Stockton University Athletics

Osprey Outlook: Baseball Preview

Baseball | 3/2/2022 9:16:00 AM

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The 2022 Stockton University baseball team will be one of youth as 17 freshmen will garner spots on head coach Rich Gawlak's roster for this season. Gawlak also will have a nice mix of returning players led by three who started at least 23 of last season's 26 games in the field and three pitchers who tossed at least 24 innings.
 
Headlining the team will be the pitching staff with 17 available arms to help this season. Leading the way will be junior Aaron Winsker and senior Phil DeMarco. Winsker, a three-time NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week honoree, won two games with 23 strikeouts in 44.1 innings last year.
 
DeMarco tossed a team-high 48.0 innings (6th in NJAC), also winning two games. The ground ball specialist, who walked just 12 batters last year, appeared in eight games and will be counted on to throw numerous innings for the team.
 
Joining the pair will be freshman Chris Gonzalez who is expected to slot into the third starter role. Transfers Phil Santa Maria (Atlantic Cape CC) and Angelo Deer will push for starting spots in the rotation as well.
 
In the bullpen, Michael Wynne returns as the closer after two saves (T-4th in NJAC) and eight appearances last season. Andrew Luongo (7 games), Jason Horowitz (5 games), Evan Okamoto (7 games), Jeremy Ruka (3 games) and Mike Schiattarella (7 games) give Gawlak veteran depth. Schiattarella fanned 19 batters in 24.2 innings pitched last year.
 
Freshman hurlers looking to push the veterans will be Ryan Halasa, Bobby Leete, Josh Petrone, Evan Pollack, Kyle Cipolla and Dylan Sakele.

Behind the dish, Luke Fabrizzi and Sam Nieves form a solid combination. Fabrizzi batted .304 with a .486 on-base percentage (7th in NJAC) and 24 walks (4th in NJAC), all of which were team highs. Fabrizzi started all 24 games in which he appeared and tallied 23 runs to lead the squad in 2021.
 
Defensively, he committed just one error in 152 chances behind the plate for an outstanding .993 fielding percentage and caught five runners attempting to steal (T-8th in NJAC).
 
Nieves batted .273 in 17 games and came on strong toward the latter part of 2021. He finished with 15 hits, 11 RBI and a .446 on-base percentage. Mike Costanzo and freshman Giovanni Sciarrotta add to the depth behind the plate. Costanzo hit .300 with two home runs and 10 RBI in just 20 at-bats a year ago.
 
In the infield, slick-fielding first baseman John Perrino returns. The senior did not commit an error in 216 chances last year and was the only Ospreys to start all 26 games. He rapped 22 hits, third on the team, scored 22 runs, second on the team, and led Stockton with eight steals in nine attempts.
 
Joining Perrino will be senior shortstop Ryan Swift who had 15 RBI among his 20 hits a year ago. Swift participated in 10 double plays and had 67 assists, which tied him for eighth in the league.
 
Freshmen Jordan Nitti, Robbie Ford and Austin Beard, sophomore Tommy Talbot and junior Frank Bellezza will vie for the remaining infield spots. Talbot impressed with a .429 batting average in seven games played last year.
 
The Ospreys will be young in the outfield with freshmen Thomas Elgrim, Tucker Elder and Antonio Gatti all vying for playing time. Seniors Ryan Mihlebach and Dominic Meleo are veteran returnees in the outfield who have played in 18 and 15 career games respectively.