BUFFALO, N.Y. – For the second time in program history, the Canisius Baseball team hoisted the coveted MAAC championship trophy in 2015 in Fishkill, N.Y., and while building a consistent championship contender is one of the most difficult things in college athletics, that's exactly what Canisius has done.
The Griffs baseball program has been a model of consistency since the 2007 season, qualifying for nine-straight postseason tournaments, a record that stands as the longest current streak, not only at Canisius, but in the conference at large. Not only has the Blue and Gold made a habit of postseason play, the Griffs have been a championship-game regular, advancing to the title game four-straight times.
Head coach Mike McRae has had to keep the program going, having to deal with the usual culprits of parity in division I athletics, including graduation, professional drafts etc., and this year will be no different.
Key cogs to the 2015 championship run have since left Buffalo, N.Y., as 2015 MAAC Player of the Year, Brett Siddall was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the Major League Baseball draft. Likewise, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Indians also drafted graduated seniors Connor Panas and Devon Stewart, respectively.
So the main complication year-in and year-out is balancing a roster, which will see, players step up into new roles, and the acclimation of new faces, while maintaining the overall goal of playing championship caliber baseball. However this is nothing new to the coaching staff at Canisius, who have made a habit out of this sort of project for years and the 2016 edition of the Griffs promises to have as much potential as there are questions heading into the upcoming season.
PITCHING STAFF
Starting Pitching
Starting pitching may be one of the biggest strengths of the team moving into the new campaign, as the Canisius pitching staff melds together a group of veteran arms as well as newcomers that can keep opposing hitters off balance.
“I like the staff in terms of having veterans and depth alike,” McRae said. “I think we have options, not just in the course a weekend but in the course of a game. We can do some different things and creat different looks for the opponents. That kind of versatility will make us tough on the mound.”
The Griffs will rely on a quartet of hurlers, as Alex Godzak, J.P. Stevenson, Josh Shepley and Mike Elwood look to compete for starts this season.
Godzak and Stevenson bring back a combined 12 wins from last season and 119 strikeouts. Godzak worked through a shoulder injury that eventually shut him down after his start in the MAAC championship as he finished the season 5-5 with a 4.34 ERA, 50 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched.
Stevenson proved to be a workhorse out of the box for the Blue and Gold, starting 14 contests, pitching in 73 innings and recording a line of 7-4, 4.81 ERA and 69 strikeouts.
While Shepley has worked his way into a starting role thanks to the departure of Stewart and in larger part due to his reliability in the tournament in 2015, as the junior started against Quinnipiac and threw eight strong innings, allowing just five hits, fanning four and surrendering one earned run to help propel the Blue and Gold onto the Championship. Shepley finished 2015 with a 3-2 record, appearing in 17 contests and recording a 5.74 ERA.
Elwood also figures into the plans, after showing flashes in 2015. He was one of the emotional leaders for the Blue and Gold in their championship run, as well as appearing in 13 games, recording 16 strikeouts and a 9.10 ERA.
“Initially there are probably four or five guys vying for opportunities,” McRae said. “You have Alex Godzak, JP Stevenson returning. Josh Shepley has really emerged and will get a start opening weekend. Freshman Andrew Kneussle will have an opportunity to compete for starting job if he can find that consistency, and the other starter that has emerged a little bit has been Mike Elwood. Durability is a concern for him and he'll need to show that, but he certainly has the stuff to compete for a starting job.”
Freshman Andrew Kneussle comes in with a lot of promise, but needs to continue to work on his craft, showing freshman inconsistencies that are normal when transitioning from high school to college. However he will get plenty of opportunities early on to stake claim to a starting spot.
Relievers
Another position of strength is the bullpen for the Blue and Gold. The most notable name, Iannick Remillard is back after having a career-year as the team's defacto closer for the 2015 season. He recorded a career-high 10 saves, after notching just two in his previous two seasons. Remillard, now firmly entrenched as a key stopper for the Griffs, is now chasing the saves record, set by John Fitzsimmons from 2011-13, as the standout secured 22. Another 10 saves for Remillard would tie the mark.
Aside from Remillard, Tyler Smith, Zachary Sloan and Aaron Casper will prove to be key pieces out of the pen for Canisius.
The heavy-throwing Smith was a key addition to the staff last season, appearing in 20 contest, and going 1-0 in 36.1 innings pitched. He also had the most strikeouts of any of the relievers notching 49 k's.
Sloan, like Shepley, was another revelation for Canisius in the tournament, starting in the final game of the championship, recording six strikeouts, and allowing just two runs and four hits to Siena, in five innings of work. Sloan finished the season with a 5-1 record, in 22 appearances registering a 5.12 ERA.
Casper is another long reliever that can eat innings for the Griffs. He had a very strong stint in summer ball, and finished 2015 with a 4.09 ERA in 14 appearances.
“I'd say there are four go-to guys that are all back and all have a wealth of experience,” McRae said. “Remilard, Smith, Sloan and Casper are our foundation and all four are very good and can shut down an opponent on any given day. They're all durable as well.”
POSITION PLAYERS:
Infield
Again one of the more solidified area for the Griffs is the infield. With the return of Anthony Massicci, Ryan Stekl, and Jake Lumley the Griffs have the right side of its infield secure, with all three of those players contributing significantly to the cause.
Lumley was spark plug for the offense registering a .331 batting aveage in 248 at bats and notching 39 RBI for the Blue and Gold.
Likewise Massicci was dangerous as well, recording 28 RBI and a .290 batting average to go along with 11 doubles.
Freshman Stekl had as good of a freshman campaign as anyone, earning a Freshman All-American nod and posting a .292 batting average and 38 RBI for the Blue and Gold.
The departure of Jesse Puscheck leaves a hole over at third but several players are fighting it out for the right to start.
Alex O'Donnell has slid over to the hot corner and looks to take the spot after posting a .263 batting average 15 RBI and 69 hits. Meanwhile a newcomer challenges his position as transfer Liam Wilson is on the doorstep as well.
“Three quarters of our infield returns and we hope will be mainstays there,” McRae said. “We have some options at third base, Liam Wilson and Alex O'Donnell has slid over there. They both have certain strengths and certain weakness and we'll see who is ready to handle the job on a consistent basis.”
Newcomer Joseph Preziuso has also caught the attention of the Canisius manager, and McRae has identified the freshman as someone that has versatility and can help in a number of ways for the Blue and Gold.
“Joe Preziuso is a very talented infielder can play a lot of different spots,” McRae said. “We need to find a way to get him into the mix and it will be dependent on his bat. His defense is beyond question but he needs to get more time at the plate to find that consistency.”
The Griffs will have options behind the plate as well, as Christ Conley returns form injury and is scheduled to get some action catching as well as pick up some DH duties.
2015 primary catcher, Jack Massa returns as well, although the start to his 2016 campaign will be hampered by an injury early on. Massa was an All-Tournament team member as he finished the season with a .270 batting average, 30 RBI and 43 hits in 159 at bats for the Blue and Gold.
Nick Capitano returns in his role of being a defensive specialist, appearing in 34 games for Canisius and was responsible for 139 putouts.
Freshman William Krull will also factor into the position as he provides another body to add to the depth.
“Behind the plate, the last couple of years the concern has been our depth, the talent has been there but there has been lack of depth for a variety of reasons, but we've made efforts to shore that up,” McRae said. “We have four guys back there right now, unfortunately Jack Massa won't be ready to start the year due to a injury but we get Christ Conley back who will not only catch but also get some time at DH. We've seen some growth out of Capitano who is a very good defensive guy and he's starting to be a little better at the plate, and Billy Krull is our freshman at the plate. These guys give us some options in case we want to pinch hit or pinch run, or do whatever it takes to get the best matchup out there and know we can roll someone back there that will be very good for us.”
Outfield
Maybe the biggest question mark for the Griffs comes in the outfield. Panas and Siddall were both players that would often patrol the outfield and with both now absent, freshmen last season that showed flashes will be called upon to show more consistency and leadership.
“We've got a sophomore contingent out there, who had their ups and downs, and showed flashes but also had some days where they struggled,” McRae said. “We need that group to step up and need one, two or three of those guys to come forward and emerge and say hey I want a job.”
One player that has made a jump forward for Canisius is that of sophomore John Conti, who according to the staff has done enough through the summer and offseason to snag a starting job.
“John Conti has really emerged and be our opening day centerfielder,” McRae said. “After that we'll try and mix and match to see who is ready to take on a consistent role.”
Vying for time is that of returners Zach Garick, Cyrus Senior, Adam Tricarico and newcomer Tim Kensinger.
Garick, Senior and Tricarico played key roles in the championship run as the trio made a combined 56 starts for Canisius last season and each bring a great deal to the table for the Blue and Gold.
Ryan Creps is also a player that has an opportunity to take the reigns, and while he didn't record playing time in 2015, the coaching staff sees plenty of promise.
“Tim Kesinger is a spark out there, we like some things he can do at the plate,” McRae said. “You then look at Adam Tricarico, Cyrus Senior and Ryan Creps who will be in the mix. We'll try and find the right combination and do our best to put the best lineup out there we can.”
Coach McRae did note that Tricarico provides a different aspect than others competing for the job, as the sophomore shows pop in his bat that has caught the eye of the Blue and Gold coaching staff.
“Tricarico is a legit power threat,” McRae said. “If he can continue to progress, he could put some serious power numbers in our league.”
SCHEDULE:
As is the case with every edition of the Canisius baseball schedule, the Griffs look down the barrel of a challenging non-conference slate that is there to push the team hard and get the squad ready for the obstacles ahead during its title defense.
“Our schedule is extremely challenging and that's always a goal of ours going in,” McRae said. “We need to show up and compete every day to have a chance to be successful and certainly looking at our opponents during the first five weeks, that's very clear.”
Canisius wastes no time in playing an opponent that will challenge every aspect of the squad as it goes up against the projected winner of the Big 10, Michigan. The squad will compete in a four-game series.
Next for the Blue and Gold is a four-game set with Fordham, followed by Campbell and Cincinnati.
The Big Five Baseball Bash ends the road-swing as the squad will take on LaSalle, Saint Joeseph's and Villanova in Philadelphia, Pa.
As for the MAAC schedule, Canisius knows what challenges await the squad, as the Griffs begin its title defense with a three-game series against Saint Peter's on March 26-27.
Aside from the Peacocks, the Griffs will host Siena, Iona, and Quinnipiac, for its home conference series.
“In respect to the league nothing has changed, our goal is to win another championship,” McRae said. “We don't hide that fact. Our guys know it. Those close to the program know it and anything less is a disappointment. We just need to keep working the process every day to work towards that.”
