After securing a trip to the super regionals last year, the UConn baseball team comes into the preseason this fall with high hopes. This was the team’s third time in program history to make it to the supers and the second time in the previous three seasons. This is a great result for a program that continues to improve day in and day out and make a push as one of the best teams in the northeast. However, the Huskies want to reach higher than in past years, meaning the goal becomes getting over the hump and making it to Omaha to compete at the college world series come the end of spring.
Their success starts at the top, specifically with head coach Jim Penders. The skipper enters his 22nd season behind the helm for the Huskies. Penders lost many pieces to the draft, such as pitcher Braden Quinn and outfielder Korey Morton. Also departing the Storrs campus were graduate students Paul Tammaro, a utility player, and designated hitter Luke Broadhurst. The Huskies will have some pieces back from last year, though, as catcher Matt Garbowski returns after an impressive junior year where he was one of the team’s most reliable hitters. The Huskies will also see back young phenom Maddix Dalena who slugged 13 Home Runs and 41 RBIs in his sophomore campaign. Arms-wise, the Huskies lost a lot to the draft and eligibility rules, so RHP Ian Cooke will be big for the Huskies as they look to keep their pitching top-tier.
This fall will tell a lot about the team as new guys will look to fill in the hole that was left by the players who are no longer with the program. The opportunities are endless for some of these young guys to get out on the field to go play and compete. Regardless of who UConn has come back this year or who they lost last year, the goal is still the same, and that is to win it all.
The Huskies will still have a Big East schedule come this spring as they face powerhouses like Creighton, among others. This fall, though, the team will be playing exhibitions against UConn Avery Point on the Sept. 12 and Army on the road on Sept. 29 to close off the month before the cold waves come in and force the team inside to practice.
Being in the north is a disadvantage for baseball teams as come the second stint of preseason in the spring the team will have not seen a field in four months. This is a challenge that many teams face, not only UConn. However, what matters is what the team will do to combat this. This will mean training just as hard indoors and staying in shape so they can have the leg up come spring.
Only time will tell for this roster. However, the preseason shows a lot about a team’s character and demeanor. It will be interesting to see how the Huskies play when they host Avery Point on September 13th at 6 p.m. at Elliot Ballpark in Storrs.