Expectations high for Dandeneau
Righty has chance to play big role for UConn
• UConn baseball head coach Jim Penders isn’t shy when it comes to raising the bar for C.J. Dandeneau heading into the North Smithfield native’s redshirt junior season on the mound as a reliever for the Huskies.
“I’d argue that every pitcher who’s on our staff that makes it to their junior year has a chance to be drafted,” Penders said over the phone last week. “If they can last until they’re junior year, that means they’re good and they’ll have a chance to play professionally.”
A 2014 graduate of La Salle Academy who stands at six feet and weighs 200 pounds, the righthanded Dandeneau has been on a mission since the start of UConn’s “fall ball” practice. The 21year-old set out to prove that his summertime numbers with the NECBL’s Plymouth Pilgrims – 7.66 ERA in 12 games (four starts) – should be chalked up to nothing more than a blip on the radar. Initially, he was on a temporary list for the Cape Cod League’s Hyannis club.
“Most of the guys who are temps, they know nothing is guaranteed. We try and give them a head’s up that they’ll maybe get a hoodie, but don’t unpack because you’re probably going to be someplace else 10 days later,” Penders said.
Dandeneau’s 2017 season with the Huskies saw him post a 2.93 ERA in 15.1 innings/15 games. He went 20 with 20 strikeouts, held batters to a .250 batting average against, and started the campaign with five straight scoreless outings. His stat line would have been even more stingy had it not been for a couple of rough outings that confidence-wise may have stayed with him during the summer months.
Since returning to the Storrs campus, Dandeneau has made the most of his fresh start. He’s been touching the low 90s with his fastball and shown much better command than what Penders saw in the spring when he issued 11 walks. His changeup has been solid and he’s gravitating more towards throwing the slider as his breaking pitch.
The goal for this fall is to build up Dandaneau’s stamina in anticipation of pitching multiple innings out of the bullpen in 2018.
“We would have love to have him build a base where his stuff doesn’t drop off after an inning or two,” Penders said.
Dandaneau is on track to graduate next May with a degree in Applied Resource Economics. He would be eligible for the Huskies’ 2019 season, though by that point, Penders hopes the former R.I. All-State pitcher is plying his trade in a minor-league city.
“C.J. is a guy who’s a very dedicated kid. He works in the classroom and works hard on the field,” Penders said. “Now he’s a veteran. He’s been around the block and knows what to expect, and we expect him to have a very good year for us.”
• Last Friday night’s mobilization effort by the Pawtucket community in response to Tolman junior quarterback Justin Klemenchuck spearheading a drive for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico was most impressive.
Proud mother Jamie Klemenchuck stood in front of a table near the Max Read Field entrance that was covered with supplies. She noted that some people purposely drove by to drop off items after seeing the front-page story in The Times that detailed her son’s mission in conjunction with the TolmanRogers football game.
In addition, the Tolman High baseball team donated $100 worth of supplies to the hurricane efforts. That donation was matched exactly by the store Little Bit of This, which is owned and operated by Pawtucket native and former baseball head coach Jeff Calista.
The Klemenchuck family should be proud for raising a son who clearly has a heart of gold.
• Anthony Canestrari, a 2016 graduate of Mount St. Charles and a former Mountie shooting guard, has joined the Providence College men’s basketball team as a student manager. How the college sophomore earned the nod stems from Canestrari’s strong interview with one of Ed Cooley’s assistant coaches.
It’s an undertaking that should prove quite the experience as the Friars look to make it five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament this season.
• Brady Thibault, a senior soccer player at St. Raphael Academy, was recently selected to the NSCAA High School Scholar All-American Team. Atotal of 85 players from across the country received said honor with Thibault being the lone male from Rhode Island.
The criteria for the nod is being a high school senior soccer player and maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Thibault is also a two-year soccer captain and plays lacrosse at SRA. His extracurricular activity list includes National Honor Society, Peer Ministry, and Student Council.
• The foul ball that landed off Nick Zammarelli’s head and resulted in a social media onslaught has been nominated for “Top Blooper” for the 2017 MiLBYAwards. Fans can vote for the Lincoln native as many times as they would like up until Oct. 20. Visit minorleaguebaseball.com for more information, or to see video of Zammarelli taking one off the noggin.
• Getting rid of John Farrell as Red Sox manager might soothe the savage beast of a fan base that’s now seen two straight Division Series exits, yet it still doesn’t cover up the team’s most glaring need – a power bat. That said, Dave Dombrowski should call new Miami Marlins owner Derek Jeter and see what the asking price is for slugger Giancarlo Stanton.