Eagles ready for the first pitch

There's a new sense of belonging surrounding the Boston College baseball team this season.

When BC moved from the Big East to the ACC in the summer of 2005, many experts questioned how smooth a transition the Eagles would experience in a sport dominated by southern schools. They doubted that Big East-quality players could compete in the superior ACC.

Following two seasons that saw BC finish with back-to-back sub-.500 records in ACC play, some might say the critics were right. And with the Eagles returning just three starting fielders from last season, it might appear that 2008 will be more of the same.

For most college baseball programs, returning only three starters might pose a problem. But not for head coach Mik Aoki and his young team. "I think it (the talent level) has improved," Aoki said. "In some ways, it's just a natural progression of us having joined the ACC. I think that has enabled us to get in the door with kids who in the past may have overlooked us," he said about the move to such a competitive conference.

Aoki makes a point. While Birdball lost multiple players for various reasons - professional baseball, transfer, and even the NFL draft - the team currently has more ACC-quality players than ever before. It now has the talent to compete and the knowledge to win in perhaps the country's finest baseball conference.

Take freshman Matt Hamlet, for example. The infielder, who hails from ACC-country in Virginia, is expected to replace Joe Ayers in the lineup when the Eagles travel to Georgia Southern this weekend, but Aoki does not foresee a drop-off in production. Although Ayers was taken in the 48th round of the draft last summer, the coach does not hesitate to praise his protege: "[Hamlet] has done a very good job swinging the bat. He's a very good little defender that gives us flexibility." Hamlet's versatility should play a role early, as he is expected to start in right field this weekend while Barry Butera gets the nod at second base.

Butera, who Aoki describes as having "one of the best two or three arms on the team," may switch with Hamlet later in the year and move to right field because of his arm strength. For now, however, Butera will flash his glove at second. The left-handed hitter, who started six games last season, caught Aoki's eye in the preseason. "He's always been good defensively, but in the bubble, he swung the bat a heck of a lot better," the coach said.

Another fresh face on the diamond is that of Garret Smith. Smith has been penciled in to replace Ryan Hutchinson at shortstop. The freshman from Sterling, Mass. is very strong in the field and showcases a brilliant arm, which Aoki said may be the strongest on the team.

While the middle infield lacks experience, the corner spots will be manned by two players coming off solid seasons in 2007. Third baseman Eric Campbell, a second-team All-ACC selection last spring, returns after leading the Eagles with a .350 batting average. The 6-foot-3 junior, who is listed as a co-captain for the 2008 squad, was recently named to the watch list for the 2008 Brooks Wallace, an award given to the country's best player. Sophomore Michael Belfiore returns as the team's first baseman. Belfiore hit .297 last spring while splitting time at first base and right field. The 6-foot-3 left-hander may also get a strong look on the mound as the season progresses after pitching in seven games as a freshman.

The third returning starter is catcher Tony Sanchez. Sanchez, a sophomore from Miami, had a productive debut in 2007 when he started 48 games and hit .318. Regarded as one of the ACC's top backstops, Sanchez is expected to take on a leadership role as the season progresses. The catcher was also named to the Brooks Wallace watch list along with Campbell.

In the outfield, Aoki is confident that a mix of players will aptly fill roles left behind by Peter Frates, Jared McGuire, and Johnny Ayers. While either Hamlet or Butera should play right field, freshman Marc Perdios has won the job in center. "He's a talented kid," Aoki said. "He's a coach's son (his dad coaches at Curry College in Milton, Mass.), and he brings along with him all the attributes that your typical coach's son does. He just has a really good feel for playing the game."

Left field should witness a combination of sophomores Robbie Anston and Sam Shaughnessy. "In the last couple of weeks in the scrimmages, Sam has done a really good job with the bat," Aoki said of Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaugnessy's son. "He has played himself from relatively low on the depth chart after last year to a position where he's probably going to start this weekend," he added. Anston "brings some speed and athleticism to the lineup," Aoki said. The left-handed hitter from Florida is currently battling an arm injury, however, and may start at designated hitter this weekend.

While the lineup returns little experience, the pitching rotation returns several players who made multiple starts in 2007.

Among those pitchers is Terry Doyle, the 2006 Cape Cod Baseball League Co-Pitcher of the Year Award. The 6-foot-4 right-hander is expected to be the team's ace following an injury-plagued season last spring. Doyle went 4-5 with a 5.87 ERA in 2007, despite posting ERAs of 3.14 and 3.44 in his first two seasons.

"He had a down year in comparison to what he did as a freshman and sophomore," Aoki said. "But from what I've seen of him in the bubble, he's kind of back to what he was. He's a kid who has more experience than anyone on our club." That experience will give Doyle the season-opening start on Friday, before Aoki turns the ball over to Dan Houston and Nick Asselin.

Houston, who went 3-4 with a 5.27 ERA in 17 games last season, will start on Saturday. The 6-foot-3 junior began last season as the team's closer before relinquishing the role and moving to the starting rotation where he posted a solid 2-1 mark. Asselin returns following a season-ending injury in 2007 after he posted a 1-2 record and an 8.18 ERA. The senior, who pitched very well before the injury in games against Vanderbilt and Duke, will start on Sunday.

The backend of the starting rotation will be a battle between names like James MacDonald, John Leonard, and Kevin Moran. Leonard and Moran are both freshmen and should see several mid-week starts as the season progresses.

Aoki expects the bullpen to be led by another freshman, 6-foot-2 left-hander Pat Dean. Dean is slated to be the team's closer following several successful scrimmages in the bubble. Other members of the pen include sophomore Geoff Oxley and senior Kurt Hayer. Oxley, a 6-foot-4 right-hander, led the team with a 3.04 ERA last spring. Hayer, who averaged 9.82 strikeouts per game in 2007, has what Aoki calls "the best pure stuff of anybody" on the team.

With such a young lineup and a group of pitchers looking to rebound in 2008, Aoki recognizes the uncertainty surrounding his team.

But he remains cautiously optimistic about its prospects: "You hope they're good enough, and I think that they are. But we'll find out in a hurry."

That hurry begins this weekend in Statesboro, Georgia.