MD JUCO Team Preview: CCBC Catonsville

February 12, 2019
Kyle Campbell
Maryland Scouting Director

Follow @PBRMaryland
Facebook & Instagram

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 CCBC Catonsville Cardinals.

CCBC Catonsville 2019 SEASON PREVIEW

Head Coach: Dan Blue (16th Season)
Mascot: Cardinals
2018 Record: 23-27
2018 MD JUCO Finish: 7th Place
2018 DII Region XX Finish: 4th Place
Twitter Handle: @CCBCCardsSports
CLICK HERE to view the CCBC Catonsville Baseball Website
CLICK HERE to view the CCBC Catonsville 2019 Baseball Schedule
CLICK HERE to view the CCBC Catonsville 2019 Baseball Roster

2019 PBR JUCO NATIONAL PRESEASON RANK: NR

Returning Players with 2018 Postseason Honors

Zeke Maldonado: NJCAA All Region XX DII - First Team

Returning Starters: 3

PLAYER	POS	GP	AVG	OBP	SLG	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB
Andrew Caccamisi	OF	30	.358	.424	.420	19	29	3	1	0	13	2
Easy Goita	UTL	50	.286	.312	.450	36	54	10	3	5	28	7
Zeke Maldonado	2B	46	.365	.498	.622	58	57	8	1	10	28	11

Returning Pitchers: 0

Key Losses

PLAYER	POS	GP	AVG	OBP	SLG	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB
Handy Rodriguez	SS	47	.435	.468	.663	50	84	20	0	8	49	2
Matt Shepherd	1B	50	.312	.423	.503	45	54	15	0	6	50	2
PLAYER	POS	APP	W	L	S	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA
David Mervis	RHP	13	5	3	0	52.1	59	44	31	30	63	5.33
Austin Weber	LHP	17	2	4	0	50.1	63	49	35	28	70	6.26
Ryan Yesner	LHP	10	1	5	0	39.2	48	47	40	22	35	9.08

David Mervis (West Chester University of Pennsylvania)
Austin Weber (University of Towson)
Ryan Yesner (Salisbury University)

Top Newcomers

Moises Aristy Jr. SS Arundel (MD)
Lucas Carr C Franklin (MD)
Brandon Denis 3B Florida Christian (FL)
Aronne Dutton OF Franklin (MD) / American International College
Keiran Garner RHP River Hill (MD) / University of Maryland
Tyler Green LHP Northeast (MD)
Andre Lambert Jr. OF St. Andrews Episcopal (MD)
Hunter Reeling UTL Marriotts Ridge (MD)
Hunter Todd OF Lake Brantley (FL)
Travis Weaver RHP/3B Eastern Lebanon County (PA)

Key Players for 2019

Moises Aristy Jr. (Fr.) SS Arundel (MD)
Brandon Denis (Fr.) 3B Florida Christian (FL)
Aronne Dutton (Fr.) OF Franklin (MD) / American International College
Keiran Garner (Fr.) RHP River Hill (MD) / University of Maryland
Easy Goita (So.) UTL James Monroe (NY)
Tyler Green (Fr.) LHP Northeast (MD)
Zeke Maldonado (So.) 2B Archbishop Curley (MD)
Travis Weaver (Fr.) RHP/3B Eastern Lebanon County (PA)

2019 Committed Players

Kieran Garner (University of Maryland - Baltimore County)

2019 Season Snapshot

CCBC Catonsville enters the 2019 season with a very young and inexperienced squad. The Cardinals return just three starters from last year's Region XX DII 4th place team; none of which are pitchers. It's a challenge that the Cardinals all-time winningest head coach Dan Blue relishes in his 16th season at the helm. Returning for CCBC Catonsville is the trio of OF Andrew Caccamisi, UTL player Easy Goita, and 2BZeke Maldonado. Among them, Maldonado garnered 2018 NJCAA All-Region XX DII First Team honors with his .365 batting average and steady middle infield play.

Anchoring the staff for the Cardinals in 2019 will be University of Maryland transfer RHP Kieran Garner, freshman LHP Tyler Green, and fellow freshman RHP Travis Weaver. Garner has since committed to UMBC for next season and runs it up into the low 90's. Several incoming freshman figure to get plenty of opportunities in the lineup early on to solidify their roles. Those freshman include SS Moises Aristy Jr., C Lucas Carr, 3B Brandon Denis, OF Aronne Dutton, OF Andre Lambert Jr., UTL Hunter Reeling, OF Hunter Todd, and the previously mentioned RHP/3B Weaver.

As with every year, the Cardinals will pack their bags and head south to Florida to kick off the season. The seven game, eight-day trip will certainly test them early with games scheduled against Seminole St. (FL), Lake-Sumter State (FL), Central Florida CC, and Daytona St. (FL). It will be a good opportunity for the Cardinals to bond and grow together before the grind of the Maryland JUCO Conference schedule begins when they return back to Baltimore. Expect Coach Blue and the CCBC Catonsville Cardinals to be around come playoff time as they have made it to three straight Region XX DII Final Four weekends.