Baseball players all over the country look forward to play in their respected leagues in the dog days of summer. To dig into the box, squint into the hot summer sun and play ball is a tremendous thrill for all players, from seasoned veterans of the Major Leagues, all the way down to the smiling twelve year olds that fill little league rosters. Five USM baseball players will live this dream as they’ll journey to different parts of the country to play the game they love for the summer.
Junior catcher Jordan Berthiaume (Berlin, Conn.), sophomore catchers Zach Fernandes (Eliot) and Lucas Marks (Orland), sophomore infielder Anthony Pisani (Cheshire, Conn.), and sophomore pitcher Dustin Stanton (Cornish) are all honing their skills in some of the most heralded collegiate wood bat summer baseball leagues in the country.
“I’m very excited,” said Pisani, who will be playing the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League for the summer. “It will be a great experience to get away and play baseball in a different place against tough competition.”
Pisani, who had 28 hits including five doubles and one triple with 19 RBI in 36 games in 2009, is looking to bring his hot bat and smooth fielding style to the Islands of Hawaii in hopes of improving his overall game and possibly getting the attention of pro scouts. The HCBL is mostly made up of Division I players, so being selected by the leagues commissioner after a month of waiting was an honor for Pisani.
“This league will benefit me a whole ton. Being able to get the chance to play with top of the line Division I kids will be stunning, and hopefully I can learn a few things from them. Also, if I do well in the league I hope to get my name out there to get noticed,” Pisani said.
Not only will he be playing baseball in the hot sun, but he’ll be playing in one of the most exotic and beautiful places in the world day in and day out. Pisani and his teammates will be staying on the campus of the University of Hawaii and will be traveling from island to island for their games, so he should get a fine taste of the Hawaiian culture.
Berthiaume, who is a three-year starting catcher for the Huskies will join teammates Fernandes and Marks in the Arizona Collegiate Baseball League. Berthiaume, whose father played for the Huskies and graduated in 1975, is following in his father’s footsteps by becoming a solid contributor to a school with a rich tradition in baseball. He batted .350 in 50 games in his freshman campaign and hit .271 with three home runs and 26 RBI in 2009. His consistency and strong throwing arm from behind the plate should get him considerable playing time in the AZCBL this summer.
Fernandes is another young catcher with a superb arm who has the ability to drive the gaps. He had limited time in 2009 but is earning his playing time this year, and is starting to take advantage of his opportunities. Marks brings a power bat to the USM squad and is a wall behind the plate. In 2009, Marks batted a solid .318 in 17 games with 4 RBI and looks to gain ample experience by playing against first-rate competition in the desert.
Stanton, who is a tall right handed pitcher with high-80’s velocity, will be playing in one of the most respected east coast leagues behind the legendary Cape Cod League; the New York Collegiate Baseball League. This league was founded in 1978 and also features top Division I players as well as solid Division II and III players. The NYCBL has a strong affiliation as far as development with professional baseball, and will be an excellent opportunity for the 6’5” Stanton who possesses a world of potential. Playing baseball in the scenic hills of upstate New York will be a plus as well.
Of course, it wouldn’t be possible for these players to participate in collegiate summer leagues if it weren’t for the USM coaching staff. Coach Bob Prince, who was a key player on USM’s 1991 National Championship team and a three-time All-American and now assistant coach, helps these players get in touch with the leagues by contacting the league’s commissioners. He provided a summary of the players and the leagues used their contacts as well as their scouts to check up on the players. The players were then either presented an invitation or given an application.
“Coach Prince did so much to help me get into this league, and I’m thankful for all that he has done for me and the other players,” Pisani said.
Playing in choice summer college baseball leagues doesn’t only benefit the individual players, but improves the program as a whole.
“It’s always a good recruiting tool to be able to place players in the elite summer programs. These leagues are becoming a bigger part of what an incoming recruit is looking for,” Prince said. “The player will benefit from playing every day at a high level and the experience of playing and living in another part of the country is an invaluable life experience for them.”
Even though this premise is just starting to become an effective recruiting tool for teams, USM is no stranger to shipping their players off to summer leagues as it is something that Head Coach Ed Flaherty has been doing since the late 1980’s. The Huskies look to keep this steady trend of exporting players around the country every year to develop their existing players and attract the cream of the crop of high school players from New England and beyond.