Conference tournament season has arrived
Trinity College won three games in the NCAA Division III regional it hosted. The question now is whether more Connecticut baseball teams will earn spots in the NCAA tournament.
The answers will come soon with the start of the American Athletic Conference, America East, Northeast Conference and MAAC tournaments.
UConn will kick things off when the Huskies play Houston in the first game of the AAC tournament at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. The losers of the four games on Tuesday will square off on Wednesday in the double-elimination tournament with the winners not having to play until Thursday. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at noon and will air on ESPNews.
UConn has a chance to earn an at-large bid, especially after taking a series from Tulane to wrap up the regular season, while the other Connecticut Division I teams taking part in conference tournaments need to win their tournaments to secure a spot in the NCAAs.
Hartford is the No. 6 seed in the America East tournament and will face host Binghamton on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. The Hawks would play again at 6 p.m. in they lose the opener. A win would set up a matchup with No. 2 seed Albany at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The championship game is Saturday at 1 p.m.
Sacred Heart is the No. 4 seed in the Northeast Conference tournament which is being played at Dodd Stadium in Norwich and will meet top-seeded Bryant on Thursday at noon followed by the Central Connecticut-Wagner game. The losers play Friday at noon in an elimination game while the winners play at 4 p.m. with a spot in the championship game at stake. The title game is Saturday at 4 p.m. although if the undefeated team falls in that contest, there will be a rematch on Sunday at noon for the NEC title.
The MAAC tournament opens on Wednesday in Staten Island, N.Y. with Fairfield facing Monmouth at 11 a.m. A Fairfield win would set up a matchup with No. 2 seed Quinnipiac at 11 a.m. on Thursday while a loss would send the Stags into the elimination bracket to face the loser of the Marist/Manhattan game on Thursday at 3 p.m. with the winner playing against at 7 p.m. The championship game is Saturday at noon.
Here’s a look at the six Connecticut teams:
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
Record: 26-20
Conference: NEC
Last 10 games: 8-2
Last NCAA appearance: 2017
RPI: 212
Players to watch: TT Bowens, SO, IF (.385, 11 doubles); Dave Matthews, JR, IF/OF (.305, 15 doubles, 35 RBIs); Jared Gallagher, SR, LHP (2-0, 2.05 ERA, 8 saves); Mike Appel, SR, RHP (5-0, 2.45 ERA); Tom Curtin, SR, RHP (4-3, 4.50 ERA, 41 strikeouts)
FAIRFIELD
Record: 31-23
Conference: MAAC
Last 10 games: 5-5
Last NCAA appearance: 2016
RPI: 195
Players to watch: Jack Gethings, SR, IF (.373, 43 RBIs, holds program record for hits in a season and career); Anthony Boselli, SR, IF (.340, 16 doubles, 47 RBIs); Eli Oliphant, JR, RHP (4-1, 2.14 ERA, 5 saves); Austin Pope, JR, RHP (3-3, 2.94 ERA, 73 strikeouts)
HARTFORD
Record: 20-32 Conference: America East Last 10 games: 6-4
Last NCAA appearance: 2018
RPI: 215
Players to watch: Ashton Bardzell, SR, OF (.278, 12 doubles, 9 homers, 39 RBIs); Jackson Olson, JR, IF (.303, 12 doubles); Will Nowak, FR, RHP (6-1, 2.34 ERA, 5 saves); Chris Sullivan, SR, IF/OF (.270, 13 doubles, 37 RBIs)
QUINNIPIAC
Record: 26-27 Conference: MAAC Last 10 games: 7-3
Last NCAA appearance: 2005
RPI: 196
Players to watch: Andre Marrero, JR, OF (.332, 47 runs, 10 homers, 44 RBIs, 19 stolen bases); Ian Ostberg, SO, IF (.330, 11 doubles, 18 stolen bases); Colton Bender, SO, C (.313, 12 doubles, 32 RBIs); Andrew Workman (3-3, 1.14 ERA, 8 saves); Chris Enns, GS, LHP (6-5, 3.36 ERA, 68 strikeouts); Tyler Poulin, SR, RHP (6-2, 3.72 ERA, 73 strikeouts)
SACRED HEART
Record: 19-32-1 Conference: NEC Last 10 games: 3-6-1
Last NCAA appearance: 2015
RPI: 246
Players to watch: Jake Frasca, JR, IF (.342, 35 runs, 13 doubles); Justin Jordan (.309, 12 stolen bases); John Cerretani (4-0, 4.32 ERA); Elijah Brown (.266, 34 runs, 16 stolen bases)
UCONN
Record: 33-22
Conference: American Athletic Conference
Last 10 games: 6-4
Last NCAA appearance: 2018
Players to watch: John Toppa, SR, OF (.327, 12 doubles, 30 RBIs, 13 stolen bases); Michael Woodworth. SR, IF/OF (.325, 52 runs, 35 RBIs, 13 stolen bases); Anthony Prato, JR, IF (.310, 14 doubles, 13 stolen bases); Pat Winkel, FR, C (.308, 30 RBIs); Jacob Wallace, JR, RHP (2-1, 0.78, 14 saves, 52 strikeouts); CJ Dandeneau, SR, RHP (4-1, 1.96 ERA).
RPI: 28