2004 baseball season will conclude 33-year career for

Coach Bruce Wheeler

(Dartmouth, MA) – Entering his 33^rd and final season as head baseball coach at UMass Dartmouth, Bruce Wheeler has his 2004 Corsairs prepared for what he hopes will be a another successful season.  With only a few new faces in the starting lineup, the Corsairs return virtually the same team as the UMass Dartmouth squad which finished 20-19-1 last season and reached the championship game of the Little East Conference Tournament.

“We lost one starting pitcher (Pat Reedy) but we have almost everyone else back,” said Wheeler (career record 733-515-4), who has announced his retirement from coaching at the end of this season.  “I think offensively and defensively we are going to be a pretty good team.  Our pitching is going to be strong and I think we have the balance to be a pretty good baseball team as we start the season.”

UMass Dartmouth has to be prepared for the season because the Corsairs compete in the Little East Conference, considered to be among the toughest Division III baseball conferences in the country.  Within the last couple of seasons, two teams from the LEC - Eastern Connecticut and Southern Maine - have captured the NCAA national championship and the Warriors of ECSU were ranked #1 in the national pre-season polls.

The Corsairs head into the 2004 season picked to finish third in the LEC Pre-Season Poll.  The LEC coaches picked defending LEC Tournament champion Eastern Connecticut first with 63 total votes and seven first-place votes with Southern Maine second (54 points).  UMass Dartmouth was picked third with 51 points, including one first-place vote.

“Within the LEC we have to play solid baseball because there are so many good teams,” said Wheeler. “On any day you’re planing a team in the LEC you have to be prepared because anyone can knock you off.  You can’t take a day off in the LEC.”

The Corsairs will open the 2004 season with their annual trip to southern California where UMass Dartmouth will play 11 games in nine days, including a matchup with the defending NCAA Division III champions from Chapman University (March 16).  The Corsairs will return to New England with their non-conference home opener against Wheaton College on March 23^rd.  UMass Dartmouth will open LEC action with a home doubleheader against Plymouth State University on April 3^rd.

Leading the returners on offense will be junior outfielder Ryan Sullivan (Chicopee, MA), considered by Wheeler the Corsairs’ top hitter for the 2004 season.  As a sophomore last season, Sullivan led the team with a .381 average, with two homeruns and was second on the team with 28 RBI.  Among the other top hitters returning are senior second baseman and tri-captain Geoff Nettleton (Marlboro, MA) (.363, 6 HR, 24 RBI), junior center fielder Chris Waymon (Wareham, MA) (.323, 2 HR, 21 RBI), junior shortstop Bo Delduca (Methuen, MA) (.294, 1 HR, 16 RBI) and junior outfielder Doug Hittinger (Middleton, MA) (.289, 1 HR, 13 RBI).  Wheeler also indicated that returning sophomore outfielder Bob Lomuscio (West Roxbury, MA) and junior outfielder Jim Peters (Taunton, MA) will see action in the outfield and last year’s starter behind the place, John Macone (Stoneham, MA), would be the catcher.

A pair of newcomers, freshman Zach Schechter (Lawrence, MA) and junior Shaun Ferreira (Acushnet, MA), will start the season sharing third base duties, while sophomore Dan Mancini (Marlboro, MA) will take over at first base.

“Up and down the lineup we have some very good hitters,” said Wheeler, who will be assisted by Robert Curran Jr., Jim Sullivan, Randy DeBrosse and Aaron Perron.  “We can hit with power when we need to and we can also move the ball around and manufacture runs when we need to.”

The Corsairs are also well stocked with pitching this season, led by the return of senior tri-captain Brandon Perry (Plymouth, MA).  In 67.1 innings last season, Perry had a 2.14 earned run average with a 5-4 won-loss record, 74 strikeouts and only 15 walks.  Following Perry in the rotation will be senior tri-captain Kyle Darrow (Marlboro, MA) (4-4, 5.85 ERA, two saves), who could also do some bullpen duty, along with Jason Thompson (Plymouth, MA) (3-3, 3.98 ERA).  Among the other returners is junior Dan DeCosta (Somerset, MA) (1-1, 7.33 ERA), and sophomores Eric Griswold (Taunton, MA) (0-0, 5.51 ERA, two saves), Parker Harrington (Weymouth, MA) (0-1) and Frank Cronin (Rockland, MA) (1-3).  Newcomers to the mound staff include Will Mahoney (Mattapoisett, MA), junior A.J. Jean (Middleboro, MA), and freshman Mike Maclean (Spencer, MA).

“We are a young team but we’re also a veteran team at the same time,” Wheeler said.  “We have only three seniors on the team this season but all of the younger players have seen plenty of game action.  I think we’ve got some pretty good arms on the staff and we’re going to need them all with our tough schedule.”

In addition to a rugged LEC schedule, UMass Dartmouth has traditionally scheduled a challenging non-conference set of opponents.  The 2004 season is no different with games against perennial NCAA Tournament qualifiers from Wheaton College, Bridgewater State College, Brandeis University and other top Division III baseball programs from New England.

“We have always tried to play a solid schedule to prepare us for conference play and if we are fortunate enough to get invited - for play in the NCAA Tournament,” said Wheeler, who’s team captured the LEC Tournament title in 2000.

And as he prepares to conclude a successful 33-year career, there would be no other place Coach Wheeler would want for his Corsairs than right back in the LEC Tournament championship game once again with a shot at another NCAA Tournament invitation.