2010 Baseball Preview: Garnet Look To Take The Next Step
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Slowly but surely, the Swarthmore College baseball team is developing into a program to watch out for in the Centennial Conference.
Entering his fourth season at the helm of the Garnet, head coach Stan Exeter has Swat clearly trending in the right direction, as his teams have increased their win total in each season under his tenure while displaying the ability to play with the best teams in the Conference.
Still, the program’s next step will be the most difficult: developing into a consistent winner in the Centennial.
Meija finished with the third-best ERA in the Centennial in 2009 (3.72).
That step will no doubt be a steep challenge, but with the return of several talented arms, some of the top hitters in the Conference and one of the best freshmen classes in program history, there is optimism surrounding the program in 2010 that hasn’t been felt in years.
On the mound, Swarthmore is led by a trio of talented returning arms: junior Neil Meija, junior Andy Allen and sophomore Kyle Crawford.
Meija comes off a solid 2009 season in which he finished fifth in the Centennial Conference with 3.72 ERA while holding opponents to just a .272 batting average. Even more will be expected from the Garnet’s probable ace in 2010.
“Neil has great potential on the hill and brings great leadership qualities to the team,” said Exeter. “The entire staff is excited to see what he brings to the table this season.”
Allen, a talented lefty, led Swat in victories (4) while holding opponents to just a .284 batting average. Crawford – one of the hardest throwers in the Conference – finished 10th in the Centennial in strikeouts last season. Contributions from both in the rotation will go along way in determining if the Garnet can break through in 2010.
Newcomers Dylan Jensen (RHP) and Ramsey Walker (RHP) are expected to see plenty of innings and make an immediate impact on the Garnet’s pitching depth, which Exeter cites as one of the areas crucial to the teams success in 2010.
Returning to the infield with experience are sophomore Mike Cameron, sophomore Anthony Montalbano, junior Thomas Nakamura, sophomore Spencer Ross, and senior Willy Archibald.
Cameron finished a tremendous 2009 season ranked second in the Centennial in sluggish percentage (.711), fifth in on-base percentage (.489) and seventh in batting average (.374) while hitting the most single-season home runs at Swat since 1952 (5).
“Mike put together a great season for us last year. We are hoping that he can stay healthy throughout the season and contribute at the same offensive pace,” said Exeter.
Montalbano also made a splash in his freshman campaign, leading the team in RBI (32) while finishing in the Top 10 in the Conference in hits, walks, RBI, and triples, on his way to earning All-Centennial honors.
“Anthony should be an even better player as a sophomore - now having 35 games under his belt,” said Exeter. “He's a great approach at the plate, which makes him very consistent hitters.”
Behind the plate, the Garnet return two players with plenty of experience from ’09 in sophomores Mike Waterhouse and Mike Lamb.
Waterhouse – just like Cameron and Montalbano - found himself near the top of almost every Swarthmore statistical hitting category during his first-year campaign, finishing second on the team and 13th in the Conference in batting average (.375) while recording an impressive .452 on-base percentage.
Last season, the young trio of Cameron, Waterhouse and Montalbano helped pace a Garnet offense that ranked in the Top 5 in runs scored
Despite missing part of 2009 with an injury, Cameron hit the most individual homers at Swat since 1952.
(249), home runs (17), on-base percentage (394 ) and slugging percentage (.421) in the Centennial Conference. With a year behind the sophomore trio and better depth thorough the line-up, the sky is the limit for the Swat offense this season.
“Our offense should improve from last season as our lineup continues to get deeper and as we continue with the development of the program as a whole,” said Exeter
A key emphasis for the Garnet infield in 2010 will be improved defensive play; Swat finished with 82 errors in 2009, the third most in the Conference. With a talented - but young - pitching staff, cutting down on errors will be crucial to the Garnet’s success in 2010.
In the outfield, senior Jimmy Gill and junior Ben Schneiderman both return after each started nearly every game in 2009. Gill - a strong team leader according to Exeter – tied for second most doubles (9) on the Garnet while tying for the Centennial Conference lead in being hit by a pitch (11). Schneiderman led the team in steals – finishing ’09 a perfect 12-for-12 – while finishing second in runs batted in (24).
Newcomers are also expected to make an immediate impact in the outfield, as freshmen Tim Kwilos and Rory McTear are all expected to see significant playing time.
The Garnet open the 2010 season with a nine-game stint in Arizona beginning Saturday, March 6. Swat then returns for the home opener on Sunday, March 14 against SUNY-IT . Centennial Conference play begins on Tuesday, March 23 with a home tilt with Muhlenberg.