Baseball season preview: Gasper ready for final season in Smithfield
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Over the last two years, Bryant University baseball senior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) has been one of the best players in all of New England. Now, he hopes to lead the Bulldogs back to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in six seasons in 2018.
The reigning Northeast Conference Player of the Year, Gasper enters his final season in Smithfield as the opening day starting catcher for the second-straight year and one of the leaders on the team.
"He's the staple of our offense," head coach Steve Owens said. "The big focus for him this year will be to continue to drive in runs."
Gasper has done that in bunches over the last 24 months. If you add his numbers from Bryant with his summer numbers the Futures Collegiate League and the Cape Cod Baseball League, Gasper has driven 158 runs over his last 192 games. That number includes an NEC-leading 53 RBI in 2017, a number that helped him become the first junior to win NEC Player of the Year honors since 2009 and only the second since 2005.
After posting a .342/.470/.528 slash line for the Bulldogs last spring, he went on to post a .305/.429/.492 line for Brewster on the Cape. He was named the league's top New England prospect after driving in 36 runs and walking a robust 37 times.
But, in what will be a season-long theme for the Black and Gold, Gasper's improvement defensively is the most important aspect for coach Owens.
"Mickey will be at another level this year with his defensive capabilities," Owens said. "He's better receiving, blocking, throwing and running the entire show on defense.
"We are excited and appreciative that he's back, and we are excited for the special year he can have personally, as well as what he brings to our program."
For the second-straight season, Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.) projects to serve as Gasper's backup. With a year under his belt, the Black and Gold see a lot of similarities between Cruz and Gasper when he was at the same age. Gasper spent his first two seasons as the backup to Buck McCarthy before taking over the leading role last spring.
The numbers seem to also indicate that as Cruz is coming off a solid rookie season that saw him, like many of Bryant's freshmen, improve as the year went on. After starting the year 5-for-44, he finished 34-for-101 with 17 RBI, 15 runs scored and a .421 OBP in the final 31 games of 2017. That included reaching safely in each of the final 15 games. In all, he finished at .269 with 18 RBI and a .384 OBP.
"He has a guy in front of him that was in a similar position at the beginning of his career and we feel he can eventually transform into a similar type player," Owens said. "He has a year of DI baseball under his belt and has a better understanding of the speed of the game, the demands of the position and what's needed from a college catcher on a day-to-day basis."
Bryant's depth at the position will come from two freshmen; Sam Owens (Scituate, R.I.) and Nick Mulligan (Bronxville, N.Y.). Both players are getting acclimated to the position at the college level and both will also work as infielders during the year.
"Sam has a very good throwing arm and has been back there enough to be prepared to catch in games," Owens said. "Nick got acclimated to the system and the requirements of the position in the fall and will provide us depth at both catcher and both corner infield spots."
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Bryant opens its season on Feb. 16 when it begins a three-game weekend series against the University of Arizona.
Bryant University Athletics has announced the Spring Sports Pass for the upcoming spring season. The Spring Sports Pass allows admission to all home men's and women's lacrosse, baseball and softball events for just $50. The Spring Sports Pass can be purchased by clicking HERE.
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