MEDFORD, MA (May 11, 2023) -- Coming off a thrilling three-game series win over Amherst College, the No. 23 Tufts University baseball squad will travel to Waterville, ME to compete in the 2023 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament starting Friday afternoon.
Tufts will open up action on Friday at 6:00 pm against Bowdoin College, while Middlebury College and host Colby College will play in the opening game at 2:30 pm. Tufts is in search of its league-leading seventh all-time NESCAC title, and its first since 2019. The Jumbos have been in the title game 13 times prior to this weekend.
Championship Details:
2023 NESCAC Softball Championship
Dates: May 12-14, 2023
Location: Waterville, ME – Coombs Baseball Field (
Directions)
Coverage:
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TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
Earlier This Season
The Jumbos battled two of the three teams at the final site this season, as three of the four remaining teams are from the NESCAC East Division. Tufts defeated Bowdoin College three times in Medford earlier in the year, knocking off the Polar Bears with scores of 8-5, 4-3 and 10-6.
Tufts last conference series of the season was against Colby in Waterville, as the Jumbos won the first and final games of the series 2-1 while the Mules picked up a game two victory 4-3.
Bowdoin and Middlebury played a doubleheader back on April 1, with the Polar Bears earning a 1-0 victory while Middlebury captured a 4-0 win in the nightcap.
NESCAC Tournament History
The four-team tournament field this weekend features eight previous NESCAC Champions, as Tufts' six combine with Middlebury's pair of titles in 2022 and 2006. Colby and Bowdoin are looking for their first-ever conference crowns, while Bowdoin made the title game in 2010-2012 but fell to Tufts twice and Trinity College in 2012.
A Look At The Jumbos (28-9, 11-1 NESCAC)
Tufts comes into the weekend as the top seed in the Tournament, having defeated Amherst in two of three last weekend to get to this weekend's Tournament in Maine.
Looking at the offensive unit, the squad has had multiple players step up at different times and in different ways. The one thing that Tufts does is put pressure on the defensive units, as the Jumbos love to run on the basepaths and move runners in different ways. The Jumbos are in the top five nationally in stolen bases with 118 while the 179 walks this year are tops in the NESCAC.
Tufts leading hitter by average this season is
Jimmy Evans, who is hitting .323 on the season, posting 13 doubles and four long balls. He leads the team with a .970 OPS. Jesse McCullogh has been stellar since being inserted into the lineup midway through the year, hitting .361 with 13 walks and 16 runs scored in 18 starts.
Henry Fleckner is batting .287 on the year, leading the team with 25 stolen bases on the year. He has ripped nine doubles and is posting a solid .396 on-base percentage at the top of the lineup.
Connor Bowman is hitting .280 as well with 14 RBI, and
Ozzie Fleischer has done it with his bat and glove hitting .271 while committing just three errors all season at shortstop.
The pitching for the Jumbos in 2023 has been stellar, as Tufts has three dependable, strong starting options at the top of the rotation.
Silas Reed leads the team in ERA with a 3.18 clip, while also pacing the team in strikeouts with 57. He is second in the conference in punch outs.
Connor Kinney has a very strong WHIP of 1.15, posting a team-high 49.2 innings pitched on the season with two complete games and a shutout as well.
Connor Podeszwa has also started a team-high nine games, striking out 46 batters including a NESCAC-high 17 looking.
Brendan McFall has been a rock at the end of the game, as the closer for Tufts has posted a 1.85 ERA in 24.1 innings of work, striking out 26 while posting a NESCAC-high nine saves.
Aidan Tucker has also been shutdown out of the bullpen, allowing just 14 hits and one walk in 19.1 innings on the mound.
A Look At The Polar Bears (18-14, 5-7 NESCAC)
Bowdoin College kept its season alive with a furious comeback at Wesleyan University last weekend, falling in game one 8-4 before taking both games two and three with 10-4 scorelines.
The Polar Bears advanced to the championship weekend for the first time since 2013 after a 2-1 series win to knock out the West No. 1 seed, Wesleyan. Bowdoin enters the weekend with an 18-14 record and is 5-2 in its last seven games. The Polar Bears' pitching staff has a combined 4.68 ERA, which is third in the conference, and Bowdoin boasts 24 home runs (4th - NESCAC).
Kevin Murray leads Bowdoin with a .418 average while slugging .684 and boasts a 1.152 OPS. He has collected 41 hits, including six home runs, scored 25 runs, and registered 26 RBI.
Gabe Peckler and
Ben McKenzie are both hitting .316. McKenzie has four homers with 31 hits and 23 runs scored while Peckler has 13 extra-base hits, including four home runs, and a 1.002 OPS.
Jack Mullen ranks third among NESCAC pitchers with a 3.12 ERA. Mullen kept the Polar Bears' season alive with a complete game win in Game 2 versus the Cardinals. It marked his fourth complete-game effort this season. Mullen, who has a NESCAC-best six wins, has thrown 52 innings and registered 43 strikeouts. Teammate Jason Boganos has tossed three complete games and issued 11 walks over 55.1 innings pitched, the second most innings worked by a NESCAC pitcher this season.
A Look at the Panthers (25-9, 7-5 NESCAC)
Middlebury College saw the bats come alive in a pair of wins against Trinity at home last weekend, scoring 27 runs in a weekend sweep with scores of 14-7 and 13-12.
The program is looking for its second-straight NESCAC crown and its third overall (2006, 2022). Middlebury continues its sixth NESCAC Tournament appearance, holding a record of 15-8 overall in conference tournament play. Middlebury has advanced to the final in all five of its previous appearances, claiming two titles.
With Saturday's two wins, the Panthers have surpassed the 25-win plateau for just the fourth time in program history. Middlebury paces the NESCAC in home runs (45), RBI (272), total bases (605) and slugging percentage (.518), while sitting second in runs scored (302) and hits (370).
Kyle McCausland was impressive at the plate during the quarterfinal series sweep of Trinity. The outfielder tallied five runs on five hits, while belting three home runs and driving in nine RBI. He paces the conference in a host of categories including batting average (.465), OPS (1.296), slugging percentage (.806), hits (55) and RBI (46).
John Collins has a NESCAC-best 10 home runs this season including one in the second quarterfinal game against Trinity. The catcher is batting .392 with 39 runs scored and holds the school record for round-trippers with 25.
Alec Ritch, the 2022 NESCAC Player of the Year, is also a factor in the Panther lineup. During the quarterfinal round against the Bantams, Ritch scored five times and had a pair of hits and two walks.
On the mound,
Alex Price leads the conference in strikeouts (70), including six in a game-one win against Trinity. He is also tied for second among league peers with five victories (5-0). Earlier this season, Price became Middlebury's all-time strikeouts leader, and has registered 192 in his career.
Spencer Dessart has had a strong first-year campaign, holding a 3.32 ERA and allowing just 34 hits this season while striking out 49 batters to rank third in the league.
A Look At Colby (24-10, 7-5 NESCAC)
The Mules get the honor of getting to host the final site on their home field after making its second NESCAC Tournament appearance with a pair of wins over Hamilton last weekend with scores of 7-6 and 12-8. Colby was 7-5 in the regular season in the NESCAC East.
Ryan Grace is Colby's leader in hits (43) and batting average (.336) entering this weekend. He is second on the team in RBI (27) and doubles (12). Cole Palmeri has smacked a team-best seven homers to go along with 29 RBI and 12 doubles.
Brady O'Brien paces the Mules with 33 RBI, 32 runs scored and 22 walks, and is tied for the team lead with 12 stolen bases.
On the mound, Nicholas Thompson is tied for the NESCAC lead with 10 games started, sporting a 4-1 record with 41 strikeouts in 49.1 innings pitched. Julian Erro is 4-2 with a team-best 50 strikeouts in 12 appearances and three starts, posting a 3.93 ERA.
Last year, the Mules finished third in the tournament behind runner-ups Hamilton and Championship winners Middlebury.
--JUMBOS--
