IMMACULATA, Pa.- After finishing third in the regular season and postseason a year ago in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC), the Immaculata baseball team is prepared to take the next step in 2015 under third-year head coach, Bryan Torresani.  The Mighty Macs set a program-record with 21 wins last season and finished 11-7 in the CSAC.  The Mighty Macs then went 1-2 in the double-elimination postseason tournament, knocking out Neumann along the way.
 
The Mighty Macs are hoping for even more improvement moving into 2015.  Torresani said, "We expect to be a team that goes out and plays hard every day, brings energy to the park on a daily basis, and plays the game the right way.  We expect to build off of last year and continue the progression that started in my first season (2013).  The hope is we continue to win more ballgames, advance further into the postseason, and ultimately win a CSAC Championship, which has always been the goal."
 
Torresani has already seen a more confident and energetic group this season.  He said, "Confidence comes from the preparation you put in and so far in the first five weeks of practice leading up to our Florida trip, I think we are the most prepared we have ever been heading into a season.   Hopefully we continue to have success which will breed more confidence, and we show the ability to bounce back from our failures to make us a better team."
 
The Mighty Macs will return a slew of talent on the mound, but will need to replace some offensive production from the departed Eli Vottero, Nick Comito, Pat Boulware, and Joe DiGiaimo.  Torresani said of the turnover on the roster, "I think our offensive system has really taken hold and our guys have really bought into it which will help ease the transition.  The way we run the bases and bunt will be a huge strength for us which will help us replace that lost production.  We are also confident in the guys we brought in and some of the returners who will have more of an opportunity this season.  Another big strength for us is on the mound where we return two First Team All-CSAC arms, in addition to some impressive freshmen and improved returners who will make an impact immediately and give us some great depth."
 
The offensive returners who will be relied upon heavily are Honorable Mention All-CSAC performer from a year ago, designated hitter/infielder Jason McCormick (.267, 28 runs, 23 hits, 21 SBs), who is expected to hold down the lead-off spot, and two-time Honorable Mention All-CSAC performer, junior Rob Wallace (.314, 22 runs, 33 hits, 21 RBIs).  Junior outfielder Rick DiDomenico (.286, .441 OBP) was named Honorable Mention All-CSAC a year ago, and led the team with 27 stolen bases and set a program record by getting hit by 22 pitches last season.
 
Torresani said of his top offensive returners, "I think Jason is the kind of guy ready for a breakout season.  He did a lot of nice things for us last year and has had a great preseason, so I think he will cause some havoc for the other teams and set the table for our lineup.  Rob will return in the middle of our order and he can do everything well.  He can hit for average, bunt, run the bases, and he has the experience of hitting in the middle of the order for two straight seasons.  And Rick is another guy who can really run and has some surprising power.  He will be a high on-base percentage guy who can hit anywhere in the order."
 
Other offensive returners include junior first baseman Mike Lascomb (.247, 20 hits, 14 runs), senior outfielder Matt Lawson (.314, 11 hits), and sophomore outfielder Howie Kalamets (.272, 2 HR, 17 RBIs).  Torresani said of the other guys who will be key in the everyday lineup, "Mike has been a guy who has really progressed for us, and was our hottest hitter at the end of last season.  We are looking for Howie and Matt to really make the next step this season.  They both can provide some pop in the middle of our order while holding down the corner outfield spots."
 
Also returning this season is sophomore catcher Ryan Tecco (9 starts in 2014), who is expected to do much of the catching this season, while being joined by a pair of transfers in Austin Stern and Dom Ficca.  Torresani said of the catching situation, "Ryan will be doing a lot of catching back there, but we have two guys in Austin and Dom who can really swing the bat well who will be pushing for time."
 
The Mighty Macs will also be looking to some newcomers to fill some of the voids left in the infield spots.  Freshmen Brad Misialek, Pat Devenney, Eric Tanenbaum, and Connor Kerns, and transfer Ryan Ficca will be some of the new faces in the IU lineup.  Torresani said of the new guys, "Ryan Ficca will compete for time at shortstop right away and has already had success in our conference.  He is good defensively and is a left-handed bat in our lineup.  Brad Misialek has showed he can play at second base, shortstop, or third base with his great glove, and we are looking forward to seeing what he can do offensively."
 
In the outfield, freshmen Coleman Richards, Adam Connor and Collin Stringham will look to join returning starters DiDomenico, Lawson, and Kalamets, while junior transfer Chuck Wyckoff will also factor in.  Torresani likes what he has in his outfield depth when he said, "Coleman is a big, tall, fast, and athletic outfielder who is new to the position so we are excited to see what he can do.  Collin is a left-handed hitter, power hitter who may see some time on the mound as well."
 
Turning to the pitching staff, the Mighty Macs return two juniors who both earned First Team All-CSAC a season ago in starter Dan Whalen (2.35 ERA, 9 starts, 5-0, 59 Ks) and reliever Nick Campione (2.32 ERA, 7 saves, 17 appearances).  "We are very excited to have Dan back leading our rotation.  He took a huge leap forward last year and we hope to see more of the same improvement this season as our ace.  And Nick was great for us out of the bullpen last year.  Anytime you can go to a shutdown guy to close out the game, it's a great feeling for your team", said Torresani.
 
IU will return a wealth of arms from last year's team in Adam Wheatley, Dom Cocco, Chris Goggin, Kenny Anderson, Mike Campisano, Josh Pedorenko, Ryan Blough, Kyle Bacher, Matt Dolan, and John Ryan, while adding in freshmen Tyler Sassaman, Stringham, Eddie Decker, Trevor O'Brien, and Ryan Joyce.  Torresani is excited about the new arms, "We have guys like Sassaman, Decker, O'Brien, Joyce, and Stringham who we are already very confident in plus we return some experience from last year with John Ryan and Adam Wheatley in our starting rotation.  The other returners have looked good so far and worked very hard to get themselves opportunities this coming season."
 
The Mighty Macs will get their season underway with a 10-game schedule down in Fort Pierce, Florida beginning with Susquehanna in a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 12 p.m.  IU will play their first of six CSAC series against Gwynedd Mercy on March 13^th-14^th.
 
If IU is one of the top four teams in the seven-team conference at the end of the season, the double elimination tournament will take place May 1^st-3^rd.