College Corner: Looking at the ‘Players to Watch’ for all Maryland four-year colleges

All 15 of Maryland’s four-year colleges have returned to the diamond to start their 2018 campaigns.

Some programs look to rebuild following rough seasons while others hope to continue last year’s momentum.

A handful of teams have already made trips to warmer climates and now have opened at home – or will soon.

Here’s a look at an impact player from each school — in alphabetical order — and the outlook for each of those colleges this spring.

Jack Barry, INF, Salisbury University

Junior/Laurel/ Reservoir HS/ Bats/Throws: R/R

Barry led Salisbury in home runs (12) and slugging percentage (.618) in 2017. The Laurel native finished second on the team in RBIs with 49. Barry also accounted for 54 runs and 102 total bases. His performance earned him a spot on D3baseball.com’s Preseason All-American Honorable Mention team.

The Gulls’ season came to an end when they were upset by Roanoke College in the south regional bracket of the Division 3 NCAA Tournament. Salisbury eyes another conference championship after winning its second consecutive Capital Athletic Conference title. Salisbury dominated the CAC, only losing one game in conference play (35-11 overall, 17-1 conference). The Seagulls (1-2) started this season by losing two close games to Cortland State, Division 3’s top team.

Marty Costes, OF, University of Maryland, College Park

Junior/Baltimore/ Archbishop Curley/ Bats/Throws: R/R

Costes is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign that resulted in an All-Big Ten First Team selection. He started all 61 games and batted .322 while tying for the team lead in home runs (13). A standout at Archbishop Curley, Costes returns to the Terps after being selected in the 25th round of the MLB Player Draft by the Houston Astros. Costes has been named the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by D1Baseball.com.

Maryland (38-23 overall, 15-9 conference) fell short of a Big Ten title in 2017 but managed to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Terps handled University of Maryland, Baltimore County with ease after falling to West Virginia University in the opening round of the Winston Salem Regional. A second loss to the Mountaineers ended Maryland’s national title hopes prematurely. Maryland is expected to once again contend for a Big Ten championship under first-year head coach Rob Vaughn, but the season has started slowly. The Terps are 4-4, including losing two of three to Army at home.

John D’Aquanno, 3B, Stevenson University

Senior/Lincoln University, Pa./ Throws/Bats: R/R

D’Aquanno hit safely in his first seven games to start 2017. He’d finish with a .371 batting average, four doubles, five triples and 20 RBIs. His performance earned him a spot on the MAC Commonwealth Honorable Mention All-Conference team. D’Aquanno is off to another hot start in 2018. Following the Mustangs opening three games, D’Aquanno was awarded player of the week honors. He hit .417 with two doubles and four RBIs.

Stevenson (18-22 overall, 8-13 conference) hopes to return to playoff contention following a down year in 2017. Prior to last season, the Mustangs made back-to-back MAC playoff appearances. Stevenson, which has started 4-3 this year, will have to rely heavily on the bat of D’Aquanno and the arm of junior southpaw James Wiercinski if they hope to return to playoff glory.

Cam Esposito, OF, Hood College

Senior/Columbia, N.J./ Bats/Throws: L/R

Esposito found himself on the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth first team for the second consecutive season. After receiving the honor after his sophomore campaign in 2016, he played equally as well in 2017. Esposito finished 11th in the MAC Commonwealth with a batting average of .369. The left-handed slasher is eyeing his third consecutive season with 50 or more hits.

The Blazers (20-20 overall, 9-12 conference) finished 2017 with their best record in Hood’s four-year program history. Hood hopes to improve under first-year head coach Michael Impellittiere and D3baseball.com’s Mid-Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year Jordan Patterson (INF/P). Impellittiere spent two years as an assistant coach for the Blazers before being promoted to head coach. His tenure has started swimmingly. Hood has won its first six this year.

Jay Hammett, 1B, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Redshirt Sophomore/Colton’s Point/ Chopticon HS/ Bats/Throws: R/R

Hammett had an impressive year at the plate in 2017. He led the Seahawks in nearly every offensive category – batting average (.345), hits (38), doubles (10), home runs (3), and RBIs (28). Hammett’s batting average landed him in the top 20 in the Capital Athletic Conference.

The Seahawks (9-22 overall, 3-15 conference) are coming off a season to forget after finishing last in the CAC. In his second year as head coach, Bernie Stratchko will look to repeat the same success he had as an assistant coach at Frostburg. Stratchko has strong ties to Southern Maryland and is considered an excellent recruiter. His biggest opponent so far has been weather. Five of the Seahawks (0-1) first six games were canceled or postponed.

Nazier McIlwain, 1B, Coppin State University

Junior/Passaic, N.J./ Bats/Throws: L/L

McIlwain finished third in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference with a .377 batting average and the highest mark of any player with more than 100 at-bats. McIlwain started every game for Eagles knocking in 33 runs along with three homers. His on-base percentage (.463) led the MEAC, though it was only slightly better than his teammate’s, Brett Helmbrecht (.446).

The Eagles (11-31 overall, 8-15 conference) haven’t had a winning season in their 33-year history, but have had some highlights in the previous seven seasons under head coach Sherman Reed. In 2013, the Eagles had the nation’s highest win-turnaround percentage while winning 18 games. Coppin started this season 1-4-1, including a tough, 3-1 loss at Navy on Wednesday.

P.J. Mikulus, LHP, Washington College

Senior/Plainview, N.Y.

Mikulus brings a 3.20 earned run average into his senior season. In 2016, Mikulus recorded a 2.20 ERA – the second best on the team. His two complete games during his sophomore campaign were a team-best. Mikulus has excelled off the field as well, earning spots on the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll in 2016 and 2017.

The Shoremen (15-23 overall, 6-12 conference) will look to rebound under first-year head coach Cory Beddick. Before accepting the head coaching position at Washington, Beddick played a pivotal role in building Hood College’s baseball program. In three seasons under Beddick, Hood baseball captured a total of 13 All-MAC Commonwealth accolades, including five first-team honors. The Shoremen have begun the Beddick Era by winning two of their first three contests.

Richie Palacios, INF, Towson University

Junior/Brooklyn, N.Y./ Bats/Throws: L/R

After his freshman season in 2016, Palacios became the first Tiger to be named CAA Rookie of the Year. He followed up his freshman performance by being the only player to start all 54 games for the squad in 2017. Palacios also batted .338 while leading Towson in hits (72), runs scored (43), and stolen bases (19). Through Towson’s first six games (1-5) in 2018, Palacios has 11 hits, three home runs and 11 RBIs.

The Tigers found themselves at the bottom of the CAA standings (20-34 overall, 6-18 conference) following a lackluster 2017 campaign. After starting the season 8-3, an eight-game road losing streak was too much for Towson to overcome. The hiring of former Orioles minor league outfielder Matt Tyner has Towson hopeful for 2018 and beyond. The first-year head coach will try to rejuvenate a Towson program that was nearly forced into extinction due to budget cuts in 2013.

Vaughn Parker II, 3B, Mount St. Mary’s University

Junior/Frederick/ Gov. Thomas Johnson HS/ Bats/Throws: R/R

Parker came close to cracking a .300 batting average in 2017. He finished the season with the third best batting average (.298) and the third most homers (3) on Mount St. Mary’s. Of the 40 games Parker played, he registered 13 multi-hit games.

The Mountaineers (11-37 overall, 8-24 conference) finished 2017 on a nine-game losing streak and found themselves in last in the Northeast Conference. Head Coach Scott Thomson will look to turn a losing streak into another positive outcome. After starting the 2008 season with 15 straight losses, Thomson led the Mount to their first NCAA Tournament. This year, they won their first and have lost their next four.

Antonio Rosanova, SS, McDaniel College

Senior/Laurel/ DeMatha/ Bats/Throws: R/R

Rosanova was efficient in the leadoff spot last year. He batted .340 and tallied 51 hits, seven doubles, three triples and a homer. The DeMatha graduate crossed the plate 30 times and added 24 RBIs. Rosanova was a terror on the base paths, going 24-for-31 in steals.

After a disappointing season for McDaniel (13-22 overall, 5-13 conference), the Green Terror will try and send long time head coach Dave Seibert out on a winning note. Seibert announced the 2018 season will be his last after 38 years as head coach. McDaniel’s first two games were postponed.

Greg Schneider, RHP/OF, Frostburg State University

Senior/Jefferson Hills, Pa./ Bats/Throws: R/R

Schneider has fanned a program-record 292 batters during his time at Frostburg. In 2017, he finished third in the Capital Athletic Conference with a 2.93 earned run average. Schneider set a new personal best with 103 strikeouts last spring – finishing atop the CAC’s leaderboard. When he’s not on the mound, Schneider can swing the bat. He hit .316 with one homer and nine RBIs.

After finishing 30-14 and receiving an NCAA Tournament bid in 2016, the Bobcats had a significant drop off last season. Frostburg (17-19 overall, 8-10 conference) slipped two games below .500 and finished toward the bottom of the CAC. Heading into this weekend’s Baltimore Invitational, Frostburg sits at 6-1 and is averaging 11 runs per game.

Mike Smith, 3B, Johns Hopkins University

Senior/Charlotte, N.C./ Bats/Throws: R/R

Smith was selected to the All-Centennial Conference First Team after batting .350 with three home runs and 34 RBIs. Smith was one of six Blue Jays to receive all-conference honors. He tallied 56 hits including 11 doubles in 2017.

Hopkins (38-8 overall, 17-1 conference) won its conference title in convincing fashion after losing only one conference game all year. With the tutelage of conference coach of the year Bob Babb, the Blue Jays are expected to compete for another league title in 2018. They’ve started the season 2-1.

Noah Song, RHP, U.S. Naval Academy

Junior/Claremont, Calif.

Song finished with a 3.67 ERA in 2017 and was second in the Patriot League in strikeouts with 89. The right-hander continued his dominance last week in the 2018 Freedom Classic, retiring the first 12 U.S. Air Force Academy batters he faced. In six innings, Song set a career-high with 16 strikeouts – the fifth-most for a game in Navy’s history; he was named as a Louisville Slugger Player of the Week.

After finishing first during the regular season in the Patriot League last year, the Midshipmen (37-17 overall, 16-4 conference) had a disappointing end to 2017, losing consecutive games to Bucknell University in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Navy is expected to be in contention for the title again this year, paced by Song and senior outfielder Logan Knowles, who has been selected as the Patriot League’s Preseason Player of the Year. Navy is 6-2 heading into March.

Christian Torres, INF, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Sophomore/Miami, Fla./ Bats/Throws: R/R

Torres is coming off an eventful freshman campaign that earned him America East All-Conference Second Team honors. He hit .276 with two home runs and 30 RBIs. Torres saved his best performance for the America East Tournament. In a 9-0 win over Albany University, Torres went 1-3 with two runs scored, a homer, and four RBIs. Following a successful season, Torres was named the America East Rookie of the Year.

UMBC’s (23-24 overall, 11-9 conference) record wasn’t indicative of its success last season. After a walk-off win against Stony Brook University to end the regular season, the Retrievers rode momentum to their first America East Conference title. They went undefeated in their conference tournament and earned their third NCAA Tournament appearance. UMBC hopes Torres can lead the Retrievers and replace the production of the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Hunter Dolshun who graduated last spring. The Retrievers are 1-3 so far this season.

Jamison Trower, 1B/DH, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Senior/Chesterfield, Va./ Bats/Throws: R/R

Trower solidified the middle of the Hawks lineup with a team leading 27 RBIs and .372 on-base percentage. He finished eighth in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference with 29 walks, falling one short of the school record. When given the opportunity, Trower proved he could flash the leather, too. He recorded the highest fielding percentage (.982) among regular starters.

Maryland Eastern Shore (12-40 overall, 9-15 conference) hopes to rebound under first-year head coach Brian Hollamon. Hollamon has had a history of success. Before becoming the Hawks head coach, he spent 14 seasons at Parkside High School, where he led his squad to 14 straight winning seasons. The Hawks have lost their first five in 2018.