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Roster Largely Set for June; Juniors Add Depth

January 17, 2012 - Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL)
Wachusett Dirt Dawgs News Release


The Wachusett Dirt Dawgs have added depth for their 2012 roster with five juniors, including four players from the Northeast-10 Conference, the only wood-bat conference in the region. Joining the team will be Kody O'Connor (Le Moyne), Jeff Andersen (Adelphi), Dan Gusovsky (Wheaton), and Shane Keddy and Matt Metcalf, both of Assumption College.

Kody O'Connor (Le Moyne), a first basemen and outfielder from Mexico, N.Y., is all over the record book for Mexico High School. A two-time Central New York Player of the Year, he is second all-time among New York public school students in career home runs (34) and third in RBI (165). As a freshman at Le Moyne, he played in 33 games (25 starts), batting .169. He saw major improvement as a sophomore, improving his average to .243 with five home runs and 25 RBI, as well as a .989 fielding percentage in 52 games. Matt Nandin, Assistant Coach at Le Moyne, says of the 6-foot, 215-pound O'Connor: "Kody easily has the best power on the team; he played first every game for us last season. He struggled at first but came on strong at the end of the year. We expect Kody to hit right in the middle of the lineup every day."

Jeff Andersen (Adelphi), a native of Valley Stream, N.Y., transferred from Nassau Community College to Adelphi this year. At Nassau CC, he helped lead the team to a spot in the 2010 Division III Junior College World Series. At Valley Stream Central High School, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound right-handed pitcher earned All-County honors as a senior. "[Andersen] is proving to be a leader already on our established team, says Keith Kenny, Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Adelphi. "He projects as a starter this spring in the NE-10 conference. His fastball averages 83-86, [and he throws] a curveball and changeup for strikes. Jeff is a pitcher, not just a thrower."

Dan Gusovsky (Wheaton), a catcher out of Andover, Mass., saw significant leaps in his play in his first two seasons at Wheaton. As a sophomore, the 6-foot, 185-pound Andover High graduate hit .336 in 39 games, with 28 RBI and 13 multi-hit games. He was also selected to the DIII New England Baseball Regional All-Tournament Team. His head coach at Wheaton, Eric Podbelski, says "Dan has a winner's mentality in that he understands that a catchers' first priority is to work well with his pitching staff and to get the most out of them on a daily basis. Beyond that, he is also a strong offensive player and a true competitor." Dan also brings Futures League experience to the team, having contributed to Nashua's 2011 championship campaign.

Shane Keddy (Assumption), a shortstop from Worcester, Mass., was named to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette Super Team as a junior and senior when he was at Worcester Tech. As a freshman at Assumption, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Keddy was named to the NE-10 All-Rookie Team after batting .304 with 27 RBI and five stolen bases in 48 games. As a sophomore, he again got 27 RBI and five stolen bases in 48 games. "I think Shane will be one of the top five shortstops in the league," states Assumption Head Coach George Reidy. "I feel he has above average range in the field and is a very above average hitter. He's a hustler and brings a certain toughness to our team."

Matt Metcalf (Assumption), a right-handed pitcher from Warwick R.I., played high school ball at Bishop Hendricken. In his sophomore year at Assumption, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound righty, he improved his ERA to 3.04 in 14 appearances, striking out 17, with a "Matt is a solid arm for us," says Reidy. "He consistently throws strikes and has very good movement. He's a fantastic kid that [Dirt Dawgs fans] would enjoy to have represent your club."

John Morrison, team president, said about the latest player news, "These latest signings bring important leadership to our otherwise young roster [15 freshmen]. I am confident the added experience will help us hit the dirt running in June "" ready to compete with the Original Four's more seasoned rosters."

Morrison added, "These additions also largely complete our roster for next summer, leaving open a couple roster spots for players from the Leominster-Fitchburg area. The next important team news will hopefully be league announcements on our schedule. "

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