Huskies that have surprised this season
UConn has had some positive performances, despite the trying start to the season.
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Surprise standouts thus far
A 2-7 start is far from ideal for UConn. While it can be easy to harp on the negatives that have permeated the Huskies’ young season, the team has had a handful of bright spots emerge despite the arduous non-conference schedule.
Here’s four players who have impressed in the early going.
Grant MacArthur, infield
Coming into the season, it was unsure where MacArthur would slot into the Huskies’ lineup, if at all. Tyler Minick and Maddix Dalena were expected to hold down the corner infield spots, while the DH role was just about anybody’s guess with all the new faces in Storrs following last year’s mass exodus of starters. MacArthur, transferring in from San Joaquin Delta College, has taken the job and ran with it.
He has started all nine games and proven to be one of UConn’s best hitters on the young season. His 14 hits rank first on the team, as does his .424 batting average. His five walks and nine runs scored rank second, as well. The junior is currently credited with 19 total bases, knocking one home run and two doubles in 33 at-bats. Presence in a lineup is important, and the 6-foot-4, 240-pound MacArthur certainly provides that. His emergence as one of the team’s hottest hitters makes the Huskies all the more dangerous as they try to get their feet underneath them.
Rob Rispoli, infield
The redshirt freshman started opening weekend for UConn, serving as the team’s shortstop with Bryan Padilla moving to third base in place of the then-injured Minick. Rispoli collected three hits against Missouri and one against Penn State, scoring at least one run in all three games in Puerto Rico. He didn’t play in the Florida Atlantic series aside from a pinch-hit appearence, but returned this past weekend in California. He recorded an RBI single in a pinch-hit opportunity against USC, went 2-for-5 with his first career home run against UCLA before rounding out the weekend with an 0-for-3 effort against Vanderbilt.
Nonetheless, he is hitting .333 (7-for-21) with four RBI on the year. He’s swiped two bags on three tries and has played clean defense at a premier position, having yet to make an error on 22 chances. Rispoli stepped up big time when Minick went down and has continued to produce well enough to keep him atop the depth chart.
Jude Abbadessa, right-handed pitcher
Abbadessa has been nails since returning from an injury that sidelined him for the entirety of 2024. He is among the six arms that have made four appearances to lead the teams, pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing just two baserunners of 12 batters faced — a hit batsman against Penn State and a single against Florida Atlantic the following weekend. Notable, he’s done this without the strikeout, recording just one on the year. Abbadessa’s ability to keep the ball in the strike zone while still enticing weak contact for outs has been his strong suit.
In the coming weeks, look for the redshirt sophomore to only climb the ranks of head coach Jim Penders’ bullpen as a reliable right-handed option.
Thomas Ellisen, right-handed pitcher
Ellisen has just about been UConn’s only reliable starter so far in 2025. Ian Cooke (0-3, 13.50 ERA) and Gabe Van Emon (0-0, 6.75 ERA) have both struggled mightily despite high expectations in the preseason. The only other Husky to make a start thus far is Oliver Pudvar, putting together a so-so effort after two strong initial outings out of the bullpen.
On the other hand, Ellisen has made three starts and has looked better with each one. Through 12 innings — a team-high — he has held down a 1.50 ERA. He threw two innings in his first start against Penn State, four against Florida Atlantic and six against No. 14 Vanderbilt Sunday, striking out five Commodores while surrendering zero earned runs on just five hits and two walks. The redshirt junior has settled nicely into the third starting rotation spot, proving to be a been a hidden gem on the staff amidst a sea of poor pitching performances early on.
Around the Big East
Until RPI is viable, which comes in mid-April, this space will take a look at what each Big East team has been doing in the early part of the season.
Butler
It was a closely contested series in Athens between Butler and Ohio, but the Bobcats came out on top in two of them. The Bulldogs are off to Lindenwood for four games this weekend, followed by a midweek battle against Purdue on Wednesday.
Creighton
The Bluejays are above .500 on the season, as they took two of three from College of Charleston on the road. UC Davis will be somewhere in Middle America this weekend as Creighton opens the home slate.
Georgetown
The offense scored just seven runs over three games against No. 5 Florida State, as Georgetown got swept, though it rebounded with a 21-6 victory over Coppin State in the midweek. The Hoyas will host George Mason, Towson and Longwood this weekend, as well as Penn State on both Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a nine-game homestand.
St. John’s
The Red Storm are in the win column, as they took one of three on the road against Louisville. To make matters worse, they fell to Ohio State in midweek play. NJIT will help St. John’s open the home schedule on Utopia Parkway this weekend before a trip to Stony Brook on Tuesday.
Seton Hall
The results got better for Seton Hall as the weekend went on, but Cal Poly still finished 3-1 against the Pirates over the weekend. St. Joseph’s will be part of a split series this weekend. Friday and Saturday are in Philadelphia, followed by a trip to South Orange on Sunday. NJIT also comes in on Tuesday.
Xavier
Xavier earned a road split against Stanford, finishing 2-2. No. 1 Tennessee also served the Musketeers a 13-1 defeat in the midweek. The schedule doesn’t get any easier, as the Musketeers head to Nashville to face No. 18 Vanderbilt.
Villanova
The Wildcats fell on Friday, but took the series against Lipscomb with wins on Friday and Saturday, while Miami (FL) dominated them, 12-2, on Wednesday. Villanova is in Tampa to face USF this weekend and has a midweek game against Monmouth on Wednesday.
Non-conference opponents
Without a new NCAA Tournament bracket projection, this portion of the newsletter will examine trends among UConn’s non-conference opponents.
Florida Atlantic easily dispatched Fordham this weekend and stuck with Florida, but dropped a 4-2 decision. The Owls will play a split series with FIU this weekend and host Bucknell twice in the midweek.
Miami (FL) salvaged a weekend with a Sunday win over No. 7 Florida, snapping a five-game winning streak. It also took down FIU and Villanova in the midweek. UConn is the Hurricanes’ final non-conference weekend.
Campbell lost a series to Georgia Southern over the weekend and fell to both Liberty and NC State in the midweek. The Camels look to climb toward a winning record with a series against Texas State.
UNC Greensboro fell twice to Pittsburgh this weekend, while it couldn’t get a win against NC State or Elon in the mideek. Radford comes in for three this weekend.
Maine was swept by George Washington over the weekend to fall to 2-8. Bucknell is on the slate this weekend.
Stetson split with Indiana and took two from Mount St. Mary’s, with a trip to BYU looming. Missouri split at home with Evansville and will host Binghamton this weekend. Penn State is 8-1 and starts Big Ten play this weekend against Indiana.
The Week Ahead
Friday: at Miami (FL); 7 p.m.; ACC Network Extra
Saturday: at Miami (FL); 6 p.m.; ACC Network Extra
Sunday: at Miami (FL); 1 p.m.; ACC Network Extra
Tuesday: LIU; 3:05 p.m.; UConn+
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