UConn Baseball Sights Set on Big East Championship and Beyond

“We are the team to beat,” said University of Connecticut senior relief pitcher Dave Fischer.

“Honestly, we are the team to beat in the Big East this year for sure.”

A year ago, this statement from a Husky baseball player would have seemed arrogant and preposterous. With days to go before the 2011 season, however, there is a sense of confidence swirling in the autumn air at J.O. Christian Field as the baseball team participates in fall ball.

With the talented Louisville Cardinals and St. John’s Red Storm squads poised to be the Huskies’ main conference competition this season, the Huskies will take the field in 2011 as the team with a bullseye on its back. Players are excited at the notion of being among the front-runners in the Big East—a conference that sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament.

“We want people to want to play us and we want people to come out and try and get us,” said Fischer.

“We’re used to playing the underdog role but that has stopped this year and we’re ready for teams to come and get us.” 

The UConn baseball team exceeded expectations in 2010, racking up 48 wins against just 16 losses and earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 1994. The Huskies were eliminated in regional action, but the team hosted the regional at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut; this is the first time UConn hosted NCAA Tournament play in the program history.

Fischer, a right-hander, had offseason arthroscopic shoulder surgery on his pitching shoulder on June 25th, in what he described a “maintenance procedure.” The procedure derailed his plans to play for the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod League, with UConn teammates starting pitcher Matt Barnes and centerfielder George Springer. 

The procedure went well; Fischer says he is 100 percent and ready to get back onto the field of play. With key cogs Scott Oberg, Kevin Vance and Dan Feehan returning to the bullpen, Fischer said it is going to be “stronger than ever.”

With Barnes and Springer, UConn will enter the 2011 season with two of the top four collegiate players in the country, according to Baseball America. The two juniors paired up to lead the United States collegiate national team to a silver medal finish over the summer.

Springer led the team in RBIs while Barnes had a 3-0 record with a sub-1.00 ERA.

Barnes, a homegrown talent from Bethel, Connecticut—whose fastball regularly tops 95 mph on the radar gun—admitted to being “humbled” just to be able to throw on a USA jersey and represent his country over the summer.

For everything he accomplished over the summer however, the season-ending loss to Oregon in the third game of the NCAA Regional has stayed with Barnes since the end of last season. In his two years in Storrs, Barnes has been the pitcher of record in the final game of both seasons.

In 2009, he lost the Big East Tournament championship game to Louisville and he has been motivated by those loses.

“My freshman and sophomore years I was the guy who got the loss that ended the season and it hurts,” Barnes said.

“I don’t want to be that guy again.”

From a newcomer’s perspective, the atmosphere around the program is exciting to be a part of as well. Freshman outfielder Anthony Aceto, a North Providence native, is aware of the winning culture that now envelopes the baseball team in Storrs. 

“I think it’s great what this program is doing,” he said.

“Last year watching [the team’s success] just made me more excited to come here and start working out with the team.”

Aceto, who chose UConn over the University of Rhode Island, will be battling for playing time against a starting trio of returning outfielders Springer, Billy Ferriter and John Andreoli.

Despite the long odds against immediate playing time, Aceto was energized for the season ahead. “I want to start, I want to play, and I just want to be an asset to the team in any way I can to help the team win,” said Aceto.

Early in the season the Huskies will travel across the country looking to make a statement in the non-conference portion of their schedule. In what will be an attempt to combat a what is perennially alleged to be a weak Big East schedule, the Huskies will hit the road to take on University of California – Irvine, University of California – Berkeley, San Diego, Southern Mississippi, Minnesota and College of Charleston- all six teams made the NCAA Tournament in 2010.

"I think [head coach Jim] Penders realizes he has a great team coming back this year, so he has really tried to enhance our level of competition,” said Barnes.

As the Huskies look to build on their success in 2010, the question surrounding the 2011 version of the Huskies is “What is this year’s team capable of?”

When asked that question, Barnes made it clear that he expects great things out of himself and his teammates this year

But Fischer was willing to take it a step further: “We want to win the College World Series,” he said.

“We want to host another Regional and win that, we want to go to a Super Regional and win that, and we want to go to the College World Series and win that. And I think we can do it.”

Entering 2011, Penders has turned his players into believers that they can win a national championship.

Soon enough it will be the players’ time to turn UConn fans into believers too.