Maryland JUCO Team Preview: Chesapeake College

February 14, 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 Chesapeake College Skipjacks.

CHesapeake College 2019 SEASON PREVIEW

Head Coach: Frank Szymanski (20th Season)
Mascot: Skipjacks
2018 Record: 45-8
2018 MD JUCO Finish: Champions
2018 DI Region XX Finish: Runner-up
Twitter Handle: @peakebaseball
CLICK HERE to view the Chesapeake College Baseball Website
CLICK HERE to view the Chesapeake College 2019 Baseball Schedule
CLICK HERE to view the Chesapeake College 2019 Baseball Roster

2019 PBR JUCO NATIONAL PRESEASON RANK: #20

Returning Players with 2018 Postseason Honors

Christian Murphy: All Maryland JUCO - Second Team
Dayan Reinoso: NJCAA DI All-American - Honorable Mention / All-Maryland JUCO - First Team / NJCAA All-Region XX DI - First Team
Livan Reinoso: All-Maryland JUCO - First Team / NJCAA All-Region XX DI - First Team
Allan Saathoff: NJCAA All-Region XX DI - Honorable Mention

Returning Starters: 4

PLAYER	POS	GP	AVG	OBP	SLG	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB
Christian Murphy	OF	49	.382	.471	.713	56	60	11	4	11	55	4
Adan Reinoso	C	21	.229	.460	.371	15	8	3	1	0	5	0
Dayan Reinoso	C/1B	52	.472	.535	.872	64	85	19	4	15	66	0
Livan Reinoso	OF	52	.349	.468	.686	63	60	12	2	14	57	2

Returning Pitchers: 2

PLAYER	POS	APP	W	L	S	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA
Allan Saathoff	RHP	16	8	3	1	41.2	38	29	21	20	40	4.54
Nolan Brannon	LHP	7	2	0	0	18.1	20	19	16	19	24	7.85

Key Losses

PLAYER	POS	GP	AVG	OBP	SLG	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB
Cody Forster	INF	52	.354	.470	.537	69	62	12	4	4	36	23
Devynn Hancock	OF/1B	42	.376	.529	.692	50	44	12	2	7	35	8
Michael Jean-Charles	OF	33	.361	.473	.556	36	39	6	3	3	28	16
Trent Koerner	C	30	.342	.429	.521	17	25	9	2	0	22	4
Joshua Kulina	INF	48	.385	.466	.486	44	57	10	1	1	34	17
Dylan Nepert	C	28	.348	.445	.761	28	32	9	1	9	32	0
Kyle Searfoss	1B	21	.306	.375	.500	11	11	3	2	0	8	1
PLAYER	POS	APP	W	L	S	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA
Jason McDonough	RHP	12	3	0	1	26.2	27	21	19	21	29	6.41
Joseph Nahas	RHP	14	10	1	0	73.2	45	31	26	38	142	3.18
Kyle Searfoss	RHP	9	6	0	0	57.1	53	26	17	15	62	2.67
Michael YaSenka	RHP	19	10	2	2	84.0	67	36	28	26	131	3.00

Cody Forster (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
Devynn Hancock (University of Maryland - Eastern Shore)
Michael Jean-Charles (University of Maryland - Eastern Shore)
Trent Koerner (Saint Peter's University)
Joshua Kulina (Mansfield University of Pennsylvannia)
Jason McDonough (Salisbury University)
Joseph Nahas (Georgia Southern University)
Dylan Nepert (Washington College)
Michael YaSenka (Eastern Illinois University)

Top Newcomers

Evan Antonellis INF/RHP Potomac (VA) / Bryant & Stratton College
Paul DiPino INF McDonogh (MD) / High Point University
Brad Weber RHP Calvert Hall (MD) / Forstburg State University

Key Players for 2019

Evan Antonellis (So.) INF/RHP Potomac (VA) / Bryant & Stratton College
Paul DiPino (So.) INF McDonogh (MD) / High Point University
Christian Murphy (So.) OF Delmar (DE)
Dayan Reinoso (So.) C/1B Hazleton Area (PA)
Livan Reinoso (So.) OF Hazleton Area (PA)
Allan Saathoff (So.) RHP North Caroline (MD)

2019 Committed Players

Nolan Brannon (Slippery Rock University)

2019 Season Snapshot

Coming off a remarkable year in which the Skipjacks went 45-8 overall and won the Maryland JUCO Conference with a 23-1 record, 20th year head coach Frank Szymanski will have his work cut out for him as he gets this year's team ready to defend the 'ship in 2019. Last year's team was a special group and Chesapeake will have to replace several key players from that team if they hope to contend again for conference supremacy. Chesapeake's top three arms from last year: NJCAA DI Honorable Mention All-American Joseph Nahas (Gerogia Southern), All-Maryland JUCO First Teamer Michael YaSenka (Eastern Illinois), and Kyle Searfoss (US Naval Academy) have moved on. Add Jason McDonough (Salisbury University) to that highly talented group and the Skipjacks lose a combined 67% of innings pitched, 364 strikeouts, and four guys that won 29 games on the mound in 2018. It will take a collective effort from this year's pitching staff to replace those numbers but it starts with returning sophomores RHP Allan Saathoff, LHP Nolan Brannon, incoming transfers INF/RHP Evan Antonellis, RHP Brad Weber, and redshirt sophomore LHP Devin Stanford.

On top of what Chesapeake loses on the mound in 2019, are seven four-year transfers that each hit over .305: Cody Forster (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University), Devynn Hancock (University of Maryland - Eastern Shore), Michael Jean-Charles (University of Maryland - Eastern Shore), Trent Koerner (Saint Peter's University), Joshua Kulina (Mansfield University of Pennsylvannia), Dylan Nepert (Washington College), and Searfoss. NJCAA DI Honorable Mention All-American Dayan Reinoso and his third highest batting average in the country last year (.472) is back to lead this year's offensive attack. Joining Reinoso are his brother's Livan Reinoso, Adan Reinoso, and sophomore outfielder Christian Murphy. The quartet hit 40 of the team's 68 home runs last season and drove in a combined 183 runs. High Point transfer Paul DiPino and Antonellis figure to also play a large part in keeping this offense rolling in 2019.

While replacing everyone that moved on from last year's team won't be easy, Coach Szymanski really likes the mix of returning sophomores, transfers, and incoming freshman. The Skipjacks will make two early season trips in the month of March to Myrtle Beach, SC for a total of 12 games to further grow as a unit and find this team's new identity. The opportunity to gain some experience early in the season will be instrumental for them when they return for the meat of their Maryland JUCO Conference schedule. Chesapeake also moves to Division II this season for Region XX Tournament play where they will battle it out with 10 other Maryland JUCO programs for the right to earn a berth in the Northeast District Best-of-Three Series and World Series in Enid, Oklahoma. With all that said; when the dust settles, don't be surprised to see the Skipjacks back contending for the Conference and Region XX Tournament championships in 2019.