Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to the Base Path Podcast brought to you by New England Baseball Journal.
Speaker: I'm your host, Dan Guttenplan.
Speaker: Today, we're going to preview the college baseball season as we sit here in early February, just before the start of the D1 schedule.
Speaker: Our guest is familiar with many of the top programs and players in the Northeast as he completed his baseball career last spring at Northeastern.
Speaker: Here in studio is former Northeastern and Cape League pitcher Jordy Allard.
Speaker: Jordy, thanks so much for joining us.
Speaker: Thanks for having me, Dan.
Speaker: I'm excited to have a conversation about New England college baseball.
Speaker: Right on.
Speaker: Yeah, we were just talking and you finished up your career last spring with Northeastern, but it was kind of an injury plagued senior year.
Speaker: What does it feel like now?
Speaker: Like first season in a while, probably for you where you're not gearing up to kind of peak here in the next three months.
Speaker: Yeah, it's been a weird transition for sure, not having baseball be part of the day-to-day.
Speaker: But it's been almost, I don't know if freeing is the right word.
Speaker: I feel like I just have more time to enjoy other aspects of life.
Speaker: So that's been a really cool thing that I've seen as I've moved away from baseball.
Speaker: I always thought, and especially right when the season ended, I thought that I was always going to be involved in baseball and I was going to hopefully play.
Speaker: But as time passed, I...
Speaker: I felt more and more excited about other things outside of baseball.
Speaker: Not that baseball won't always be a part of my life.
Speaker: It'll always be a part of my life for sure.
Speaker: But definitely starting to see that there's more to life than just baseball.
Speaker: So it's been a really eye-opening experience for the past six months.
Speaker: Nice.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I explained this to you in an email and now I'll kind of explain the idea behind having you in.
Speaker: The premise of it is for a D1 preview, it's difficult sometimes because you'll get a coach of a D1 team and then try to preview the D1 season.
Speaker: He wants to talk about his own team and his own players, which is totally understandable.
Speaker: He doesn't want to promote all the other 18 D1 programs around.
Speaker: So I was trying to think of somebody who has experience interacting with like all the D1 teams and you're a former D1.
Speaker: Gatorade Vermont High School Player of the Year.
Speaker: You started your career at SNHU and then transferred to Babson where you're in 2021 New England Pitcher of the Year.
Speaker: Then transferred to Northeastern, so you have experience with the transfer portal.
Speaker: And in 2022, you were lights out, 2.16 ERA over 50 innings at Northeastern.
Speaker: Then you were in the Cape League's top New England prospect in 2022 with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks.
Speaker: That was after three years in the NECBL.
Speaker: And then obviously finished your career last spring.
Speaker: So you've kind of done it all.
Speaker: You've got the complete New England experience.
Speaker: You're familiar with these players and teams.
Speaker: What was your experience like in the transfer portal?
Speaker: Because I know that's become a real hot-button issue.
Speaker: Are you in touch with a lot of the coaches?
Speaker: Did you have a lot of interest from other schools in New England?
Speaker: Or are you kind of scouting rosters like, hey, where am I going to fit in?
Speaker: How did it work for you?
Speaker: Yeah, so...
Speaker: And I can talk about both times that I transferred.
Speaker: The first time that I transferred out of freshman year, that was more of a decision life-based.
Speaker: I wanted more of a balance between academics and baseball, and I felt like I wasn't getting that at SNHU, so I decided to look for other opportunities.
Speaker: for other schools that fit my needs academically and baseball-wise.
Speaker: So that was the SNHU coach helping me reach out.
Speaker: And that time in the transfer portal was a little bit different because COVID hadn't happened yet.
Speaker: So when I was in the transfer portal, then it was really just...
Speaker: Me telling the Southern New Hampshire University head coach who I was interested in, what schools, he was connecting me with the head coaches.
Speaker: I was sending them an email with the, I think it's like permission to contact.
Speaker: And then they would send a phone number back.
Speaker: We'd have a conversation.
Speaker: I'd go tour.
Speaker: So that one was a little bit.
Speaker: a little bit easier.
Speaker: Not as many people were in the transfer portal at that time.
Speaker: And I was going down in a division.
Speaker: I was going down to D3, so that was a little bit easier.
Speaker: I had a little bit more of options.
Speaker: I had some more options to choose from because I was going down instead of going up in a level.
Speaker: So that one was a little bit easier for me.
Speaker: The Division I or Division III to Division I transfer was a little bit more complicated due to COVID.
Speaker: There was a lot of people in the transfer portal.
Speaker: I actually verbally committed to Richmond University, and that was after entering the transfer portal.
Speaker: I had nobody reach out.
Speaker: No one wanted me from Babson.
Speaker: I only had...
Speaker: Really one season under my belt my sophomore year, and I did okay.
Speaker: I was 8-1, but the ERA was like 4.15 or 3.5.
Speaker: It wasn't a great ERA.
Speaker: There wasn't a lot of strikeouts.
Speaker: It was just I was okay for Division III.
Speaker: So not a lot of interest coming from Division I teams.
Speaker: I was scared that I wasn't going to be able to...
Speaker: play the next year if I didn't commit somewhere.
Speaker: So in December, the only team that had even talked to me a little bit was Richmond.
Speaker: So committed there, no like NIL or whatever, no, no letter of intent, no money, just committed, thought I had a roster spot.
Speaker: And towards the end of my spring season, after having a good season and, and
Speaker: having a good season with Babson, I was able to pick up a little bit of interest from some of the New England schools, and I knew I wanted to be in New England, but I didn't have any options prior to the season.
Speaker: So, went to summer ball, played for the Upper Valley Nighthawks and the NECBL for my third year in a row, and
Speaker: Halfway through June, there was talk of Northeastern having a spot, and the Babson assistant coach kind of helped me connect with Mike Glavin, and I asked him if there was just a spot.
Speaker: I didn't care about money.
Speaker: I didn't care...
Speaker: about any of that stuff.
Speaker: I just wanted to be able to be in New England and I really love Northeastern.
Speaker: So I, I really wanted to just secure a spot there.
Speaker: And it just so happened that they had one, one spot.
Speaker: He told me there's, there's no guarantee like you throw, like we, we don't have, we don't have a lot of spots for, for, for guys coming in.
Speaker: And, and if you work your way and are good, then, then yeah, you'll have, have a role, but we have a lot of good pitchers now and they had Cam Schlitter or
Speaker: Schlitter, Seb Keene, Sebastian Keene, and a bunch of other dudes that were in the back end and have been drafted since.
Speaker: So it was a good pitching staff and there was no guarantee that I was going to pitch, but that opportunity came about.
Speaker: I told Richmond that I wanted to stay in New England and wanted to be close to my family, which was true.
Speaker: And I was honest with them, transparent with them.
Speaker: And
Speaker: I told him that I was going to pursue other places and decided to commit to Northeastern in June and was there for two years, and it was awesome.
Speaker: So that's how the transfer portal worked for me that year.
Speaker: So it sounds like interest almost picks up with summer collegiate league ball.
Speaker: Is that because coaches are not as focused on their own team?
Speaker: They're looking at building their roster for the next season?
Speaker: Yeah, I think it was a little bit easier for the New England guys to see me.
Speaker: Partly, I think a lot of it had to do with my senior year.
Speaker: Just the things that I was able to accomplish my senior year really helped spark interest in me.
Speaker: And then the summer ball helped a little bit, but I think that that time period is really helpful for the coaches because they're not so...
Speaker: The D1 season could go to June, could go close to July, right?
Speaker: So it's easy for them to reach out and recruit more during the summer because they don't have to worry about fall ball.
Speaker: For the coaches in Division I, it's a constant...
Speaker: constant work-life balance for them.
Speaker: They're in there in the fall.
Speaker: We have early fall practices.
Speaker: They're there all day.
Speaker: We got lifts.
Speaker: Then in the winter, we're getting ready to play.
Speaker: We have two months.
Speaker: There's a very brief period of break between fall and winter, if any.
Speaker: Then you're trying to get ready for the spring season, which comes a week from...
Speaker: probably a week from today or maybe a little bit later in this week, but very soon.
Speaker: And then you're playing every day.
Speaker: There's no time for recruiting every day when you're trying to win baseball games.
Speaker: And then once conference championships ends, then, okay, you get maybe a week of a break and then you have to start recruiting again for the fall.
Speaker: So there's not a lot of time, but during –
Speaker: The summer months, that is the most time that they have to recruit and actually maybe even enjoy a game and go watch their own players in summer ball.
Speaker: So that's definitely a good time to be picking up interest from coaches and from schools.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Let's go ahead and start looking at some of these D1 programs.
Speaker: And we'll start with Northeastern because that's obviously the one you're most familiar with.
Speaker: But we also have them as our number one team among New England schools to start the 2024 season.
Speaker: I was talking to somebody close to the program recently, or it was actually back in the fall, and they were like, I don't even know how many spots –
Speaker: are up for competition there's so many people back on that roster they've got a high high draft pick potential with mike serrata or serrota yeah yeah he's he's obviously a great player possibly a five tool guy first round pick what do you think why why do you think coach clavin's having so much success there what is it about his vision or his coaching style that's really leading to so much success there
Speaker: Yeah, guys just want to play for Coach Glav.
Speaker: And one of the biggest things when I came in was just the culture that he tries to create.
Speaker: We struggled a little bit my first year at Northeastern with the culture, but he was always big on that.
Speaker: And as a coach, you can only provide so much for the players.
Speaker: The players have to do it on their own.
Speaker: And we didn't do a great job of, as a group, collectively, having a good culture and environment and atmosphere every day at practice.
Speaker: And then he actually stepped up and...
Speaker: And took on a little bit more to even instill the culture a little bit deeper.
Speaker: Like we had my second year at Northeastern, we had a team book.
Speaker: We had a lot of like stuff that he would do for us as far as like team get togethers that he would set up and allow us to have space to get together and have our chemistry built.
Speaker: So he, although he's great at developing the baseball side, like.
Speaker: Coach Cobb develops pitchers, and Coach Puccio was there helping with the hitters, and now Coach Bosco and Coach Chamberlain was there.
Speaker: But all those guys are great at developing the actual player part.
Speaker: But as far as the important side also that people don't necessarily see is the –
Speaker: the behind the scenes back, like backstage stuff where he's creating a place and a environment for us to thrive together and kind of grow as a team and a family rather than just baseball players.
Speaker: We're actually growing deeper connections to each other.
Speaker: And that really helps us on the field.
Speaker: It,
Speaker: You can't really see that.
Speaker: I mean, you can.
Speaker: You can see somebody patting somebody on the back or talking or going through things, but it's a harder vision for a casual fan to see than somebody who's actually in that spot and on the team.
Speaker: So that's what he does very well is create an environment that...
Speaker: you want to be around.
Speaker: Like, we wanted to go to practice every day.
Speaker: It wasn't a drag for us.
Speaker: I think sometimes it's easy in college baseball, too, where it becomes a drag for the players because it's, I mean, you got your social life, you got academics, you got worry about a future job.
Speaker: Like, you got a lot of stuff on your plate.
Speaker: And to have a safe place where it's actually fun to come, not that you can't balance, you got to get some work into, it can't all be fun, but to have a good balance there and then to even have a space where
Speaker: outside of practice to get together.
Speaker: That's what Northeastern does really well, from my experience.
Speaker: What about in terms of the roster?
Speaker: They have a lot of pitching back.
Speaker: Avin Cabral had a great freshman year last year.
Speaker: Wyatt Scott, he's been solid now for, what, three years at Northeastern.
Speaker: Dennis Collar in big arm, throws fat, hard, 97, 96 miles an hour.
Speaker: Jake Gigliotti.
Speaker: Gigliotti.
Speaker: I think he was a Cape League all-star last year.
Speaker: How do you see that rotation kind of sorting out this year, and how do you think they'll perform?
Speaker: Yeah, that's really interesting, and that's a really tough question.
Speaker: I honestly think if you asked Coach Glavin or Coach Cobb that, they might not know.
Speaker: Sometimes it just plays out.
Speaker: I think you have an idea, not just at Northeastern, but in baseball in general, in college baseball, D1, D2, D3, you have an idea of
Speaker: who you want to be in certain roles, and then sometimes that doesn't go as planned, and people step up and people fall down, and it just is like constant give and take and trial and error until you find the right piece.
Speaker: Last year, Avon, right, he didn't start.
Speaker: He came in at USF, I believe, and went like four innings, had eight Ks maybe.
Speaker: So...
Speaker: we moved him to the Sunday role and he excelled and then we moved him to the Saturday.
Speaker: And then I think we moved him to the, so it was just constantly like trying to find pieces that fit together and worked in certain places.
Speaker: So as far as roles go, I think everyone has the potential to be like a starter and it just depends on how the season goes and what takes place in the games early on.
Speaker: And it doesn't, it doesn't mean that it can't change even halfway through.
Speaker: I think Dennis could be a reliever.
Speaker: Like he throws 97, 98, like probably going to be a hundred at some point.
Speaker: but he also has five pitches and the ability to start too.
Speaker: So you also have a bunch of transfers that they've brought in that have the ability to start or close.
Speaker: So I think the big thing for them is they have a lot of adaptability and a variety of pitchers who can fit any mold.
Speaker: It's not like they have just starters and just relievers.
Speaker: They have a lot of guys who can do everything.
Speaker: Jake Igliotti can start, he can close, he can relieve.
Speaker: That's the type of pitcher...
Speaker: that, that excels at Northeastern.
Speaker: And that's kind of the way that they, they had me there when I was there.
Speaker: It was, I started on the, on the weekdays, like the midweeks did like four innings.
Speaker: And then I would maybe come out of the pen in the second on the weekend, or I would come out in the fifth or I would come out in the seventh and go seven, eight, and then maybe I would go nine.
Speaker: So,
Speaker: They like having a lot of adaptability.
Speaker: I don't necessarily think that they love having guys in certain roles, obviously the starters maybe, but just being able to put guys in different places gives them a lot of options as far as what they want to do against hitters and against certain teams.
Speaker: So I think that gives them an advantage with all of those guys in the bullpen or starting.
Speaker: For sure.
Speaker: Yeah, Mike Sirota, I mentioned him as a potential first-round pick.
Speaker: What was it like watching him up close?
Speaker: I mean, he's one of those guys that just can make highlight plays a lot of different ways.
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, the first time I faced him was in the fall, and I threw two innings my first time in Northeastern and struck him out.
Speaker: I was like, oh, this kid isn't that good.
Speaker: Why is this kid getting hyped up?
Speaker: I just K-ed him.
Speaker: That's easy.
Speaker: And I hope he's listening to this.
Speaker: But so when we got to the Cape, he was playing on Brewster and I was in Hyannis.
Speaker: And apparently, like, I got there a little bit late and he was going off and everyone was like, oh, like this kid's awesome.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: And I didn't get to see him up close in the season for that much because he actually went down with a knee injury very early on.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: I didn't really get to actually experience what it was like to watch him play.
Speaker: And then when he got to Brewster, I actually faced him.
Speaker: My first outing in the Cape, I faced him the second inning.
Speaker: And the battle that he had, we went 3-2, and then he had a...
Speaker: oppo base hit like line drive off a fastball away and just the the at bat I was throwing very well like I was throwing great pitches very close and the discipline that he had like at the plate was was crazy there was pitches that I threw that everyone would have swung swung at and he just
Speaker: It wasn't even like a thought in his mind.
Speaker: It wasn't even like he was committed to it.
Speaker: He just saw it out of my hand early and knew that he was going to take it.
Speaker: And then if I did throw a good pitch and it was going to be a strike, like right on the edge, he could either hit it the other way like he did or just foul it off.
Speaker: So his play discipline is, I think...
Speaker: something that may not be seen to the average person, right?
Speaker: Like you can see his speed.
Speaker: That's easy to see when he steals bags.
Speaker: You can see his arm when he shoots guys out at the plate.
Speaker: You can see his athleticism in the outfield when he makes nasty plays and his pop when he hits it 450 over the center fielder's head.
Speaker: But like the intangibles, the plate discipline, just the instinct, like knowing where to be, knowing how to handle failure are some of the things that make him great that people might not...
Speaker: see like physically.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And then looking around New England, I know UConn, not a conference rival for Northeastern, but they have some D3 transfers that you might be familiar with.
Speaker: They also, you would play them what, at least once a year, twice a year, head to head.
Speaker: What are your thoughts?
Speaker: Why is UConn so tough every year with Jim Penders and his staff?
Speaker: And they've been hitting the transfer portal and having a lot of success with guys that they are getting in the transfer portal.
Speaker: Yeah, they do a really good job at bringing in transfers that fit them well.
Speaker: They took two Wheaton guys, actually, that I played against when I was at Babson.
Speaker: So they do a really good job at just bringing in really good talent.
Speaker: And it's an attractive school to go to, right?
Speaker: Their facilities are amazing.
Speaker: Their school is beautiful.
Speaker: They have great academics.
Speaker: So it's really an easy sell, I feel like, for a New England team.
Speaker: And they play great competition, and they're always at the top of their division.
Speaker: So it's kind of a no-brainer if
Speaker: if they're looking at a d3 or d2 guy to bring in that why would he not want to go there but yeah they do they do a great job and and their their talent level is always high so when you you play them it's it's not necessarily i don't know if i'd call it a rivalry as much i mean it could be like be one i guess a smaller one and when i think of rival i think more like boston college for northeastern but
Speaker: I definitely think it's becoming a New England rivalry between UConn and Northeastern as the programs continue to grow and continue to get better and better and better.
Speaker: But yeah, UConn just does a great job at developing their guys too.
Speaker: Just from a velocity standpoint, I know a lot of guys that go in there that they have the right build or they're missing one or two things and then they ended up
Speaker: just rapidly, exponentially growing at UConn and becoming better pitchers all around.
Speaker: Yeah, whenever I'm on that campus, I'm reminded that like, oh, this is a school that competes for national championships in sports.
Speaker: Like you're...
Speaker: I think it's like obviously the basketball men's and women's programs have won national championships recently.
Speaker: Track program, I think is great.
Speaker: But you're like – they have the banners and the facilities and everything and you're like, oh, wow, this isn't like a struggling New England school that's trying to – like they have great facilities.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, they definitely compete.
Speaker: You mentioned BC as a potential rival, and that position opened up this year.
Speaker: They have a new coach, Todd Interdonato, who came up from Wofford College, or Wofford College, I should say.
Speaker: What do you think that transition will be like for a new coach who's not used to competing in the ACC, not used to recruiting in New England?
Speaker: Yeah, I think it's a pretty smooth transition, actually.
Speaker: I think it's easier maybe to recruit New England guys.
Speaker: It's not as spread out, right?
Speaker: So if there's certain showcases that you want to go to, everyone's going to be at that one showcase.
Speaker: I think down in the southern states, it's a little bit more spread out, right?
Speaker: You got to go...
Speaker: 10 hours to some places, Tennessee, like fly over to Florida, like go over to South Carolina, North Carolina, like you have, there's a lot of space to cover and new England is, everything is pretty condensed.
Speaker: So if you get it to the right showcases, BC already has a reputation.
Speaker: So to be able to go up to a kid and just tell them about BC and tell them it's the only ACC school in new England, like that's a, again, another easy sell.
Speaker: So I think the transition, it's, it's a different,
Speaker: way of life and a different speed of things up here.
Speaker: But I think the transition baseball wise could, could be potentially maybe even a little bit easier, more laid back just because they're not in New England.
Speaker: We're not playing year round.
Speaker: We have certain times where we're playing, right?
Speaker: Like in the fall and the summer.
Speaker: So you don't always have to be on top of everyone.
Speaker: You can pick and choose the showcases you want to go to.
Speaker: I'm
Speaker: One of my best friends from Babson who lived with me during the summer of the Upper Valley Nighthawks, like the 2021 season, is Henry Leak.
Speaker: And he's actually the, I don't know, I think it's pitching development.
Speaker: I think that's his role as pitcher development coach.
Speaker: I'm not sure what the exact title is, but he's one of the coaches on that staff.
Speaker: So it's cool to see him there too.
Speaker: Yeah, that roster, they still have Vince Semeny.
Speaker: They have some pitching back, too.
Speaker: What's the guy's name?
Speaker: Sean Hard?
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: Who's a hard throw.
Speaker: He's in the 90s.
Speaker: How do you think that roster looks?
Speaker: Do you think they had a great year last year?
Speaker: Do you think they can come back and build on that?
Speaker: Yeah, I think...
Speaker: Last year, maybe their starters was kind of a question mark.
Speaker: They lost their Friday guy in Henry Leak, who's actually their pitching coach now.
Speaker: And then I think Sean was starting a few games here and there.
Speaker: I think he's a junior now.
Speaker: Sean Hardy?
Speaker: Yeah, he is.
Speaker: So he's a junior now, and I know that they had a younger rotation, and I'm trying to think of the guy who got picked up from them last year.
Speaker: They had a guy who was a D3 transfer, I think, Sean Flynn?
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker: So they had a lot of D3 guys fill in, and I think they have a few.
Speaker: They actually had a Babson transfer, and I'm not sure how many other transfers they had this year.
Speaker: But pitching-wise, I think their starting roles will be a question mark.
Speaker: I know that they always have guys that throw hard.
Speaker: They always have guys who throw hard.
Speaker: They always have nasty dudes on the mound.
Speaker: So they'll figure out a way, but maybe the biggest question could be their starting.
Speaker: And that's from...
Speaker: Me not knowing anything about this year's team, I have no idea what they have.
Speaker: So for me to say that is just me just talking.
Speaker: That's just me thinking on the fly.
Speaker: I don't know exactly what they have, and they may have installed and gotten some transfers that can start.
Speaker: But I think last year that was one of their things that they were mixing around is their starting roles and who's going to start on Friday, who's going to start on Saturday.
Speaker: But their lineup's always good.
Speaker: They always have dudes who can hit, always have dudes who can rake.
Speaker: So...
Speaker: Regardless of what kind of year they have, I feel like they always have a solid team, whether it's a building year, whether they're at the top.
Speaker: They always have a solid team regardless, and it's hard in the ACC.
Speaker: If you have a building year, it's going to stand out on your record because everyone's nasty every weekend you play.
Speaker: But as far as in New England, I feel like regardless of what kind of year they have, it's always going to be a tough game.
Speaker: Yeah, I know John West and Joey Ryan are back for them on the mound, and they're both, they have Cape League success in the last couple of years.
Speaker: So, yeah, like you said, a lot of talent, but it's tough sledding in the ACC.
Speaker: Like, if you're trying to rebuild and then you've got a three-game set against Wake Forest, that's going to be tough.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: What about Maine?
Speaker: Maine has been a team getting guys drafted and seem to be going in the right direction.
Speaker: What makes Maine such a positive program right now in New England?
Speaker: Yeah, actually, Maine is one of the teams that I never played against.
Speaker: So it's hard to say that.
Speaker: Although the guys that I have seen that have played for Maine are scrappy.
Speaker: They're just a hard-nosed team.
Speaker: And I think there's a difference between Maine, UConn, and BC, right?
Speaker: Because UConn and BC are more the... I don't want to say flashy because that could be taken as the wrong term, right?
Speaker: I don't mean that in a demeaning way at all.
Speaker: But they got the facilities.
Speaker: They got...
Speaker: the equipment, they got the talent.
Speaker: Like they have the dudes throwing 90s, like high 90s.
Speaker: And Northeastern does too, but right, Maine is more like the hard-nosed, like scrappy team in my mind.
Speaker: And they're just going to do what they can to get it done.
Speaker: Like the America East is, they're in the America East.
Speaker: So, I mean, that's a tough conference too.
Speaker: And a couple of teams just moved out of there.
Speaker: And I think a few moved in, but they always are at the top there and they always have good arms.
Speaker: Like, was it Nick Penascola or Pen...
Speaker: Oh, Sinecola.
Speaker: Sinecola.
Speaker: So he was there a few years ago.
Speaker: So they do, like every once in a while, have some dudes who are throwing low 90s, mid 90s.
Speaker: But for the most part, they got guys that just know how to pitch.
Speaker: And maybe you don't see 95 every day, but you're going to see a dude who knows how to battle.
Speaker: And their hitters are, I think, teams can maybe lose respect is the right...
Speaker: Phrase is that they don't fully respect what they're capable of, and then it's too late when they understand, right?
Speaker: All of a sudden, they're putting up 10 runs on you, like six runs in one inning.
Speaker: So I think that that's something that Maine brings, like the scrappiness and a different style of baseball that maybe the bigger schools in New England don't.
Speaker: Yeah, Quinn McDaniel was a guy like that.
Speaker: He was kind of an undersized middle infielder, and all of a sudden it's taking you deep, and you're like, oh, man, this guy can play.
Speaker: Jeremiah Jenkins, reigning America East Player of the Year, so he's a good one, too.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Now, so from your experience, either playing on the Cape or playing at Northeastern, is there anybody that you see that you're looking to this year like, hey, this guy could have a breakout season or he could become a draft prospect or I'm expecting him, and it could even be somebody who's coming off a great season and you just expect it to continue, but are there any guys that you're saying like these are some really key players in New England heading into the college season?
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, obviously, Mike Saro is the easy one to say.
Speaker: I'm just excited.
Speaker: He's, I mean, not only because I want to see him do well, but he's a friend too, so I'm excited to see how he handles that.
Speaker: Avon, obviously, from Northeastern.
Speaker: So a lot of these guys I personally know, and that's why I'm saying them right now.
Speaker: And as far as in the Cape, I don't really remember that many New England guys.
Speaker: I didn't get a chance to mingle that much.
Speaker: I know that...
Speaker: There's a couple, one kid for, and I say this because he went to Wheaton, but Quigley at UConn had a great year last year and it would be cool to see him continue that.
Speaker: Caleb Spurr, who was at Endicott, moved to UConn and he was an outfielder.
Speaker: He actually played on Hyannis for a couple weeks.
Speaker: But I'm really excited or intrigued.
Speaker: I always kind of try to follow the D3 guys that transferred up.
Speaker: So there was a couple other Endicott guys that transferred into D1 school.
Speaker: So anyone who's
Speaker: who's D3, it's cool to see them compete at a higher level and actually succeed and prove that there are some good players in D3 baseball.
Speaker: So, yeah, as far as pitching, I would say Avon and some of the transfers that are going in at Northeastern, and that would be it, yeah.
Speaker: Nice.
Speaker: And what do you make of that Endicott success?
Speaker: Like, that was huge last year.
Speaker: They had a great season.
Speaker: Like you said, they got a few guys transferring to D1 schools.
Speaker: How does that happen?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, I think they've always been decent.
Speaker: Like when I was at Babson, the big school out of that conference, the CCC was Salve, and they just transferred into the NEWMAC.
Speaker: But Anacott was always there, and the guys loved baseball there.
Speaker: I knew a few guys there, and they really enjoyed the school, like the actual environment there.
Speaker: So I think that it just took a little bit of time for them to get it right and get a group together that really enjoyed being together.
Speaker: And then once that happened, like I said, with the culture and the environment, everything just kind of took off.
Speaker: And it's not like it's happened overnight where they just – they didn't get a bunch of transfers in all of a sudden.
Speaker: It was just like they grew together from their freshman year, right, all the way.
Speaker: They got a little success, a little taste of it.
Speaker: And then sophomore year, they're a little better.
Speaker: And then junior year, they get to a regional – I think they lost to Baldwin-Wallace.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And then finally the next year, they get past that, right?
Speaker: So it was just like –
Speaker: process of it.
Speaker: And it was, it was really cool to see that.
Speaker: And, and I like, if Babson's not in it, I was definitely rooting for them, any new England D3 school.
Speaker: So yeah.
Speaker: Nice.
Speaker: All right, Jordy.
Speaker: Well, I should ask you about primal baseball.
Speaker: You started at your own business.
Speaker: And like you said, you have business partner in Henry leak.
Speaker: What, what, what are you doing now?
Speaker: And how do you see that kind of progressing in the future?
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: Primal baseball started back in, I mean,
Speaker: Very, very small scale compared to what it is now.
Speaker: But I did a bunch of lessons during COVID.
Speaker: And when I had an injury at Northeastern last year, I decided that I should probably do something while I'm just sitting, like sitting there doing nothing.
Speaker: So I started to...
Speaker: create a business plan, create programs, create just everything from my 20 plus years of playing baseball and playing collegiately D3 to D1.
Speaker: Everything that I've learned, I tried to put into a program and a business and try to build that.
Speaker: So Primal Baseball is a remote online training platform and also coaching service.
Speaker: So we have coaches, like you said, Henry Leak is one of the partners that I'm doing business with.
Speaker: We have a strength and conditioning team.
Speaker: coach named Elias Fagan Smith.
Speaker: He was at Babson with me.
Speaker: So we got a, we got a mental performance coach in Mike Chavez, who's a physiology or psychology major, excuse me.
Speaker: And so I'm just trying to build that right now.
Speaker: That's been one of the things that I'm trying to do on the side.
Speaker: Well, while I continue to figure out what I'm, what I'm going to do in my next steps in life.
Speaker: And yeah, it's been really, really fun to, to just program for guys and help them out remotely, especially being in, in Vermont when I'm not there, I can't necessarily help guys and, and
Speaker: and be in the facility with them or, or be on the field with them and help them.
Speaker: So to have a space and grow something completely online where you can access it anywhere you are or whatever resources you have, that was a big issue for me is in Vermont, I never had a radar gun.
Speaker: So to have, have a, have a program,
Speaker: And just to have a plan that helps kids that are not only in the remote space, but also if they have scarce resources and not a bunch of access to technology.
Speaker: That's been something that I've been having a lot of fun with and growing that.
Speaker: So, yeah.
Speaker: Awesome.
Speaker: Well, yeah, it's exciting to see you still in the game of baseball.
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Speaker: Before we let you go, do you have time to hang in for the three up, three down segment?
Speaker: I do, yeah.
Speaker: Okay, let me introduce our producer, David Yaz.
Speaker: Three up, three down.
Speaker: What's up, gentlemen?
Speaker: Welcome back to 3Up3Down.
Speaker: Dan, when you ask if people have time for 3Up3Down, what happens if they say no?
Speaker: We're going to edit it out.
Speaker: The doors are locked here.
Speaker: Jordy, he's not getting out of here without answering these three questions.
Speaker: So three questions our panel is unprepared for.
Speaker: Jordy, you're the guest, so you get to go first.
Speaker: First question.
Speaker: If your final meal on earth had to be all ballpark food, what would you choose?
Speaker: And I want you to choose three things.
Speaker: You get a snack, a snack, stage, what would it be called?
Speaker: Course.
Speaker: You get a snack, you get a main meal, and then you get a dessert.
Speaker: All has to be ballpark food.
Speaker: All right, that's pretty good.
Speaker: What would you go with?
Speaker: That's pretty easy for the dessert.
Speaker: I would definitely go with Dippin' Dots.
Speaker: Oh, nice.
Speaker: That's an easy one for me.
Speaker: Probably cotton candy or cookies and cream maybe.
Speaker: It's even got the flavor.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So I think obviously you want to get a hot dog.
Speaker: I'm trying to think if there's any places I've had steak at, like at a ballpark, but I don't think I have.
Speaker: So probably just a Fenway Frank.
Speaker: It's the definitive answer.
Speaker: Yeah, that's just the normal one to go with.
Speaker: And then a snack.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: I don't really like the Cracker Jack.
Speaker: I don't like the sweetness of it.
Speaker: So I do like the chicken.
Speaker: I guess the chicken tenders aren't really a snack, but to me.
Speaker: We'll allow it.
Speaker: Yeah, all right.
Speaker: I would have that as an app, yeah.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Good choices all around.
Speaker: Dan, you're up.
Speaker: I would probably go.
Speaker: So Greg, I've said this before.
Speaker: Greg Luzinski at the, at Citizens Bank Park now has a, it's called the bull.
Speaker: I'm trying to fit.
Speaker: I know it's like, what are you looking up the caloric?
Speaker: Yeah, not caloric intake.
Speaker: I'm trying to figure out the ingredients, but it's like, it's like pork and mixed with like cheese steak.
Speaker: It's like a million different things.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: So that would definitely be in play.
Speaker: That's your main meal.
Speaker: Yeah, I'd probably go a hot dog for my side.
Speaker: Wow, loading up.
Speaker: Okay, that's fine.
Speaker: No rules.
Speaker: Dessert, I'd probably go ice cream in one of those little mini helmets.
Speaker: That's good.
Speaker: That's old school.
Speaker: Whenever my dad took me to Fenway, he would always get this.
Speaker: It was called the Sport Bar.
Speaker: And I want to say at the time, it might have even been the only ice cream they offered.
Speaker: Although, no, ice cream in a helmet was always a thing.
Speaker: But the Sport Bar, it was pretty simple.
Speaker: It was just this ice cream bar covered with chocolate, and it was combination vanilla and chocolate inside the bag.
Speaker: But, man, he looked forward to getting those sport bars.
Speaker: Like, I don't know why it was such a treat, but everybody knows that everything tastes better at the ballpark.
Speaker: That's right, yeah.
Speaker: All right, good meals all around.
Speaker: Question number two, Dan, you can go first.
Speaker: What's the most memorable play at the plate you can recall?
Speaker: And I'm going to allow you to answer at any level, whether you were involved or just like a Major League Baseball, play at the plate.
Speaker: Oh, man.
Speaker: So I'm leaning towards Pete Rose trucking a catcher in an all-star game.
Speaker: Ray Fossey, I believe, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, I went to a game where there was a brawl after a collision at home plate.
Speaker: It was between Mike Socha and I think Lenny Dykstra for the Phillies.
Speaker: Yeah, and there was a big collision.
Speaker: They both stood up, and they were both kind of like trying to shake out the cobwebs, and then all of a sudden just started throwing punches at each other.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's a good one.
Speaker: Yeah, that was fun to watch.
Speaker: Two fiery customers, Sosha and Dykstra.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Speaker: One insane customer in Dykstra.
Speaker: Good answer.
Speaker: Jordy, your thoughts?
Speaker: So this is just a play at the plate like any… Could be any play at the plate.
Speaker: Yeah, so I'm pretty sure this might be the wrong player, but the A's right fielder was at Jonas Cespedes at one point.
Speaker: Sure.
Speaker: I think I just have this vivid vision in my head of he catches a ball tailing towards the left field foul pole about 330 feet away from home plate and just launches a rocket and gets the guy at home who wasn't, I don't know who was running, but that was just the vivid vision in my head.
Speaker: That's the one that I see over and over.
Speaker: Yeah, Cespedes, if it's the play I'm thinking of, I think he actually misplays it.
Speaker: Yes, he didn't catch it.
Speaker: It was in the wall.
Speaker: Right, and then launches, I think, in the air.
Speaker: I don't think it bounced.
Speaker: No, no, no, it didn't bounce.
Speaker: Yeah, that was incredible.
Speaker: I love when you're messing around on YouTube, I always like to look at the greatest throws in baseball history because they're always, and he's on it more than once.
Speaker: Yeah, he had a cannon.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: All right, final question.
Speaker: Four, three up, three down.
Speaker: And, Jordy, you get to go first.
Speaker: So whose pitching style, if anyone's, did you mimic as a kid?
Speaker: Always fun to try to mimic those with unusual words.
Speaker: wind-ups was there a pitcher that used to yeah I don't think that there was anyone that I like mimic their wind-up but I think as I and honestly when I was when I was younger I didn't watch much baseball but as I got into maybe middle school or high school Stroman was one of the guys that Marcus Stroman was one of the guys that I really picked up on not not only because he's good but because of his his smaller frame and and he's not the six six five pitcher he's he's
Speaker: The smaller guy and his mindset is really, really on point for me.
Speaker: So I really liked his mentality and took some things from him.
Speaker: Didn't take everything, but definitely took some mental things and tried to emulate some physical things as well into my delivery from him.
Speaker: I think mimicry in sports is underrated because to draw an example from another sport if you've been watching Jordan Love this this season he he really throws like Aaron Rodgers it's it's bizarre and they don't have the same body but he's got that flip throw so interesting that you picked up maybe maybe a couple things from Stroman uh Dan how about you
Speaker: Yeah, my brother and I used to mimic, we used to play all-star games in my backyard, and we'd try to do the batting stance of all nine guys in the order and try to pitch like the guys on the mound.
Speaker: A guy who wasn't an all-star, but I loved his pitching style and used to try to mimic it all the time, was Kent Ticolvi.
Speaker: Have you heard of him?
Speaker: Yes, Submariner.
Speaker: Submarine pitcher, and he was like the lowest release point that I think I've ever seen for a pitcher, so he was like scraping his knuckles on the dirt and the top of the mound.
Speaker: But yeah, I used to try to do that all the time.
Speaker: Yeah, I feel like windups were more colorful back then.
Speaker: Maybe it wasn't a good thing to have a weird windup because now maybe there's more fundamentals being preached.
Speaker: Or maybe now everybody's just trying to throw 100 miles an hour.
Speaker: That's true.
Speaker: I'm not going to try to deceive you at all.
Speaker: It's just coming.
Speaker: That's true.
Speaker: But growing up, I used to mimic Louis Tiant.
Speaker: He had that weird thing where he would, for some reason, turn around and face second base.
Speaker: Back to the catcher.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Akersley had the leg kick, and he had that huge leg, which just extended horizontally, looked so cool.
Speaker: No matter who I mimicked, I was a terrible pitcher in Little League.
Speaker: So anyway.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Well, you've both done very well in three up, three down.
Speaker: I'm going to get on the phone with Greg Luzinski and order some of those sandwiches for both of you, Dan.
Speaker: And back to you to close out the show, sir.
Speaker: I got to get the ingredients on that.
Speaker: It's come up a couple of times.
Speaker: I don't have the exact ingredients, but I'll get it.
Speaker: Anyway, thanks to Jordy Allard for joining us on the Base Path Podcast.
Speaker: Rate, review, subscribe to the Base Path Podcast on your preferred platform.
Speaker: Thanks to our producer, David Yaz.
Speaker: The Base Path Podcast is a Siemens Media production.
