Chris Emanuele’s focus, like the rest of his Northeastern baseball teammates, is the team’s Friedman Diamond opener Saturday against Holy Cross along with the America East season ahead.
Not on his mind is the success he has brought to the team thus far this season. Emanuele deflected questions about his impressive personal achievements that he set in the team’s lengthy stays in both Florida and Texas.
The junior outfielder and Mississauga, Ontario native currently owns a 13-game hitting streak, while hitting .421 with three home runs, nine RBI, 14 runs scored and six stolen bases.
Emanuele has been named The Northeastern News Player of the Week.
“I’m not really thinking about the hitting streak,” he said. “I’m worried about winning now. We’ll get going once the conference games start, I think we’ll be fine.”
America East has noticed the early-season tear of Emanuele, naming him their Player of the Week Tuesday, as the leadoff man hit .500 (9-18) with two home runs, six RBI and five runs in just four games last week.
Still, Emanuele remains focused on the team’s lineup – and making sure the starting nine play cohesively.
“Our top five guys in our lineup are unstoppable,” he said. “They’re probably the top five in the conference. Going through our whole lineup, one to nine, we’re pretty solid, but one to five we should be good.”
The team has started the year at 4-10, but Emanuele has been a consistent boost and threat from the top spot in the order.
In a 12-11 loss at Dallas Baptist Friday, Emanuele provided the team with its first two runs of the game on a two-run home run.
One day earlier against Dallas Baptist again, the centerfielder went 4-for-5 and in the process hit his second leadoff home run of the season.
“We played pretty good in Florida and had some tough breaks, same thing in Texas,” Emanuele said. “We’ll be fine once the conference games start.”
As a freshman, Emanuele broke into the conference scene quickly, being added to the second team All-Conference and being named to the America East All-Rookie team, while starting all 51 games in the outfield.
In his second year, Emanuele hit .294, with 18 runs, 12 RBI and 11 stolen bases in just 29 games. He suffered a season-ending leg injury before NU’s doubleheader with the University of Maryland-Baltimore County May 1.
Emanuele has high hope for the coming weeks.
“I think it’s the best team we’ve had,” Emanuele said. “We have a great set of guys. Everyone just needs to be a little bit more consistent. We’re playing and practicing every day and getting used to the weather.”
– Staff writer Jeff Powalisz
