2000 Season Preview
March 2, 1999
by Jim Mullins
Assistant Director
Sports Information
Corsairs return five starters and full pitching staff in attempt to challenge forLittle East Conference title
(Dartmouth, MA) - UMass Dartmouth baseball coach Bruce Wheeler will have some new faces in his starting lineup at the beginning of the 2000 season but with five returning starters, including his four top pitchers, the Corsairs are poised to make another run at the top of the Little East Conference.

"We�ll have a different look than we�ve had in the last few seasons. I think we�ve got some solid pitching and, if our key hitters can produce for us, we�ll be in pretty good shape," said Wheeler, who is entering his 29th season with the Corsairs.

With only two of his five top hitters returning this season, Wheeler will be moving some people around. While there may be four new players in the starting lineup, Wheeler still has a solid core of returning veterans shoring up the middle of his lineup.

One player the Corsairs can count on will be junior first baseman Brian Ronayne (Bridgewater, MA), a two-time LEC First Team All Star and ECAC New England Division III Second Team All-Star. An LEC Rookie of the Year as a freshman, Ronayne has had two outstanding seasons at UMass Dartmouth. Last year he hit .404, fourth best in the LEC, while adding a team-leading 12 home runs and 39 runs scored. He drove in 34 RBI on 57 hits and had a team-high .766 slugging percentage. His .32 home runs per game ranked him 13th nationally in Division III and tops in the LEC.

While most opposing pitchers will focus on Ronayne in the Corsairs' lineup, he isn�t the only threat. UMass Dartmouth returns three other experienced hitters from last season's 15-22-1 team, including sophomore infielder Mike Dougan (Marlborough, CT), (.338, 2 HR, 17 RBI) an LEC Honorable mention at second base as a freshman. Also returning are sophomore catcher Mike Rahme (East Providence, RI) (.328, 2 HR, 9 RBI), junior centerfielder Doug Kelsch (Wareham, MA) (.292, 5 HR, 23 RBI) and senior outfielder and tri-captain Manny Santo (Warwick, RI) (.319, 7 HR, 27 RBI).

Among the newcomers to the starting lineup is the new double-play combination of junior shortstop Guy Furtado (Dartmouth, MA) and sophomore second baseman Nelson Antunes (Fall River, MA) at second base. Rounding out the infield will be Ronanye returning at first, while Dougan moves from second to third for this season.

In the outfield, a pair of returning starters will be back in two of the three positions with Kelsch in center and Santo in left. They will be joined by first-year-player Jason Orlando (Gloucester, MA) in right. Rahme will take over the catching duties this season and sophomore Jon Merrill (Rehoboth, MA) will get the designated hitter assignment.

"We have enough offensive talent to score some runs. It�s just that this year we can�t wait for the home run to make the big inning. We need to get people on, move them around, take advantage of our team speed and play smart baseball on offense," said Wheeler, who will be joined by assistant coaches Bob Curran, Jr, Mike Frates and Randy DeBrosse.

There may be some new faces in the starting lineup but the Corsairs' pitching staff will look very familiar to opponents. Back for another season are UMass Dartmouth�s four top pitchers from last season, LEC Honorable Mention Jason Hinchliffe (New Bedford, MA), senior tri-captains Steve Lauzon (Albion, RI) and Greg Zackrison (Bridgewater, MA), along with junior Tim Troup (Halifax, MA). Hinchliffe led the staff with 69.7 innings last year in posting a 3-5 record with 3 saves and a 4.78 ERA. Lauzon was second in innings with 68.3, including 7 complete games in 8 starts with a 3-6 record and a 5.27 ERA. In 44.7 innings, Zackrison was 3-5 with a 6.64 ERA, while Troup posted a 1-3 record and a 5.80 ERA in 45 innings.

UMass Dartmouth will also have sophomores Tim Dwyer (Franklin, MA) (1-1, 5.98 ERA) and Butch Langton (Carver, MA) (1-0, 9.91 ERA) plus Ronayne (1-1, 1 save 5.27 ERA) out of the bullpen when needed. The Corsairs also have several first-year pitchers who may see some innings out of the bullpen.

"The key to our success this season is going to be how far our starters can take us," Wheeler said. "They all have experience facing the top teams in the LEC and the region and they know what they have to do to be successful."

Competing in one of the top Division III baseball leagues in the nation, UMass Dartmouth finished 8-6 in the LEC last season and picked up a win and two losses before being eliminated from the conference�s double-elimination tournament. The 2000 schedule will not be any easier as UMass Dartmouth again faces one of the toughest schedules in New England.

The Corsairs open their season with a 10-game swing through California against some of the top Division III teams in the country before returning to campus on March 23 for the season opener against Wheaton College. LEC competition gets underway on April 1 with a double header against Plymouth State at home. In addition to a full LEC schedule, the Corsairs also have non-conference games scheduled with New England regional rivals Brandeis, Bridgewater State, Springfield College, Babson and Tufts.

UMass Dartmouth�s team goal will be a spot in the LEC Tournament, which runs from May 9-14 and a shot at the NCAA East Regionals, May 18-21. The Corsairs have been to the NCAA Regionals as recently as two seasons ago and would like nothing better than to return and have a chance to play for the NCAA Division III World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Jim Mullins
Assistant Director, Sports Information and Daily News
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
Dartmouth,MA 02747-2300
Phone: News (508) 999-8965 Sports (508) 999-8720
Fax: (508) 999-9200
JMullins@UMassD.edu

 Last Updated On: 9/1/06