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Baseball Season Preview: Infielders
Posted: Feb 11, 2024

Baseball Season Preview: Infielders

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team opens its 2024 season on Friday, February 16 at UCF. BryantBulldogs.com previews the 2024 team leading up to Opening Day.

Position: Infielders
Returners: Carmine Petosa, Lewis Barnum, Justin Hackett, Zac Zyons (UTL), Gavin Noriega (OF as well)
Newcomers: Chris Einemann, Aleksei Goldhill, Evan Blake, Shea Grady, Daniel Baruch

The Breakdown

  • Carmine Petosa enters his third season with the Black and Gold and will be the anchor of the Bryant infield. 
  • The Jackson, N.J., native has played in 94 games over the last two seasons, posting a .270/389/453 split. Petosa has 14 doubles, 14 home runs and 60 RBI in two seasons.
  • Petosa saw a jump in his power, clubbing eight home runs while driving in 37.
  • Justin Hackett returns as Bryant's only other starter from last season. Hackett served as Bryant's everyday starter over the final half of the season, hitting .267 with three home runs, 10 RBI and 16 runs scored.
  • Defensively, he finished with a .901 fielding percentage and has the chance to be one of the best defensive shortstops in the America East.
  • Bryant's other infield veterans will be Lewis Barnum, Zac Zyons and Gavin Noriega. 
  • Barnum saw time mainly at DH last season, hitting .281 with five home runs, 35 RBI and 31 runs scored. His 16 extra-base hits are the most of any returning Bulldog.
  • During his America East All-Rookie campaign, Zyons played all over the field for the Bulldogs. He started games at third, short, left, center and right, hitting .293 with five doubles, three triples, four home runs, 20 RBI and 35 runs scored.
  • Zyons also provided a spark from the top of the lineup, getting hit 16 times and finishing with a .438 OBP.
  • Noriega played primarily in left field last spring but also started games at first base. He will look to bounce back this spring with the Bulldogs after hitting .190 with three home runs, 23 RBI and 28 runs scored.
  • Bryant brought in a slew of new faces led by transfers Chris Einemann, Daniel Baruch and Aleksei Goldhill. The Bulldogs also welcome freshmen Evan Blake and Shea Grady.
  • Einemann is a premier defender who spent three seasons at Division II Molloy. He hit .312 with 44 RBI and 46 runs scored in 2022 before battling injuries last spring. 
  • Goldhill comes to Smithfield from Palm Beach State College. He hit .354 with eight doubles, 22 RBI and 32 runs scored. Goldhill walked 27 times and struck out just seven times. 
  • Baruch is a Cranston native who comes to Smithfield as a graduate transfer from Boston College. He appeared in 87 games during his Eagles career, hitting three home runs and posting a .404 OBP last spring. 
  • Blake and Grady are freshmen who will look to make their marks early. Blake set his school's home run record and was named the MVP of the state tournament as a sophomore.
  • Grady, meanwhile, was projected as the America East Rookie of the Year by D1Baseball.com. He had a standout career at Cranford High in New Jersey and enjoyed a strong fall with the Bulldogs.