Two-time defending league champion Wheaton seeks eighth baseball title

April 27, 2007

NORTON, MA- The two-time defending league champion Wheaton College baseball team seeks its eighth New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament title in the conference's nine-year history when the Lyons host their seventh consecutive tourney this weekend at Sidell Stadium.

Seeded first for the ninth consecutive year, Wheaton hosts fourth seed Babson College in the four-team double-elimination tournament on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Third seed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) faces seventh-seeded United States Coast Guard Academy at Babson at 11:00 a.m., with the early-game winners scheduled to play at Wheaton and the losers at Babson later that afternoon.

Boasting a record of 24-10 alongside a 9-3 conference mark that helped lead the team to its ninth straight regular season league crown, the Lyons are ranked first in New England and seventh nationally according to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Wheaton and Babson split during the regular season, with each winning at home, while the Lyons have 16 of the 23 meetings overall. The Blue and White has gone 14-3 at Sidell thus far. At 21-10 overall, the Beavers have won nine of their last 10 games.

Since beginning the spring 1-4, Wheaton has strung together 23 wins over its last 29 contests, leaving the program just six victories shy of 300 during its 10-year varsity history. Ranked first in New England throughout the spring, the Blue and White entered the week leading the NEWMAC in batting average, earned run average and fielding percentage. Heading into the weekend, the Lyons have a .316 batting average, .945 fielding percentage and 3.40 ERA, which is the 24th-best figure in Division III. Wheaton has scored double-digit runs in 10 games while holding opponents to three runs or fewer 18 times. The Blue and White averages 7.2 runs and 10.8 hits.

Wheaton's starting rotation has accounted for 20 victories, with juniors Louie Bernardini (Gray, ME/Gray-New Gloucester) and Josh Moore (Manchester, NH/Manchester Memorial) each winning five times and senior Joe White (Bedford, NH/Manchester West) and junior Chris McDonough (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) earning four victories apiece. Bernardini is 5-0 with a 3.24 ERA, McDonough has posted a 4-1 mark with a 1.80 ERA, 46 strikeouts and just eight bases on balls, Moore is 5-1 with a 4.30 ERA and 37 strikeouts, and White has gone 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 27 strikeouts.

Sophomore Adam Gingras (Woonsocket, RI/Woonsocket) rounds out the starting rotation with a 2-1 record, 3.09 ERA and 22 strikeouts, junior reliever Keith Pescosolido (Newton, MA/Newton North) has posted a 4-3 record with a 4.05 ERA in 14 appearances, sophomore reliever Jared Barnes (North Attleboro, MA/Bishop Feehan) has a 1.00 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 18 innings, and sophomore closer Josh Simmons (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) has recorded five saves with 19 strikeouts in 14 innings and a team-high 17 appearances.

Offensively, sophomore right fielder Robert Foote (Walpole, MA/Walpole) hits for the highest average of .402 with 25 RBI and 23 runs, while classmate and first baseman Nick Pecora (Highland Park, NJ/Immaculata) paces Wheaton with 33 RBI to go alongside a .395 average and 20 runs. Junior second baseman Jake Yagjian (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) has a .346 average with 30 runs, 25 RBI and eight steals.

Seniors Travis Anthoine (Portland, ME/Portland), Adam Laplante (Harwich, MA/Harwich), Brandon Leonard (Brockton, MA/Brockton) and Jeff Martin (Marblehead, MA/Marblehead) are the next four on the team in batting average. Catcher Laplante is hitting .342 with 26 runs, 19 RBI and eight doubles, shortstop Leonard has a .315 average with team highs of 38 runs and 17 stolen bases, left fielder Martin is hitting .310 and center fielder Anthoine has a .303 average with 27 runs and eight steals. Junior third baseman Scott Guillerault (South Portland, ME/South Portland) is second on the team with 26 RBI to go along with 25 runs and 10 doubles.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 4/27/07.
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