UConn Baseball and AAC Conference Tourney - 1st Game Wednesday v. Tulane

[dbmill]

McDowell gets hit by a pitch. It's not quite a pot of gold, but it could get somewhere.

 

[ATLDYKA]

Maybe just maybe?????

 

[FfldCntyFan]

No luck......

 

[ATLDYKA]

And the story of our season continues....missed opportunity after missed opportunity.

 

[dbmill]

Maybe just maybe?????

Well, maybe not.

 

[dbmill]

Anthony Kay walks a batter, then picks him off. Great pitcher who also picks off his share of runners.

 

[dbmill]

Another late inning Husky rally. Melley with an RBI single with two out. Buckley pinch running. In this situation, down in the 9th, that is ok.

 

[dbmill]

But one run is not enough. Game over, probably season over.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

We can't say we didn't have our opportunities.

 

[ATLDYKA]

It was only fitting that we would load the bases just to leave them stranded. Couldn't have wrote the ending to the season any more ironic.

 

[scotty0330]

Max really seemed to struggle down the stretch. A month ago he is one of the guys you would have wanted up in that situation. It was all playing out like they were gonna pull a rabbit out of their hat...but then it didn't.

I know many hitting stats were solid for this team but it also seemed like they might have been inflated since there were some games were the team went crazy offensively putting up 11, 12 even 13 runs...then next couple of games would struggle to score altogether.

Pitching was there all season...maybe not always from the bullpen but starters by in large kept them in almost every game. Just were not able to get enough situational hits or make the smart base running plays to be a tournament team. Stinks because they seem to be so damn close they and Us could taste it.

Gonna be a senior dominated team next year in field and there is enough promise to replace a cross and tabakmen that maybe next year it all comes together for this group. Getting a couple productive outfielders to replace Blake and testani would go a long way.

 

[huskymedic]

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/052315aaa.html

Game Notes:

• With a fifth-inning single, Vinny Siena took sole possession of second for single-season hits in UConn history with 94 this season
• Sam Nepiarsky set a new career-high with 6.1 innings pitched, topping his previous personal best set earlier in the American Championship with 4.0 innings against Tulane on May 20
• Nepiarsky's outing was also the longest relief appearance for any Husky this season
• Blake Davey hit two doubles and leads The American with 21 this season
• Anthony Kay pitched out of the bullpen each of the last three games and fired 4.0 scoreless innings at the 2015 American Championship

The Huskies currently stand at 35-25 on the year and will await potential postseason selection on Monday, May 25.

 

[dbmill]

Max really seemed to struggle down the stretch. A month ago he is one of the guys you would have wanted up in that situation. It was all playing out like they were gonna pull a rabbit out of their hat...but then it didn't.

I know many hitting stats were solid for this team but it also seemed like they might have been inflated since there were some games were the team went crazy offensively putting up 11, 12 even 13 runs...then next couple of games would struggle to score altogether.

Pitching was there all season...maybe not always from the bullpen but starters by in large kept them in almost every game. Just were not able to get enough situational hits or make the smart base running plays to be a tournament team. Stinks because they seem to be so damn close they and Us could taste it.

Gonna be a senior dominated team next year in field and there is enough promise to replace a cross and tabakmen that maybe next year it all comes together for this group. Getting a couple productive outfielders to replace Blake and testani would go a long way.

This is a junior heavy team, so we have to see how many juniors will leave early through the baseball draft. Siena is certainly a candidate to go pro, and maybe Max McDowell, but I'm figuring the rest of them will stay at UConn. With Davey, Testani, and Yavarone definitely gone, the outfield is a big rebuilding project. No obvious starting outfield candidates sitting on the bench, but Penders kept saying great things about walk on Troy Stefanski and his bat during the course of the season, so it is possible he could end up in the outfield next season. We'll have to see about that.

 

[ATLDYKA]

This is a junior heavy team, so we have to see how many juniors will leave early through the baseball draft. Siena is certainly a candidate to go pro, and maybe Max McDowell, but I'm figuring the rest of them will stay at UConn. With Davey, Testani, and Yavarone definitely gone, the outfield is a big rebuilding project. No obvious starting outfield candidates sitting on the bench, but Penders kept saying great things about walk on Troy Stefanski and his bat during the course of the season, so it is possible he could end up in the outfield next season. We'll have to see about that.

You see and that is the problem I have with Penders. If Stefanski has that much promise then why in the world did he only get 3 at bats during the season? Would seem to me in games where we were winning 18-3 against the likes of Yale and others he could have been seeing a lot more than 3 at bats. It was the same thing with Nepiarsky. How long does a guy need to stay in your doghouse? If he had given this kid a shot earlier we would most likely be a tournament team.

 

[Stainmaster]

This is a junior heavy team, so we have to see how many juniors will leave early through the baseball draft. Siena is certainly a candidate to go pro, and maybe Max McDowell, but I'm figuring the rest of them will stay at UConn. With Davey, Testani, and Yavarone definitely gone, the outfield is a big rebuilding project. No obvious starting outfield candidates sitting on the bench, but Penders kept saying great things about walk on Troy Stefanski and his bat during the course of the season, so it is possible he could end up in the outfield next season. We'll have to see about that.

I would very much like to see Stefanski earn a starting spot next year. I was very impressed with him despite the small sample size. Does anyone know if he'll be playing in a summer league? Actually, that question applies for all other guys on the team as well. Would be interesting to potentially catch a game or two if any of them are going to be in the NECBL or the CCBL.

 

[dbmill]

You see and that is the problem I have with Penders. If Stefanski has that much promise then why in the world did he only get 3 at bats during the season? Would seem to me in games where we were winning 18-3 against the likes of Yale and others he could have been seeing a lot more than 3 at bats. It was the same thing with Nepiarsky. How long does a guy need to stay in your doghouse? If he had given this kid a shot earlier we would most likely be a tournament team.

I do recall that after Penders was talking Stefanski up, that Stefanski did get a start at DH for one Sunday conference game, and took an 0 for something. I suspect he must have looked terrible in the process, as Penders pinch hit for him later in the game. I don't know what his defense outfield is like, but with that being said it would not have bothered me to have seen Stefanski get an occasional start or two in place of Testani. Testani did have his moments, just not enough of them.

 

[dbmill]

I would very much like to see Stefanski earn a starting spot next year. I was very impressed with him despite the small sample size. Does anyone know if he'll be playing in a summer league? Actually, that question applies for all other guys on the team as well. Would be interesting to potentially catch a game or two if any of them are going to be in the NECBL or the CCBL.

There were postings last year on where various UConn players ended up playing over the summer. Also, UConn will usually put something out on its website as well.

 

[huskymedic]

Thought Houston would cake-walk today... ECU up 6-1 mid 5th.

 

[huskymedic]

Thought Houston would cake-walk today... ECU up 6-1 mid 5th.

Joseph_Duarte2:35pm via Twitter for iPhone
Nothing going for @UHCougarBB in the 8th. Heading to the 9th, Cougars still down 6-1 in @American_BSB title game

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

UConnBaseball 3:56pm via Twitter for iPhone
Congrats to #UConn's @themuffinman44 and @Vinny_Siena, named to the @American_BSBChampionship All-Tournament team! #BleedBlue

DeRoche-Duffin and Siena