New name, same identity; Blue Sox aim for new heights in 2014

In the next two-plus weeks leading up to Opening Day, the NECBL will unveil team-by-team previews for the 2014 campaign, one per weekday leading up to June 5.

Recapping 2013
The 2013 Blue Sox advanced to the NECBL postseason for the third time in five years, winning a tiebreaker game with the Saratoga Brigade to place fourth in the Western Division.

With a 22-23 regular season record, a pesky team that appeared to be on the cusp of something much more all season long managed to push top-seeded Keene in their Western Division Semifinal Series to a third and decisive game before eventually bowing out to the eventual league champions.

Third baseman Brendan Hendriks of San Francisco set an NECBL record by appearing in all of the team’s 45 regular season games and was the team’s leader with a .342 average, good for second in the league; center fielder and fellow NECBL All-Star Jacob Bruce of Kennesaw State also was among the league’s batting aveage leaders, finishing with a .325 mark, 11th-best in the NECBL.

Pitching, however, was Holyoke’s true strength last summer. Comprised of a starting staff that featured two All-Stars in Buffalo’s Michael Burke and Kennesaw State’s Jordan Hillyer, the Blue Sox pitching staff paced the team throughout the season highlighted by Burke’s league-leading 0.55 ERA that earned him Pitcher of the Year honors.

Hendriks and Burke were also named First-Team All-Stars, with Hillyer earning Second-Team honors. Seven Blue Sox—Burke, Hillyer, Hendriks, Bruce, right fielder Vahn Bozoian, catcher Justin Morhardt, and shortstop Matt Reida—represented the West in the league’s All-Star Game in Laconia, with Reida, Hendriks, and Bruce all starting the game.

Who To Watch For
Willie Abreu, Sophomore, Outfielder University of Miami - Abreu has been a dominant force for the Hurricanes as a true freshman. The left-handed hitter displays a combination of size, power, hitting prowess, and a strong arm as indicative by his four outfield assists. His discipline has made him an on-base machine, touting a .299/.397/.361 slash.

Derik Beauprez, Sophomore, RHP, University of Miami - Beauprez, like Abreu, has enjoyed success in his freshman season with the ‘Canes. The Greenwood, Colo., native has to the tune of a 1.019 WHIP and a batting average against of just .185. He displays solid command, with 15 strikeouts against six walks in 17.2 innings.

Daniel Starwalt, Junior, RHP, Stanford - Starwalt was a touted prospect out of high school (drafted in the 37th round by the Phillies in 2012) and heads to Holyoke in hopes of posting a breakout summer. The righty displays a lively fastball and has a later breaking roundhouse curveball that can be devastating.

Tyler Mautner, Senior, Infield, Buffalo - Mautner is a draft-eligible rising senior who has had an impressive spring following his great summer in the Far West League in 2013. The right-handed bat was the Far West League MVP and won the triple crown last summer en route to being named the league’s No. 3 prospect by Perfect Game USA. Mautner enjoyed a dominant junior season in Buffalo, posting a .352/.455/.531 slash.

Dylan Delso Junior, Catcher, TCU - Delso is currently a sophomore at TCU and in his first season there. He previously was at Cowley County College after redshirting at Arizona State. At Cowley, Delso hit .394 with seven home runs and 54 RBI, enough to earn him Second-Team All-America honors at the JUCO level. He continued his torrid pace and hit .403 in the Jayhawk League last summer and was ranked the No. 2 prospect in the league by Perfect Game USA.

The Coaching Staff
Two familiar faces behind the Blue Sox bench return as seventh-year manager Darryl Morhardt looks to lead his team to new heights. Morhardt, the only manager the team has had since the move to Holyoke in 2008, will have longtime assistant Jim Woods back to handle the pitching staff, while Hopkins Academy coach Fred Ciaglo joins to replace the departed Peter Fatse.

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