2001 Baseball Outlook

Head Coach Marek Drabinski enters his fifth season on the heels of a second straight 23-win season, as the Bears finished second in the Rolfe Division of the Ivy League for the second consecutive year. Brown returns seven of nine position players from last year's squad, and after the 11-9 finish in Ivy League play last year, Brown will be looking to improve on that mark and capture the title in the always competitive Ancient Eight.

Infielders and Catchers
The Bears lose only one infielder from last year's squad, as Bruno should have a great deal of depth and experience around the horn. Two All-Ivy performers return to anchor the group, as infield play will be a definite strength for the Bears.

Senior Dan Kantrovitz will anchor the team from his shortstop position. The 1999 winner of the Blair Bat award as the top hitter in the Ivy League, Kantrovitz will be looking to recapture his sophomore form, when he led the league in hits (32) and doubles (10), hitting .478. Last year, Kantrovitz suffered a slight dropoff, but he still picked up 43 hits on the season, including 14 doubles. Kantrovitz played last summer in the highly-regarded Cape Cod Baseball League, and will be counted on to provide consistency both with his bat and his glove.

On the corners, first baseman junior Shaun Gallagher is coming off of a season in which he hit 6 home runs, tops among all returnees, while knocking in 28 runs. According to Coach Drabinski, Gallagher is someone the Bears are expecting "big things from offensively," and will also provide a strong defensive infielder, with a season of first base under his belt after playing third as a freshman. Sophomore Dan Spring will play at the other corner, a solid defensive player with a strong arm and good hands. He started half of last season at second, and can play any of the middle infield positions.

A new face will play opposite Kantrovitz up the middle, as freshman Rob Deeb inherits the second base position left vacant by the graduated Jeff Lawler. Deeb is a player who does all the little things important to a successful team, and has a quick turn on the double play, according to Drabinski. He earned the spot with a solid fall, and has what Drabinski termed "great baseball instincts."

Behind the dish, junior Greg Metzger, a second-team All-Ivy selection last year, will shoulder the brunt of the workload. Metzger has improved all areas of his game, most notably his throw down to second, and will hit in the middle of the lineup as well, coming off a .297 season that included 5 home runs and 44 hits. He will be backed up by Steve McCaughey, a very capable second catcher with good blocking skills, who could also see time at designated hitter. Andy Junk, a senior walk-on, will also see time at catcher, as well as some looks as a pinch-hitter.

Outfield
The Bears may have the quickest outfield in the Ivy League, anchored in center field by team captain Todd Iarussi, who was named First Team All-Ivy last year. Iarussi led the Bears in five offensive categories last year, including batting average (.351), hits (60), RBI (35), doubles (20), and total bases (103). He also slugged .602 and had an on-base percentage of .403, while swiping 16 bases, all second-best on the team. Drabinski is expecting his talented centerfielder to pick up where he left off, as Iarussi will likely bat in the heart of the order.

Rick Lynn, a speedy junior, has been cited by Drabinski as "the fastest player since I've been here." Lynn's strong arm allowed him to move to right field this year after playing third base last season, and will be counted on to be a consistent leadoff hitter and set the table for the big guns in the heart of the order. "When he gets on base," Drabinski said, "he can certainly make things happen."

Freshman Matt Kutler earned the starting leftfield job following an outstanding fall. Along with Lynn and Iarussi, Drabinski expects the trio to cover as much ground as any outfield in New England. A pure hitter, Kutler possesses a great swing, better than average speed, and could bat as high as second in the Bears' lineup.

Darren Merten, a three-year starter, will also see time in left field and designated hitter. Merten has more than 100 hits in his career, including 22 doubles and 5 home runs.

Pitchers
Many of the same faces exist to a strong pitching staff that lost two starters and a closer from last year's team. Jim Johnson, a two-time All-Ivy selection, will be the horse of the staff. In the last two years, he has compiled a 13-2 record, with 13 complete games in his last 15 starts. Johnson led the squad with 69 strikeouts and a 6-2 record last year. A tough competitor and one of Brown's captains, Johnson is a leader by example who mixes speeds well and keeps hitters off balance. According to Drabinski, Johnson will be a great role model for the other pitchers on the staff.

The number-two starter role falls to Jamie Grillo, who finished 5-3 a year ago, but lost two one-run games. An All-Ivy candidate with a great fastball and slider, Grillo will look to improve on his totals of 44 strikeouts in 62 innings last year, numbers that earned him Second Team All-Ivy honors.

The rest of the rotation will be filled by committee. Jonathan Stern is a hard-throwing junior who has a great deal of potential. He led Brown with 17 appearances last year (12 out of the bullpen), and he fanned 23 batters in 33 innings of work, against only 12 walks. John Cappello, another junior who also sees time at DH, could fill the role of closer if he does not get a starting job. Cappello won his only decision last year, but needs to focus on his control entering his junior season.

Senior Frank Philbrick will provide Brown with a solid lefthanded starter if he can continue the momentum of a terrific fall. The hardest worker on the team, according to Drabinski, Philbrick made 14 appearances out of the bullpen last year, earning his first career win in a 4-2 decision over Wofford College. Sophomore Justin Lebowitz could also see time as a starter, provided he finds consistency to go along with three good pitches. Junior Quinn Tamm is also in the mix among upperclassmen competing for spots in the rotation.

In addition, two freshmen could also compete for starting jobs with the upperclassmen. They are Sam Jennings and Jason Priede, both of whom throw hard and have a very good concept of how to pitch.

Out of the bullpen, Eric Bass, a senior, will be used as a lefty-vs.-lefty situational reliever. Another southpaw, Jeff Fleming, could prove to be a valuable asset out of the pen as well. He had a a good freshman campaign and needs to get back to that form. Bryant Romo, will be stepping into a middle relief role in which Drabinski is expecting him to be effective using all four of his pitches.

Newcomers
Coach Drabinski will try to work nine new faces into the lineup this year (six players and four pitchers). At least two, and possibly three, freshmen will be regulars in the starting lineup, and as many as four or five could be in the regular starting ten for the Bears once the season gets going.

In the infield, Bobby Deeb has been tapped as starting second baseman. With soft hands and a quick pivot, Deeb will play a critical role in the Bears' defensive success this season. He is a scrappy player able to hit to all fields, and earned his spot in the starting nine with a good fall season.

Harris Frankel will see time at both first and third base, but can also play DH and two outfield positions. He will see "significant playing time if the fall is any indication," said Drabinski. One of the best offensive freshmen the Brown head coach has seen in "a while," Frankel can hit to all fields and will be a good player at Brown for several seasons to come.

Matt Kutler earned the starting leftfield spot this past fall, as "a pure hitter with a very good swing." He has the ability to put up some impressive numbers in his Brown career. Rounding out the freshmen class among the position players is John Magaletti, the Bears' do-everything utilityman, who is an excellent defensive player with great versatility.

Also in the running for playing time is senior walk-on Andy Junk, a Jacksonville native that Drabinski said has a great attitude and is a hard worker. He will be used as a pinch-hitter off the bench and as the squad's third catcher.

The pitching staff will have four freshmen in the mix, two of whom could be used as starters. Sam Jennings will compete for a rotation spot, as will Jason Priede, a strong righty who will also DH for the Bears.

In the pen, David Greci, a 6-foot-2 southpaw, could be "a pleasant surprise," said Drabinski. He needs to develop his pitching ability and a consistent breaking ball, but has the potential to be the sleeper of this talented freshman class. Another 6-foot-2 rookie, Peter Lockett, is a submarine righty who will be used to induce the double play and should prove to be effective against righties.