It has been a few days since my last prediction but finally we are down to our last two conferences, the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) and the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). We’ll start with the CCC, where Western New England has won four consecutive conference championships. Add in two from the GNAC and the Golden Bears have won a conference championship in six straight years. In my eyes, there will not be a seventh.
Click ahead to see who I think will knock off the Golden Bears this season.
1. Endicott- The Gulls will finish in first during the regular season but not by very much. Endicott returns its entire starting rotation, one that is headlined by reigning TCCC Pitcher of the Year Ben Petrides. Mike Nich, Brendan Pittsley and Tyler Hitchcock all won over five games last season. Oh, the Gulls also return seven starting position players.
2. Western New England- The Golden Bears will still be good in 2012. How good is still to be determined. They lose a great of pitching but still feature a strong lineup that can score runs with the best of them. The Golden Bears feature two of the best players at their position in New England, in third baseman Mike Rubino and closer Mike Lawlor. Kevin Jefferis is primed to have superb year on the mound.
3. Roger Williams- The league coaches picked them third and I have to agree. Outside of Endicott and Western New England, the Hawks return the best team on paper. All four of their top hitters are back and Josh Orosz and Tyler Pogmore headline a strong returning staff. Orosz won six games last season and Pogmore went 4-1 with six saves while sporting a 0.36 ERA. The Hawks will determine whether Endicott or WNE gets first place.
4. Curry- The Colonels were picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll but I am not buying it. Sam Barron and Matt Drew are two of the top players in the conference offensively, and Zach Walker and Matt O’Neil bring back veteran experience on the mound.
5. Wentworth- Pitching will make or break the Leopards again in 2012. Alex Wong and Kyle Cruz will have to match their output from last season and Ryan Delgado is going to have to become an offensive threat and control a young pitching staff. Connor Flisnik could be in for a breakout year.
6. Gordon- The Fighting Scots return their top five hitters this season and that experience will win them games. Eric Wolak returns after hitting eight home runs last season and he will joined by Brian Harrington. Robert Hinckley will be the staff ace after collecting four wins last season.
7. Salve Regina- The Seahawks lose their top six hitters and top four pitchers from a team that won 14 league games last season. Replacing all that will not be easy. Anthony Conte will be the team’s top returning hitter and after pitching mainly out of the bullpen last season, Daniel Kehew could be moved into a starting role.
8. Nichols- The Bison are the last team into the conference tournament because of Tyler Shute. He went 3-4 with a 3.25 ERA last season and he’ll win some more big games for the Bison this season. John Micciche should see more playing time this season and Nichols will need him to be good at the plate.
9. Eastern Nazarene- The Lions return three of their top hitters this year and one of their top pitchers. Steve Doyle fits in both categories after hitting .276 and going 3-2 with 4.50 ERA last season. Danny Rodriguez is in for a big season at the plate.
Playoffs
Just ask Western New England what wins championships. The answer is pitching and Endicott has alot of it. With four staff aces, the Gulls nearly resemble the Golden Bears from the past several years. The two meet in the winners bracket final, an Endicott win, before meeting for the second-straight year in the championship game. There’s no heartbreak for the Gulls this season though.
Player of the Year- Mike Rubino (Western New England)
Pitcher of the Year- Mike Nich (Endicott)
Coach of the Year- Bryan Haley (Endicott)
