HookC Opens 2024 Season at USF Baseball Tournament

Friday, February 16

Tampa, FL

2:00 PM

University of Connecticut

Louisville

2/15/2024 6:55:00 AM | Baseball

Game Notes | Media Guide | ESPN+ | Instagram Live | MIXLR

TAMPA, Fla. - The UConn baseball team opens its 2024 season with three games at the USF Baseball Tournament beginning on Friday, February 16 at 6 p.m. against the host, USF Bulls, at the USF Baseball Stadium. UConn is slated to play 2023 Super Regional participant Indiana State on Saturday, February 17 at 12 p.m. and ACC foe Louisville on Sunday, February 18 at 9 a.m. Friday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and Saturday and Sunday's games will be on Instagram Live on the UConn Baseball account. All three games will have audio streams on MIXLR with Chris Jones on the call.

UConn is coming off its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and third-straight BIG EAST regular season championship. The Huskies finished 2023 with 44-17 mark overall and recorded its second-straight 40 win regular season for the first time in program history.

After winning a program record 50 games in 2022, the Huskies 94 wins the past two seasons are the most in back-to-back seasons in UConn baseball history.

Position Players

About That Time!

Our 2024 position player preview with associate head coach Jeff Hourigan is Live ??https://t.co/krevzg9ixT
— UConn Baseball (@UConnBSB) February 13, 2024

UConn loses three key contributors in the lineup with All-BIG EAST 1B Ben Huber (.341, 17 HR, 66 RBI), BIG EAST Player of the Year 3B/RHP Dominic Freeberger (.347, 7 HR, 61 RBI) and Second Team College Foundation All-American 2B/OF David Smith (.304, 72 runs, 39 SB) but do bring back everyone else from last year.

OF Jake Studley (.325, 8 HR, 57 RBI) enters the season as the Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and is joined by Korey Morton (.290, 10 HR, 45 RBI) in the outfield with both guys playing in 60 games or more last season. Veteran T.C. Simmons returns for the Huskies after battling injuries last season that limited him to 18 starts, in 2022 the El Cajon, Calif. native played in all 66 games and hit .283 with 19 doubles and led the team with 46 walks and 20 hit by pitches.

The UConn outfield has plenty of depth with sophomore Drew Kron ready to take the next step after playing in 19 games as a freshman. Endcott transfer Caleb Shpur joins the Huskies after being named an All-American and CCC Player of the Year in 2023, a season he hit .367 with 10 home runs and 44 stolen bases. Sophomore Niko Brini also provides depth after playing in 13 games last season.

The UConn infield is filled with veteran presence with the return of shortstops Bryan Padilla and Paul Tammaro. Tammaro burst onto the scene against Hawaii last season and ended up hitting .389 in 36 games. Padilla, is expected to shift from his usual shortstop position to third base this season but could spell Tammaro at short when needed. Padilla will miss the start of the season with a hamate bone injury but is hopeful to be back by the beginning of March. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native hit .266 last season with six home runs and 42 runs batted in.

Sophomore 2B Ryan Daniels and 1B Maddix Dalena are expected to take over the right side of the infield on a full time basis in 2024. Dalena has been one of the Huskies best power threats in fall ball and the preseason and had five extra base hits in 59 at bats when given an opportunity last season. Daniels played in 42 games during his first season in Storrs, hitting .273 with 16 stolen bases.

Luke Broadhurst returns as a corner infielder and DH for the Huskies after clubbing 14 home runs and hitting .312 last season. The Second Team All-BIG EAST performer missed significant time in the fall and preseason with a wrist injury but is hopeful to be available for this weekend.

With Padilla and Broadhurst battling injuries, talented freshman Tyler Minick has gotten the majority of the reps at third base and has been exciting to watch in the fall and preseason. Freshmen Rob Rispoli and Brett Davino provide depth at the position with both having the ability to play all over the dirt.

Behind the plate, the Huskies have plenty of experience with Matt Garbowski (50 games) and team captain Ryan Hyde (26 games) returning. They will be joined by Eastern Connecticut State transfer Matt Malcom. Malcom was an All-American last season and posted a .342 career average with 39 career home runs. Freshman Michael Oates broke his foot in the fall and is unlikely to play in 2024.

Pitching Staff

Pitching coach Josh MacDonald previews the 2024 #HookC pitching staff!https://t.co/JUuJGO8WYO
— UConn Baseball (@UConnBSB) February 14, 2024

The UConn pitching staff loses significant bullpen innings from career saves leader Justin Willis (28 saves), the team's leader in appearances, wins and ERA Zach Fogell (36 APP, 8 wins, 1.89 ERA) and Devin Kirby (49.2 innings, 7 wins). Andrew Sears also departs after being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in last year's MLB Draft.

The Huskies do return four of its five pitchers that started the most games last season. LHP Garrett Coe (7 starts, 55.0 innings) is set to start the year as the Friday night starter for the Huskies. 2022 Freshman All-American RHP Ian Cooke (12 starts in 2023) is slotted to be the No. 2 starter on Saturday and RHP Stephen Quigley (14 starts, 76.1 innings) who was the Friday night starter for the Huskies to finish 2023 will begin the season pitching on Sundays.

The Huskies also return RHP Jack Sullivan (10 starts), RHP Brady Afthim (26 APP, 3.91 ERA), RHP Thomas Ellisen (24 APP, 5 wins), RHP Joe Carrea (7 APP), LHP Braden Quinn (14 APP) and RHP Michael Quigley (10 APP). UConn also returns RHP Hector Alejandro and. redshirt freshman Ryan VanDeWater who both missed last season with injury.

UConn will get aid from a bevy of newcomers with an influx of four-year transfers and incoming freshmen class. Veteran transfers LHP Gabe Van Emon (Endicott), RHP Cam Mayer (Tufs), LHP Joe Cinnella (Seton Hall), LHP Kieran Finnegan (SUNY Oswego) and RHP Alex Mach (UConn Avery Point). They will be joined by freshmen RHP Sean Finn, RHP Ben Schild, RHP Tommy Turner, LHP Charlie West, RHP Devin Wolff and RHP Gio Conte.