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| Michael Bozarth headlines a strong Vermont lineup. /SLU |
The Vermont Mountaineers are coming off of four straight successful seasons in which they reached the postseason, with the last two culminating in two heartbreaking losses in rubber matches of the divisional finals. Meanwhile, rivals Keene and Newport each swooped in and claimed two championships in the four-year span, the same title that division-leading Vermont was just within reach of in the last two years.
A walkoff single from former-Mountaineer-turned-Swamp Bat Brian O’Grady ended the 2013 run, while a rainy slugfest in Sanford ended Vermont’s best regular season team (27 wins tied the franchise high) last year.
However, summer collegiate baseball is about the ensuing year, as rosters completely change. Each summer, Vermont general manager Brian Gallagher builds a roster of talented collegiate players from across the country, and this year’s crop is strong. Gallagher also returned third-year manager Joe Brown, who emphasized that “this year is the year” during the Mountaineers annual banquet.
Brown will have a deep roster to work with, applying his expansive baseball knowledge to a potent offensive lineup and a mix of talented pitchers out of the bullpen. Barring a similar crisis as last season when Vermont lost 12 guys in May, the Mountaineers will have a talented roster in position to contend for a first championship since 2007.
“Every year, we try to get the best guys available and want to add a lot of depth,” Gallagher said. “We are excited about the hitters, and the pitchers are all great pitchers who are among the best or the best on their respective college teams.”
This season has the potential to be quite a lot of fun for Mountaineer fans, and here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the roster with Opening Day just a few weeks away.
The Lineup
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Stony Brook's Jack Parenty returns after a strong 2014 season
with the Mountaineers (Stony Brook photo) |
On paper, the group of hitters coming in for Vermont is one of the best groups in recent history. Powered by 2014 NECBL All-Star returnee Trey Amburgey, the Mountaineers have assembled a strong core of hitters and surrounded them with quality players.
Amburgey was one of Vermont’s biggest offensive threats last season, hitting .327/.393/.348 while driving in 22 runs and leading the team with 12 stolen bases. He carried that success over to this spring in St. Petersburg, hitting .368 with 32 stolen bases and has drawn attention from scouts.
Amburgey is joined by 2014 teammate Jack Parenty (Stony Brook) who is hitting .345 this spring following a strong season with the Mountaineers. Those two alone form a talented outfield, but the addition of all-purpose Michael Bozarth (St. Louis) cements this as an excellent outfield on paper.
“Bozarth has been amazing at St. Louis,” Gallagher said of the 6-0 junior who is hitting .386 for the Billikens and is a MLB draft candidate. Bozarth has swiped 18 bases and also boasts a .463 on base percentage.
Former Mountainer assistant coach Derrick Dunbar, now coaching at Austin Peay, is sending the duo of catcher Ridge Smith and infielder Garrett Copeland, both who are enjoying stellar seasons with the Governors. Smith, a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and a 29th round pick in 2014, has built on his first collegiate year and is hitting .325 with 26 walks to just 27 strikeouts.
Copeland, meanwhile, is hitting .349 with 16 stolen bases and has also displayed excellent patience at the plate.
Austin Cangelosi (Indiana) will bring his “Scatman” nickname from Bloomington, as the son of a 13-year MLB veteran was recently named the Big Ten Player of the Week. The nickname comes from the 1994 song “The Scatman” by John Paul Larkin, which is Cangelosi’s walk up song.
“Everyone hates the song, so I played it to make people mad and I just stuck with it,” Cangelosi told the Indiana Daily Student earlier this spring.
The infield is rounded out by fellow Hoosier Isaiah Pasteur, Louisville teammates Austin Clemons and Devin Haristonas well as D-3 All-American Simon Rosenbaum (Pimona-Pitzer). Kevin Stypulowski, a member of the 2014 Mainers, is coming to catch as well as Danny Bermudez (West Carolina).
Washington State’s Derek Chapman, Indiana’s LarenEustace and Louisville’s Riley Jackson join Amburgey, Parenty and Bozarth.
The Rotation/Bullpen
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| Louisville's Sean Leland headlines an 18-man pitching staff. (U of L) |
In order to combat last year’s scramble for pitchers after the loss of multiple players to injuries and commitments, Gallagher signed a team-high 18 pitchers.
“Pitchers throw a lot of innings with their college in the spring.” Gallagher said. “The farther they go into the regional tournament, the more likely their college coach will shut them down and either not send them or limit the amount of innings that they want us to throw them over the summer.”
This year’s group is filled with storylines, from the triumphant return to Montpelier for Cody Brown after beating cancer Vermonters Sam Spencer and Billy Whaley.
Brown, who was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma in October of 2013, battled back and is returning for his second summer with the Mountaineers. The lefty struck out 16 in his return to Central Connecticut State, and is 3-1 with a 3.10 ERA on the year.
“Cody’s battle to overcome a rare blood cancer was an inspiration for the team last year,” Gallagher said of the starter, who is joined by his brother Casey on the Mountaineers. “After all he has been through, Central Vermont will welcome him back with a huge ovation.”
Sam Spencer, a graduate of Mt. Mansfield High School in Jericho, Vt., is one of three returning Mountaineers. Attending Castleton St. College, Spencer posted a 3.10 ERA last summer for Vermont with 21 strikeouts in 29 innings of work.
Fellow Vermonter Billy Whaley, who graduated from nearby Northfield High School, has been on Gallagher’s radar for some time now.
“This year, it was a easy choice,” Gallagher said of the team’s tradition to have a Vermonter on the team each year. “I talked to him last year and he went out and had an All-Star season in the NYCBL (New York). I saw him play in high school and have a lot of respect for former Northfield coach Frank Pecora, who had a lot of praise for Billy.”
Whaley pitches for Norwich, and has 42 strikeouts in 37.2 innings of work with a 4.06 ERA over six starts.
Headlining the rest of the pitchers is talented Louisville reliever Sean Leland, who has been clocked in the low 90’s for his fastball. Leland has a 1.22 ERA as a freshman in 15 appearances for the second-ranked Cardinals, holding his own in a deep bullpen.
Teddy Rodliff (Stony Brook) is a reliable left-handed reliever with a 2.01 ERA in 16 appearances, while Sam Delaplante (Eastern Mich.), Garrison Banas (Bryant), Adam Seibert (Hofstra), Austin Foote (Indiana) and Damien Powers (Le Moyne) are all arms that Brown can turn too in the bullpen.
In terms of starters, Brown has even more options. The duo of Brown’s are both solid starters for CCSU, while the Akron duo of John Valek III (2.98 ERA, Friday starter) and JT Brubaker (5-4 in 13 starts, 3.66 ERA) have also had strong springs.
Luke Bivens (Northwood) is a tall, easy throwing right-hander who is 6-2 with a 4:1 K/BB ration in 60 innings while Tom Cosgrove (Manhattan) has enjoyed a strong freshman season for the Jaspers after earning All-State honors in New York.
Notes
This is a team that on the surface looks very strong. The pitching, under Brown’s watchful eye, will most likely again rank near the top of the league in relevant categories. The lineup has dangerous hitters up and down, and Gallagher has a seasoned manager in Brown at the helm that knows what to do.
Recreation Field is also celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, something Gallagher was proud of.
“We are looking forward to celebrating,” Gallagher continued. “We plan to extend the field lease with the City of Montpelier to play here for many more years, and are continuing to raise funds to improve the ballpark. “
The Mountaineers open their season at home on June 5th at 6:30 p.m, hosting the Valley Blue Sox.
Hosting the Coral Gables regional, No. 5 MIAMI is sending ten players to the NECBL this year- the only double-digit school. The Hurricanes are in the NCAA tournament for a 43rd consecutive year and are one of the eight national seeds. Outfielder Jacob Heyward, the younger brother of Cardinals star Jason, is playing in Mystic this summer. Heyward is hitting .316/.481/.449 over 80 at bats.
Miami isn't the only national seed represented, as No. 3 LOUISVILLE is sending six players. The group is headed up by the lights out bullpen duo of Lincoln Henzman and Sean Leland, headed to Northern Division rivals Keene and Vermont, respectfully. They've combined for almost 100 innings of work with 80 strikeouts and a sub-2.00 ERA. 
SACRED HEART, the only New England team in the tournament, features six future NECBLers. The group is headlined by some of the Pioneers regulars, including a trio headed to New Bedford that features Jayson Sullivan (.296/.350/.379), Ted Shaw (.300 OBP) and Jake Friar (35 games played).
