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This page was last updated on: June 7, 2002
Hunt hopes speed can carry Twisters By GERRY deSIMAS, JR. Connecticut Sports Online TORRINGTON, June 5, 2002 -- It's hard to judge what a team will look like when not one player has stepped foot into town. But Torrington Twister manager Gregg Hunt has a feeling about the 2002 edition of the Twisters. "If these kids put up the numbers this summer that they did this spring, we'll be in pretty good shape," Hunt admitted." I know we will have more speed than we did last year. Speed is very important in our league. We had a lot of speed when we had the best record in the league." The Twisters posted the best regular season record in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) history in 1998 when they were 30-12. In that season, the Twisters stole a team-record 84 bases and were caught only 16 times. The Twisters also scored a team-record 249 runs compared to 165 last season the second-lowest number in team history. "We hit and ran a lot," Hunt said of 1998. "Speed is very important in wooden bat baseball because we have to scratch for our runs. If we can get a man on second base, that is one less hit we have to get to score." The Twisters went 25-15 a year ago, winning the first National Division title and earning a spot in the playoffs. Keene beat the Twisters, 2-1, in the best-of-3 semifinals. Center fielder Jordan Czarniecki is one of three players returning from the 2001 squad. Czarniecki led the University of Tennessee with 24 stolen bases in 34 attempts this spring. He also led the Vols in hitting (.362), RBI (46) and home runs (8). Outfielder Brandon Roberts (Michigan) returns along with utility infielder Justin McClain of Georgia, who will become the first three-year player in team history. McClain hit a career-high .325 for the Bulldogs with nine home runs and 32 RBI. Utility infielder Adam Haley (Louisville) may return if he doesn't sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who drafted Haley in the 13th round in Tuesday's Major League Baseball draft. Seven players will miss the opening weekend for the Twisters. Richmond's John Cronin (p), Jim Fasano (of), and Tim Rice (p) are competing in the NCAA Tournament along with Clemson's Garrick Evans (inf), Robert Valiente (of) and Jeff Hourigan (p). Oregon State catcher Wick Udy is completing the third trimester at OSU. Hourigan is one of three Connecticut players on the squad. Hourigan was the state player of the year in 2001 at Masuk-Monroe while Branford's Cronin and Brookfield's Rice were a pair of All-State pitchers. Rice is 5-0 with a 4.92 ERA in 18 appearances and 53 innings of work for the Spiders. Rutgers pitcher Jason Bergmann, an NECBL All-Star with Danbury a year ago, is joining the squad along with Lamar pitchers Chris Coy, Josh Gray and David Talamantez. Lamar infielder Blake Justice tied a Cardinal school record with 88 hits and earned All-Southland Conference honors after hitting a team-high .381 with 28 stolen bases in 33 attempts. Bergmann was drafted Tuesday in the 11th round by the Expos. Left-handed pitcher Brian Matoon of Lemoyne went 6-4 with a 2.91 ERA in 13 games, earning second-team All-MAAC honors. Udy, a left-handed hitting catcher, had a great year at Oregon State, hitting .327 with 33 hits and 21 RBI in 32 games. The Twisters open the season on Saturday with a game at North Adams against the expansion Steeple Cats at 7 p.m. The first home game will be an exhibition against Wareham of the Cape Cod League on Sunday, June 9 at 4 p.m. with the official NECBL home opener on June 11 against Danbury at 7 p.m. The Twisters will also play an exhibition at Cooperstown's historic Doubleday Field on June 17 at 1:30 p.m. against Keene and host Team USA for the third straight year at Fuessenich Park on July 5. AROUND THE LEAGUE: North Adams and Sanford, Maine joined the league this year, pushing the NECBL membership up to 12 teams. ... The league has been split into three four-team divisions. The Twisters will be in the Western Division along with North Adams, Danbury and Manchester. Teams will play six games against division opponents and three against non-division foes. ... Eight teams will make the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin August 2. The top two teams from each division and two wild cards comprise the field. ... The Eastern Tides will now be known as the Thread City (Willimantic) Tides. Willimantic will host the NECBL All-Star game on July 20. Middletown, Willimantic, Newport and Riverpoint comprise the Central Division while Lowell, Concord, Keene and Sanford comprise the Northern Division. DRAFT PICKS: Former Twister shortstop Taber Lee (San Diego St.) was drafted Tuesday in the third round by Pittsburgh with the 73rd pick. SDU pitcher Rory Shortell was also drafted in the third round by the Astros with the 101st pick. Other Twisters drafted Tuesday included Rob Harrand in the ninth round by the Phillies, Nate Gold in the 10th round by Texas and Rob Korecky in the 19th round by Philadelphia. |
Twisters 2002 schedule Games begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise listed. JUNE 8 at North Adams; 9 WAREHAM (exhibition), 4 p.m.; 11 DANBURY; 12 at North Adams; 13 NORTH ADAMS; 14 at Sanford; 15 LOWELL; 16 at Keene; 17 vs. Keene (exhibition) at Cooperstown, N.Y., 1:30 p.m.; 19 at Willimantic; 20 WILLIMANTIC; 21 KEENE; 22 at Lowell, 5 p.m.; 23 NEWPORT, 6 p.m.; 25 DANBURY; 26 at Danbury; 27 MANCHESTER; 28 CONCORD; 29 NORTH ADAMS; 30 DANBURY JULY 2 at Manchester; 3 at Newport (2), 4:05 p.m.; 4 at Lowell; 5 TEAM USA (exhibition); 6 SANFORD; 7 RIVERPOINT, 6 p.m.; 9 MIDDLETOWN; 10 at Riverpoint; 11 at Middletown; 12 MIDDLETOWN; 13 at Concord; 13 at Sanford; 17 at Danbury; 18 WILLIMANTIC; 19 at Keene; 20 NECBL All-Star game at Willimantic; 21 NEWPORT, 6 p.m.; 23 MANCHESTER; 24 at Manchester; 25 NORTH ADAMS; 26 at Concord; 27 RIVERPOINT; 29 at Danbury; 30 at Manchester; 31 at North Adams |
Speedy centerfielder Jordan Czarnieccki |
