Men UConn Baseball and the transfer portal

[dbmill]

RHP Craig Pihlkar has shown up in the D1baseball.com transfer portal.

2022 D1Baseball Transfer Tracker • D1Baseball

Who's in the transfer portal and on the move in 2022? We have you covered.

d1baseball.com

 

[dbmill]

UConn redshirt freshman Jackson Ferrigno is now listed in the D1Baseball.com transfer portal.

2022 D1Baseball Transfer Tracker • D1Baseball

Who's in the transfer portal and on the move in 2022? We have you covered.

d1baseball.com

 

[dbmill]

UConn redshirt freshman Jackson Ferrigno is now listed in the D1Baseball.com transfer portal.

2022 D1Baseball Transfer Tracker • D1Baseball

Who's in the transfer portal and on the move in 2022? We have you covered.

d1baseball.com

Another UConn player is now listed in the D1Baseball.com transfer tracker, Bobby McBride.

 

[huskymedic]

UConn redshirt freshman Jackson Ferrigno is now listed in the D1Baseball.com transfer portal.

2022 D1Baseball Transfer Tracker • D1Baseball

Who's in the transfer portal and on the move in 2022? We have you covered.

d1baseball.com

Another UConn player is now listed in the D1Baseball.com transfer tracker, Bobby McBride.

The portal giveth and the portal taketh away.

 

[CtBaseball]

The portal giveth and the portal taketh away.

He struggled mightily to throw strikes this year. A strike is a strike, and a ball is a ball, no matter where you play, and speaking from extensive anecdotal experience, usually folks who struggle with strike throwing have a hard time overcoming it. It’s just one of those things. But I wish him luck in his search!

I will say, D3 has slightly larger strike zones in my experience. Caught a game this year at Trinity College and was shocked how big the strike zone was compared to what I’ve seen as d1 games. Knew it to be true from past experience but still was surprised to see it bc the difference was so apparent.

So maybe McBride would thrive, for example, at a Trinity or Eastern Conn type school. Both still playing a super solid brand of baseball.

 

[dbmill]

The portal giveth and the portal taketh away.

Given the nature of college baseball even before the new transfer rules came into being, I certainly expect a number of players (usually seldom used) to transfer out of the UConn baseball program every season. Even though McBride had big problems with his control over his pitches, he did have talent. On that basis I am going to miss him, as potentially he could still turn into something good. But that's the way it goes. I don't know if Bobby McBride was getting any scholarship money, but Korey Morton and Garrett Coe have shown enough improvement in their careers at UConn to earn scholarship money, the same cannot be said about McBride.

 

[Tmill15]

The portal giveth and the portal taketh away.

Are Ferrigno and McBride the only two Huskies in the portal? I thought there was a third but I could be wrong

 

[huskymedic]

Are Ferrigno and McBride the only two Huskies in the portal? I thought there was a third but I could be wrong

Baseball postal doesn’t get as much updating/attention as the Football portal. From the @dbmill link above

Matt Bonvicini - Connecticut
Zach Donahue - Connecticut (@ ECSU)
Bobby McBride - Connecticut
Craig Pihlkar - Connecticut
Jack Ferrigno - UCONN

 

[dbmill]

He struggled mightily to throw strikes this year. A strike is a strike, and a ball is a ball, no matter where you play, and speaking from extensive anecdotal experience, usually folks who struggle with strike throwing have a hard time overcoming it. It’s just one of those things. But I wish him luck in his search!

I will say, D3 has slightly larger strike zones in my experience. Caught a game this year at Trinity College and was shocked how big the strike zone was compared to what I’ve seen as d1 games. Knew it to be true from past experience but still was surprised to see it bc the difference was so apparent.

So maybe McBride would thrive, for example, at a Trinity or Eastern Conn type school. Both still playing a super solid brand of baseball.

ECSU is right down the road from UConn, and they do seem to get their fair share of UConn baseball transfers.

 

[huskymedic]

Baseball postal doesn’t get as much updating/attention as the Football portal. From the @dbmill link above

Matt Bonvicini - Connecticut
Zach Donahue - Connecticut (@ ECSU)
Bobby McBride - Connecticut
Craig Pihlkar - Connecticut
Jack Ferrigno - UCONN

Updated:




Looks like they fixed the Connecticut/UCONN redundancy but still have Bonvicini/Donahue as “Connecticut” w/ no destination despite playing for ECSU this year.

Mitchell Pascarella	Connecticut
Phoenix Billings	Connecticut
Bobby Mcbride	Connecticut
Jackson Ferrigno	Connecticut
Craig Pihlkar	Connecticut
Matthew Bonvicini	Connecticut
Zachary Donahue	Connecticut

 

[businesslawyer]

Unless my memory is off, that's only one guy who has ever actually gotten on the field. And Bobby Mcbride has had chances both of his years and been totally unable to throw the ball over the plate.

 

[dbmill]

Unless my memory is off, that's only one guy who has ever actually gotten on the field. And Bobby Mcbride has had chances both of his years and been totally unable to throw the ball over the plate.

The odd thing is that Matt Bonvicini has not been a part of the UConn baseball team for at least a couple of years. He got a few at bats during the 2018 season, but did not make the spring roster after that. I think he may have been on the 2019 fall ball roster. Aside from McBride, the other players were either redshirts or never got any playing time if they were on the active spring rosters.

 

[Tmill15]

Updated:




Looks like they fixed the Connecticut/UCONN redundancy but still have Bonvicini/Donahue as “Connecticut” w/ no destination despite playing for ECSU this year.

Mitchell Pascarella	Connecticut
Phoenix Billings	Connecticut
Bobby Mcbride	Connecticut
Jackson Ferrigno	Connecticut
Craig Pihlkar	Connecticut
Matthew Bonvicini	Connecticut
Zachary Donahue	Connecticut

What I find interesting here is that there are three members of the 2020 recruiting class on here between Pascarella, Billings and McBride. I wonder if Billings will try and pursue football again.

 

[dbmill]

What I find interesting here is that there are three members of the 2020 recruiting class on here between Pascarella, Billings and McBride. I wonder if Billings will try and pursue football again.

Not surprised that Billings ended up in the portal, considering he was redshirted during the 2021 spring season, and then was on the 2022 spring roster but did not get any playing time. Pascarella may be considered a 2020 recruit, but this was his first year at UConn.

 

[HookC22]

I guess Billings never could figure out. Just looked and he even went 0-19 in the NECBL last summer. The coaches were high on him and very excited when he committed. Penders loves football two sport guys. Bummer.

 

[businesslawyer]

I guess Billings never could figure out. Just looked and he even went 0-19 in the NECBL last summer. The coaches were high on him and very excited when he committed. Penders loves football two sport guys. Bummer.

Didn't the exact same thing happen to the QB -- baseball player from Fairfield? Lucas?

If I were Drew Kroon, I'd be somewhat worried.

 

[scotty0330]

Considering he couldn't even get a look in fall ball when games don't count and many on that list did, yes it is of no surprise Billings is looking elsewhere. Any of this publicity that Uconn is getting from the season they are having could result in more transfers calling about opportunities too and this is not inside info but many are entering the transfer portal the feeling is mutual by the coaching staff.

 

[huskymedic]

… and this is not inside info but many are entering the transfer portal the feeling is mutual by the coaching staff.

In a recent article Penders came right out and said that he has had such conversations w/ current players

-> “Here, it’s the exact opposite,” Penders said. “Listen, I get paid to win games. If you’re not producing and you have a scholarship, guess who’s head’s on the chopping block? Before it’s mine, it’s going to be you. We’re going to ask you to go somewhere else.”

Penders has had those type of conversations with some players on this year’s roster. Coe and Morton, meanwhile, will get scholarship money moving forward <-

… and no speculation on who the conversations may have been with until they are actually in the portal please.

 

[CtBaseball]

Didn't the exact same thing happen to the QB -- baseball player from Fairfield? Lucas?

If I were Drew Kroon, I'd be somewhat worried.

If he’s a high caliber d1 player I don’t think he should be worried. of course, part of the challenge in CT is projecting that type of quality against relatively weaker pitching than other parts of the country. Re Lucas, he got some playing time in year one but had several errors from 3b, very low fielding percentage. He was decent though as a convert to RP.

 

[CtBaseball]

If he’s a high caliber d1 player I don’t think he should be worried. of course, part of the challenge in CT is projecting that type of quality against relatively weaker pitching than other parts of the country. Re Lucas, he got some playing time in year one but had several errors from 3b, very low fielding percentage. He was decent though as a convert to RP.

Oh and Lucas went 0/25 at the dish.

Relatedly, I don’t know if anyone else has seen this, but I’ve seen Lucas repeatedly and obnoxiously talk trash about UConn baseball and Coach Penders on Instagram and Twitter comments over the past few months. Woof. Not a good look.

Anyway, my broader point is that transferring or dropping off the team isn’t always a bad thing, and sometimes it can be a positive. Addition by subtraction ain’t pretty or fun to talk about, but it’s a real thing.

On a more positive note , extending the metaphor to our transfers onto this year’s team, it has been more like an exponential equation… addition as multiplication?

 

[scotty0330]

He was suspended a time or two and has not latched on anywhere from what I can tell. I think the problem wasn't with the coaching staff here.

 

[CtBaseball]

He was suspended a time or two and has not latched on anywhere from what I can tell. I think the problem wasn't with the coaching staff here.

Strongly agree. His social media conduct has been embarrassing to say the least.

 

[dbmill]

A couple more UConn players have shown up in the D1Baseball.com transfer portal:

Chris Brown
Sam Favieri

It will be interesting to see where Chris Brown ends up. Considering Chris Jones during game broadcasts early on in the season was talking him up as a possible MLB draft pick if he had a good season, this is a little disappointing, even though he did have a pretty poor season when he did play. Also would be interesting to see if he plays summer ball this year, as he is no longer listed on the Player Search link on the Cape Cod League website.

Would guess at this point that Luke Broadhurst is currently the most likely candidate to start at 3B for UConn, but we'll know a bit better once all this seasons transfers and recruits become known and we get into fall ball.

2022 D1Baseball Transfer Tracker • D1Baseball

Who's in the transfer portal and on the move in 2022? We have you covered.

d1baseball.com

 

[Shortking98]

It used to be possible to have a pretty reasonable idea of next year's lineup by this time of year but with so many transfers in and out expected every year now as well as the later draft (which should have been done long ago IMO) it is almost pointless to even attempt to speculate on a lineup. Good luck to all the transfers out and hope they find success at their next stops!

 

[huskymedic]

A couple more UConn players have shown up in the D1Baseball.com transfer portal:

Chris Brown
Sam Favieri

Current:

Christopher Brown	Connecticut
Samuel Favieri	Connecticut
Mitchell Pascarella	Connecticut
Phoenix Billings	Connecticut
Bobby Mcbride	Connecticut
Jackson Ferrigno	Connecticut
Craig Pihlkar	Connecticut

They list Bonvicini but he’s been off UConn roster for a bit. Up till yesterday they still had Zach Donohue listed.