Big East needs more programs to step up

It’s time for the Big East to take a step forward.

Louisville has made a statement with a College World Series appearance in the past few seasons. Even Notre Dame has made a CWS appearance this decade. There also is St. John’s, which has established consistency with coach Ed Blankmeyer leading the way.

Outside of the Cardinals, Fighting Irish and Red Storm, the Big East has accomplished very little the past few seasons.

South Florida and others soon hope to change everyone’s perception of the conference.

It starts with improving this fall.

Let the workouts begin.

Cincinnati

Biggest loss. 3B Mike Spina

What to watch. The Bearcats entered the ’09 campaign with Big East title aspirations, but things didn’t go as planned as they finished the season with a 29-29 record. The Bearcats hope to have a strong fall and an even better spring. Accomplishing that goal will be difficult. The Bearcats finished last season with a .285 batting average, and enters the fall without leading hitters Lance Durham and Mike Spina. Durham hit .427 with nine homers and 53 RBIs last season. Spina hit .342 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs. Offensively, T.J. Jones and Justin Riddell must rise to the occasion this fall. But most important, the pitching staff must improve. The Bearcats finished last season with a dismal 6.73 ERA and is without top pitcher Jake Geglein.

Connecticut

Biggest loss. 2B Peter Fatse

What to watch. The Huskies only finished fifth in the Big East last season, but still has much to look forward to this fall after ending the ’09 campaign with a respectable 36-24 record. The Huskies finished last season with a .318 batting average and enter the fall with Pierre LePage, George Springer, Mike Olt and Mike Nemeth back in the mix. They’re without key hitters Peter Fatse and Harold Brantley. The Huskies have some major work to do on the mound, where they enter workouts without key pitchers Dan Mahoney, Dusty Odenbach, David Erickson and John Folino. Connecticut will be just fine offensively this fall. The pitching staff, though, must be rebuilt before the spring.

Georgetown

Biggest loss. OF Sean Baumann

What to watch. The Hoyas have much to think about between now and the spring. They finished last season near the bottom of the Big East standings and compiled a dismal 17-34 record. To make matters worse, the Hoyas were penalized by the NCAA and their own administration for some infractions committed a few seasons ago. The Hoyas finished last season with a .279 batting average and must replace key hitters Sean Baumann and Tommy Lee. They return Erick Fernandez and Chip Malt. They have the most work to do on the mound after finishing last season with a 6.04 ERA. Tim Adleman and Will Harris must rise to the occasion on the mound. If not, the Hoyas definitely will again be a conference bottom feeder next spring.

Louisville

Biggest loss. 3B Chris Dominguez

What to watch. The Cardinals entered last season with high hopes and won the Louisville Regional before falling short of another College World Series berth with a tough super regional loss to Cal State Fullerton. The Cards enter fall workouts with extra motivation and a wealth of resources. Replacing leading hitter Chris Dominguez and ace pitcher Justin Marks won’t be easy, but UL should be fine. Andrew Clark, Adam Duvall, Phil Wunderlich and Ryan Wright lead the offense. On the mound, Dean Kiekhefer and Tony Zych are expected to have good falls and even better campaigns in ’10. UL expects to have a productive fall. It’s also primed to have an excellent spring.

Notre Dame

Biggest loss. OF A.J. Pollock

What to watch. The Fighting Irish fell just short of making an NCAA regional last season after finishing the campaign with a respectable 36-23 record. Now the Irish enter fall workouts with extra motivation and hope to make a postseason appearance next spring. The Irish must replace leading hitters A.J. Pollock and Jeremy Barnes, but welcome back Golden Tate, David Mills and Mick Doyle. The Irish are in good shape on the mound with the return of starting pitchers Eric Maust and Cole Johnson in addition to relievers Will Hudgins and Ryan Richter, among others. The Irish should compete for the Big East title in the spring if the pitching staff establishes more consistency this fall.

Pittsburgh

Biggest loss. 2B Chris Sedon

What to watch. The Panthers have attempted to take a huge step forward the past few seasons, but luck hasn’t been on their side. Pitt must replace leading hitter Chris Sedon this fall, but welcomes back a few key hitters from a squad that finished last season with an impressive .307 batting average. The big key to the fall is the pitching staff after finishing last season with a 6.35 ERA. David Kaye and Corey Baker are key to the Pitt pitching staff getting back on track. Pitt won’t take a step forward in ’10 if the pitching staff has similar results.

Rutgers

Biggest loss. P Ryan Beard

What to watch. The Scarlet Knights took a step forward a few seasons ago, but that now seems like ancient history. RU finished last season with a 22-31 record and hopes to restore order this fall. The offense enters fall workouts in good shape even without Luis Feliz, who finished last season hitting .321 with three homers and 25 RBIs. RU expects a productive fall from Michael Lang, Jaren Matthews and Pat Biserta. The pitching staff is the big question mark this fall. The Knights finished last season with a 6.24 ERA and are without their top pitcher in reliever Ryan Beard. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for success, but we’ll see what happens this fall.

Seton Hall

Biggest loss. RHP Keith Cantwell

What to watch. The Pirates finished last season with a 25-24 record and must have a strong fall to avoid the same fate next spring. SHU finished last season with a .274 batting average and is without its two leading hitters – Matt Smedberg and Chris Affinito – this fall. The offense must rise to the occasion. The same also goes for the pitching staff, which must find a way to adequately replace consistent weekend starters Keith Cantwell and Sean Black. Cantwell had a 3.48 ERA in 93 innings last season and Black had a 3.99 ERA in 85 2/3 innings. Joe DiRocco leads the pitching staff this fall. The pitching staff has some question marks, but offense is the biggest question.

South Florida

Biggest loss. P Shawn Sanford

What to watch. The Bulls have several reasons to feel confident entering fall workouts. Sure, USF failed to make a statement last season after losing the Big East regular season title the final weekend of the season and again not making an NCAA regional. However, this team has the ability to improve this fall and leave little doubt in the spring. Junior Carlin, Sam Mende, Todd Brazeal and Jonathan Koscso spearhead a talented offensive lineup. On the mound, Derrick Stultz and Randy Fontanez give the Bulls a solid one-two punch. There’s no reason the Bulls shouldn’t compete for the Big East title and a regional berth next season. Anything less would be a disappointment.

St. John’s

Biggest loss. 1B Tim Morris

What to watch. The Red Storm entered last season with a plethora of holes to fill, but still managed to finish the season near the top of the Big East standings. That should be good news entering fall workouts, but we’ll see how the Johnnies fair without leading hitters Tim Morris and Brian Kemp. Replacing the talented duo won’t be easy. But most important, the Red Storm pitching staff must improve. St. John’s finished last season with a dismal 6.20 ERA. Nick Cenatiempo, Ryan Cole and others must rise to the occasion this fall. The Johnnies are in good shape in ’10 if they do.

Villanova

Biggest loss. OF Matt McFolling

What to watch. The Wildcats hope to find a way to recover from a tough 22-28 record last season. The record will be tough to overcome from an offensive standpoint. Villanova batted .282 last season and must replace leading hitters Joe Cotter and Matt McFolling. Though the offense has some major question marks entering fall workouts, the pitching staff is in better shape with the return of key arms Brian Streilein, Kevin Crimmel, Chris Pack and Kyle Helisek. Still, this unit must establish consistency after finishing last season with a 6.15 ERA. ‘Nova needs to have a strong fall.

West Virginia

Biggest loss. 2B Vince Belnome

What to watch. The Mountaineers didn’t play an incredibly tough schedule last season, but still deserves recognition for finishing the season with an impressive 37-18 record. Now the Mountaineers enter fall workouts hoping to improve just enough to make a bigger impression in the spring and reach an NCAA regional. WVU must find a way to replace key hitters Vince Belnome, Justin Parks, Austin Markel and Tobias Streich, but welcomes back leading hitters Dan DiBartolomeo and Jedd Gyorko. On the mound, the Mountaineers welcome back Jarryd Summers and Chris Enourato, but must find a way to replace Billy Gross. The pitching staff has room for improvement this fall. The offense, though, again is expected to be a strong unit for this team.