By Jason Richland
Get out your glove and lace up your cleats, because the Huskies are coming home for the first time this season.
Following a harrowing spring schedule in which the reigning America East baseball champions have compiled a 4-10 record, the Huskies are returning to Friedman Diamond in Brookline Saturday to host their home opener, a doubleheader against Holy Cross College starting at 11 a.m.
The Huskies plan to trot out a pair of right-handers, senior Devin Monds and sophomore Adam Ottavino, to start the weekend doubleheader.
Although the Huskies opened up the season 4-3, they dropped their past seven games by a combined score of 96-39.
“The record is not at all what we would want or hope for,” said Husky coach Neil McPhee. “We have been playing well, yet the record doesn’t indicate that.”
Fortunately for Northeastern, the Huskies have yet to play a conference game. The America East games begin when the Huskies host the University of Hartford in a doubleheader at Friedman Diamond April 9.
Despite the loss of star pitchers Jordan Thomson and Justin Hedrick from last season’s squad, the Huskies staff looks promising. With starters Ottavino, Monds and sophomore Dave Pellegrine on the mound, they look poised to steal the conference title again.
Last season Ottavino posted a 3.25 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings, while Monds has started off the 2005 season with a 3.75 ERA and 12 strikeouts in as many innings. Pellegrine threw eight innings in a 9-2 victory over Mount St. Mary’s on March 1 for his first win of the season. The sophomore allowed just two runs en route to the victory.
“We are solid in pitching, hitting and defense,” McPhee said. “Our pitching was our strength last year. [This year] I think all parts are equal.”
Look for righthanded redshirt freshman pitcher Mitch Duggins to get a chance to prove himself on the mound. The coaching staff is impressed with his outstanding curveball. If he can maintain command of his breaking pitch, he could have an impact in 2005.
Two of the Huskies’ top freshmen pitchers, Jeff Thomson and Dan Zehr, are injured this season. Thomson is going to require an ulnar collateral ligament replacement procedure, or Tommy John surgery as it is more commonly known, to repair a ligament in his throwing arm and will be a medical redshirt for 2005. Zehr had bone chips removed from his elbow in the fall and may or may not be available at some point during the season. There is no timetable yet for Zehr’s return.
“If our pitching staff hadn’t had all these major injuries, we would have depth,” McPhee said. “The starters, we think, can compete with anybody.”
The lineup is anchored by six returning players, including senior captains Jeff Heriot and Tim Bush. Heriot, the rightfielder, is batting .270 with two home runs and eight RBI this spring and Bush is hitting .275 with two homers and seven RBI.
Backstops are a strong point for the Huskies, with junior Matt Morizio returning for a third turn as the starter. Morizio is batting .300 with a .405 on-base-percentage so far this season. Backup catcher, sophomore Dan Milano, is hitting .333 with a .429 on-base-percentage and an astounding .833 slugging percentage this spring.
Senior Miguel Paquette will hold down first base for the fourth year in a row. Paquette will be batting cleanup for the Huskies.
“[Paquette] is our middle of the order fourth hitter type guy the offense has to revolve around,” McPhee said.
Junior Brian Nutting gets the nod from the coaching staff at second, with freshman Mike Lyon expected to get a few starts, while junior Arman Sidhu will be returning at shortstop to start for a third season.
“[Sidhu] is the best defensive player in my years at Northeastern,” McPhee said. “He can win games with his glove.”
Rounding out the outfield are two juniors, leftfielder Jeff Maher and centerfielder Chris Emanuele. Emanuele is the reigning America East Player of the Week after hitting .500 with two homers and six RBI in the past four games.
