Baseball 2023 Season Preview

The College of Southern Maryland Hawks baseball team's 2023 season begins on February 18 with a doubleheader against the Rowan College South Jersey - Gloucester Roadrunners.

The Hawks have a new leader of the program in place as Brad Sullivan was named interim head coach during the winter. Sullivan has been an assistant coach with CSM since the 2017 season, serving as third base coach and hitting coach over the last six years.

Sullivan, along with associate head coach Todd Snell and assistant coach Zach Roll, will be trying to lead the Hawks back to the Region 20 Division II playoffs for the third year in a row. They reached the tournament in 2021 for the first time since 2014, then earned their first win in the postseason in recent history in 2022. CSM also went 25-22 last year, their first season with a winning record in recent history.

In order to return to the playoffs, Sullivan says the Hawks are going to have to "play our brand of baseball. We always preach to the guys to stay within themselves and control what we can control. As long as we stick to our style and bring the level of effort and intensity that is expected in the CSM program, we will be right in the middle of things at the end of the season."

Returners looking to improve on last year's success include Justin Aponte, Travis Bradley, Mason Stine, Kendall White, Hunter Rose, Cody Cox, Nick Norton, Tariq Johnson, and Jake Holt. It will be Aponte, Bradley, and Stine's third years with the program while the rest will be entering their second seasons with CSM.

Sullivan mentioned Bradley and Johnson as returning pitchers who impressed the coaches during the preseason. Bradley logged 27.1 innings pitched over the last two seasons with 21 strikeouts and a 3.62 ERA. Johnson pitched 6.1 innings over seven appearances last year. "Both guys have experience on the mound and that always plays a big factor," Sullivan said.

There is also transfer pitcher Roy Tayman who played at NAIA school Bluefield University last year. "He comes to us with 40-plus innings of experience last year, and on a young team, that will definitely help," Sullivan said.

Roy's brother Ryan is also with the Hawks after attending Bluefield last year as well. In 2022, Roy made 20 appearances on the mound while Ryan made nine and pitched 15.2 innings. Roy posted two wins, a save, 25 strikeouts, and a 4.17 ERA, while Ryan also had two wins, eight strikeouts, and a 5.74 ERA.

Sullivan expects pitching to be an area of strength for the team this season. "The coaching staff has been thrilled with what we've seen from the guys on the mound. This may be the deepest pitching staff we have had here during my tenure. There are a lot of young arms, but there is a lot of talent on our staff."

On the offensive side of the ball, Sullivan is expecting Aponte and Rose to lead the charge. "They will be looking to take on a bigger role with us this year, as well as transfer Andrew Leginze, who has fit in nicely his first year with us," Sullivan said.

Aponte holds a .335/.424/..505 slash line with 23 extra-base hits, 43 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases over his two seasons with CSM. Rose hit .385/.462/.571 last year with three home runs and 30 RBIs. Leginze is a transfer from fellow Maryland JUCO school Anne Arundel Community College, where he hit .299/.401/.410 with 30 RBIs, 43 hits, 22 walks, and 12 stolen bases.

But the CSM lineup is deeper than just those players mentioned. "I could name so many other guys who have really impressed us so far this year," Sullivan said.

Luis Calvo and Layne Freese are both back with CSM but still hold their freshman status after playing in COVID-affected seasons in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, respectively. Freese was with the Hawks in 2022 but missed the season due to injury.

Newcomers to CSM who played at other schools include Drew Colaizzi, Dylan Casteel, Jaden Hendricks, and Ransley Ferraras in addition to the Tayman brothers and Leginze. The roster is then filled out with 11 true freshmen who will be looking to carve out their roles on the team.

Sullivan said the message he has been reiterating to his team leading up to the season is "perseverance. We have a younger team this year. It is important for them to know that not everything will go perfectly this season. But if we can fight through the tough times and keep grinding, then we will be able to win. We have to worry about ourselves and control what we can control, which means showing up everyday with high intensity and excitement, not worrying about our stats, record, or what other teams do."

"The bar has been set high these past few years," Sullivan said. "Obviously the goal is to get back in the playoffs and compete for a regional this year. But I always think of things on a smaller level. The expectation is for us to play good clean baseball throughout the year - pitchers to attack the zone, hitters to move runners and have good at-bats, and for us to make plays in the field. Those are the daily things that are expected of our guys; if we can accomplish those, we will have a good season this year."