Ravens locked, loaded FPU baseball team
stocked with veterans

By Ken Murphy, Sentinel Staff



RINDGE — Franklin Pierce’s baseball team has to wait another three months for a chance at a do-over to erase last season’s disappointing finish in the Division II College World Series. No less an authority than Baseball America believes the Ravens are more than capable.

The publication has bestowed a preseason No. 2 ranking on Franklin Pierce, behind only two-time defending national champion Tampa.

The Ravens, who went two-and-out in the team’s third College World Series appearance in the last five seasons — and second in a row — return nearly everyone from the team that last season won the Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament championships for the first time. Franklin Pierce went undefeated to capture the NCAA Northeast Regional at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field before finishing on a sour note in Montgomery, Ala.

Franklin Pierce opens its season Saturday with a road double-header against Wilmington, Del. The teams met in the Northeast Regional last season, with Franklin Pierce winning 4-1.

“It’s a consensus throughout the team that we have a really good chance,” starter Mike Adams said of Franklin Pierce’s odds of heading back to Alabama. “We’re sick of just making it. We want that gold ring. We want the championship.”

As always, it starts with pitching, and Franklin Pierce has an abundance of veterans, several with two years of World Series experience.

Adams, who went 6-0 with a 1.73 ERA last year, is the top returning starter from a pitching staff that led Division II with a 2.49 staff ERA last year.

The Ravens lost two of last season’s regular starters. Keith Renaud (6-3, 3.00) was drafted in the 10th round by the Seattle Mariners and senior Arric Mather (7-1 1.53) is out indefinitely with an injury to his pitching arm. Coach Jayson King said last week that doctors were still trying to determine the exact nature of the injury, but that Mather’s return looked doubtful.

The Ravens also lost two valuable members of the bullpen in setup man Clay Jenkins, who was 6-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 22 appearances last season, and Andrew McNulty, who was 4-1 with a 1.67 ERA in 321/3 innings.

At this time last season, the Ravens were coming off a World Series trip having lost four of their top starters in Tyler Cummings, Shane Presutti, Daniel Fournier and Bryan Duplissie.

King said the blow of losing the bulk of the rotation was cushioned with Franklin Pierce bringing in experienced transfers, among them Renaud and McNulty.

“It’s kind of similar from my perspective,” King said of Franklin Pierce’s experience heading into this season compared with last season. “Even though we lost a lot of guys (last year), we had guys who came in who were ready to go right away. This year we (return) two everyday starters, but most of the other guys are going to be new starters.”

Tom Cote, a junior, joins Adams as the other returning regular starter. Cote, a Monadnock Regional High graduate who will pitch for the Keene Swamp Bats this summer, went 7-1 with a 2.63 ERA last season. Cote was the starting and winning pitcher in the NE-10 championship clinching game against Bryant, giving up three run (two earned) in eight innings.

“It feels good to be here now and be settled in,” Cote said about returning for his second season with the Ravens after transferring from UMass-Amherst. “I feel like I’m getting better, making strides and getting reading for the season.”

King said that returning sophomore Kyle Vazquez (1-0, 2.10) and Tyler Sykes (0-1, 7.50) will join Adams and Cote in the rotation. Vazquez made two starts in his 25 2/3 innings last season, while Sykes threw six innings.

Other players mentioned as candidates to join the rotation are junior transfer Corey Muscara of Sienna College, returning junior Alex Szymanski (4-1 1.59), who made three starts for the Ravens last year, and sophomore left-hander Brian Maloney (2-3, 3.63), a transfer from UMass-Dartmouth. Muscara, a Manchester native and Trinity graduate, threw just six innings last year for Siena after missing the entire 2006 season with an injury.

“We have a whole slew of guys vying for spots,” King said.

Closer Tyler Bishop, a senior, returns to anchor the Ravens’ bullpen. In 17 appearances last season, Bishop recorded 10 saves, going 2-1 with a 0.72 ERA. He struck out 28 and walked eight in 25 innings pitched.

“We take a lot of pride in ourselves to win games as a pitching staff,” Bishop said. “We have a lot of guys that can throw strikes and a lot of guys who have two, three or four pitches that can get guys out.”

The Ravens also have the hitters. Franklin Pierce lost four regular starters in center fielder Vinny Pennell, shortstop Cory Shepherd, first baseman Kim Hart and Renaud, the designated hitter.

Preseason All-America Scott Savastano will play short this season. Savastano, a senior, was limited to 19 games last seaon with a thumb injury he suffered in the season opener. Savastano hit .357 with 14 RBIs. Kevin Renaud, who led the team with a .359 average, 10 home runs and 65 RBIs, will move from left field to center. Matt Anderson (.329, 8, 49) returns at catcher, Jake Christman (.337, 3, 23) returns at second and Cliff Hicks (.282, 4, 19) at third.

Kevin Rivers (.324, 6, 49) returns in right field for the Ravens, with either Bishop or freshman Cory Sawka slated to take over in left with Renaud’s shift to center. Junior transfers Steve Carr and Randy Bernosky, along with freshman Derek Ingui, are among the candidates to take over for Hart at first base.

“We should have a good year. We have good pitching, good hitting and good defense,” King said.