MD JUCO Team Preview: Allegany College of Maryland

February 13, 2019
Kyle Campbell
Maryland Scouting Director

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JUCO programs across the state of Maryland began preseason practices back in early January. As the calendar quickly turns and with several teams getting ready to open up their 2019 campaigns in the next few weeks, we begin our coverage of the Maryland JUCO Conference with a preseason preview of all fourteen schools. In each preview, we will take a look back at the 2018 season, examine key players that have moved on or left the program, look at some new faces and key players for the upcoming season, and finally take a sneak peak at whats ahead for the 2019 season. We continue our preseason previews with a look at the Allegany College of Maryland Trojans.

Allegany COllege of Maryland 2019 SEASON PREVIEW

Head Coach: Steve Bazarnic (49th Season)
Mascot: Trojans
2018 Record: 15-25
2018 MD JUCO Finish: 10th Place
2018 DII Region XX Finish: Lost in the first game of the Opening Round.
Twitter Handle: @ACMSports
CLICK HERE to view the Allegany College of Maryland Baseball Website
CLICK HERE to view the Allegany College of Maryland 2019 Baseball Schedule
CLICK HERE to view the Allegany College of Maryland 2019 Baseball Roster

2019 PBR JUCO NATIONAL PRESEASON RANK: NR

Returning Players with 2018 Postseason Honors

John Ackerman: All-Maryland JUCO - 2nd Team

Returning Starters: 2

PLAYER	POS	GP	AVG	OBP	SLG	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB
John Ackerman	1B	40	.336	.430	.496	27	42	11	0	3	38	0
Ryan Wentzal	C	27	.348	.423	.424	10	32	2	1	1	10	0

Returning Pitchers: 1

PLAYER	POS	APP	W	L	S	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA
Matt Huston	RHP	12	1	3	1	40.2	60	38	20	10	27	4.43

Key Losses

PLAYER	POS	GP	AVG	OBP	SLG	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB
Dan Fry	OF	40	.436	.491	.872	49	65	9	10	12	55	10
Jesse Hodge	INF	37	.246	.360	.421	36	31	12	2	2	24	7
Matt Meiser	OF	36	.267	.312	.347	24	27	6	1	0	16	5
Noah Zimmerman	INF	37	.292	.447	.323	19	28	3	0	0	11	7
PLAYER	POS	APP	W	L	S	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA
Carson Imes	RHP	8	3	1	0	41.2	35	31	23	27	44	4.97
Josh Stegmaier	RHP	12	4	7	0	71.1	79	58	39	20	47	4.92

Dan Fry (Tennessee Wesleyan University)
Jesse Hodge (Frostburg State University)
Josh Stegmaier (Fairmont State University)

Top Newcomers

None Listed.

Key Players for 2019

John Ackerman (So.) 1B Frankfort (WV)
Matt Huston (So.) RHP McConnellsburg (PA)
Ryan Wentzal (So.) C Aquinas (Australia)

2019 Committed Players

None at this time.

2019 Season Snapshot

Where else do you begin when talking about the Allegany baseball program than with their legendary skipper Steve Bazarnic? Bazarnic enters his 49th season at the helm of the Trojans this year and has amassed over 1,400 wins throughout his extraordinary career. The only head baseball coach Allegany College of Maryland has ever had figures to have his hands full in 2019 though as the Trojans return just three starters from a year ago: John Ackerman, Ryan Wentzal, and Matt Huston. 2018 NJCAA 2nd Team All-American Dan Fry is gone, as too are aces Josh Stegmaier and Carson Imes.

Bazarnic will look to his three sophomore returners to step up and lead this young group early in the season. Ackerman and Wentzal figure to steady the offense while Huston steps into the ace role for the Trojans in 2019. Other than Fry, Ackerman was the only other player to appear in all 40 games last year. The All-Maryland JUCO Conference 2nd teamer and sophomore first basemen hit .336 with 11 doubles, 3 home runs, and 38 RBI's last season.

Catcher Ryan Wentzal also looks to build upon a solid freshman campaign in which he batted .348. On the mound last season, RHP Matt Huston led the staff with a 4.43 ERA in 40 and two-thirds innings pitched and will need to be the anchor for this year's staff. It's hard to say anyone has more experience in developing and growing a young group of men over the course of a season than Coach Bazarnic, so expect to see this year's Trojans defend "The Rock" and make a run come tournament time.