Preseason Prospectus

Staten Island, NY – Wagner begins year two of the Jim Carone era on Grymes Hill with post-season aspirations after falling painfully short a year ago. The Seahawks return 22 letterwinners from last year's squad that won 22 games, including 15 during Northeast Conference (NEC) play.

This is the first in a three-part series that will analyze the team's pitching, infield and outfield units.

The Pitchers
Carone will be faced with the unenviable task of replacing Second Team All-NEC stalwart Ryan Van Spronsen on the mound. The Canadian native was one of the best in the college game a year ago, finishing up 8-1 with seven complete games and 2.07 ERA over a school-record 100.0 innings of work. Looking to help lessen the loss of the Wagner ace will be junior RHP Ryan Casey, who like Van Spronsen, started every conference weekend and finished up the season at 4-4 with five complete games and a 5.81 ERA over 69.2 innings of work. Casey, who struck out 36 while walking just 10, was at his best during conference play, helping the Seahawks to wins in five of his eight conference starts. With his prowess for pitching deep into games and an uncanny ability to avoid issuing free passes, the Garden State native will again be a valuable member of the pitching corps.

Senior RHP Dakota Dvorak and junior RHP Nick Pavia are the only other returnees that started multiple NEC games a year ago. Dvorak hurled 43.1 innings over 18 games, including making seven starts, while Pavia joined the starting rotation late in the year and won two games with 26 strikeouts over 36.1 innings of work.

Leading the returners in the bullpen is sophomore RHP Anthony Battaglia, who went 3-3 with four saves and a 1.84 ERA over 29.1 innings while limiting hitters to a .248 average. Battaglia assumed the role of stopper early in the year and did not disappoint, holding teams scoreless in 17 of his 21 appearances while having a hand in five of the Green & White's 15 conference victories, notching three wins and a pair of saves

Rounding out the returning pitchers that saw action a year ago is the quintet of sophomore righties Steven Bloodworth, Ryan Carmon, Evon Previte, Max Schmardel and Connor Smith.

Bloodworth pitched in 11 games, including making one start, with seven strikeouts over 18.0 innings, highlighted by five shutuout frames against defending Atlantic 10 Champion Charlotte.

Carmon was solid out of the pen, striking out seven, against just three walks, while posting a 5.06 ERA in 21.1 innings. The Garden State native made 14 appearances and was a big part of Wagner's early-season success, picking up his first collegiate win with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief at Jacksonville, before closing out the Seahawks' win at Charlotte with a scoreless inning of work. 

Previte saw action in 11 games going 1-0 with with seven strikeouts over 15.1 innings of work.

Schmardel saw action in 12 games, with four starts, and struck out 17 over 28.1 innings of work. A hard-thrower, he showed glimpses of his live arm with a career-high five strikeouts over four frames at Hawaii.

Smith rounds out the returners after pitching in nine games a year ago.

After missing the better part of the last two seasons, junior LHP Matt Morris will be looking to make his mark on the rotation.

Joining the pitching staff this year from the returners is senior RHP Nick Alfano, who is expected to see action in the outfield and on the mound.

Rounding out the staff are freshmen Mike Adams (RHP), Nathan Hunt (RHP), Paul Mammino (LHP) and Ryan Spahr (RHP).

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Photography by Dave Saffran