Amanda Blasberg/WRBB Sports File
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With how absurd Northeastern’s pitching staff was in 2025, it would’ve been easy to miss just how good the offense actually was. Overshadowed by shutouts and sub-3.00 ERAs, the bats quietly went about their business.
The offense ranked third in the CAA while slashing .284/.385/.465 (.850 OPS), pairing patience with power and continuing a tradition of lineups that grind pitchers down and punish mistakes.
Many of the biggest contributors to that offense have departed, and even for a program built on depth, replacing proven top and middle-of-the-order production alongside veteran leadership is never simple.
Head coach Mike Glavine emphasizes that leadership will be equally as important as stat lines.
“Leadership is gonna be paramount here with these guys like Harry [Feinberg], [Matt] Brinker, Melo [Musacchia], and [Ryan] Gerety,” he said. “Those guys obviously have to perform on the field. Our best players need to be our best players. That’s always the case.”
That leadership void starts with the bats Northeastern must replace.
The Departures
OF Cam Maldonado exits the program as Northeastern’s all-time stolen bases (86) leader after electrifying with five-tool skill during his three years in Brookline.
As a freshman, Maldonado’s .353/.434/.642 (1.076 OPS) slash line, alongside 13 round-trippers, earned him the 2023 CAA Rookie of the Year. A difficult sophomore season followed that breakout, during which his average hovered around .160 for much of the first half before a torrid three-week stretch late in the year pushed his home run total to eight and OPS just south of .900. That late-season surge proved to be more than a simple hot streak, and Maldonado carried the mechanical adjustments and renewed confidence into his draft-eligible season.
In 60 games, Maldonado slashed .351/.467/.631 (1.098 OPS) and ranked first in the CAA in runs scored (76) and third in home runs (15), RBI (59), and total bases (140), respectively.
Glavine is not a coach to elect team captains, but Maldonado was a clear leader and one of the voices all players gravitated toward. Replacing Maldonado’s production will be difficult, but replacing his leadership will be just as demanding.
The San Francisco Giants selected Maldonado in the seventh round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
INF Jack Goodman arrived in Brookline as a sophomore transfer from Pepperdine and popped 18 home runs across 103 games in a Northeastern uniform. Equally comfortable at shortstop, third, or second, Goodman gave Glavine lineup flexibility and defensive reliability wherever he was needed, but the thunder in his bat will be hardest to replace.
In his draft-eligible season, Goodman slashed .335/.406/.547 (.953 OPS) with 10 home runs while plating 51. The Detroit Tigers selected Goodman in the 13th round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
UTIL Alex Lane played three years at Northeastern and is the program’s all-time RBI (185) leader. After transferring out of Bryant ahead of his junior year, Lane launched 34 home runs across the 2023 and 2024 campaigns before adding five more in his graduate season. Much like Maldonado’s start to his sophomore year, Lane’s 2025 opened quietly, and his .235/.323/.348 slash line (.671 OPS) fails to capture the full picture.
As the spring wore on, Lane found his rhythm and delivered timely, high-leverage swings when they mattered most, punctuated by a 2-for-4 night with an RBI double at Fenway Park in Northeastern’s Beanpot Championship win in late April. Lane graduated in May.
C Gregory Bozzo became the heart and soul of Northeastern baseball across four seasons with the program. In 143 collegiate games, Bozzo slashed .241/.310/.354 (.644 OPS) with 12 home runs while anchoring the pitching staff from behind the plate. His offensive peak came during his junior year, when he caught fire over a full campaign and blasted nine home runs to post an .855 OPS.
After that breakout year in the box, Northeastern hoped for more offensive consistency from Bozzo in 2025. Instead, he scuffled and finished the season with a .602 OPS. But baseball has a way of distilling entire careers into a single moment, and Bozzo’s came when it mattered most.
With two outs in the top of the ninth inning of Northeastern’s NCAA Regional elimination game against Bethune-Cookman, Bozzo turned on an 0-2 fastball and sent it over the left-center field wall for his one and only round-tripper of the season to give his team a 3-2 lead. That swing propelled Northeastern to its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1997.
Bozzo graduated in May and signed with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent.
INF Jack Doyle quietly put together one of the more reliable careers of any Husky over the past four seasons. Across 107 games, Doyle slashed .262/.387/.437 (.823 OPS) with 13 home runs and developed into a steady presence in the middle of Northeastern’s lineup while providing plus defense on the left side of the infield. His 2025 production began slowly, but gave way to a strong stretch once conference play arrived, and he finished with six home runs in 47 games. Doyle graduated in May.
UTIL Justin Bosland battled injuries throughout his final collegiate season and finished his Northeastern career slashing .226/.370/.321 (.691 OPS) with three home runs in 130 games. The numbers undersell his offensive ceiling, which was on full display during his junior season, when he hit .310 and posted a .921 OPS. A left-handed bat with defensive versatility, Bosland filled roles all over the diamond, seeing time at all three outfield positions and both hot corners. Bosland graduated in May.
The Returners
Despite major offensive departures, Northeastern welcomes back 12 bats for the 2026 season, headlined by two outfield cornerstones poised to form a devastating one-two punch at the top of the lineup.
OF Harrison Feinberg enters his final year of eligibility as a Second-Team Preseason All-American off the heels of one of the best offensive seasons in Northeastern history. In 2025, Feinberg’s five-tool potential came to fruition in a massive way, earning him CAA Co-Player of the Year honors after slashing .367/.455/.715 (1.170 OPS) and leading the conference with 67 RBIs in 58 games. He led the Huskies in average, home runs (18), and stolen bases (37, tied-most in program history).
What makes that resume more impressive is what did not follow. Feinberg could have leveraged a breakout season, national awards, and All-American status into a change of scenery and significant payday, but chose instead to return to Brookline. The absence of a Power Four locker room or shiny new car says as much about Feinberg as the numbers do. Feinberg is not just Northeastern’s most dangerous bat, but a leader whose loyalty has become a defining part of his impact on the program. Feinberg will likely be the everyday two-hitter and start in left field.
OF Ryan Gerety became Glavine’s leadoff hitter in 2025 after limited playing time as a freshman in the shadow of Mike Sirota, now a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In a team-high 59 games, Gerety slashed .284/.406/.431 (.837 OPS) with five home runs. As a left-handed hitter, Gerety fits the profile of a prototypical table-setter; he drives the ball to all fields — three of his five home runs went to left field — and pairs that approach with disciplined plate appearances (41 BBs to 36 Ks). Beyond the production, Gerety emerged as a locker-room leader even as an underclassman and is poised to take on even greater leadership responsibility as a junior in a lineup undergoing transition. With Maldonado no longer in the picture, Gerety is set to assume everyday duties in center field.
INF Carmelo Musacchia bounced back from a down 2024 with a resurgent junior campaign, slashing .302/.369/.479 (.848 OPS) with six home runs in 55 games. Serving as Northeastern’s starting second baseman, Musacchia provided consistency at the plate and immense reliability in the field, committing just seven errors on 197 chances (.964 fielding percentage). He also logged spot starts in the outfield and at DH. With Goodman no longer anchoring the left side of the infield, Musacchia is the presumptive favorite to slide over as the Huskies’ starting shortstop in 2026. His experience up the middle, combined with demonstrated defensive polish and offensive upside, gives Glavine flexibility in shaping the infield while keeping one of the lineup’s steadier bats in a premium position.
INF Chris Walsh enters the spring as a contender for the starting third base job after spending much of his sophomore year fighting for consistent opportunities in a crowded infield. With Goodman, Musacchia, and Doyle all ahead of him on the depth chart, Walsh’s role was limited, and the sporadic playing time showed in the numbers; across 14 starts in 27 games, Walsh slashed .204/.302/.333 (.635 OPS) with one home run. Still, there were flashes. Walsh posted career highs in hits (11) and doubles (four) while showing athleticism on the bases. With several infield regulars now gone, Walsh steps into his junior season with reps available, and how he handles that opportunity will go a long way toward determining Northeastern’s infield alignment in 2026.
C Will Fosberg worked his way into a starting role over the course of 2025 and became Northeastern’s primary option behind the plate. In 39 appearances, including 36 starts, the redshirt freshman slashed .224/.362/.376 (.738 OPS) with three home runs. With Bozzo’s struggles to produce consistently in the box, Fosberg assumed a larger share of the catching duties than anticipated and now enters 2026 as the presumptive everyday backstop. Northeastern will look for more slug from Fosberg, as the catching spot accounted for just four round-trippers a season ago. To keep a left-handed bat in the lineup, Glavine will likely give Fosberg spot starts at DH.
C Matt Brinker returns healthy and back in the catching mix after an injury limited his time behind the plate a season ago. In 2025, after beginning the season sidelined, Brinker slashed .261/.328/.486 (.814 OPS) with six home runs across 35 games at DH. With his health restored, Brinker is expected to serve as Northeastern’s second catcher and could be platooned with Fosberg, particularly against left-handed starters. In 68 career collegiate games, Brinker has already launched 12 home runs, giving him the higher power ceiling of the two backstops.
INF Henry DiGiorgio, 1B Eric Cha, and OF Carter Bentley are three sophomores who combined for just 62 plate appearances in 2025, products of a veteran-heavy lineup that left little room for experimentation.
DiGiorgio played in 11 games as a freshman and faced early challenges with plate discipline in a small sample size, drawing just one walk against five strikeouts. Pitch selection difficulties carried into the summer, where DiGiorgio slashed .230/.322/.270 (.592 OPS) across 29 games with 11 walks to 19 strikeouts for the Worcester Bravehearts of the FCBL.
Cha also appeared in 11 games in 2025 with six starts split evenly between first base and DH. After the season, he focused on improving bat-to-ball skills, and the results showed in summer ball; in 33 games for the Mystic Schooners of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, Cha slashed .312/.379/.424 (.803 OPS) with three home runs. The power has always been evident, and with improved contact, Cha profiles as a go-to option at both first base and DH.
Bentley went just 2-for-14 at the plate across 13 appearances as a freshman, but one of those hits carried real weight: a go-ahead, two-run double in the 12th inning at San Diego State that lifted Northeastern to a gritty win. He followed the quiet debut season with a much larger step forward over the summer and put together a breakout campaign with the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. In 25 games, Bentley slashed .351/.515/.459 (.974 OPS) with one round-tripper. Now, Bentley enters the spring hunting for a corner outfield spot, with his summer progress giving him a strong case to start on Opening Day.
UTIL Cooper Tarantino appeared sparingly as a freshman, making four appearances as a pinch hitter and DH. Capable of playing behind the plate and at first base, Tarantino’s value lies in his positional flexibility, even as offensive production remains a work in progress. Like DiGiorgio, refining pitch selection will be central to Tarantino’s development as he looks to carve out a bigger role moving forward, a challenge that carried into the summer; in 22 games with the Westfield Starfires of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, Tarantino mustered a .176 average and drew eight walks to 23 punchouts.
INF AJ Aschettino and OF Anthony Ruggiero are two redshirt freshmen with something to prove after spending last season on the sidelines, and both responded with strong summers.
Aschettino brings a distinct skill set as a left-handed speedster who swiped 17 bags in 31 games for the Mystic Schooners. With bat-to-ball ability and speed that plays, Aschettino profiles as a potential table-setter or second-leadoff man at the bottom of the order, capable of impacting games without needing extra-base damage, whether that’s by dropping a bunt, beating out infield hits, or forcing mistakes.
Ruggiero turned in a breakout summer with the Westfield Starfires. Appearing in a team-high 48 games, he slashed .299/.365/.429 (.795 OPS) while stealing 16 bases. Power remains limited as just five of his 53 hits went for extra bases. However, Ruggiero consistently squared the ball up and controlled at-bats, two feats not easy for someone who has yet to take an NCAA at-bat.
The Arrivals
Northeastern welcomes four freshmen and one transfer bat for the 2026 campaign, a group that leans heavily toward uncertainty, but offers multiple paths to early impact.
OF David Pengel arrives in Brookline as perhaps the most anticipated offensive piece as the No. 1-ranked outfielder from Connecticut in the class of 2025. A true five-tool athlete, Pengel brings a rare blend of athleticism, speed, power, and feel for the game that immediately puts him in the conversation for a starting outfield role. A product of Avon High School, Pengel played four years at the varsity level and emerged as one of the region’s most decorated prospects, earning Connecticut All-State honors and MVP recognition at the Deep South Perfect Game Tournament. With tools that translate on both sides of the ball, Pengel enters 2026 with a strong case to force his way into the lineup from day one.
INF Tyler Harmony joins Northeastern after a decorated prep career and brings a disciplined offensive approach from the left-handed batter’s box with infield versatility. Harmony spent his final two high school seasons at Canterbury School, where he established himself as one of the region’s most polished hitters. Across 38 games at Canterbury, Harmony slashed .364/.545/.491 (1.036 OPS) and showcased an exceptional feel for the strike zone with 35 walks against 16 strikeouts. Yet, the transition to higher-level competition proved challenging at times this past summer, as Harmony struggled over 37 games (.576 OPS) with the Vermont Lake Monsters of the FCBL. Still, he began to find his footing late in the summer, an encouraging sign as he adjusts to Division I pitching.
INF Charlie Criscola is a local product out of Uxbridge and offers a left-handed bat and speed to Northeastern’s infield depth. A Uxbridge High School standout, Criscola earned 2023 Prep Baseball Report Future Games Massachusetts MVP honors and left his mark as the program’s all-time hits leader, also setting the single-season hits record as a freshman. Criscola’s game is built around contact and athleticism, with the ability to put pressure on defenses once he’s on base.
OF Danny Flynn, a Danvers native, joins the program after a winding high school career that included stops at St. John’s Prep, Phillips Academy –Andover, and Worcester Academy. In 2022, he earned an invitation to and participated in the A Shot For Life Home Run Derby, a talent-based showcase featuring the top 16 high-school male batters in Massachusetts. A left-handed hitter, Flynn brings a mix of speed and power to the Huskies’ outfield depth.
UTIL Ian Oehlschlaeger is the lone transfer bat after a standout season at RPI (DIII). A rising sophomore who can play both the outfield and first base, Oehlschlaeger brings immediate versatility and offensive promise. In his one season at RPI, Oehlschlaeger earned Division III All-American honors along with First Team All-Region and Liberty League Rookie of the Year recognition. Among qualified hitters, he led the team across the board and slashed .438/.546/.734 (1.280 OPS) while pacing the Engineers in hits (74), home runs (11), total bases (124), and RBIs (58). Simply put, he was the engine of RPI’s offense from day one. That level of production naturally shifts the focus to translation at the DI level, and the process began over the summer in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League with the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs. In 34 games, Oehlschlaeger posted a .738 OPS with three hits going for extra bases. Nevertheless, his plate discipline remained a strong point as Oehlschlaeger outpaced 26 strikeouts with 28 free passes. Oehlschlaeger will compete with Cha for the starting spot at first base, while his ability to play the outfield gives Glavine added flexibility in how he deploys his bat.
The Verdict
Baseball is unpredictable. That’s what makes it beautiful and what makes forecasting a season like this one nearly impossible. When a team loses all four starting pitchers, its top three relievers, and the offensive production and leadership of players like Cam Maldonado, Jack Goodman, Jack Doyle, and Alex Lane, it’s unrealistic to expect a clean sequel to a program-record 49-win campaign.
No one saw 2025 coming. No model, no preseason poll, no reasonable projection could have anticipated a pitching staff that turned Friedman Diamond — a park built for hitters — into a graveyard for opposing offenses. Yet much of that group is gone.
That’s where the offense comes in.
Outside of 2025, it’s always been the bats that supported the program. Northeastern returns 12 bats and adds five more, and if there’s a safe bet to make entering the spring, it’s that the lineup will carry the load early.
“There’s a lot of new faces on [the offensive] side of the ball, or not even new faces, guys that just haven’t had college baseball experience,” Glavine said.
That reality naturally points to a feeling-out process early in the season.
“I do anticipate using a lot of different guys positionally and even in different positions,” Glavine said.
With early lineup influx and efforts to find identity, Glavine acknowledges the need for production on and off the field from some of his more veteran athletes.
“[The veterans] are gonna have really have to lead because we have some guys that are gonna be playing a lot of college baseball for the first time, and it’s a lot of ups and downs.
With a shorter non-conference stint alongside tough high mid-major and Power Four competition to open 2026, those ups and downs will arrive quickly.
“We only have three weeks this year before first conference play, different than years past, and a really tough schedule to start,” Glavine said. “We will play the great teams, get better, see what we have, and put these guys in a lot of different environments. We’re gonna be playing on dirt, at night, and with hostile crowds. There will be so much in these first three weeks that we’re gonna find out about ourselves and we’re gonna get so much better.”
The bats remain the backbone, supported by the same coaching staff that guided the program to a regional and the most remarkable season in its history.
While personnel came and went, the culture, long entrenched in loyalty and offensive excellence, hasn’t. And in college baseball, now more than ever, that continuity matters above all else.
Northeastern begins the 2026 season with three games in Phoenix, Ariz., as part of the MLB Desert Invitational. Max Schwartzberg will provide full broadcast and written coverage of the tournament, with game one against Grand Canyon University scheduled for Friday at 8 pm EST on Sports+.
Max Schwartzberg is a junior at Northeastern and covers hockey, basketball, and baseball in print and on air. He is also a Cape Cod Baseball League announcer for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. You can read his articles here and follow his Instagram here.