Defending 2019 Liberty League baseball champions University of Rochester and the 2018 champions Union College have been selected as the divisional preseason favorites for the 2020 season in a vote by the league’s head coaches (coaches only ranked team within their division). Ithaca College joins the conference in baseball this season and the Liberty League will now feature 10 teams and two divisions (East and West).
With the addition of the Bombers, there will be a different look to the Liberty League with two five-team divisions and three-game sets. The East Division is comprised of the league’s three Capital Region teams—Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Union College and Skidmore College as well as the southern contingent of Bard College and Vassar College. For the west, Clarkson University, Ithaca College and St. Lawrence University will join the conference’s two western New York schools—Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the University of Rochester. Each team’s league schedule will feature three-game sets against their four divisional foes (12 games) and two crossover series against opponents from the other division (6 games; opponents will vary year-to-year) followed by an additional crossover series to determine playoff-bound teams.
The final weekend of the regular season (May 2 & 3) will determine the teams competing in the four-team Liberty League tournament (May 7-9). During the final regular season weekend, the top-four teams of each division will play a best-of-three series with the winner moving on to the next weekend of play. The top seed in each division will play the lowest seed in the other division while the second seeds will pair off with the third seeds from the opposing division. The teams seeded fifth will also play each other in a best-of-three series. Seeding for the four-team double elimination tournament, the following week (May 7-9) will be based on divisional records and the winner of the championship will move on to the NCAA tournament by virtue of the conference's automatic bid.
In the East division, Union, Liberty League Champions three times in the last six years (2014, 2016 & 2018), was selected the preseason favorite narrowly edging out RPI by a point. The Dutchmen received three first-place votes (coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams) and 16 points while the Engineers accumulated 15 points and two-first place votes for second. Skidmore (9) was picked to finish third, Vassar (7), fourth and Bard College (5) rounds out the division.
In the West division, Rochester, 2019 conference champions, was tabbed the preseason favorite with 16 votes and four first-place votes (coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams). Clarkson was predicted to finish second with 12 points and a first-place vote. Ithaca (9), in its first year with the Liberty League tied for third place with Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT, 9). The Bombers and Tigers were followed by St. Lawrence University (4).
Union finished the 2019 season as the fifth seed in the league tournament and the Dutchmen will look to improve upon an 18-21 campaign. A strong nucleus of players return and with the graduation of only four, Union is poised to make some noise in 2020. All-Liberty League first-team selections first baseman Sean Cullen and right fielder Elias Kuhns highlight the Dutchmen’s returnees. Cullen paced the team in hitting with a .399 batting average to go with six homeruns, 12 doubles, 27 runs batted in and 33 runs scored. Kuhns was also strong at the plate (.330). In 34 games, he tied for a team-high 12 doubles and six home runs. Kuhns also produced 16 runs batted in. Other key batters will be Colin Kelly (.343) and Jack Koch (.338). Koch was tops on the team in hits with 48 as well as triples (4) and Kelly recorded 12 extra-base hits (8 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs). Colin Nye, an All-Liberty League second-team honoree will lead this year’s pitching staff after going 4-3 and recording a save in 13 appearances last season. He posted a 2.77 earned run average and tossed for 39 innings, striking out 29. Dom Nardone is also back after garnering All-Liberty League honorable mention accolades last season. In eight games, he had a 3.51 earned run average and held opponents to a .231 batting average.
RPI went 20-19 overall last season, including a 15-9 mark in league play. The Engineers qualified for the postseason for the second straight year. With the graduation of only five, an experience squad will take the field for RPI in 2020. All-Liberty League second-team picks Cole Paquin and Jake Defayette headline the team. Paquin, the 2019 Liberty League Rookie of the Year, posted a team-best .331 batting average in 34 games last season to go with three doubles, a triple, a home run, 26 runs scored and 18 runs batted in. In his first year with the Engineers, he was walked (18) as many times as he struck out (18). Paquin also led the team in on-base percentage (.433) to go along with a .398 slugging percentage. Defayette finished 2019 second on the team in hitting (.330) with 11 doubles, two home runs, 29 runs and 22 runs batted in. Joe Curci (.324) and Richard Drum (.273) will also be significant to the batting order for the Engineers. Pitchers Christopher Palmiero (All-Liberty League Second Team) and Ryan Yerby (All-Liberty League honorable mention) also return. Palmiero made 31 appearances last season, going 5-2 with a 4.19 earned run average in nine starts. He struck out 26 and walked 12 while allowing 61 hits in 53.2 innings. Yerby put together a 5-3 record and a 3.88 earned run average in ten appearances (nine starts). In 51 innings, he struck out 43 and held opponents to a .277 batting average.
Skidmore wrapped up 2019 with a 19-16 record, which included a program best nine-game winning streak and the first winning record for the team since 2012. The Thoroughbreds will look to build upon last season’s success, however, they do have big shoes to fill with the graduation of 2019 Liberty League Player of the Year Patrick Geiger (.402 batting average, .750 slugging percentage, .452 on-base percentage) and All-Liberty League first team selection Will Potter (.377/.492/.442). Despite those departures, Skidmore is ready for 2020 with 21 returning players. The Thoroughbreds will open the season with a full stable of pitchers and Jay Gamboa will lead the team after earning All-Liberty League second team honors last season. He finished the year with a 6-3 record and a 3.65 earned run average while pacing the team in wins, innings pitched (56.2) and strikeouts (52). He will be joined by classmates Jonathan Kaiser (2-2, 2.95 ERA) and Tim Allen (1-0, 4.15 ERA) who both helped out as relief pitchers last season. From the plate, the team will be guided by outfielders Matt Chipkin and Sam Browning. Chipkin was tops in the league with 20 stolen bases and hit at .290 with 36 hits, 29 runs scored and 22 runs batted in. He posted a .957 fielding percentage, recording 64 putouts. Browning was second on the team in home runs (7) and seventh on the team in hitting with a .237 batting average.
Vassar will look to improve upon a 14-24 mark in 2020. The Brewers have advanced to the league postseason four times since 2010 and will seek a return to the playoffs. With 19 returning upperclassmen, experience should be on their side. They open the season with two All-Liberty League second team selections back in the dugout, Daniel Bonfiglio and Matt Martino. Bonfiglio hit for a team-best .350 while also putting up 35 hits, 17 runs, 16 runs batted in and five doubles in 2019. Martino was also one of Vassar’s top offensive talents last season. In 38 games, he had a .349 batting average, 41 hits, 25 runs, 28 runs batted in, 12 doubles and three home runs. Evan Trausch (.292), the 2017 Liberty League Rookie of the Year, is also back. He recorded 28 hits, scored 15 runs and totaled 14 runs batted in. Nearly all of Vassar’s pitching corps from 2019 return, including 12 who recorded at least 15 innings last spring.
Bard will open their eighth season in 2020 and they will be seeking a trip to the Liberty League postseason for the first time in program history after just missing the tournament the last two years. The Raptors closed out 2019 with a 7-15 overall mark and despite the departure of nine from last year’s team, they do open with eight starters (6 position players, 2 pitchers). Evan Matthews is poised to take over as the team’s #1 starting pitcher after appearing in nine games and making seven starts. He posted a 2-3 record and a 4.83 earned run average. Jordan Myers is the team’s top returning hitter (.299) with 18 runs batted in and 19 runs scored. He went 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts and recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in the outfield with 74 putouts, two assists and zero errors. Other essential players for Bard include infielder and relief pitcher Spencer Checkoway (.345, 4.40 ERA) as well as catcher Esteban Rivera (.310). Checkway made nine appearances as a pitcher in 2019 with 17 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. Rivera had a .964 fielding percentage behind the plate with 196 putouts and 21 assists.
Rochester (29-16, 15-16 Liberty League) closed out 2019 by winning its first Liberty League championship title and in the NCAA tournament, the Yellowjackets advanced to the second round. With the graduation of six, there could be some holes to fill however with a deep pitching rotation, the team will be seeking another postseason run. Last season, Rochester had one of the top one-two pitching punches in Division III baseball with starting pitcher Garrett Renslow and relief pitcher Brendan Shamieh. Both are back for their senior campaigns and they were both selected D3baseball.com Preseason All-Americans. Renslow was the team’s ace in 2019, in nine starts, he went 6-3 with a 2.21 earned run average, striking out 62. Shamieh was a workhorse last season with a program-high 23 appearances. In 40.1 innings, he recorded nine saves and went 2-1 with a 1.79 earned run average. Rochester also welcomes back six position players with starting experience, including three All-Liberty League selections— Jacob Matzat (Second Team), David Rieth (Second Team) and Joseph Rende (Honorable Mention). Matzat was second on the team in hitting with a .351 batting average to go with 21 runs, 39 hits, five doubles and a triple. Rieth was not far behind, batting .344 for third on the team. He recorded 19 extra-base hits, including 14 doubles. Rende will also be a boost to the lineup after posting a .351 batting average last season as well as five doubles, a triple and 18 runs batted in.
Clarkson capped off a strong 2019 campaign with the team’s eighth trip to the Liberty League championship. The Golden Knights finished the year at 23-17 overall and 15-7 in league play. Last season, they were tops among league leaders in scoring (1st in runs; 280, 2nd in batting average; .302), defense (1st, .968 fielding percentage) and pitching (2nd, 4.79 earned run average). They did lose a large senior class with the graduation of 10 and they will be a young squad in 2020 with 10 newcomers. A strong core group of upperclassmen (six seniors) are back in Potsdam and will anchor this year’s team. They return with one of the league’s best relievers in All-Liberty League second-team selection Nate Burns. Burns was tops in the league with a 1.69 earned run average. He totaled 54 strikeouts and went 2-1 on the year in 53.1 innings. He was also a key piece to the Clarkson defense, sporting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage as a utility player. From the plate, he hit .257 with 18 hits and nine runs batted in. A trio of players return to pilot the Clarkson offense (Tommy Bianchi, Michael Tito and Mike Mieczkowski). Bianchi earned All-Liberty League first-team honors following his sophomore campaign, where he hit .362 and posted a .491 on-base percentage. He had a team-high four triples to go along with seven doubles and 18 runs batted in. Tito had a .315 batting average, 46 hits, six doubles, a triple and 17 runs batted in and Mieczkowski paced the team in hitting at .429. He had 27 hits, 35 total bases, scored 24 runs and plated 22.
Ithaca joins the Liberty League in 2020 after a successful final season with the Empire 8. The Bombers posted a 31-9 overall record (16-2 Empire 8), won their eighth straight conference title and advanced to the NCAA regionals. It will be a rebuilding year with a new conference and a new head coach (David Valesente) at the helm. Valesente inherits a squad that graduated 13 players from the 2019 team. Three position player starters do return as does three starting pitchers. Ithaca is headlined by first baseman Buzz Shirley and pitcher Tom Cosentino who were both recognized with All-Empire 8 honors last year. Shirley transferred to Ithaca last season and made an immediate impact with a team-best .392 batting average and a team-high 14 doubles. He was also second on the team in hits (49). Cosentino will lead the squad from the pitcher’s mound after posting a 5-1 mark last season. He made 10 appearances in 2019 for the Bombers, six of which were starts and tossed for 43.2 innings. Opponents hit .292 against Cosentino and he struck out 29. Over the last five years, Ithaca has gone 8-4 against Liberty League teams.
For the fourth time in five years,
RIT advanced to the Liberty League tournament last season and the Tigers went 22-18 overall, 15-7 in the conference to earn the third seed last season. With the graduation of only four, RIT will be a seasoned team heading into 2020. Reigning Liberty League Pitcher of the Year Stevie Branche highlights the returning Tigers. Branche went 5-2 in 11 appearances while pacing allleague hurlers in innings (71) and strikeouts (66). He was third among league leaders in earned run average (2.03) and second in opposing batting average (.198). From the plate, the team will be led by the All-Liberty League duo of Daniel Capra (First Team) and Navada Waterman (Second Team). Capra was productive in 2019 with a .302 batting average. He totaled 40 hits, 31 runs scored, 12 doubles, two home runs and 22 runs batted in on the year. Waterman started all 40 games at first base for the Tigers last season and hit .288 with 45 hits, 30 runs and 19 runs batted in. He was also one of the team’s top defensive players with a .954 fielding percentage. Other key returnees include third baseman Patrick Blackall (.321) and pitcher Jameson Moran.
With 23 players returning to Canton and eight newcomers,
St. Lawrence will have a strong veteran presence to open the 2020 season. Offense should be a strength for the Saints as two of the team’s top three hitters from 2019 return—Nicholas Butler and Andrew Circelli. Butler paced the team with a .316 batting average. He also recorded 43 hits, four doubles and a home run. Circelli was the team leader in runs batted in with 27 and he posted a .288 batting average. He also blasted a team-high three home runs and 10 doubles. He totaled a team-high 53 bases and was walked 17 times. St. Lawrence also welcomes back Anthony Butler as a graduate student. Butler hit at a .233 clip to go with 21 hits (3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run) and 18 runs batted in.
Three conference teams (RIT, Ithaca and Clarkson) will open the 2020 season on Saturday, February 22.
2020 Liberty League Baseball Preseason Poll – East Division
Place. Team, Points
1. Union, 16 (3)
2. RPI, 15 (2)
3. Skidmore, 9
4. Vassar, 7
5. Bard, 5
2020 Liberty League Baseball Preseason Poll – West Division
Place. Team, Points
1. Rochester, 16 (4)
2. Clarkson, 12 (1)
3. Ithaca, 9
3. RIT, 9
5. St. Lawrence, 4
(First-place votes are in parentheses)