MEDFORD, MA (May 4, 2023) -- The No. 23 Tufts University baseball team will start its postseason at home on Saturday afternoon, hosting Amherst College at noon for New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament quarterfinal action on Sol Gittleman Park. The Jumbos earned the top seed on the NESCAC East side, and will take on the No. 4 seed from the NESCAC West for a chance to play next weekend at Colby College for the NESCAC title.
Championship Details:
2023 NESCAC Baseball Championships
Opponent: Amherst College (20-12-1, 6-6 NESCAC West)
Dates: May 6-7, 2023
Location: Medford, MA – Sol Gittleman Park (
Directions)
Coverage:
TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
Earlier This Season
While the teams were not required to play, the Jumbos and Mammoths played a three-game series in Amherst with Tufts taking two of three from their hosts. The Jumbos knocked off Amherst 4-3 April 7 as
Aidan Tucker got the victory with a late rally, scoring three runs in the seventh and eighth innings. The following day on April 8, Tufts and Amherst split the doubleheader with the Mammoths earning a 15-2 win in game one before the Jumbos took the second game in 10 innings with a score of 8-7. In that game two victory, Tufts scored five runs in the eighth inning to take the lead, winning in extras with a run in the 10th. The NESCAC postseason series is tied at 7-7 and the two teams last met in Game 6 of the 2018 championship with Amherst winning 3-2
A Look At The Jumbos (26-8, 11-1 NESCAC East)
Tufts has had a strong season thus far, as the Jumbos are ranked No. 23 in the latest Collegiate Baseball/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Coaches Poll. The Jumbos had a 13-game win streak ended last weekend at Colby College, and Tufts has won 20 of its last 23 games dating back to March 29. Tufts has also gone a very strong 13-1 this season at home, with the lone loss coming on Wednesday in a defeat at the hands of No. 5 Endicott College 14-1.
The Jumbos have relied recently on their pitching and defense to lead the way, coming into the weekend with a very strong 3.96 team ERA for the season. Tufts has five pitchers with 20 or more innings played, led by the stellar season from
Connor Kinney. The tall right-hander has a 2.56 earned run average in seven starts, going 4-0 with a 1.05 WHIP and 28 strikeouts. He has tallied two complete-games on the season, including one shutout.
Fellow right-handed pitcher
Silas Reed has tossed 40.1 innings over 10 appearances, going 5-1 with a 3.57 ERA and a team-high 55 strikeouts.
Connor Podeszwa has a team-high eight starts, going 4-3 with a 4.46 ERA and 40 strikeouts.
Cameron Mayer has been strong in eight appearances, striking out 24 in 30 innings, while
Brendan McFall has been an anchor at the end of the bullpen with nine saves and a 1.21 ERA, fanning 25 in 22.1 innings.
Aidan Tucker has also been very strong out of the bullpen, allowing just three earned runs in 14.1 innings with a 3-0 record. Tufts is second in the conference in team ERA, while its 16 saves are best in the league.
Offensively, the Jumbos are led by
Jimmy Evans and his .292 batting average and 14 extra-base hits.
Connor Bowman is also hitting .292, adding five doubles and a homer, while
Ozzie Fleischer has started 34 games and is third on the team in hits with 29.
Jesse McCullough has come on later in the season, hitting .361 with 22 hits in 61 at-bats, stealing seven bases as well.
Henry Fleckner leads the team with 22 stolen bases, adding eight doubles, and
Patrick Solomon has also swiped 20 bags.
Tufts is second in the conference in stolen bases with 111 this year, while ranking tied for second with 22 homers. The Jumbos also do a good job of getting on via base on balls, walking 161 times, the second-most in the league. Tufts also leads has the best fielding percentage in the conference at a .973 clip.
A Look At The Mammoths (20-12-1, 6-6 NESCAC West)
Amherst comes to town this weekend winners of its last two games, coming in off a 15-7 win at Fitchburg State on Wednesday. The Mammoths are 7-5-1 away from Memorial Field this season, but are 5-1 on neutral sites as well.
The Mammoths are the top offensive club in the NESCAC by batting average, as Amherst comes into the weekend hitting .319 with a league-high 84 doubles. Their 357 hits lead the conference, while the on-base percentage of .416 is also on top of the league. Jack Sampedro leads the team in hitting and is fourth in the league with a .398 batting average, while Ryan Mcintyre is right behind him with a .390 average. Luke Padian leads the team with 10 doubles and three homers, and Jack Mcdermott is also batting .370 on the season.
On the mound, Amherst will look to Jacob Ribitzki as its top arm, as he has posted a 2.80 earned run average while going 3-2 on the season. Ribitzki has only struck out 10 hitters in 35.1 innings of work, allowing just 11 of his 27 runs are earned on the season. Nicholas Giattino has tossed a team-high 41.2 innings this season, posting a 3.89 ERA while striking out 42 hitters. Sampedro has a team-high four saves, and Tristan Kim is 5-1 on the hill with 10 appearances and two starts.
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2022 Championship Recap
In Game 7, the Middlebury Panthers scored seven runs in the top of the ninth inning to erase an 8-5 deficit and post a 12-8 come-from-behind victory over Hamilton to win the 2022 NESCAC Baseball title. It was Middlebury's second title in program history and first since 2006. Hamilton, which was making its first-ever appearance in the NESCAC Tournament, forced Game 7 after earning a 17-3 win to remain alive in the championship in the opening game of the day.
Championship History
Six programs have won a NESCAC Baseball title since 2001. Tufts leads the way with six championships (last: 2019). Amherst has claimed five conference crowns, its last in 2021 and Trinity owns four titles (last: 2012). Middlebury, the defending champion, won its second title last season. Wesleyan (last: 2015) and Williams (last: 2007) join the Panthers with two NESCAC titles. The winners from the quarterfinal weekend will advance to the championship weekend, May 12-14, at Colby College. The NESCAC Champion will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
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