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Silver Knights: Plenty of versatile pitching talent

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Jun 27, 2020

Staff file photo by TOM KING The FCBL's Pitcher of the Year as a starter for Nashua in 2018, Brandon Dufault will be a potential closer for the Silver Knights this season.

NASHUA – The Nashua Silver Knights pitching staff is a mix of familiar names and new ones.

And, it’ll be a mix of a few innings here and a few innings there.

That’s because, well, they have a ton of arms. As many as 20 as they prepare to open the abbreviated Futures Collegiate League season on Thursday.

“Everyone will get a couple of innings in, and then we’ll see how the season goes,” Silver Knights manager Kyle Jackson said. “I’m not expecting any starter to go six innings.

“We have more than enough pitchers with the ability to get an inning or two. There’s a lot of games, six other teams and we have Mondays off.

Here’s the breakdown, between possible starters and relievers.

One key returnee is Northeastern senior Brandon Dufault, who was the FCBL Pitcher of the Year with Nashua two years ago but didn’t play with the Knights last summer.

Between the 2018 and ’19 teams, there are 11 returning.

POTENTIAL STARTERS

Chris Chaney, so., Maryland – Chaney didn’t allow a run in three relief appearances at a big-time school, and can start or relieve, the number of innings early on would be the same.

Jack Dicenso, sr., Nichols – he could start or relieve, and Knights general manager Cam Cook says he can hit 90 on the radar gun. Could be a surprise.

Nick Guarino, sr., Clark – A crafty lefty who could eat up innings. In three starts he went 1-2, 5.89.

Pat Harrington, jr., Assumption – A returnee from Bedford and an FCBL All-Star, Harrington will look to get back on track after struggling in the abbreviated spring (0-2 in four appearances, three starts)

Jack Kramer, so., Sacred Heart – Cook loves him, but he had a tough abbreviated spring, going 0-2 with one start, giving up 10 runs in 7-2/3 innings.

Steve Miller, jr., Penn State – “He had good relief outings at a quality school,” Cook said. “We know what we’re going to get from him.” What the Nittany Lions got was a 2.70 ERA in three relief outings, but opponents only hit .164 against him.

Geoff Mosseau, so., St. John’s – The Bedford lefty, who had Tommy John surgery a couple of years ago, went 1-0, 5.25 this spring in relief. He was a Knight two years ago but got hurt very early in the season and that was that. He’ll likely get some starts and see the mound against predominantly lefty lineups.

Joe Quintal, sr., Fordham – The 6-2 righty will be anxious to take the mound for Nashua as he allowed the game-deciding homer in the playoff loss to North Shore last August. Went 0-1 in two starts in the short spring with the Rams.

Josh Roberge, sr., Wheaton – The Chelmsford, Mass.native may have had the best spring of anyone, going 1-0, 1.64 in two starts this spring, while fanning 16 in 11 innings. Pencil him in once a week for the rotation.

Shea Ryan, so., Assumption – Also from the Chelmsford area, the lefty went 0-1 in two starts his freshman year, allowing 15 hits in 15 innings. Cook views him as a “lefty version of Harrington.”

Griffin Young, jr., Wheaton – A Knights returnee from last season, Young didn’t take the mound this shortened spring but was one of Wheaton’s best starters last year with six wins, a 1.87 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. He’s the eighth staff returnee.

POTENTIAL RELIEVERS

Brandon Dufault, sr., Northeastern – A starter two years ago, the Windham native is a closer type now and dominant. “We didn’t sign him early because we thought he’d be taken in the (MLB Amateur) Draft,” Cook said, before the pandemic changed things. “If the Draft were a normal draft, he would not be on this team right now.”

Robert Cobb, sr., Nichols – Basically a steady pitcher who can come out of the pen and throw strikes. He went 2.84 in three spring appearances, all in relief.

Shaun Cormier, sr., New England College – He pitched in Nashua last summer, mainly in long relief.

Gabe Driscoll, so., Binghamton – Cook calls him “a funky reliever”, a sidearm type as Jackson loves having a couple of sidearm hurlers on the roster. “You’ll get a couple of swings and misses,” Cook said.

Jordan Hiscoe, jr., AIC – Does the name sound familiar? Think Bishop Guertin football, quarterback, out of Milford. But baseball is his top game now, and after recovering from the injury bug he’s ready to get back on track. Between the last two seasons, he’s only made four appearances for the Yellow Jackets. Good velocity, will work on accuracy.

Stephen McLendon, so., Babson – The Bishop Guertin alum from Nashua did not see the mound during his freshman spring, so he’ll be anxious to pitch for sure.

Jack Pawloski, jr., Umass-Amherst – Also a lefty, he’s got size at 6-4, but went 0-3, 6.75 in three relief appearancs a few months ago. Small sample size but he did fan seven in four innings. “He’s one guy who’s been working a lot during the quarantine,” Cook said.

Michael Untracht, jr., Iona – Yes, the Chelmsford train continues. Another lefty, he was a late addition. He didn’t pitch this short spring, but in 11 appearances as a freshman in 2019 (two starts) Untracht went 0-2, 4.62.

Jackson Walker, so., Franklin Pierce – Did not get to see the mound for the Ravens this spring as a freshman. He’ll get short relief stints.

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