another level defensively if he gets a shot at playing every day as a pro.

his jumps in the outfield have improved quite a bit in the brief time he's been out there. If anyone can figure it out it's Smitty.

 

[Steve UConn72]

his jumps in the outfield have improved quite a bit in the brief time he's been out there. If anyone can figure it out it's Smitty.

Is the 04038 in your handle your Maine zip code? If so, mine is 04039, neighbor.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[PASTE04038!]

Is the 04038 in your handle your Maine zip code? If so, mine is 04039, neighbor.

it is

 

[dbmill]

Would guess this is the first of several goodbye tweets.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Steve UConn72]

it is

Who do we lobby to get a UMaine-UConn game at Hadlock Field in Portland next year? Homecoming for Afthim. A little less than 3 hours from Storrs to Portland and about 2 hours from Orono to Portland.

 

[PASTE04038!]

Who do we lobby to get a UMaine-UConn game at Hadlock Field in Portland next year? Homecoming for Afthim. A little less than 3 hours from Storrs to Portland and about 2 hours from Orono to Portland.

that would be great but Maine needs to improve it's RPI for UConn to consider it.

 

[Steve UConn72]

that would be great but Maine needs to improve it's RPI for UConn to consider it.

They did make the tournament this year (RPI 126), but got shellacked in two games. The Bears have been improving slowly over last few years, but whether they ever see the John Winkin days again is questionable. Talk about REALLY being able to recruit. Storrs in April is a tough enough sell, but Orono, Maine? They got to a couple CWS (in the 80's, I think).

 

[PASTE04038!]

They did make the tournament this year (RPI 126), but got shellacked in two games. The Bears have been improving slowly over last few years, but whether they ever see the John Winkin days again is questionable. Talk about REALLY being able to recruit. Storrs in April is a tough enough sell, but Orono, Maine? They got to a couple CWS (in the 80's, I think).

They were very good back then(Swift,Sweeney,Bordick, Buckley etc..) but it was way easier to get to Omaha. You just had to win in the northeast. Different beast now.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Steve UConn72]

They did make the tournament this year (RPI 126), but got shellacked in two games. The Bears have been improving slowly over last few years, but whether they ever see the John Winkin days again is questionable. Talk about REALLY being able to recruit. Storrs in April is a tough enough sell, but Orono, Maine? They got to a couple CWS (in the 80's, I think).

They were very good back then(Swift,Sweeney,Bordick, Buckley etc..) but it was way easier to get to Omaha. You just had to win in the northeast. Different beast now.

Actually, the first three times UConn made the CWS out of District 1, they only had to beat other New England teams. Some time between 1972 and 1979 (UConn's last CWS team), the NCAA expanded the field for each District to include worthy teams from elsewhere in the nation that couldn't otherwise get in. In '79, UConn was in Northeast Region with Navy, St. John's and Nebraska. The Huskers probably thought they were in a cupcake region, but lost to St. John's 5-0 in the opener, beat Navy in the loser's bracket and then were eliminated by UConn 15-0. UConn then won the region (and qualified for Omaha) by beating the Johnnies 14-4. All eight regions (nee Districts) had four game double elimination tournaments except the East, which had six (three from the Mid-Atlantic area- Delaware, Seton Hall & Delaware) for some reason. An interesting scheduling note (which should sound familiar to long time fans) - UConn went 31-11 that year. Every other team in the CWS WON as many or more games than UConn PLAYED - 42, 46 (Arkansas, which lost in the final), 47, 50, 55 (Cal St. Fullerton, the champ 55-13 coming into the tourney), 53 (Texas, 53-6 coming in), and 55 (Miami @ 55-9).

All that to say that I'd guess UMaine had to beat some folks "from away" in their tourney appearances.

 

[Steve UConn72]

Actually, the first three times UConn made the CWS out of District 1, they only had to beat other New England teams. Some time between 1972 and 1979 (UConn's last CWS team), the NCAA expanded the field for each District to include worthy teams from elsewhere in the nation that couldn't otherwise get in. In '79, UConn was in Northeast Region with Navy, St. John's and Nebraska. The Huskers probably thought they were in a cupcake region, but lost to St. John's 5-0 in the opener, beat Navy in the loser's bracket and then were eliminated by UConn 15-0. UConn then won the region (and qualified for Omaha) by beating the Johnnies 14-4. All eight regions (nee Districts) had four game double elimination tournaments except the East, which had six (three from the Mid-Atlantic area- Delaware, Seton Hall & Delaware) for some reason. An interesting scheduling note (which should sound familiar to long time fans) - UConn went 31-11 that year. Every other team in the CWS WON as many or more games than UConn PLAYED - 42, 46 (Arkansas, which lost in the final), 47, 50, 55 (Cal St. Fullerton, the champ 55-13 coming into the tourney), 53 (Texas, 53-6 coming in), and 55 (Miami @ 55-9).

All that to say that I'd guess UMaine had to beat some folks "from away" in their tourney appearances.

Correction - that third team in the Eastern Region (held in Florida) was George Washington. By the way, neither Florida team (UF and FSU who went 2-4 in the region) made it to the championship game, a 2-1 Arkansas win over Delaware.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[dbmill]

 

[dbmill]

David Smith Named Second Team All-American - University of Connecticut Athletics

LUBBOCK, Texas - UConn 2B/OF David Smith has been named a Second Team College Baseball Foundation All-American, as announced by the Foundation on Wednesday.

uconnhuskies.com

 

[huskymedic]

David Smith Named Second Team All-American - University of Connecticut Athletics

LUBBOCK, Texas - UConn 2B/OF David Smith has been named a Second Team College Baseball Foundation All-American, as announced by the Foundation on Wednesday.

uconnhuskies.com

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Rdkid]

Huge in the Maryland Regional last year.