Is it really baseball season already?
There’s snow on the ground. Wind chills are routinely dipping into single digits. President’s Day is just around the corner. The Super Bowl wasn’t even a week ago!
If you’re reading this, though, you’ll surely know that my opening question was rhetorical. It is baseball season — even if it isn’t baseball weather quite yet — and this year, Cupid’s arrow flew directly into our collective Husky hearts, handing Northeastern a remarkably early Valentine’s Day opener on the road at Charlotte.
So yes, it might be cold, but it isn’t too early to hear the sound of a fastball popping against a catcher’s mitt. Nor is it too early for glinting, wraparound sunglasses, or mangled shells of ranch sunflower seeds lining a dugout’s nooks and crannies, or tubs brimming with Dubble Bubble and Big League Chew. It isn’t too frigid to tip your cap to a two-strike slider that just caught the outside corner, and the wind isn’t blustery enough to turn a lazy pop fly into an extra-base hit.
And, even if it was? That wouldn’t be Northeastern’s problem; not yet, at least.
The Huskies will play each of their first 14 games (including an exhibition against the Red Sox) in warmer settings, after which they’ll return to the northeast to visit Bryant before hosting Harvard in their Friedman Diamond opener on March 15. If the weather’s still formidable by then — which it very well may be, knowing Boston — we can start a dome discussion, but for the time being, we’ll focus on the team itself.
While they don’t have the same pomp and shine of last season’s team that began the season nationally ranked, the 2025 Huskies are a talented bunch with the potential to make real noise. Northeastern placed third in the preseason conference poll, behind UNCW and Charleston, and they had a conference-high five players selected to the preseason All-CAA team.
As is often the case in baseball, though, there’s a lot of unpredictability and volatility surrounding this squad. A team that failed to meet expectations a year ago lost some top-end talent to the MLB draft (Mike Sirota, Dennis Colleran) and some other key pieces to graduation (Wyatt Scotti, Michael Gemma, Tyler MacGregor, and others). This year’s team will have to get more from a pitching staff that struggled mightily a season ago, and there are substantial holes in the lineup that need filling.
With that being said, let’s jump into the roster, starting with what the Red Sox’s Andrew Bailey would call his Run Prevention Unit.
Pitching Staff
There are a litany of adjectives you could use to describe Northeastern’s 2024 pitching staff; not many are positive.
The group mustered an ugly 5.22 collective ERA, and only one pitcher managed to throw more than 53 innings. Nearly every statistic declined sharply from 2023, and several players (Aiven Cabral, Jake Gigliotti, and Gemma) took massive steps back. The hope around Friedman Diamond is that an offseason of work combined with some regression to the mean allows this staff to find its footing again.
The Returners
The 2025 team brings back a number of returners from 2024. Cabral, Jack Beauchesne, and Jack Bowery come in as the headliners, but lesser-known pitchers such as Cooper McGrath and Charlie Walker will also toe the rubber at Friedman for another year.
Aiven Cabral is the headliner. While his 2024 was dreadful, he flashed superstar potential in 2023, earning a 2.26 ERA over 79.2 innings pitched. That ballooned to 2.26 a season ago, but the now-junior right-hander finished the year on a higher note after being moved to the bullpen. To boot, he pitched to a 2.81 ERA for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, making the All-Star team. If he can recapture his 2023 form, he slots in as a bona-fide ace at the top of a Husky rotation crying out for one.
Jack Bowery checks in as a second-year Husky. The Marist transfer pitched solidly in his debut campaign for Northeastern, notching a 4.96 ERA across 52.2 innings. The senior left-hander doesn’t have show-stopping stuff, but he’s got a good feel for the zone (12 BB in 2024) and keeps a relatively decent home-run rate. He’ll need to improve a bit to become a real difference-maker, but there’s no better time than the present.
Beauchesne, Walker, and McGrath make up a three-headed monster of relievers that will likely see a heavy workload with the rotation in flux. The trio combined to hurl 71.1 innings last year with a superb ERA of 3.79, shoring up the back end of a bullpen that was often porous. Keeping opponents scoreless in late-game situations will be essential for an offense that can score runs in a hurry, and these three figure to lead that charge.
Will Jones returns after throwing 41.1 innings in 2024, recording a poor 5.23 ERA but an encouraging 45 strikeouts, hinting at a breakout season in 2025. The 6’5” lefty is spring-loaded with potential and could be a genuine tipper-of-the-scales should he harness his ability into 10+ starts.
Brett Dunham, Nick Coniglio, and Joseph Hauser return as well. The trio meshed for 35 decent innings last season, and will likely be asked to take on larger roles in this one. Dunham in particular is intriguing — the then-junior shut down opposing bats in 2024, averaging over a strikeout per inning and holding opponents to a .186 batting average. However, 11 walks over 20.1 innings burned him to the tune of 10 earned runs. If he can rein in his control, look out.
Elsewhere, Hayden Smith, James Morice, and Carson Walsh round out the returners, but those three only threw eight combined innings. They didn’t allow a run, though, and would love to carry that streak into an expanded role in 2025. Ryan Griffin will return as well, but a team-high 9.53 ERA in five appearances makes him a big question mark.
On a quieter note, David McSweeney, Max Marchetti, and Jack Cropper figure to make their Northeastern debuts after redshirt freshman years. Cropper is the most interesting — the right-hander was ranked the #1 pitcher in Massachusetts in 2023, before an injury prevented him from pitching for the Huskies in 2024.
The Departures
There’s two ways to look at this section.
On the one hand, the Huskies are losing a lot of key pitching. 37 starts — 67.2% of games — are out the door, and a young, inexperienced staff is going to have quite the void to fill. Losing over two-thirds of your starting pitching in one offseason is crippling to any program, let alone one of Northeastern’s stature.
On the other hand… that lost pitching wasn’t particularly impressive. The three major starters who hit the door (Gemma, Gigliotti, Scotti) all pitched to ERAs above 4.76, and even the staff’s lone draftee (Colleran) flailed to a startling 7.97 mark. Yes, it’ll be a huge task to replace the sheer volume lost, but there’s an opportunity to upgrade on the performance side of things.
There is value in innings eating, though, and Wyatt Scotti played that role to perfection. The senior right-hander led the team in starts (15), innings pitched (71.0), and wins (seven) despite a meager 5.20 ERA. He wasn’t an ace, but 71 innings is nothing to sneeze at, and this year’s team will likely have to replace that in the aggregate.
Jake Gigliotti finished third on the staff in innings, firing 47.1. He struggled all season with both put-away pitches (31 Ks) and walks (21 BBs), forcing him into a game-manager role which probably suited him. His graduation opens innings, but his production shouldn’t be too difficult to replicate.
Despite starting 11 games, Michael Gemma operated as more of a short-innings specialist, throwing just 34 innings over 14 appearances. His excellent stuff will be missed, but his .67 BB/IP ratio won’t be.
Dennis Colleran is one of the more fascinating players I’ve ever watched; despite an admittedly terrible 2024 season, the Kansas City Royals selected him in the seventh round of the MLB Draft due to his 100 mph fastball and wipeout (occasionally) off-speed offerings. When he was on, he was a legitimate shutdown option at the back of the Husky ‘pen, but control issues and an astoundingly bad 1.98 HR/9 rate make his production somewhat easy to replace and improve upon.
Brendan McFall and James Quinlivan also depart; both played smaller roles, but contributed around the margins, even as McFall struggled to a career-worst ERA.
The Arrivals
Head coach Mike Glavine brought in nine pitchers to replenish a depleted staff. Of those nine, six are freshmen just as last year, I’ll stay away from projecting most freshmen. At least a few will redshirt, and the others will likely play smaller roles.
If there is one to look out for, though, it’s Cam Keaveney. The left-handed pitcher was New Hampshire’s Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year as a senior, and recorded a 2.03 ERA over the summer in New England’s Futures League. He projects as a starter, although maybe not right off the bat, and has the potential to become a rotation staple within two years.
The transfer tree didn’t bear much fruit this season. Only three pitchers came over: Ryan McCarroll from Wheaton College, Max Gitlin from Clark University, and Jordan Gottesman from Endicott College. All three are grad students, and all three come in with shiny Division III resumes, but the jump from DIII to DI is a big one. Look for Gottesman to make the biggest impact — the lefty slung his way to an 11-1 clip last season, including a complete game.
Outside of Keaveney, the freshman class includes strictly right-handers: Andrew Basel, Andrew Rogovic, Brett Mulligan, Michael Mack, and Angel Cruz. Four of five come from New York or Massachusetts, with Cruz as the lone exception from Puerto Rico. Who emerges from this group is anyone’s guess, but the mere fact that the Huskies landed a rare recruit from PR makes Cruz one to look out for.
Position Players
Where do I even begin?
Northeastern’s offense set records in 2024. There aren’t any adjectives that paint the full picture of just how dominant this unit was, so I’ll give you the numbers instead.
The aforementioned MacGregor and his counterpart Alex Lane finished top-10 in school history in single-season batting average, slugging percentage, home runs, and hits, while tying each other for the all-time RBIs record (80). Luke Beckstein finished second on the all-time on-base percentage list (.515) and third on the runs scored list (67). Sirota smashed the all-time walks record (59) and the team as a whole set school-bests in runs scored, doubles, slugging percentage, walks, on-base percentage, and stolen bases.
Long story short, this iteration of the Huskies was one of — if not the — best in program history.
The Returners
A significant chunk of last year’s offense has departed, but a core few remain, including a superstar righty in Lane, a stud infielder in Jack Goodman, a steady backstop in Gregory Bozzo, and two promising, bat-first juniors in Carmelo Musacchia and Cam Maldonado.
There are others, as well: Jack Doyle and Justin Bosland return for their senior seasons, Harrison Feinberg and Matt Brinker will suit up for their junior campaigns, and Chris Walsh and Ryan Gerety are back for their sophomore years. In all, it’s an offense spring-loaded with potential, even if it might not quite have the same thump as it did in 2024.
Alex Lane returns for his final year of eligibility at Friedman after a truly unfathomable senior campaign. The Bryant transfer smashed the daylights out of the ball, raking to a 1.159 OPS and 18 home runs across 253 plate appearances. The first baseman appeared in 54 games, ranking second on the team, and checked in as a Rawlings All-American Third Teamer for his efforts. If he can somehow take another step forward this season, he’ll have real All-American First Team buzz surrounding him from day one.
Jack Goodman had a pretty good year, too. After transferring from Pepperdine, the then-sophomore lit it up, hitting .320 with a .523 slugging percentage en route to an All-CAA Second Team appearance. Goodman will need to improve his defense, though — his 14 errors ranked second team-wide, and as an everyday middle infielder, he’ll need to be more sure-handed.
It wasn’t as celebrated as some of his teammates’, but catcher Gregory Bozzo quietly put together a really productive offensive year. A steady hand behind the plate, Bozzo improved at the dish, recording career highs in virtually every offensive category on his way to All-CAA Second Team honors. Now the wizened ringleader of a young catcher room, look for him to continue building on his career year and find himself an everyday staple on Glavine’s lineup card.
It wasn’t a storybook season for infielder Carmelo Musacchia, but it provided something of a launchpad for what we hope can be a breakout 2025. After an impressive freshman year, Musacchia became an everyday player in his sophomore run, but issues with strikeouts (43), defense (team-high 18 errors), and power (13 extra-base hits) led to a disappointing 2024. He has the talent, though, and will certainly be given ample chances to prove himself in 2025.
Sophomore slumps can happen; just ask outfielder Cam Maldonado, who took a step or two backwards following a monster freshman year. After earning All-CAA First Team honors as a rookie, the Connecticut kid saw his numbers drop across the board in 2024, as he struggled to find a groove with the bat. He did excel with the glove, though, managing to avoid committing a single error.
Seniors Jack Doyle and Justin Bosland are back for one last bite at the apple. Infielder Doyle smacked six home runs over 31 starts, while utilityman Bosland profiles as a slap hitter who managed a .931 OPS a season ago. Doyle will likely see everyday-level playing time, while Bosland will likely act as a leading bench bat who is liable to start on any given day.
The junior class wouldn’t be complete without Harrison Feinberg and Matt Brinker. Feinberg struggled in 2024, but excelled in 2023, and he’ll look to find that form again. Brinker, meanwhile, did a fabulous job deputizing Bozzo at catcher; he’ll likely do the same this year, but if he improves on an .890 OPS, he could end up in the starting lineup more days than not.
Chris Walsh played in just thirteen games, and while he didn’t produce a whole lot, a 0.9 K/BB ratio shows good plate discipline. The local infielder should slide into a utility role, but fellow local product Ryan Gerety has a real chance to make a name for himself. The now-sophomore hit .286 as a freshman, but some departures give him the opportunity to slot in as a more consistent contributor.
The Departures
There’s no shortage of big names on this list.
Tyler MacGregor donned the gap, gown, and tassel after a season that’d make Barry Bonds blush, and program legend Luke Beckstein did the same following a career that’d make Ichiro Suzuki grin. Catcher Jimmy Sullivan doesn’t have an immediate MLB comparison, but he followed suit, graduating following a career-best year. Elsewhere, junior superstar outfielder Mike Sirota went to the Cincinnati Reds (and eventually the Dodgers) in the MLB Draft.
So, while the number of holes in the lineup isn’t glaring, the lingering quality of those holes is. Before you even consider the fielding differences, the 2025 Huskies will have lost 31 homers, their top-three run scorers, and three of their top-four walk drawers.
Few words are fitting to describe Tyler MacGregor’s 2024, and the ones that are probably aren’t fit to print. You’ve seen the stats, but let me be the first to tell you: MacGregor’s value went far beyond the statsheet, and that will be the hardest part to reproduce. Losing him feels a bit like Mike Tyson losing his right hook; sure, he’s still dangerous, and he can definitely still kill you, but his most dangerous weapon is out of the picture.
Supposedly the real thing retired some years ago, but Luke Beckstein gave Northeastern fans his best Dustin Pedroia impression over three great years in Boston. The feisty infielder was this team’s emotional barometer and its best baserunner, and he wasn’t half-bad other than that, either. 2024 saw Beckstein win CAA Defensive Player of the Year for his exploits at second base, and a career-best .311 batting average gave way to an All-CAA Second Team appearance.
Jimmy Sullivan saw a reduced role in a room full of catchers, but played admirably when he found himself in the game, pairing good defense with a .306 batting average. His role will be the easiest to fill, even if he proved himself an excellent servant of the program over two solid seasons here.
It wasn’t a career year for Mike Sirota, but the star outfielder followed up two incredible seasons with a very respectable 2024, carrying a .986 OPS across 51 starts while playing sound centerfield defense. Replacing his everyday steadiness and on-base ability will be tough, and he’ll check out of Northeastern as the program’s fourth-highest all-time draft pick.
The Arrivals
Not a single transfer.
Maybe it speaks to Glavine’s belief in this roster; maybe it speaks to an utter lack of desire for top players to come play at Northeastern. Maybe it speaks to something else entirely. But the fact remains — the Huskies didn’t fetch a single position player through the portal. There are seven freshmen, however, and freshman hitters have shown some ability to break into Glavine’s plans in recent years.
Those freshmen would be Eric Cha, Will Fosberg, Cooper Tarantino, AJ Aschettino, Henry DiGiorgio, Anthony Ruggiero, and Carter Bentley. I refuse to project freshmen — especially not in baseball — but of the seven, there’s no clear frontrunner for who figures to get the most playing time, though we should have some idea fairly quickly. Look for Ruggiero or Bentley to assert themselves if anyone will.
Wrap, Crackle, Pop
Anyone who thinks they know how this season will go, can you raise your hand, please?
Nobody? No hands raised? That’s more or less what I expected; maybe you didn’t study enough.
Or, maybe, there’s just so many possible outcomes that there is no right answer. That’s how I see it, at least. A younger, talented, but very volatile roster that has a ceiling about halfway up the Prudential Tower but a floor somewhere in the depths of the Christian Science Center garage. For this exercise last year, I at least had twelve games of non-conference information to base my predictions off of — this year, I have nothing.
I’ll say this, though.
I see a pitching staff due for some positive regression to the mean, and a lineup that likely won’t break every record in the book. I see a breakout season or two on the horizon, and a team that felt semi-cursed last season ready to flip that script.
I won’t throw out a record prediction; I have no idea. I think it’ll be worse than last year, if only due to the sheer volume of talent that’s hit the exits since the Huskies suffered an embarrassing two-game exit from the 2024 CAA Tournament. I simply think it’ll be difficult to get better after losing your best hitter, infielder, and outfielder — all of whom happen to be three different players.
For yet another season, though, the Huskies will kick it off with real visions of a conference crown, and they’ll dream of so much more. And, until the last seed is spit, the clinching strike is thrown, and the final pink bubble popped, who am I to say any different?
Let’s play some ball.
Northeastern will jump-start their season on Friday, Feb. 14 with a three-game set in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they’ll take on UNC-Charlotte. Game One is set for 12 p.m., with all three contests televising on ESPN+, and a written series recap on our website after the series finale.