Five Things to Watch: Holy Cross Baseball

FULL SLATE OF GAMES 

For the first time since the 2019 season, the Holy Cross baseball team is set to play a full regular-season schedule. Head coach Ed Kahovec’s squad is slated to play 54 games this year after both the 2020 and 2021 schedules were limited due to COVID-19 – and the 2022 campaign presents a number of talented opponents.

The Crusaders commence the season on Feb. 18 with a four-game test at Troy. After taking on the Trojans in Alabama, the Crusaders travel to the University of New Mexico for four contests from Feb. 25 to 27. During spring break, Holy Cross will play against North Carolina A&T (March 5 and 6), the Virginia Military Institute (March 9) and the University of Richmond (March 10 to 13).

Holy Cross' home opener is scheduled for March 15 against Boston College at Fitton Field. The Crusaders will face Northeastern (March 18 and 19), Brown (March 19 and 20), UMass (March 22) and UMass Lowell (March 23) before commencing Patriot League play on March 26 at Navy.

PITCHING STAFF - RETURNERS

Junior righty Jack DiLauro, the team’s projected Opening Day starter, brings experience to the Crusaders’ rotation. He led the team in innings pitched (38.2) and strikeouts (39) in the shortened 2021 season; over his career, he’s struck out 55 batters in 51.2 innings of work.

Sophomore right-hander Alex Bryant comes off a strong rookie campaign, in which he made 12 total appearances, predominately out of the bullpen. He ranked second on the team with 32 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched, en route to a 4-2 record on the season. 

Junior right-handed pitcher Nate Chudy and left-hander Jake McOsker bring experience on the mound as well; last season, the two combined for 31.2 innings pitched over 16 relief appearances. Chudy tallied 18 strikeouts a season ago, and McOsker heated up during a late-season stretch, not allowing any earned runs in four of his five relief appearances in April and May.

Other noteworthy experienced returners include senior right-hander Nick Escoto, junior righty Ben Talbot, junior right-hander Luke Fox and sophomore righty Matt Remley. 

POSITION PLAYERS - RETURNERS

Senior catcher Angelo D’Acunto earned All-Patriot League first team honors after a stellar 2021 campaign. Despite an impressive offensive showing – he batted .293 with six doubles, two home runs, 16 RBI and a team-best 21 runs scored – the 2021 Buster Posey Award watchlist selection dazzled even more with his defensive prowess. D’Acunto led the Patriot League with 16 runners caught stealing, twice as many as any other catcher in the conference and ranking tied for fourth in single-season program history. He enters the 2022 season tied for sixth in career program history in runners caught stealing (24).

Sophomore middle infielder Sam Kirkpatrick was a 2022 Preseason All-Patriot League honoree at second base. Kirkpatrick played in all 30 games for Holy Cross during his rookie campaign in 2021, starting 29 at second base. He led the team with 19 RBI, batting .252 with two doubles, a triple and a home run, while additionally stealing a team-leading five bases.

Sophomore Jake McElroy became a mainstay in the Crusaders’ lineup as the 2021 season rolled on, seeing time in the outfield and at designated hitter. In 21 games played, McElroy batted .273 while adding in two doubles and a triple. 

Senior Nate Wolf, who primarily spent time in the outfield and as a designated hitter during the 2021 season, will provide leadership and experience for a young Holy Cross squad. He is set to spend the majority of his time as a first baseman in 2022, a year after recording six doubles and walking 17 times – ranking second on the team in on-base percentage (.414). 

Junior Ben Dellacono started 29 games in the outfield in 2021, hitting a team-best four home runs on the season. 

FRESH FACES 

With the graduation of nine seniors in 2021, the Crusaders will turn to a number of newcomers in key roles early. 

Freshman Tyler Mudd is projected to play a key role on the mound this season, while also seeing time in the outfield. Also on the mound, Holy Cross adds freshmen right-handers in Luke LeMond, Augie Walters, Sean Scanlon, Trevor Neff and Tommy Leimkuhler. Junior right-handed pitcher Chris Benton also joins the Crusaders as a transfer from Hamilton College. 

Holy Cross’ new position players include infielder Brendan Jones, catcher Chris Baillargeon, infielder Nick Wang, infielder Jimmy King, outfielder Connor Cooney, infielder Connor Peek and catcher Andrew Whinney.

Six Crusader newcomers hail from Massachusetts (Jones, Mudd, Wang, Peek, Neff, Leimkuhler), with the others arriving in Worcester from New York (Baillargeon, Scanlon), Pennsylvania (King, Whinney), Colorado (Cooney), Florida (LeMond), Connecticut (Benton) and Arizona (Walters). 

PATRIOT LEAGUE AT A GLANCE

Over a 25-game conference slate, the Crusaders will jockey for playoff positioning among a group of competitive Patriot League foes, with their eyes set on a Patriot League title come May. 

The top four teams in the regular-season conference standings qualify for the Patriot League Tournament, with best-of-three semifinal and final series slated for mid-May.

Preseason favorite Army – the 2021 Patriot League Champions – collected 50 points and 10 first-place votes to rank first in the League’s preseason poll. Navy collected 38 points; Lafayette and 2021 runner-up Lehigh tied for third with 32 points, while the Leopards collected the remaining two first-place votes. Bucknell features the Patriot League’s Preseason Player of the Year in outfielder Chris Cannizzaro and Preseason Pitcher of the Year in right-hander Chris DiFiore.