Freshmen have had an enormous impact on a number of Tufts teams this spring, but the first-year wave isn't a Medford phenomenon. There have been a number of athletes starring in their first collegiate seasons throughout the NESCAC.
Tufts softball has been helped along this spring by a number of freshmen, including first baseman and power hitter Cara Hovhanessian, speedsters Laura Chapman, Roni Herbst and Samantha Kuhles, and pitcher Lauren Gelmitti.
Brian McDonough's three home runs have made an impact for the baseball team this spring, and goalies Matt Harrigan and Gillian Kline have been a big part of the men's and women's lacrosse teams' early-season success.
Perhaps the biggest impact by a diaper-dandy this spring has been made by Amherst third baseman Brendan Powers, who has helped the Lord Jeffs to a 10-4-1 start. Powers is batting .447 with two home runs and 15 RBI, and took home NESCAC co-Player of the Week honors last week (along with Tufts first baseman Bryan McDavitt) with 12 of his 15 RBI on this season in the four-game stretch.
While Powers was only 6-for-14 on the week, he also walked five times, and reached base safely in 11 consecutive plate appearances. Both of his home runs on the season came last week, and both were enormous. Powers hit a three-run shot last Thursday in an 18-6 triumph over Westfield State and followed it on Friday with a grand slam in the Lord Jeffs' 24-3 rout of Wesleyan.
Also at Amherst, the men's lacrosse team has had its expectations bolstered on account of the play of a freshman net-minder. Although the Jeffs are only off to a 2-4 start, freshman goalie Matt Pietroforte has 33 saves in the team's last three games. His best performances of the season came on Saturday in a 10-9 Amherst win over Colby, when he posted 17 saves. Pietroforte also held tough last Wednesday in a 9-8 loss to Tufts, making nine saves.
While the Bates softball team has a mediocre 5-5 record heading into the NESCAC schedule, it has reason to be excited about its future. Freshman catcher Stacia Saniuk is currently second in the conference in batting with a .469 average. Saniuk also has two home runs and 10 RBI in the Bobcats' first 10 contests this spring. Saniuk helped Bates split a doubleheader with Maine-Farmington last Saturday, when she went 4-for-6 with one of her home runs along with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, and two walks.
On the baseball diamond, a freshman has also been the story for the 4-6 Bates team. Pitcher Benjamin Schwartz has recorded two starts this season, winning both of them. Thus far, he has a 1.86 ERA with six strikeouts on the young season. Against Maine-Farmington last Tuesday, Schwartz gave up only one run and three hits in five innings of work in a 7-3 Bates victory.
At Williams, freshman Britt Spackman has helped the women's lacrosse team to their 5-2 start this spring. Spackman leads the team with 15 assists and is third in goals with 18 for a total of 33 points thus far. As of Apr. 3, Spackman was fourth in the NESCAC in assists per game and 10th in the conference in goals per game.
In the Ephs' 13-5 triumph over Wesleyan last Saturday, Spackman paced her team with three goals and four assists.
The one bright spot in Hamilton's 1-11 start to the softball season has been the play of first-year catcher Amber O'Connor. She is leading her team in almost every offensive statistical category with a .436 batting average, two home runs, seven RBI, two doubles, three triples, and 10 runs scored.
Despite being swept by Middlebury in a doubleheader last Sunday, O'Connor went 6-for-7 on the day with a home run, a triple, three runs scored, and three RBI.
With so many freshman standouts this early in the season who are on pace to improve, competition is sure to pick up as the NESCAC enters the heart of the conference schedule.
