SteepleCats Players to Watch

Published on June 8, 2016 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
North Adams SteepleCats News Release


There is no question that the North Adams SteepleCats will consist of some of the best college baseball players in the country in 2016. This year's offense has seven players that hit over .300 with their respective colleges this past season. Five of the players scored over 30 runs and an additional five had a double digit number of RBIs. Pitching wise, the team is equally talented. The team especially has a dynamite bullpen with three relievers that have ERAs under one. Here are some of the players that should make a major impact for this year's team.

5 Hitters to Watch:

Keaton Wright (1B) - A first baseman from Southern Illinois, Wright led the Cougars with a .305 batting average as a sophomore. Now in his junior season, he has picked up where he left off and upped his batting average to an impressive .360. Wright brings power to the table as well as shown by his 14 career home runs at SIUE. Wright will add to what seems to be a very strong infield for the 'Cats in 2016. He also collected 32 RBIs and scored 18 runs with the Cougars this season.

Daniel Holst (CF) - An outfielder from Southeast Missouri, Holst is enjoying a strong all around season for the Redhawks. Currently Holst is hitting an impressive .314 while being a run producer and a run creator. Holst's 7 home runs and 18 stolen bases rank second on the Redhawks roster and display his ability to impact the game in several ways. He has strong plate discipline as shown by his .463 on?base percentage and 46 walks through 52 games. He will bring all these tools to a strong SteepleCats offense. He finished the 2016 spring with 33 RBIs and 51 runs scored.

Nick Riotto (CF) - An outfielder from Penn State, Riotto has led the Nittany Lions offense with fellow SteepleCat Jim Haley. Riotto has hit an impressive .327 and gotten on base at a .432 clip. Riotto will look to bring his hot bat to the SteepleCats outfield and be an important cog in the SteepleCats offense. In addition to his strong ability to get on base, he is also an expert at finding home plate with 31 runs scored for the Nittany Lions.

Junior Nasi (SS) - A shortstop from Bergen Community College, the 6'5" Nasi will be an imposing presence both in the batter's box and on defense. So far in his sophomore campaign, he has torn the cover off the ball to the tune of a .448 batting average and a .681 slugging percentage. Nasi's height does not seem to detract from his speed at all as proven by his 39 stolen bases through 34 games. Nasi's speed and hitting should be a valuable tool for the aggressive Coach Armstrong. In addition, he drove in 30 runs this year and scored 36 runs himself.

Benjamin Bengston (SS) - The starting shortstop for the Hartford Hawks, Bengston made the America East All?Rookie team and won an America East Rookie of the Week award as a freshman. Bengston compiled an impressive 42 hits in just 44 games to go along with 20 RBI. Bengston will look to assist in the 'Cats run production just as he has at Hartford, where he was responsible for driving in or scoring 42 runs in the 44 games he played. He also recorded 15 extra base hits for the Hawks.

5 Pitchers to Watch:

Tanner Bird (RHP) - A reliever from Franklin Pierce, in his third season with the SteepleCats, fan favorite and hometown boy Tanner Bird needs no introduction. In his senior season, Bird has become a dominant force in the Ravens bullpen. Bird leads all Franklin Pierce non?starters with 51 1?3 innings pitched and through those innings has compiled a 0.53 ERA. He is also striking out batters at an awesome 9.99 K/9. Bird will look to help the 'Cats improve on an impressive 2015 campaign. As valuable as he has been for the Ravens this year, he has won 8 decisions without any losses.

Kyle Mora (RHP) - A starter and reliever from UC San Diego, Mora was the best pitcher for a Tritons team that went 30?20. His ERA of 2.37 led the team among pitchers with at least 5 appearances. Mora held hitters to a .166 batting average against and dominated to a 4?0 record over the course of the season. Mora will add flexibility to a strong pitching staff and could be used as a starter or out of the bullpen for Coach Armstrong. As reliever with San Diego, he saved three games this past season.

Timmy Fallon (RHP) - A first?baseman and relief pitcher, Fallon has compiled an impressive 3.37 ERA for the UMass Lowell River Hawks. He has struck out 18 batters through his 18 2?3 innings pitched. Fallon's ability to play first base will add an additional weapon to Coach Armstrong's defense along with a strong arm out of the bullpen. Fallon will look to help the 'Cats wherever he can in the hopes of contributing to a successful 2016 campaign. He also recorded a save for River Hawks in 2016.

Robby Buffis (RHP) - A hometown boy who played at Mount Greylock, Robby Buffis needs very little introduction. He will be returning for his second season with the 'Cats. Buffis has made only one appearance for Alvernia to this point in the year, but if last year is any indication Buffis will be a key member of this 2016 SteepleCats pitching staff. He will look to add flexibility for Coach Armstrong while helping to improve on a successful 2015 campaign. He joins Tanner Bird as the only two pitchers returning to the SteepleCats from last season.

Peter Lannoo (RHP) - A starter and reliever for Cornell, Lannoo has enjoyed success in 2016 to the tune of a 3.38 ERA. He has held opponents to a low .238 batting average. As a walk?on in his sophomore season in 2015, Lannoo made 5 appearances out of the pen and finished the year with a 2.19 ERA that led all non?starters. Lannoo will be another versatile piece in a strong SteepleCats pitching staff. He won a total of three decisions to go with his successful ERA in 2016.

There will be many other elements to this year's team that should make for an exciting season. With good chemistry, the SteepleCats will be able make each other better as the season goes on. With Tanner Bird, Robbie Buffis, Jared Habershaw and Jim Haley returning plus all the exciting new players, everyone has a lot to offer to help the team find success in 2016.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 8, 2016


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