Northern Essex CC Knights 2011 Baseball Preview

The 2011 Northern Essex CC Knights look to rebound from a 7 – 23 season a year ago. Still in the rebuilding phase, NECC struggled with injuries and depth last year

Northern Essex Community College Baseball Team

but look forward to the 2011 season with eagerness and enthusiasm. Head Coach Chris Shanahan and the Knights return a talented group of sophomores and welcome in a solid group of newcomers.

Returning Players

Sophomore Anyelo Roman (Lowell, MA/Lowell) looks to bounce back from an injury plagued 2010 season both on the mound and at the plate. Before a broken leg sidelined him last year, Roman was playing extremely well, being awarded the NJCAA Player of the Week during their spring trip in Maryland. Roman will anchor the pitching staff, after fine tuning his game this summer for the Arizona Collegiate Summer League going 1-1 in 21 IP, 19 K, with a 1.92 ERA.

Mike Chartier (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury), who comes off a season last year with 25 innings pitched, 32 strikeouts, and an 0-2 record, will look to be a solid number two after a great off-season.

Sophomore catcher Paul Becotte (Amherst, MA/Souhegan) will split duties behind the plate this spring. “We needed Paul to work on his game in the off-season, get bigger and stronger, and that’s exactly what he did,” Coach Shanahan remarked.

Returning Captain Ray Roman (Lowell, MA/Lowell) will solidify shortstop for Northern Essex coming off a tremendous 2010 season. Ray batted a strong .400 going 34-85 with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homeruns, 35 runs, 23 runs batted in, and a remarkable 31 stolen bases. Roman finished the season as a 2nd Team All Conference for Region XXI. “He plays the game with confidence and passion and we will look for him to be a leader and catalyst on the field for us,” Shanahan said.

Newcomers

Coach Shanahan and Assistant Coach Bobby Gibbons welcome in 15 highly recruited freshmen who will look to step in and help make a strong impact this season.

Freshman transfer Kyle O’Neill (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) will look to get a spot in the starting rotation right off the bat. He provides a strong fastball with good secondary pitches. Left-handed pitcher Corey Couilliard (Pelham, NH/Pelham) will also look to step in and fill a big role with the pitching staff. Couilliard had a strong senior season at Pelham and looks to continue that success at NECC. Costa Tingas (Lowell, MA/Lowell) is another freshman who should see a good amount of innings. “Costa had some strong outings this fall. He’ll need to work on his consistency but we have confidence that he will be ready for the challenge,” said Shanahan. Also looking to add depth to the staff is Felix Gomez (Lawrence, MA/Dominican Republic), Manuel Castro (Lawrence, MA/Dominican Republic), Sean Perkins (Billerica, MA/Shawsheen Tech), and Mike Patane (Salem, NH/Salem).

Splitting time with Paul Becotte behind the plate will be Manny Cabral (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury). The 6-foot Tewksbury native looked strong in the fall and should continue to get better with experience.

The infield will look strong with Ray Roman at short and Matt Faia (Sandown, NH/Timberlane) at second-base. The 2010 Eagle Tribune All-Star and Third Team All-State Selection for Class-L, Faia will provide solid defense with a good bat and exceptional speed on the base paths. Twin brother John Faia (Sandown, NH/Timberlane) will add depth at first base behind returning Anyelo Roman. Promising freshman Carlos Morel (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) will look to make an impact at third base. “Carlos is a hard worker and is as smooth as they come at third base. He’s a switch-hitter who played adds some serious speed at the top of the lineup” Assistant Coach Gibbons said.

Though young and unproven, NECC’s outfield will be as fast and athletic as any in region 21. Freshman Domingo Cruz (Manchester, NH/Memorial) was a second-team All-State for Class L at Manchester-Memorial. Cruz, also a top sprinter at Memorial, tracks the ball well and possesses a strong arm in center field. Keegan Pafford (Portsmouth, NH/Portsmouth) is another highly-regarded freshman who could make an impact in the outfield and on the mound. The former Portsmouth High star adds power to the lineup. “Pafford leads by example. He worked tremendously hard in the fall both on the field and in the weight room. We named him a captain for that reason and look forward to seeing him develop within the next two years,” added Coach Gibbons. Also in the outfield will be freshman Danyer Fabian (Lawrence, MA/Georgetown). The Daily-News All-Star last year as a senior, Fabian led Georgetown in almost all offensive categories including singles (19), triples (1), home-runs (2), RBI (20), slugging (.468), and stolen-bases (10). Also adding depth to the outfield will be Lawrence native Fernando Hernandez (Lawrence, MA/Lawrence). Hernandez has a good bat and is another guy with a ton of speed.

The Northern Essex CC Knights open up their 2011 season March 11 against No. 5 Frederick CC in Frederick, Maryland.