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Both old and new faces are changing Emerson baseball
The Emerson baseball standing as the National Anthem plays before a game against Wheaton College. (Photo: Olivia Cappoli/Emerson Athletics)

Both old and new faces are changing Emerson baseball

BOSTON (BVM) — Emerson College is a small Division III school with a baseball team that’s seen little to no success. The closest the team has gotten to a winning record was a 15-20 season in 2010. However, a huge new recruiting class and a culture shift could change the fortune of the Emerson Lions’ baseball team.

Success doesn’t happen overnight, and the Lions know that better than anyone else in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Since 2010, the Lions have a 61-246 record including an 0-16 divisional record in 2016.

Part of their struggles can be attributed to how tough the NEWMAC is, especially at the top. Wheaton College, Babson College, and MIT are Division III powerhouses seemingly always at the top of the division. Since Emerson joined the NEWMAC in the 2013-2014 season, those three colleges have shared a spot in the top four records in the division every year except two. 

In 2021, Wheaton reached the NCAA Division III World Series despite losing the NEWMAC by one game to Babson. MIT didn’t play in 2021 but expect to be back at full force next season, making the road to success for Emerson baseball that much harder.

No one expects the Lions to go from worst to first in one season, but the team is taking the right steps towards a turnaround starting with their culture. After years of losing, Emerson baseball’s culture and team spirit could only be described as negative.

However, two graduating Emerson baseball players are credited with bringing some sense of hope and positivity to a team that hasn’t felt that in a long time. Andre Padovani and Ryan McCahan joined Emerson baseball in the 2017-2018 season and left with little to no team success.

Despite playing through an 18-68 career record and playing two shortened seasons due to COVID-19, McCahan and Padovani came to every game with a positive and competitive outlook. Eventually, their energy was contagious and birthed a new Emerson baseball culture that never backs down.

“Andre Padovani and Ryan McCann from a culture standpoint, both guys are good players but they kind of were our culture,” Emerson head coach Nicholas Vennochi said.  They were part of this thing when we were not really fun to be a part of, to be honest. The bench was not a place that was a good place to be, and they kind of willed that to be a different way.”

Even with a newly invigorated culture, talent and execution are what win ballgames and Emerson has a ton of new talent to keep an eye on. The centerpiece of the Lions team is Thai Morgan, a rising junior infielder slated to take over at shortstop. 

Despite playing only 21 games due to the COVID-19 seasons, Morgan has shown plenty to be considered the Lions’ best player. His .333 batting average, three home runs, and 13 RBI all led the team in 2021. His hitting is so impressive that head coach Vennochi called him, “A walking barrel.” He also brings great speed and defense to compliment his middle of the order bat.

The rest of the team may not impress statistically but are plenty talented. The outfield is rounded out with rising seniors Quinten Copeland, Louie Davolio, and Josh Cohen who have all started since their freshman years. These three bring leadership and consistency to the Emerson lineup and are all tough outs. 

The pitching staff has always been a concern, especially when facing top NEWMAC hitters. However, rising junior AJ Ortega and rising sophomore Chris Lowe should bring a solid 1-2 punch. Both led the team in strikeouts in 2021 without the overpowering stuff you expect from top of the rotation pitchers. Their main weapon is knowing how to change speeds, pitch well, and challenge hitters in the strike zone.

The returning players will also be joined by one of the largest recruiting classes in Emerson baseball history with 17 players expected to join the roster. A 44-man roster may seem like a lot, but coach Vennochi hopes it will bring the right amount of competitiveness to push the Lions into a new era of success.

That new era is on the horizon, but it isn’t promised. Coach Vennochi, his staff, and his players have worked hard to create a competitive environment to bring the best out of everyone on the team. Only time will tell if the Lions are here to win, but they certainly have set everything up for success.