Connecticut Team Of The Week - Fairfield Ludlowe
May 1, 2019
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Connecticut Team Of The Week - Fairfield Ludlowe
FAIRFIELD, Ct. - Last year’s 11-win season has already been exceeded. Now 12-1 on the year, Fairfield Ludlowe is looking for more success with some big challenges ahead for the Connecticut Prep Baseball Report Team of the Week.
“This is a very confident bunch,” noted sixth-year Ludlowe head coach Mike Francese, now in his 15th season in the program. “It’s a senior-laden team that came into the season with great overall preparation.
“Pitching has carried us along with timely hitting. We’ve won some extra-inning games and every guy that we’ve put out there has done a good job of throwing strikes.”
James Delmiche and Matt Micinilio have been the starters. Delmiche is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA, striking out 20 and walking five in 18 innings of work while Micinilio is 2-1 with a 2.21 ERA, fanning 18 and allowing three walks in 19 frames.
“Going in we really didn’t know what we’d have pitching,” pointed out Francese, whose Falcons finished 11-12 last season. “Last year we had good hitting and were in a lot of high-scoring games. With no returning starting pitchers, the success of our pitching has been a big surprise. They’ve done a nice job throwing strikes consistently.”
Connor O’Neill, Jamie Flink (Video) and Chris Benton are getting the job done in relief to aid the cause.
“They just come in and throw strikes,” Francese said. “They’ve been lights out every time I call on them.”
O’Neill is 1-0 with a save and two holds, supporting a 1.17 ERA with 24 Ks and four base on balls in 18 innings. Flink, a left-hander ranked 116th in the New England 2020 class, is 4-0 with a 0.47 ERA, striking out 20 in 15 innings while Benton, a right-hander committed to Hamilton College, is 2-0 with a save and a hold, fanning 18 in 12.1 frames with a 1.70 ERA.
“It’s a confident bunch,” Francese noted. “They all want the ball, that’s a great luxury to have when anyone that I go to gets the job done.”.
The same can be said for a lineup that has done well one through nine.
Leadoff hitter Derek Tallman leads the team in batting at .432 and runs scored with 19 while two-hole hitter Brian Howell is at .370. Number three batter Vince Camera, a 5-10 185-pounder committed to Central Connecticut State, averages .333. The senior, ranked 139th in New England’s 2019 class, has nine doubles, one home run and a team-high 13 RBIs.
Flink has driven in 12 runs while Tom Stasko, a .275 hitter, has had two walk-off hits so far. Greg Calabrese is another clutch hitter according to Francese with catcher Blake Benway batting .281.
Defensively, Jack Vogel at shortstop, Benway behind the plate, Howell at second and Tallman in center have been key as well.
“We need to keep our pitching where it’s at,” Francese said in looking ahead to the rest of the season. “It comes down to pitching matchups in the conference tourney and the state tournament. They’re both single elimination so we need some depth there.
“If we can continue to keep that going and playing good defense, once our offense comes around and is as consistent as it has been in the past, I like our chances to put up some big runs.”