Evaluating the 2016 Roster: Vermont Mountaineers

Yesterday was Opening Day in college baseball, and that also means I'm back. The summer season may be months away, but it's never too early to look into the players coming to New England. Here's my first look at the Vermont Mountaineers roster, built by returning manager Joe Brown and GM Brian Gallagher.

“We’re going to have a target on our backs for sure,” Gallagher told the TA's Jim Higgins earlier this year. “I am the last person who would dare predict going back-to-back for fear of jinxing us. But we think the roster is very good. And if we get the majority of the guys that are on the current roster, I like our chances.”

Vermont excelled last season with a small-ball lineup, ranking near the middle of the pack in individual categories, but finishing atop the league in stolen bases (100) and sacrifice hits (43). It was a perfectly executed bunt that scored the go-ahead run in the decisive Game 3 of the league championship series. Pitching was another strength, as they were the only team that held opponents to a sub-.300 batting average.

Here's a look at the 2016 roster, grouped by pitchers, infielders, outfielders, and catchers. Full roster here.

Pitchers

The Mountaineers brought back a trio of pitchers, with Sean Callahan and Joe Rocchietti returning from the championship team, while Ty Wiest threw for them in 2014. Callahan pitched great out of the bullpen in both short and long relief, while Rocchietti won a big postseason game against North Adams last season. Wiest was crucial during the '14 postseason run, joining the team midway through June. He pieced together a 20-inning scoreless streak and finished with a 1.67 ERA over 10 appearances and 32 1/3 innings pitched.

Columbia's Ty Wiest.
Gene Boyars/CU Photo

Newcomers include several big pitchers, as Louisville's Sam Border (6 foot 6), Villanova's Woody Bryson (6-5) and Manhattan's Joseph Jacques (6-5) are all intimidating on the mound. Bordner was a highly-recruited right-hander out of Ohio, and has already made three appearances out of the bullpen for the fourth-seeded Cardinals.

There's three other freshman from D-I programs on the roster, all talented right-handers. Wright State's Ryan Weiss was a relative unknown entering his senior year in high school, but after tossing a no-hitter against a talented travel team, Weiss earned a scholarship to go play for the Raiders. Little Rock's Joe Corbett has worked his way into the rotation already, starting three games for the Trojans. Finally, Indiana's Chandler Sedat was an All-Michigan selection and has a good arsenal of pitches.

The staff has two other southpaws, with NYIT's Ben Wright and Stony Brook's Kevin Kernan. Kernan had his 2015 season cut short with an elbow injury, but had a promising 0.98 ERA over nine prior appearances.

Injuries have hampered St. Louis reliever Nick Vichio, as he's made just 15 appearances over his first two years. Eastern Michigan's Antonio Jacobs is a transfer from Spartanburg Methodist College, where he held opponents under a .250 batting average. UConn's Trevor Holmes spent his last two summers in the Futures League for Nashua and Martha's Vineyard, and is a reliable reliever for the Huskies. Finally, Little Rock's Jacob Boggess has started the year with four scoreless appearances as a redshirt sophomore.

Catchers


The Mountaineers have a plethora of talented catchers, both behind the plate and in the batter's box. It's hard to pick a top one, as all three have a lot of potential.

DiCaprio was a 2015 Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American, and spent the summer after his senior year in the PGCBL. At just 18 years old, he was one of the youngest players in the league. He struggled at the plate, hitting just under .200, but established himself as a good defensive catcher with a strong arm, throwing out 20% of would-be base-stealers.

Pinkham hits against Princeton earlier this season.
Jeff Reinking Photo/ U of L

Fineman was also an Honorable Mention and played for the national 17U team. He's an outstanding defensive catcher with a very good bat, as is evidenced by a team-high .423 batting average across 10 games. He's only had 26 at bats at the D-I level, but has proven himself quickly- the freshman has 11 hits, four RBIs, and a 4:3 BB/K ratio.

Finally there's Pinkham, a left-handed hitter who will see limited time behind the plate at Louisville. There's a lot to like here, as Pinkham was the fourth-ranked prospect out of Kentucky in the Class of 2015. He had Tommy John surgery at the end of his senior year, but has successfully returned to the field.

Infielders


Like their catchers, the Mountaineers have quite a bit of depth in the infield. With players from top D-I programs, it's easy to see why Vermont's lineup could be very dangerous this season. They have a trio of shortstops, so it'll be interesting to see where they end up.

King during last season.

The top player in this group, based on stats, is the Billiken's King. A 6-1 shortstop, King earned the starting job as a freshman and excelled. He ended the season on a nine-game winning streak, hitting .291 with an almost-.400 on-base percentage.

Another strong shortstop is Stony Brook's Giles, who played in 50 games last season for the Seawolves. He hit .253 with an impressive .377 on-base percentage, drawing 31 walks. Eastern Michigan's Lett also started 50 games in 2015 as a freshman, and struggled offensively (.212 clip), but will surely adjust. He fits right into Brown's system, as he laid down 17 sucessful bunts and has some speed on the basepaths.

Little and Pittman are in similar positions at their respective schools, as neither will see much of the field. Little is a well-rounded player, with quick hands and good footwork in the infield, while he's also a threat on the basepaths.

Outfielders

Fairfield's Scocca during a 2015 game.

Vermont tapped into the Le Moyne pipeline for their outfield, picking up the starting three in the Dolphins lineup. All of them have had sucess offensively, led by DiNorcia's 2015 campaign in which he slashed .330/.477/.408 in 30 games.

DiNorcia has speed on the basepaths, with double-digit steals in his first two seasons. Levanti, a Northeastern transfer, hit just .225 in his first two seasons but has started the 2016 year off well on a new team. He's piled up 11 hits, three doubles, in his first nine games. Pittman is a patient outfielder who has bumped his average up 50 points in 2016 after a decent season the year prior.

Their are two non-Le Moyne players in the outfielder for Vermont. Fairfield's Scocca hit .262 last season in 40 games, swiping four bases and hitting eight extra-base hits. Little Rock's Meyn was a top prospect out of Oklahoma, as PG ranked him second in the state. He won't see much time this spring for the Trojans, who have a crowded outfield.