Photo by Brian Foley
College Baseball Daily continues our countdown to the start of the 2017 season with interviews with coaches across the country. Today, we feature third year Northeastern head coach Mike Glavine. You can check out the full interview below.
1. Northeastern is coming off a 31-27 campaign which saw them go 12-11 in CAA play. What are your expectations heading into this season?
Mike Glavine: We expect to take another step forward this season. Our staff is very happy with the roster this year and the chemistry they have. Last year we reached the 30 win plateau which is a goal of ours but ultimately we want to win a championship in the Colonial Athletic Association.
2. The Huskies lost their entire starting pitching rotation from last season. The good news is you return your closer in Mike Fitzgerald who went 3-4 with a 3.26 ERA while picking up eleven saves. How do you see the weekend rotation shaping up?
Mike Glavine: It will be very difficult for us to replace our weekend rotation from last year. Not only were they a talented group but they gave us over 275 innings combined. This year’s pitching staff is aware people are doubting them and questioning if they can be as good as last year. We have seen a high level of focus and positive attitude in all of their fall workouts.
We plan to move Mike Fitzgerald into the weekend rotation and while expecting LHP Andrew Misiaszek to take another jump after a strong freshman season. Kyle Murphy, a redshirt freshman is healthy and ready to go after having Tommy John surgery during his senior year of high school. We also have a number of returning upperclassmen that have made big strides over the summer and fall. Lastly, the freshman class is a very exciting group that we have high expectations for. Overall, we are very confident this staff will be a big strength for us this spring
3. Sophomore Cam Walsh had a breakout freshman campaign finishing second on the squad with a .317 average while committing only one error on the year. What makes him such an integral part of the lineup?
Mike Glavine: Cam is a great kid who possess a ton of natural talent. He has a classic left handed swing, runs very well and plays excellent defense. He loves baseball and while being one of the easiest guys to coach. He is the type of player that you can see getting better each day at practice. Cam is already an above average contact hitter but we feel his power numbers and stolen base numbers will take a jump this season. We fully expect him to play another big role for us this spring.
4. Have any of the incoming freshmen impressed you during Fall workouts? Do you expect any of them to break into the starting lineup/rotation this spring?
Mike Glavine: We are very excited about this year’s freshman class. Assistant coaches Cobb and Casey did an outstanding job filling the needs we had on the mound and in the field. We have been very impressed with their talent level, work ethic and enthusiasm for the game. They are a very coachable group and fun to be around. We believe you will see a couple of them in the starting lineup this spring and see a few of them pitching significant innings on the mound. On the position player side, Ian Fair, Scot Holzwasser, Teddy Beaudet and Kyle Peterson all had great fall workouts. On the mound, Brian Rodriguez, Sean Mellen, David Stiehl and Tom Githens show great potential to make an impact. We have no doubt this group will continue to push the program forward and have a big impact on our future.
5. Coming into your 3rd season as the head coach of the Northeastern program, what is the biggest difference you have made on the program?
Mike Glavine: It’s the players, alumni, supporters, administration and entire staff that have made the difference. My short term and long term vision for the program have been met with such tremendous support. In the short term our facilities continue to improve including more exciting upgrades on the way. We are more active in the community, we play a great schedule and this year we are taking a foreign trip. I am very excited with how involved our alumni have been but in particular with our newly formed alumni mentorship group. This group has supported our players and helped them network for their career after NU. Long term we continue to think big and push for growth in all areas of the program. As a coach and alum I am always pushing for more but I am thankful for all that we have. This is a great place because of the people associated with the program and because our players are committed to their academics, they give back to the community and are passionate about baseball.
