2020 Baseball Preview: Infielders
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team opens its 2020 season on Friday February 14 in Wilmington, North Carolina. BryantBulldogs.com previews the 2020 team leading up to Opening Day.
Position: Infielders
Returners: Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.), Bryant Hart (Franklin, Mass.), Jake Gustin (Peabody, Mass.), Brian Nicolas (Langhorne, Pa.), Matt Woods (Warwick, R.I.), Nick Viscariello (Plymouth, Mass.)
Newcomers: Jarrad Grossguth (Coventry, R.I.), Brandon Taylor (North Smithfield, R.I.), Tommy DiTullio (Pt. Pleasant, N.J.), Alex Lane (Andover, Mass.)
The Breakdown
Bryant's infield returns a good deal of experience this spring but will have to fill two big voids left by the departure of shortstop Jimmy Titus and first baseman Chris Wright. The duo started all but one game last year and were both drafted last June in the MLB draft.
Bryan Hart, Jake Gustin and Brian Nicolas return to anchor the infield after each appeared in over 40 games a season ago. Hart is the veteran of the group, having appeared in 120 games and making 55 starts over his career. He's shown good power over the last two seasons, hitting seven home runs. Hart hit a career-high .265 last season with three stolen bases.
Gustin and Nicolas both shined as freshmen, ending the season as Bryant's starting third baseman and second baseman, respectively. Gustin actually started the first 34 games of the season at second before being sidelined by an injury. Nicolas stepped in and started the final 26 games of the season at second, bumping Gustin to third upon his return. Gustin will move to short this spring after hitting .287 with eight doubles, 27 RBI, 43 runs scored, 26 walks and a .396 OBP.
Nicolas finished the year with a .309 average, three doubles, 22 RBI and 17 runs scored. He burst onto the scene with a game-winning single in the 16th inning against Elon and went on to produce 12 multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games.
The open position at first will be likely filled by a combination of Matt Woods, Gaby Cruz, Alex Lane and Nick Viscariello. Woods appeared in 17 games last season, going 3-for-12, while Viscariello finished the year 2-for-7 with an RBI.
Cruz has yet to start a game at first in his career but could see time there when he's not catching. He's ranked one of the top 150 hitters in the country after batting .354 with six doubles, nine home runs and 37 RBI.
DiTullio has been tabbed as the preseason NEC Rookie of the Year by both Baseball America and Perfect Game. The New Jersey native was an all-league and all-state player at Christian Brothers Academy and played in the PBR Futures Game.
Like Cruz, Lane could see time both behind the plate and at first this spring. Lane brings a big power bat to the lineup and enjoyed an outstanding senior season at St. John's Prep.
Grossguth and Taylor both transferred to Bryant this past fall. Both Rhode Island natives, Grossguth joins the Bulldogs after two seasons at the Community College of Rhode Island and Murphy comes to Bryant after two seasons at Monmouth University. Grossguth missed last season with an injury but hit .327 with eight home runs and 36 RBI on his way to All-New England honors as a freshman in 2018.
A native of North Smithfield, Taylor went 12-for-55 with three doubles, six RBI and 13 runs scored in 22 games for the Hawks last spring.