Last year, the baseball team compiled its 12th consecutive winning season, going 18-14, and much of this was thanks to the way the Jumbo hitters swung the bats, as the team scored in double digits in five of its wins. In 2005, Tufts will look to its offense once again to set the tone.
"It's a new year, so we'll see what happens," coach John Casey said. "We've got a lot of returning hitters, and I am hoping we'll have a nicely balanced lineup."
The team will be paced by several returning starters hoping to make significant contributions. Sophomore Kyle Backstrom led the team with three home runs and 28 RBIs last year as a freshman, while hitting .354. All three home runs came during one game at Babson College on April 27th.
Fellow sophomores Bryan McDavitt and Chris Decembrele will also try to build on successful freshman campaigns.
Decembrele lit up the stat sheet last year. The center fielder hit .298 with two home runs, 21 RBIs, eight doubles, a team-leading four triples and a team-leading 59 total bases. He also stole nine bases on 10 attempts. Decembrele is also an All-NESCAC linebacker on the football team.
McDavitt hit .311 with one home run last year and should be near the top of the lineup.
"We had some good freshmen last year," Casey said. "It'll be a little tougher for them this year because everyone around the league knows them now."
Casey will also look to junior Matt Clement to be a spark at the top of the lineup. Clement hit .370 last year with 22 runs and six stolen bases. He also led the team with 40 hits.
"Clement should be the catalyst," Casey said. "Also, [junior] Greg Chertok can run, so he may find himself near the top of the order. We have a bunch of solid hitters, so there will be some good competition as we near the opener."
The major loss from last year's offense is third baseman Adam Kacamburas. The 2004 graduate, who is returning as an assistant coach, hit .322 and posted team-highs in doubles (10) and stolen bases (13).
"His loss will definitely hurt," Casey said. "He was a big part of our lineup. He always set the table for us."
Perhaps compensating for the Kacamburas loss, however, is the return of senior Greg Hickey after missing the 2004 season for undisclosed reasons. In 2003, Hickey was a third team All-New England selection as the designated hitter. He led that team in batting average, hits, RBIs and OPB. Hicky will fit into the mix by either catching or at the designated hitter spot, and should again become an anchor in the middle of the Jumbo lineup.
Casey is unsure what roles the freshmen will play in the offense.
"It is too early to tell," Casey said. "If the returning guys can handle it, then they can handle it. We will have a better picture on down the line. Hickey will probably make an immediate impact, though."
With the large number of returning hitters, the offense should find itself in good shape for this season. The lineup is still relatively young, and each hitter will try to improve on his 2004 season.
