2024 Tufts University Baseball Season Preview

MEDFORD, MA (March 5, 2024) -- The Tufts University baseball squad opens its 2024 season on Wednesday at home against Brandeis University, and with the season opener comes yet another season full of expectation for the Jumbos. 

Tufts is coming off a 31-win season in 2023, one that also resulted in a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title in only the second year of head coach Paul Svagdis's tenure with the Jumbos. Winning has become the expectation for the Tufts baseball team over the years, as the Jumbos have chalked up 12 straight years with full campaigns. That run also includes six NESCAC titles, but it won't be easy in 2024 to repeat that success. 

The Jumbos graduated 12 players off last year's squad, including standout pitchers Brendan McFall, Cameron Mayer, Aidan Tucker, Connor Kinney along with starting catcher Connor Bowman and middle of the lineup bat Jimmy Evans. It's a lot of production to replace going into 2024, but Svagdis is confident that the squad is deeper and can recreate the output. 

"I think it's really about the aggregate, can we get the same production from a variety of people," said Svagdis. "Both these guys got to learn from that group last year, they know how to be good leaders now and how to bring a great dynamic to the squad.  We might be a little less experienced on the mound, so we might have to take a step forward offensively." 

This year's group does have the ability to give different looks as Tufts brought in 17 newcomers this season, including two transfers. With a roster of 45 players, it breeds competition but also allows Svagdis to make moves and manage games with the knowledge he has players to fill different spots. 

The Jumbos also have the luxury this season of a new advanced video system on Sol Gittleman Park, which allows them eight different camera views of the field. This advanced scouting ability allows hitters to see their swings from many different angles during live game and practice action, while also the existing Trackman system has helped pitchers. More than anything, it's helping reinforced what the coaches are seeing. 

"I think for us, it's just helps validate what you're already thinking and seeing everyday," said Svagdis. "The kids are having consistent at-bats seem to have higher exit velocities, have better hard-hit rates, and that's just a way to show our athletes the way they need to improve and grow in.

"The Trackman is more beneficial for our pitchers, and helps us call games and find what pitches are work," said Svagdis. "We don't get these guys for a lot of the year, we don't mess with mechanics much, but its more about gauging stuff and then calling the game appropriately." 

With those numbers available to the team and the staff, it helps the squad's profile to evolve to withstand departures to the lineup, while still being able to have some of the identity of last year's squad that was in the Top 10 nationally in stolen bases despite hitting under .260 as a team. 

"You're trying to win baseball games, we have good hitters and these guys have continued to improve offensively," said Svagdis. "We definitely want to drive more balls but we don't want to sacrifice our running game and the ability to dictate the game on the base paths. We work a lot on base running, we want to be a great base running team, and hopefully as the year progresses we're shooting more balls to the gap."

The Jumbos won't have much time to ease into the schedule though, as Tufts plays one of the strongest non-conference slates in recent memory. The Jumbos will battle 2022 National Champion Eastern Connecticut State University for two games this weekend, while also taking on 2023 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Wheaton College, Endicott College and a tough California trip. Svagdis hopes this will prepare them for the rigors of NESCAC action. 

"We are playing five teams that have been in the World Series in the last 10 years, 15 regionally-ranked teams, I wouldn't be surprised if we have one of the top schedules in the nation," said Svagdis. "Last season, we had one of the best strength of schedules in the region, we were able to win some of those games so we were pretty comfortable going into the playoffs. And our guys want to be tested, to play the best, they're competitors which is what you want in a club." 

A full position by position breakdown is below: 

INFIELD
The Jumbos settled into a pretty consistent infield lineup in 2023 towards the middle of the season, and the good news is that all four starting infielders return for this spring. The book on the group of infielders this season is that they can all catch the ball with the best of the NESCAC, as the squad was one of the best fielding teams in the nation. Led by Defensive Player of the Year Ozzie Fleischer at shortstop, this group gives pitchers confidence behind them. 

Flesicher finished last season as a .270 hitter, posting 37 hits, five doubles while adding 18 stolen bases. Maybe more importantly is that he committed just four errors in nearly 170 chances. Now sophomore Jesse McCullough worked his way into a starting role as a newcomer last year, and ended up leading the team in hitting with a .359 batting average, driving in 15 and scoring 23 runs. 

On the corners, Patrick Solomon started 41 of 42 games last season, hitting .261 with eight doubles, three triples and 23 stolen bases. On the other side of the infield, Connor Flavin is back after leading the team with five homers while driving in 30 RBI and playing a great first base. 

Behind that four, there isn't a ton of experience back in 2024 but the coaching staff is excited about some younger players trying to work themselves into at-bats. First-year Tyler Wong looks to be a strong option to be able to swing around the infield at shortstop, second and third, and brings an exciting bat. AJ Lysko is another name to look out for at first base. 

OUTFIELD
The outfield should look a little different this season, as starting right fielder Jimmy Evans has since graduated and is using his grad season at Division I Duke University. Another 2023 starter, Ben Leonard, has since transitioned to catcher coming into the season. 

Those openings allow for some new faces to get some at-bats, though the Jumbos do return junior Henry Fleckner to the mix. The speedy junior started the season in 2023 at second base, but moved to center field and was outstanding out there both offensively and defensively. Fleckner hit .273 with three homers while posting team-highs of 34 runs and 25 stolen bases. His SB total tied the school record, while he also added 10 doubles. 

Sophomore Owen McKiernan is back after having a strong start to his first-year before an injury ended his 2023. McKiernan scored six runs and homered once in 24 at-bats last season. Senior John Fritz also hit .250 last year, while senior Johnny Briody is a slick fielder, runs well and can play all over the outfield. 

The Jumbos did bring in a lot of options in the outfield, including two transfers in Jackson Reydel and Cooper Smith. Reydel was a standout for Amherst College last year, and will look to battle for corner outfield reps while Smith comes to Tufts from Northern Essex Community College. 

First-years Malachi Pena and Brad Burnes have also looked solid offensively in the fall and into the spring, while Caden Abraham is another name to watch out for as a speedy left-handed bat. 

CATCHERS
The Jumbos lost one of the most productive catchers in the NESCAC in 2023, as Connor Bowman was both a threat offensively and defensively behind the dish. Bowman threw out over 50 percent of opposing base runners, and also was an opportunistic hitter with 22 RBI while hitting .287. 

Back to fill that role this season are two players that got spot starts in 2023, as Malcolm Whitfield and Connor Brala look to share the catching duties. Whifield played in 14 games last season, scoring eight runs while going 6-for-6 on the base paths. Brala had 22 at-bats last season, and threw out one base runner. 

Ben Leonard will do some catching in 2024, while also DHing and possibly still getting outfield opportunities after being one of Tufts' best hitters last season. Leonard hit .276 with 40 hits, 10 doubles, four homers and 27 RBI. He also was 21-of-22 on stolen base attempts and walked a team-high 29 times. His production will continue to be key, regardless of where he's playing. 

First-year Pierson Cooper will also look to work his way into some work this year as well behind the dish. 

PITCHING
The Jumbos lost a lot from a 2023 staff that was the best in the NESCAC by a wide margin, but a lot of the departed roles came in the bullpen as guys like Brendan McFall, Aidan Tucker, Cameron Mayer and Lucas Gustavson were stalwarts late in games. 

The good news is that three of the Jumbos' top four starting pitching options do return, including the NESCAC East's leading strikeout man in Silas Reed. The now-senior had a great year with a 3.36 ERA in 56.1 innings, as hitters batted just .237 on the season in nine starts.

Junior Connor Podeszwa also returns after ranking fifth in the NESCAC in strikeouts with 53 while going 6-3 last season with a 3.77 ERA. Podeszwa is a bulldog on the hill, as his competitive level raises the intensity of every game. His 10 starts last season led the squad. 

Looking to step into Connor Kinney's third weekend starter role will be grad student lefty Gavin Brown. The tall, athletic hurler has some of the best stuff in the conference, as he finished with a 3.32 ERA in eight appearances, starting four times. Brown struck out 25 in 19 innings last year, and allowed hitters to bat just .216. 

Justin Wells returns after pitching in 11 games as a reliever, striking out 15 in 14 innings of work, while now senior Liam Wilson also got into seven games last season. 

Sophomore Cole Donato and junior Jacob Lapp both return from injuries this season and will look to bolster the bullpen, while sophomore Jack McClaughlin appeared in six games last season and will work towards a bigger role as well in 2024. Senior Hunter Beindorff also pitched to a 3.86 ERA in three appearances, going 1-1 in seven innings of work. 

Sophomores Patrick Fanning and Jack Edwards are tall, athletic arms looking to take the next step this season, while newcomers Matt Hirsch, Gabe Fitzgerald Michael O'Brien and Mark Herlihy have looked good so far this spring. In all, there are seven first-year pitchers looking to strengthen the staff in 2024. 

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Tufts will take on Brandeis University Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. to start Tufts' 2024 campaign, before hosting Eastern Connecticut State Saturday for a big doubleheader. Tufts first five games are at home through next Wednesday before traveling to California March 16 for Spring Break.