Blake Bacas ’26 & Andrew O’Connor ’26
Staff Writer & Guest Writer
The beginning of Spring can mean different things to different people: for most, it is a time of starting fresh, after a harsh winter, but for the more sports-inclined, it’s the start of baseball season! Holy Cross Baseball just returned from their season-opening series at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. While they came home with a 1-2 record, there are certainly promising signs for the season. W&M had the 9th lowest ERA in the NCAA last season, and the Crusaders put up 20 runs on them in their three game salvo.
On the opening day of the year, sophomores Jayden Wywoda and Danny Macchiarola had a very impressive pitching performance. They combined for 9 innings of 2 run ball en route to a 4-2 win. Macchiarola took the win for the game, and Wywoda registered a save. In addition to some encouraging pitching performances, there have been great signs on the offensive side of the ball as well. Junior Sean Scandling and sophomore Jack Toomey have had great starts at the plate thus far. In three games, Scandling has a combined statline of 4-11 with two runs, two RBIs and a double, good for a .955 OPS. Toomey has a combined line of 2-10, which at first glance may not be particularly impressive, but Toomey has a tendency to hit for power. He has two RBIs, as well as a triple, giving him a .829 thus far.
In addition to some returning veterans, Holy Cross has gotten some early production from its freshman class, which was named one of Baseball America’s 11 under-the-radar recruiting classes this past year. Ryan Grundy is a freshman first baseman from Weston, Massachusetts who has had a great start at the plate this season. In his first full game on the 18th, he went 3-6 with a triple, three runs and two RBIs. Look for him to continue his hot start when he’s able to get playing time. Alex Sandell, from Cambridge, Mass is an infielder who has also shown early signs of encouragement. An ISL Gold Glover last year, playing primarily at shortstop, Sandell has flashed real two-way potential in the infield through 3 games, especially in the season opener on the 16th, where he went 2-4 with two runs and an RBI. While the bat has cooled off since then (1-8 with a run in the following two contests), he is certainly a name to keep an eye on to provide positive infield defense while being a positive at the plate.
Holy Cross’s next series is at Kansas State, who are currently ranked 24th in the nation. Their three game series will take place from the 23rd to the 25th of February. After that, during spring break, the team will travel to Honolulu and play the University of Hawaii for four games from the 1st to 4th of March. The Rainbow Warriors should prove to be a tough opponent for the Crusaders, as they are coming off of a 29-20 record last season, including an 18-12 record in Big West conference play. The team will make its home debut on Wednesday, March 20th, at 5 PM versus UMass Lowell. Make sure to come out and support the team!
Featured Image Courtesy of Holy Cross Athletics
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