Lynn University Fighting Knights

The 2012 Lynn University baseball season is upon us and the Fighting Knights are looking forward to making headway in the toughest region in the country.  Making a 10-win improvement in 2011, Lynn returns seven field starters but has the daunting task of rebuilding its entire starting pitching staff.  There could be a few twists and turns to the start of the year that begins at Roger Dean Stadium on February 2, against Palm Beach Atlantic but, in the end, the Blue & White look to make it all the way to Cary, N.C., for the NCAA Division II World Series.

Speed in the outfield appears to be consistent from left to right fields with Alex Bello, Phil Mannelly, Austin Smith, Paul Stortini and Kamm Washington patrolling the spacious McCusker Sports Complex.  Bello, Mannelly and Smith all started for LU with Smith earning All-Sunshine State Conference and All-South Region accolades.  Competition has heated up, though, with the additions of NCAA Division I transfer Washington and Stortini.  Both newcomers bring power and speed to a lineup that finished near the bottom of the SSC in both categories.

All four infielders (Eric Herrera, Kyle Radzewski, Mike Diorio and Anthony Boza) return after posting the second-best fielding percentage in program history.  But with head coach Rudy Garbalosa looking to improve the team’s offense, some positions have been put up for grabs.

Radzewski and Diorio have locked down shortstop and second base to form one of the most dynamic middle infields in the country.  Radzewski’s bat heated up towards the end of the season while Diorio led LU with a .366 batting average.

Herrera has been going head-to-head with Cory Elasik all of preseason for the starting nod at third base.  The incumbent Herrera has the edge defensively but Elasik brings much needed power to the plate.  Although displaced at first base by Jason Matusik, the Florida junior college home run leader for 2011, Boza’s bat will remain in the lineup.  The senior out of Miami, Fla., should see time as the designated hitter or behind the plate as catcher.

The loss of team captain and catcher Dane Derstine could be offset with the addition of Joe Sharkey.  The switch-hitter brings versatility to the plate while his defensive skills have been applauded by the coaching staff.  Sharkey has all but locked down the starting catcher job but will get time off with Boza and Elasik sharing back-up duties.

Key reserves on the offensive end will be three-year letterwinner Leo Carrillo, Chris Piperno, Stephen Fernandez, Ryan Marrow and Alex Reiner.  Carrillo has proven to be a super-utility player and could see action at any of the outfield or infield positions.

The Fighting Knights mound presence could be the key to a successful season.  All three starters, led by 12th round draft pick Andrew Virgili, have departed but the incoming crop of pitchers could be even more impressive collectively.

Jerad Harvey could be the anchor to the staff following an All-American season at Feather River Junior College.  Joining him in the rotation is a pair of tall, powerful and imposing right-handers.  Ryan Gibbard, a 6-4 junior out of Loxahatchee, has shown good command of three pitches in the preseason while Shawn Kale, a 6-4 senior, was one of the top all-around pitchers in the SSC last season with a 4-2 record and team-leading 2.35 earned run average.

Other starters who have impressed early on and should push for significant starts are Kentrail Pierce, Joe Perrotta and Austin Bailey.

The back-end of the Fighting Knights’ pitching staff could be downright nasty.  Fifth-year senior Ted Quinn returns as a left-handed specialist and will be joined in the bullpen by Jason Whelan, Andre Colon, Eric Pfefer, Din Piturro and AJ Falleta.

Whalen led Lynn last season in saves with four and, after a bumpy start, closed out the year with a 2.50 ERA.  Colon arrives in Boca after a two-year stint at St. Thomas (Fla.) where he posted better than a strikeout per inning in his career.

Playing in the vaunted Sunshine State Conference, Lynn will face anywhere from 2-5 nationally-ranked teams.  In addition to a brutal league schedule, the Fighting Knights will take on a pair of teams from the revamped Gulf South Conference.  Alabama-Huntsville, a 27-win team from a year ago, will visit the McCusker Sports Complex Baseball Field while the Fighting Knights will travel to Delta State, which opens the season No. 32 in College Baseball’s Top-40 poll.

Lynn also has the opportunity to host several ranked northern teams as Mercyhurst (No. 17), Winona State (No. 14), Southern Connecticut State (No. 9) and Franklin Pierce (No. 13) will square-off against the Fighting Knights.

Other non-conference games scheduled are Palm Beach Atlantic, Tuskegee, St. Thomas (Fla.), Southern New Hampshire, Adelphi and Molloy.