D1 Baseball’s Aaron Fitt filed this Fall Baseball report from Friedman Diamond…
https://d1baseball.com/fall-report/2023-northeastern/
2023 Fall Report: Northeastern
FALL REPORT Aaron Fitt - September 28, 2023
BROOKLINE, Mass. — Shortly after concluding an early Saturday morning practice, Northeastern coach
Mike Glavine stood down the first-base line at Friedman Diamond and watched as his right and center field were quickly transformed into a soccer pitch over the course of a 20-minute conversation. That’s just a fact of life in Greater Boston, where real estate is at a premium: the Northeastern baseball team has to share its facility with the men’s and women’s soccer teams, as well as teams from Brookline High School and various Brookline summer leagues.
Parsons Field/Friedman Diamond is a charming, historic setting nestled in the heart of a tony Brookline neighborhood, and its turf surface fulfills the most essential needs for Northeastern baseball. But as I stood there with Glavine — after visiting the sparkling new facilities at UConn and Boston College over the previous two days — I couldn’t help but marvel at the successful program Glavine has built at an expensive private school in a cold-weather locale with facilities that lag far behind the other top powers in New England, let alone the other Top 25-caliber programs Northeastern is competing with nationally. Those are some serious challenges, and yet Glavine has led his Huskies to three regionals since 2018, capped by a school-record 44 wins last year, when the program broke into the D1Baseball Top 25 for the first time.
So how the heck have the Huskies done it?
“The secret really is the right fit. It’s the players,” Glavine said. “It’s embracing who we are in the recruiting process — like, ’This is who we are. If this isn’t for you, we’re not going to be the right fit. And that’s OK. But if you’re coming here for gear and you’re coming here for facilities, maybe this isn’t the fit. But if you’re coming here for culture,’ — for real, every coach talks about culture, what coach doesn’t? Every coach talks like, ‘Oh, we’re a family.’ You hear it all the time. But are they really? Do they really have a culture that embraces their identity? And I think that’s constantly what we talk about. This is who we are, this is what we do. Nothing comes easy for us, we’ve got to work for everything, and it’s going to pay off for us in the long run. And then when you’re recruiting the right guys, and the fit is right, and they want to be here and understand the whole process and they’re a close team, then you go out there and try to play with a chip on your shoulder.
“And they’re talented, right? We get talented guys. It’s an expensive private school, a really expensive school, so we don’t get that academic school, so we don’t get that academic money or maybe the scholarships don’t go as far as they might at other places. You’ve got to really show the families and the kid the experience they’re gonna get when they’re here.”
That last bit is key: Glavine and longtime associate head coach/recruiting coordinator
Kevin Cobb have assembled a very talented roster. On paper, this looks like it might be Northeastern’s best team yet, a Top 25 type group with a chance to win a regional.
The Huskies return seven everyday players in the lineup along with two-thirds of their rock-solid strike-throwing weekend rotation. Having so much experience back from a winning club is obviously valuable, but this team also has real high-end star power to anchor the deep lineup. It starts with junior center fielder
Mike Sirota (.346/.472/.678, 18 HR, 19 SB), one of the most exciting power/speed threats in all of college baseball. Sirota only reinforced his standing as a potential Day One draft pick with a strong showing during a brief stint in the Cape Cod League this summer, and there was a high-level executive on hand to watch him take batting practice at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. If Sirota continues to refine his hit tool and plate discipline (areas where he is making good progress), it’s easy to envision him going in the first round next summer. In the meantime, Glavine is grateful that Sirota stayed true to gritty Northeastern instead of jumping into the transfer portal and chasing NIL money.
“Mike’s been great. Physically he’s gotten stronger, and just another jump leadership-wise,” Glavine said. “You just see that confident maturity level with him, and obviously for me his loyalty to me and to our program speaks volumes about who he is. I’ll be forever thankful for that.”
If Sirota isn’t the most exciting power/speed talent in college baseball, his teammate
Cam Maldonado might be. As a true freshman last year, the physical 6-foot-3, 195-pound right fielder led Northeastern with a .353 average along with 32 steals in 33 attempts, while adding 13 homers and 13 doubles. Glavine said he thought Maldonado might have gotten worn out after playing 56 games as a freshman, and he did not have a great summer, but he looks rejuvenated this fall and should be primed to make a big name for himself as a sophomore.
Northeastern’s powerful returning core also includes a pair of imposing veteran sluggers in seniors
Tyler MacGregor (.332/.416/.624 with 18 HR last year) and
Alex Lane (.318/.427/.596 with 16 HR), the latter of whom cranked a double to left-center and an RBI single through the left side in Saturday’s scrimmage. The lefthanded-hitting MacGregor played first base last year while the righty-swinging Lane split time between left field and DH, but the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Lane played first during the scrimmage I saw, and he displayed nimble feet and sure hands.
“That’s a pretty big boy over there to be a great target, and he moves well. He is not a slug over there, he can play that position — former catcher in high school, so I’m impressed with what he’s doing there at first base,” Glavine said. “So that’s kind of a new development there — with him and MacGregor, I think that gives us the ability to get guys off their feet a little bit. Because one of the things I’ve harped on is we were just out of gas last year. I think I pushed them too hard maybe, or we just didn’t rotate guys enough. Part of that’s just trying to get in (to a regional) and win and do the best you can, but the other piece is just trying to coach better. So I think flexibility is going to be nice.”
The return of redshirt sophomore
Harrison Feinberg adds to that flexibility; he’s a very good defender with a strong arm in left field, and he adds length to the lineup, bringing good righthanded pop in the lower half of the order. Feinberg hit 10 homers in 166 at-bats last year, and Glavine is predicting a big year from him.
It won’t be easy for other players to break into that crowded outfield with Sirota, Maldonado, Feinberg and Lane back in the fold, but keep an eye on athletic freshman
Ryan Gerety and junior
Justin Bosland. Bosland is a 6-foot-5, 200-pound righthanded hitter with elite speed and emerging pop, both of which he showed off on Saturday. Bosland ripped an opposite-field homer to left field in his first at-bat of the scrimmage, then followed it up by dropping down a bunt to the third-base sign and motoring up the line in 3.87 seconds for an infield single.
“He’s right on the edge [of being a major contributor],” Glavine said of Bosland. “You saw what he can do today. He’s a plus-plus runner, it’s as fast as anybody I’ve ever coached. You saw him hit the home run today backside, then next at-bat he lays down a bunt. He’s a threat to steal every time he’s on, and he’s a plus-plus defender. He can play first and anywhere in the outfield. So he’s in that mix. It’s just a little bit of consistency with the bat; he found a role for us last year that I love. Of course he wants to play more, but he was the guy that was spot-starting in the outfield for us, always coming into the game late for a defensive replacement or maybe a pinch-hit or maybe to steal a base. So he definitely wants a bigger role, and he should — a third-year guy, it’s time.”
The biggest question mark for Northeastern is the left side of the infield, where the Huskies must replace stalwart third baseman
Danny Crossen and athletic shortstop
Spenser Smith. With smooth-fielding senior
Luke Beckstein returning at second base, the Huskies have three intriguing options battling for time on the left side: junior
Jack Doyle, sophomore
Carmelo Musacchia and Pepperdine transfer
Jack Goodman. Doyle looks like the favorite at the hot corner after putting up big numbers and earning all-star honors in the Appalachian League this summer. Glavine lauds his bat-to-ball skills and his solid defense at the hot corner.
Goodman and Musacchia figure to battle for the shortstop job, and whichever one doesn’t win it could also push Doyle at third. Musacchia hit .312 in 122 at-bats as a freshman last year and then sat out the summer while nursing an injury, but he’s a dynamic talent who has looked good so far this fall.
“This is a kid that’s got some pretty big talent and athleticism,” Glavine said of Musacchia. “One of those guys, he’s a 6.5 runner, he’s 90 across the diamond, he’s got a 40-plus vert, there’s power in the bat, it’s all there.”
Goodman was drafted out of high school but struggled in part-time duty as a freshman for the Waves last year, hitting just .192. A 6-foot, 185-pound athlete with a middle-away approach, Goodman has a chance to be a useful hitter if he can improve his plate discipline from a year ago. “He plays a really good, solid shortstop, can play the left side of the infield with his arm, and he’s a plus runner,” Glavine said. “He’s another 6.5-type runner with a really strong arm. So he’s over there on that left side, we’ll let him settle in here and let his natural athleticism and talent take over.”
The Huskies should also be in good shape behind the plate, where starter
Gregory Bozzo returns along with fellow senior
Jimmy Sullivan and sophomore
Matt Brinker. Even with Bozzo and Brinker sidelined by injuries early this fall, the Huskies were able to start Sullivan and talented freshman
Will Fosberg behind the plate in this scrimmage, showcasing their depth. Fosberg appears to have a very bright future.
“He was an all-star in the Futures League this summer, as a high school kid, he was the top pro prospect, whatever the hell that means. But I like him,” Glavine said. “He’s got a good body, he’s good back there behind the plate. He’s got to get stronger, especially at that position, you get so sped up in the fall. He’s catching all different guys, he can’t settle in on one guy, he’s getting four different guys every time, so I like him. So I think Bozzo is just a really good baseball player and commands it back there, was an all-star in the NECBL. Then Brinker’s solid and Fosberg – it’s a good, competitive position for us.”
Strike-throwing staff returns largely intact
Many of Northeastern’s top arms are shut down this fall, but the Huskies know what they have in righthanders
Aiven Cabral (9-4, 2.58, 69-14 K-BB in 83.2 IP) and
Wyatt Scotti (6-4, 3.91, 57-13 K-BB in 76 IP) two ultra-dependable returning weekend starters who fill up the zone. Both of them carve up the zone at 88-90 mph and can miss bats with plus changeups while working in useful sliders. They were twin pillars of a staff that ranked third in the nation with a 3.75 ERA and ninth nationally with a 1.29 WHIP last year, and they will be counted upon heavily again this spring.
Northeastern must replace
Eric Yost, the third member of the weekend rotation, and the competition for the Sunday job figures to linger into the early spring. Low three-quarters righty
Jake Gigliotti made eight starts among his 23 appearances a year ago and could factor into that mix; I last saw him in May attacking at 86-88 with a good sharp sweeping slider and feel for a changeup.
A pair of transfers from Division III power Tufts should also assume prominent roles and compete for starting jobs.
Aidan Tucker sits in the low 90s and bumps 94 with a good slider, and both he and fellow Tufts transfer
Brendan McFall pound the zone the way Northeastern values. McFall offers a different look, as a low three-quarters slinger with good sink on his 86-88 fastball and feel for a high-70s slider. Another small-school transfer, 6-foot-7 righthander
Cooper McGrath from Trinity, sat in the low 90s on Saturday but has been up to 95, and his 81-83 slider is a real out pitch with tight spin in the 2600s-2700s. Also keep an eye on Marist transfer
Jack Bowery, a pitchability lefthander who carved at 87-88 on Saturday but can touch 92, along with a very good changeup and an improving slurve that has added depth already this fall. Glavine expects all of those transfers to eat valuable innings in the spring.
A cadre of arms returning from injury will provide a valuable boost to a bullpen that loses a few key pieces, led by shutdown closer
Griffin Young and setup man
Patrick Harrington. Look for
Dennis Colleran to emerge as the anchor of a bullpen that should feature more power stuff this year than it did last year. Colleran returned from Tommy John surgery to show big-time stuff in the Cape League this summer, pumping riding four-seamers at 94-97 mph along with lively power sinkers with big arm-side run. His 86-89 mph slider flashed plus with late, hard tilt. His command still needs refinement but it’s coming along, and he has the ability to blow hitters away even if he’s not fine in the zone. It’s easy to envision him throwing triple-digit heat as he gets farther removed from TJ.
“Colleran’s back, healthy and ready to roll. He’s a different pitcher, different body,” Glavine said. “He’s such a strong kid, I think he’s really leaned out [his frame] and learned how to pitch, so obviously he’s a guy to watch, to see what role he’s in, but to have him back is huge.”
Two other pitchers returning from injury are
Charlie Walker and
Joe Hauser. Walker posted a 0.90 ERA with 17 strikeouts and four walks early last spring before a knee injury cut his season short after seven appearances, and Glavine calls him “a huge bullpen piece for us.” He’s another strike-thrower who stays in attack mode with a lively high-80s fastball that touches 90 and plays above its velocity, along with swing-and-miss offspeed stuff. Hauser ran his heater up to 95 as a true freshman last January before having Tommy John surgery, but he is making a rapid recovery and should be ready to go against live hitters this winter. Between Colleran, Hauser, McGrath, Tucker and veteran
Michael Gemma, the Huskies have more velocity on this staff than a year ago. Gemma is a major pick to click.
“I think Michael Gemma’s ready as a senior to have his best season, he’s always been a guy who’s been on scouts’ radar with his stuff,” Glavine said. “He had an all-star summer in the Futures League, confident kid, another guy that can be a 95 guy for us with a really good slider. So he’s a guy to watch if he can put it all together.”
The Huskies suffered a blow this week when their highest-profile freshman, righty
Jack Cropper (who can touch 97), went down with Tommy John surgery, but they still have some young arms who should contribute. Lefthander
Max Marchetti has good deception that makes his 87-88 fastball play up, and he mixes in a very good 73-74 mph breaking ball with depth and bite. Freshman righty
Nick Coniglio is an 87-90 mph strike-thrower whose calling card is a putaway splitter at 79-80, and he also has some feel for a 73-75 breaking ball. And freshman righty
Alex Lanzilotti is an X-factor coming off injury, but he brings another power arm to the mix.
“I think last year we lacked some stuff, because of the draft, we lost
[Sebastsian] Keane,
[Cam] Schlittler and
[Thomas] Balboni, it was hard for us to replace those guys that had supreme stuff for us. But we did it with pitchability. Now you bring all those pitchability guys back and then you add some stuff, I’m excited for the pitching staff.”
It all adds up to a Northeastern team that will enter the season with a target on its back, more than ever before. How the Huskies handle those newfound high expectations will be paramount.
“I told the guys in the opening meeting, I spent the summer obsessing over two things: One was why did we run out of gas in the regional? Why didn’t we play the way we’re capable of?” Glavine said. “And we are 59-58 combined the year after making a regional. So I’ve been obsessed with that. My paranoia of, we have not played well the year after a regional when the hype has been there and we’ve returned good teams, so we’ve talked a lot about that. We’ve embraced that. We’re going to probably get some attention, teams are aware of us, people are aware of us. How are we gonna handle that? So I would put that on the head coach — you’ve got to get them practicing hard and playing hard, you’ve got to get them believing, you’ve got to get them ignoring the noise though and just be who we are.
“Part of me wants you to be like, ‘How the hell are these guys doing it?’ Look at this place, sharing the field and it’s all kinds of craziness going on, and we don’t have our center field up, we don’t have our right field up right now. But I want that to be our M.O. of a team that, nothing comes easy for us, we’re blue-collar, and this is what it is. So it’s making sure that we stay on that course. We’re gonna have draft guys on our team that are also gonna get a lot of attention. So it’s just reinforcing our values and standards of who we are as a program, embracing that we’re 59-58 the following year, embracing that we’re gonna get some attention, and it just doesn’t matter. It’s not going to affect who we are. We’re gonna do our thing.”
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