Sittig Tabbed As Top 10 Division II Prospect By Baseball America, Northeast-10 Finalist Skyhawks Preparing To Start 2006 Season In Sunshine State

February 23, 2006

The 2006 Stonehill baseball team heads into this spring on the heels of a 27-win season. The Skyhawks earned the Northeast-10 Tournament Runner-up title and finished third in the New England coaches' poll at the conclusion of the year. With seven starters returning and a combined 21 victories returning from the pitching staff of the Skyhawks, Stonehill looks to contend in 2006. The senior tri-captains for this spring are Joe Breen (Swampscott, Mass./Swampscott), Sean Lawrence (New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep) and Coley Lyons (West Roxbury, Mass./Catholic Memorial).

Here is a look at how the Skyhawks will fare by position in 2006:

PITCHING: All-American Billy Sittig (West Roxbury, Mass./Catholic Memorial) returns for his final season after garnering Northeast-10 and ECAC pitcher of the year honors in 2005. The senior right hander comes off a team leading 9-2 record and 2.16 ERA, followed closely behind by junior RHP Nick Santabarbara (Middleton, Mass./Masconomet) who finished 8-2 in eleven starts respectively last spring en route to being selected to the All Northeast-10 conference team. Senior RHP Brian Nelson (Greenville, R.I./LaSalle) held a 2.49 ERA and put up three wins and four saves as fellow senior RHP Joe Breen closed out his junior season on the mound with 35 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched. Sophomore RHP Mat Lindenmayer (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) should also be expected to take the ball after recording a win and a 1.35 ERA in his rookie season. Junior southpaw Chris Hermann (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford), senior LHP Dean Chiusano (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenedehowa) and sophomore righty Andy Hillier (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) will be expected to provide Stonehill with some valuable innings, while rookies RHP Matt Giusti (Hopkington, Mass./Williston/Northhampton) and LHP Justin Perry (Wilbraham, Mass./Wilbraham & Monson) look to balance out the lineup and contribute come spring.

CATCHER: Junior Matt Vaughn (Bow, N.H./Bow) will leave the infield and assume his position behind the plate this season with a .229 batting average and 15 RBIs last year, while the arm strength of Matt Orr (Wilton, Conn./Wilton) and the strong bat of freshman Dave Migani (Amity, Conn./Amity) will see the two impacting both on the defensive and offensive side for the Skyhawks.

INFIELD: Junior Adam Pardo (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) will play third base after gaining valuable experience last spring with 39 game starts. Freshman Nate Weber (Hanson, Mass./Whitman Hanson) looks to make an immediate impact at shortstop, while junior Tom Aldrich (New Canaan, Conn./Trinity Catholic) leaves his position behind the plate to join the middle infield at second base. Senior Sean Lawrence steps back into the first baseman role with a .349 slugging percentage from 2005. Rookie Javier Guzman (San Juan, Puerto Rico) will see time at the third base position, while sophomore Ryan Halloran (Tyngsboro, Mass./Tyngsboro) looks to help anchor the middle infield at shortstop. Blake Marston (Concord, N.H./Derryfield School) will move from third base to contribute at second for the Skyhawks, as both senior T.J. Piscatelli (Norfolk, Mass./Xaverian) and sophomore Mat Lindenmayer (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) will be called upon to log valuable innings at first base.

OUTFIELD: This is where the strength of the Stonehill squads lies. 2005 All Northeast-10 third team selection Coley Lyons will take charge in centerfield this spring, as the senior batted .331 with 15 doubles and 26 RBIs last season. After a .958 fielding percentage last season, sophomore Dave Fradette (Goffstown, N.H./Goffstown) has earned himself a spot at left field for the Skyhawks, while junior Max Vigliotti (Stamford, Conn./Cheshire Academy) returns to the right field following a .287 batting average in 2005. Senior T.J. Piscatelli will also see time in the outfield and at the DH spot after recording a .367 slugging percentage last spring, as sophomore Dustin Crossman (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) will be called upon to play valuable innings in the outfield.

SCHEDULE: Stonehill will open its 2006 campaign with 12 games in Fort Meyers, Fla., five of which are regional, before heading into its 33-game regular season stretch. In Florida, the Skyhawks will take on two teams knocking on the door to the top 25, Ashland University (OH.) and Slippery Rock University (PA.) and heading home the games don't get any easier. Included in the conference schedule are match-ups with nationally ranked Franklin Pierce (21) and Southern Connecticut (26) and perennial Northeast-10 powers UMass Lowell, Bryant, Saint Anselm and Saint Rose.

2006 College Preview: NCAA Division II

2006 College Preview Index

January 22, 2006

TOP 10: HOW THEY'LL FINISH W L

1. Florida Southern 51 11

2. Tampa 40 18

3. Tusculum (Tenn.) 44 17

4. Central Missouri State 57 9

5. West Virginia State 44 16

6. Delta State (Miss.) 52 10

7. Franklin Pierce (N.H.) 32 14

8. Grand Valley State (Mich.) 36 17

9. Central Oklahoma 44 15

10. Sonoma State (Calif.) 26 30

Boldface indicates participated in 2005 World Series

NCAA Division II World Series: Eight teams, May 27-June 3 at Montgomery, Ala.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

ALL-AMERICA TEAM

C-Dave Morehead, Jr., UC San Diego (.359-7-55). 1B-Troy Nunnally, Jr., Tuskegee, Ala. (.472-8-62). 2B-Ryan Taylor, Sr., West Virginia State (.436-16-68). 3B-Skip Talarek, Sr., Tusculum, Tenn. (.410-11-68). SS--Garrett Olson, Jr., Franklin Pierce, N.H. (.375-11-42). OF-James Barksdale, Jr., North Alabama (.388-2-40, 40 SB); Lee Cruz, Sr., Tampa (.326-17-71); Sean Van Elderen, Sr., Mesa State, Colo. (.396-19-65). DH-Jimbo Davis, Sr., Catawba, N.C. (.380-17-65). P-Zach Baldwin, Sr., West Virginia State (11-0, 1.97, 78 IP/73 SO); Brent Gabel, Sr., Tusculum, Tenn. (10-1, 3.12); Sergio Perez, Jr., Tampa (9-4, 2.48, 87 IP/81 SO); Rusty Rayborn, Sr., Delta State, Miss. (11-0, 1.19). RP-Kyle DeYoung, Sr., Florida Southern (8-1, 1.09, 17 SV).

Player of the Year: Garrett Olson, ss, Franklin Pierce (N.H.).

Pitcher of the Year: Sergio Perez, rhp, Tampa.

TOP PROSPECTS, 2006 DRAFT

1. Sergio Perez, rhp, Tampa.

2. Garrett Olson, ss, Franklin Pierce (N.H.).

3. Dave Qualben, lhp, Pace (N.Y.).

4. Brad Stone, rhp, Quincy (Ill.).

5. Josh Morgan, rhp/of, Missouri-St. Louis.

6. Nick Waechter, rhp, Western Oregon.

7. Kevin Hammons, lhp, Tusculum (Tenn.).

8. James Barksdale, of, North Alabama.

9. Brent Gabel, rhp, Tusculum (Tenn.).

10. Billy Sittig, rhp, Stonehill (Mass.).

SHORT HOPS

Florida Southern won its ninth NCAA Division II national championship last year, marking the fourth consecutive time that the Moccasins have won a national title in a year ending in 5'. Junior RHP Dan Albritton (9-4, 3.09) and sophomore LHP Ken Wadsworth (9-0, 3.78), the team's two top winners, return along with senior closer Kyle DeYoung (8-1, 1.07, 17 SV), the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. The Moccasins lost four position players to the draft, along with senior 1B Fred Popp (.344-7-60), who is expected to miss the 2006 season after tearing an ACL in the fall. Sophomore LHP/1B Brian Schultz, a Florida State transfer, will fill in for Popp at first while also taking a regular turn in the rotation. Schultz was injured most of 2005 but went 7-1, 4.07 for Florida State as a freshman. Another four-year college transfer, junior 3B Mike Grace, hit .304-8-32 last year at East Carolina.

Central Missouri State, which has finished no worse than third in the Division II World Series since 2001 while compiling a 272-42 record, is expected to mount another challenge this year, even though it lost five pitchers in last June's draft that were selected in the first 11 rounds. Among the pitchers expected to pick up the slack is junior RHP Judsen Smith, a 28th-round pick of the Reds from Phoenix (Ariz.) JC.

Franklin Pierce (N.H.) junior Garrett Olson (.375-11-42), the only underclassman selected to the Division II All-America team last year, moves from third base to shortstop this season to replace Shawn Hayes, who was the Royals' fifth-round pick. Olson's spot at third will be taken by freshman Scott Savastano, a 33rd-round pick of the White Sox. Olson, the top position player prospect in Division II for this year's draft, has five-tool credentials with power and a 90-92 mph arm across the diamond.