George Washington University Athletics
GW Baseball Season Outlook
2/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 12, 2014
2014 Quick Facts | Ticket Information | GW Baseball Podcast
The George Washington baseball team will kick of the 2014 season this weekend with a pair of games at UNC Greensboro.
The Colonials return 14 letterwinners and welcome in 16 newcomers to take the field under the direction of second-year head coach and 2013 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Gregg Ritchie.
Expectations are high following a remarkable 2013 season. After being picked to finish 15th overall in the Atlantic 10 a year ago, the Colonials responded by winning 15 league games and earning a berth in the Atlantic 10 Championship for the first time since 2006. At the A-10 Championship, the Colonials upset No. 4 seed Rhode Island before bowing out to eventual champion Saint Louis in the bracket's final four.
Appearances in the Atlantic 10 Championships are now the expectation and the league's coaches have agreed, picking the Colonials to finish seventh in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Colonials are aiming to win their fifth Atlantic 10 Championship in program history this season and advance to the NCAA Tournament via the conference's automatic bid.
The Colonials will play 29 games at Barcroft Park this season, starting on February 19 against UMES.
STARTING PITCHING
Seniors Aaron Weisberg and Luke Staub, along with sophomore Max Kaplow, will open the season as the Colonials' weekend starters.
Weisberg returns for his senior season after a having a standout junior campaign. The six-foot-seven righty led the team with six victories last season and finished with 53 strikeouts in 81.1 innings of work. The Glen Rock, N.J., native logged valuable time this summer in the Valley Baseball League, earning All-VBL honors and being named Pitcher of the Year for his Staunton Braves.
Staub proved to be a workhorse for the Colonials in his debut season, leading the team in innings pitched (91.2) and strikeouts (55). He was especially sharp in Atlantic 10 conference games, pitching to a 3-2 record with a 2.92 ERA and 23 strikeouts. The momentum carried over to summer ball where Staub helped lead the Madison Mallards to the Northwoods League World Series championship, pitching to a 4-4 record with a 1.80 ERA and 48 strikeouts.
Kaplow returns to the rotation after having his promising freshman season cut short with an injury. The Falls Church, Va., native had two victories and 25 strikeouts in 46.2 innings before being sidelined for the remainder of the season.
BULLPEN
Senior Craig LeJeune returns for his senior season and will be looked upon once again to slam the door in the ninth after picking up 10 saves as a junior. The Bristol, Conn., native was recently named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Watch List and is closing in on the career-saves record. Bryan Beggs '01 holds the record after registering 17 career saves from 1998-2001
Sophomores Bobby LeWarne and Jacob Williams will be relied on for long relief out of the bullpen and spot starts for midweek games.
LeWarne appeared in 15 games as a freshman and earned two victories while racking up 32 strikeouts in 39.1 innings while Williams appeared in eight contests.
Freshman Brandon Ritchie will also log long-relief innings and the occasional spot start after a successful scholastic career during which he was a three-time All-Section selection at Laurel High School (Pa.).
Senior Colin Milon will once again be a key component of the bullpen as a matchup specialist. As a junior he led the team with 21 appearances with 17 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.
Youth will be prevalent in the back end of the bullpen with freshmen Jordan Sheinkop, Andrew Piccin, Kevin Mahala, Zane Schreiber, Larry McCabe and Eddie Muhl being looked upon for valuable innings.
Veterans Taylor Lambke and Luke Olson also return and will play a key role in the Colonials' success in 2014.
CATCHERS
Sophomore Matthieu Robért headlines a sturdy rotation of backstops for the Colonials entering 2014. The New Orleans, La., native handled most of the backstop duties last season, appearing in 45 games with 34 behind the plate. He collected six doubles, one triple and three home runs in addition to 16 RBIs and picked up an Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honor late in the season during the Colonials surge into the postseason.
Junior Xavier Parkmond will be counted on to spell Robért behind the plate in addition to appearances at designated hitter and in the outfield. Parkmond had his best season yet in 2013, collecting 16 hits, one triple, one home run, seven RBIs and eight stolen bases in 32 games.
The freshman duo of Colin Gibbons-Fly and Jon Steele are also capable backstops in the rotation entering this season.
Gibbons-Fly enjoyed a highly successful scholastic career at nearby Dematha Catholic, where he was a two-time all WCAC selection and helped his team to appearances in the WCAC Championship as a freshman and sophomore.
Steele is a decorated player from Pompton Lakes, N.J., helping his high school to State Sectional Championships in both his junior and senior seasons.
INFIELD
Senior Owen Beightol will anchor the infield as the starting second basemen to open the season. The Richmond, Va., native enjoyed a solid junior season in which he drove in thirty runs with nine doubles and two home runs in addition to collecting a team-best 17 multiple-hit games and eight multiple-RBI games. Beightol, a versatile and athletic player, will also log time elsewhere in the infield in addition to outfield and designated hitter.
GW will see freshman handle the other three infield spots in the opening weekend as freshmen Cody Bryant (1B), Kevin Mahala (SS) and Bobby Campbell (3B) will make their collegiate debuts. Sophomore Andy Young returns as a utility infielder along with freshman Eli Kashi.
OUTFIELD
Junior Ryan Xepoleas will open the season in centerfield following a successful stint at Santa Rosa Community College, where he was a First Team All-Big 8 selection after batting .310 with eight doubles, four triples and 28 RBIs last season. Freshmen Andrew Selby and Joey Bartosic will also log time in the outfield along with Parkmond.
Selby is a local product from Alexandria, Va., and was a WCAC Second-Team selection in two seasons. Bartosic is was a First Team Washington Post All-Met selection at Oakton High School and is incredibly gifted with speed in both the outfield and on the base paths.
Sophomore Gabe Scott and freshmen John Brady and McCabe will also see time in the outfield this season.
