Huskies Confident Entering Big East Baseball Tournament

The Huskies defeated top-seed Louisville on Friday and move on to the next round. Saturday's game begins at 1:00 p.m.

Big East logo.

Update:

The Huskies were eliminated from the Big East Tournament after dropping two games against the University of South Florida on Saturday.


One of the aspects of baseball that fans cherish is the absence of a clock. It takes three outs to end an inning, not a shot clock counting down to zero. If you stay in game, you have a chance to win.

Which is why in a year when the Huskies baseball team has won and lost games in bunches and only two games in the loss column separates the top six teams, head coach Jim Penders thinks the Huskies can make a postseason run in the Big East Tournament this week at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla.

“The two times we won the tournament [in 1990 and 1994], we were the last team in the tournament. It doesn’t matter as long as you’re in,” Penders says. “I don’t think there’s an awful lot of pressure on us. We’ve got to get something positive going and we can build on that.”

UConn completed the 2012 regular season by taking two of three games from Notre Dame last weekend to end the year in fifth place with a 29-25 overall record and 16-11 in the conference. They will have to win the Big East Tournament to extend their postseason into the NCAA College World Series Tournament.

Outfielder Billy Ferriter '12 (CLAS) was named to the All-Big East first team.(Steve Slade for UConn)
Outfielder Billy Ferriter '12 (CLAS) was named to the All-Big East First Team during the Tournament's opening ceremonies. (Steve Slade for UConn)

The No. 5 seed Huskies (29-25-1/16-11) face the No. 4 seed South Florida (34-20/17-10) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. The game will be streamed online at BIGEAST.tv and WTIC.com and also can be heard on WHUS (91.7 FM). The tournament is a double-elimination format, with the winner of the game moving on to face the winner of No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 8 Pittsburgh on Thursday at 8 p.m.  The teams that lose on Wednesday will play each other on Thursday at 5 p.m.

The small separation among the top teams to qualify for the eight-team tournament demonstrates the parity within the conference this year, Penders says.  With the exception of South Florida, which swept a three-game series with UConn earlier this month, the Huskies have had at least one win against the other teams in the tournament.

“I think it will be a really exciting tournament,” he says. “Louisville probably is the most talented team, but they seem to lose a game every weekend. I don’t think anybody is unbeatable. I think we have enough to win four or five games and compete for the championship.”

Penders says the core of veterans who have led the Huskies during the season have played in important regular season and tournament games in recent years, including the Big East and NCAA tournaments.

Following the losses to South Florida, the Huskies rebounded against Notre Dame last

Junior infielder L. J. Mazzilli '13 (CLAS) is fulfilling preseason expectations at the plate and in the field. (Steve Slade for UConn)
With a .327 batting average and a .547 slugging percentage Junior infielder L. J. Mazzilli '13 (CLAS) earned a spot on the All-Big East First Team. (Steve Slade for UConn)

weekend. Senior right-hander David Fischer ’12 (CLAS) pitched eight innings against the Irish last Thursday, had a career-high 10 strikeouts and was named Pitcher of the Week for the last week of the Big East regular season.  He has a 4-6 overall record in 15 games with a 3.54 earned run average and 64 strikeouts.

The offense continues to be led by first baseman Tim Martin ’12 (CLAS), hitting .341, 23 RBIs and a .458 slugging percentage; centerfielder Billy Ferriter ’12 (CLAS), batting .327 with 29 RBI; second baseman LJ Mazzilli ’13 (CLAS), hitting .327 with 9 home runs, 37 RBI and a .547 slugging percentage; and third baseman Ryan Fuller ’12 (CLAS), batting .314 34 RBI and a .500 slugging percentage.

Right-handed reliever Scott Oberg ’13 (CLAS) has 7 saves in 19 appearances, posting a 5-0 record and a 1.09 ERA in 33 innings, striking out 32 batters  Second year lefty Anthony Marzi ’14 (ED) has pitched 90 innings, striking out 59 batters, and has a 2.80 ERA with a 2-8 record.

South Florida’s leading hitter is sophomore outfielder James Ramsay, who has a .332 batting average and a slugging percentage of .297. He has driven in 29 runs. Alex Mendez, a junior outfielder, has also knocked in 29 runs and has a.296 batting average. The Bulls’ top starting pitcher is senior right-hander Derrick Stultz, who has posted an 8-1 record in 15 appearances and a 3.76 earned run average. Left-handed senior Andrew Barbosa has a 2.37 ERA and a 7-5 record in 15 games, and has struck out 103 batters. Reliever Nick Gonzalez, a senior lefty, has posted a 4-1 record in 21 appearances, striking out 32.

“I think mentally we’re in a good place,” Penders says, noting the confidence the Huskies played with last Saturday on Senior Day in Storrs.  “We executed again and pitched great. It’s something to build on. I do feel like that if the season taught us anything, it’s that we can lose to anyone and we can beat anyone.”

ALL-BIG EAST HUSKIES ANNOUNCED

During Tuesday’s opening ceremony of the Big East Tournament, four Huskies were recognized as All-Big East performers.  Centerfielder Billy Ferriter ’12 (CLAS), second baseman LJ Mazzilli ’13 (CLAS) and relief pitcher Scott Oberg ’13 (CLAS) were all named to the All-Big East First Team, while senior catcher Joe Pavone ’12 (BUS) was named to the Third Team