A tale of two midweek games, plus UConn major leaguers start their season
UConn baseball's contests against Hartford and Boston College could not have gone more differently
Midweek highs and lows
UConn baseball faced off against what was truly the entire spectrum of regional opponents this week.
The game on Tuesday featured a tightly-contested battle against No. 16 Boston College, currently the premier program in the northeast, ending in a 6-3 UConn loss. The Huskies then bounced back on Wednesday afternoon, with a 17-1 victory against Division III-bound Hartford, in a game that mercifully ended after seven innings with a run rule.
There’s plenty of season left to be played, and just stepping on the field against a team as well-liked by the computers as Boston College will help their RPI, but the Huskies have some lessons to learn before the return leg of their home-and-home series this year on April 19.
UConn didn’t leave too many runners on base, but in key moments with the opportunity to go for the killing blow, they came up short. The Huskies rallied down 5-0 with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, getting two back via RBI singles from Bryan Padilla and Paul Tammaro, but left the bases loaded after a three-pitch strikeout by Korey Morton.
Later in the game, UConn continued to chip away at the Eagles’ lead. In the eighth inning, Bryan Padilla drove in a run with his third hit of the game, cutting the lead to two runs, but a bases-loaded double play kept the Huskies from eating any further into Boston College’s advantage.
One upside of the defeat was the performance of redshirt freshman Thomas Ellisen. The Wisconsin native threw 4 1/3 shutout, one-hit innings, establishing himself as a solid option in an overhauled bullpen.
UConn recovered from their Tuesday defeat with a 17-1 thrashing of Hartford, sending 14 batters to the plate in a 10-run first inning and following it up with a seven-run fifth.
Hartford is headed to Division III after this season, having controversially announced the move in the spring of last year. The Hawks are working with a roster built with an eye on a lower division, and dealt with the departure of some of their stars in the offseason, including Will Nowak, who transferred to UConn.
Most every Husky got their chance to shine at the plate, but the usual suspects continued to impress the most: Ben Huber went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a home run before getting pulled from the game, and Dominic Freeberger added a single and a double.
Wednesday also saw the debut of reliever Joe Carrea, who successfully walked on to the team in fall tryouts, and the first hit of Drew Kron’s UConn career.
UConn in the Majors
This week features the start of the MLB season, and three former Huskies will feature on MLB rosters to start Opening Day.
George Springer, OF, Toronto Blue Jays: The most successful modern-day UConn baseball alumnus active in the MLB is still going strong in what will be his tenth season in the big leagues. A World Series winner and MVP with the Houston Astros in 2022, the four-time All-Star will begin his third season with the Blue Jays.
After missing much of 2021 due to injuries, Springer bounced back in 2022 to post a 4.0-WAR season, batting .267/.342/.472 with an OPS only a few points lower than star youngster Vlad Guerrero Jr. The Blue Jays are projected to take the fight to New York at the top of the AL East, and Springer will look to feature heavily in that battle.
Matt Barnes, RHP, Miami Marlins: 2023 will mark the first time in Matt Barnes’ 10-year MLB career that he will not be suiting up for the Boston Red Sox. After spending 2021 as closer for the Red Sox, Barnes struggled for sharpness in 2022, with a 7.94 ERA through the end of May, when he was put on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. He rebounded to post a 4.31 ERA after returning in August, earning eight saves, but was designated for assignment in the offseason in an unceremonious end to his career in Boston.
Barnes will look to continue his career successfully in Miami, after being traded to the Marlins in January. His contract is up at the end of the season, which could make him a trade candidate should the Marlins be out of playoff contention in July, a possibility given the team’s place in the stacked NL East.
Nick Ahmed, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks: Ahmed is also entering his 10 year in the major leagues, all of which are with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The East Longmeadow, Massachusetts native’s 2022 was marred with injuries, and he ended up missing most of the season with shoulder inflammation. Ahmed is projected to start once again at shortstop for the rebuilding Diamondbacks, a steady presence on the infield with two Gold Gloves in his career.
Other Huskies who could make an appearance in the 2023 MLB season include left-hander Anthony Kay, a 2016 graduate who was waived by the Blue Jays in December and picked up by the Chicago Cubs, who optioned him to their AAA affiliate to start the year. Kay has made 28 appearances in four years with Toronto.
Right-hander PJ Poulin could be the newest Husky to make their MLB debut in 2023, after being drafted by the Rockies in 2018. Poulin spent last season between AAA Albuquerque and AA Hartford, posting a combined 4.15 ERA out of the bullpen.