DAILY NEWS OF NEWBURYPORT: SHUTTING THE DOOR

DAILY NEWS OF NEWBURYPORT: SHUTTING THE DOOR

West Newbury's McNamara mastering the closer role at Saint Joseph's College

CLICK HERE to read original article - written by The Daily News Correspondent Chris O'Donnell

The source of frustration with the Saint Joseph's College baseball team isn't the team's 6-8 record after last year's spectacular season. It isn't the fact that it lost five of its first six games this season. That's all part of the plan for 2015.

It's the snow. It won't go away. Maine received another few inches last weekend. It is particularly problematic for Corey McNamara of West Newbury, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2014 and would like nothing more than to carry on from where he left off.

"We're usually really good about getting our field ready before most teams," McNamara said. "We were supposed to start clearing off the field (Tuesday), but it was postponed."

So was St. Joe's game at Roger Williams on Friday. The Monks' home opener Sunday against Salve Regina was canceled. They are now banking on the March 28 doubleheader at Johnson & Wales for their Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) debut.

Fortunately, St. Joe's has played 14 games this season with three separate trips down south against a few heavyweights — No. 10 Emory, the NCAA runner-up (lost 12-3), No. 16 Frostburg State (lost 14-2) and Thomas More (split, 6-3, 1-8).

After the 1-5 start, the Monks have won five of eight.

Early signs show McNamara hasn't developed any rust from the offseason. In four appearances over 8.1 innings, he has faced 25 batters, struck out six and has yet to allow a hit or a walk, let alone a run.

"I've been able to throw all three pitches at any spot, in any count," McNamara said. "When batters are off balance and behind in the count, they don't know what's coming next. Just staying ahead and keeping the ball really low is what I'm focusing on."

Last year, McNamara went 5-1 with a 1.49 ERA while stifling batters to a .211 average over 48.1 innings. The postseason awards tumbled in: All-New England honors by D3Baseball.com and New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) all-star status among them. He led St. Joe's to the GNAC Tournament Championship and was named the Tournament MVP.

 "Corey throws three pitches for strikes," said Saint Joseph's head coach Will Sanborn. "He can really locate. Everything is low and away. He is always ahead in the count. He repeats his delivery. Anytime you can do that, good things happen."

Not bad for a player who was recruited for basketball. Until his sophomore year at St. Joe's, McNamara was a basketball player who also played baseball. Now he is all about the latter, breaking from family tradition.

His older sister, Erin, was a four-year basketball standout at the University of Southern Maine, while his younger sister, Kelsi, just wrapped up a career for the ages at Pentucket Regional High School.

Ironically, both Southern Maine and St. Joe's are among a handful of schools wooing Kelsi. The middle McNamara is staying out of it. "I'll let her decide that," he quipped.

A lower back injury suffered in the fall of his sophomore season curtailed his basketball days. For two and a half months, he could do nothing active. Worse, he needed to stand as much as he could.

McNamara decided to give up basketball to concentrate on regaining his fitness in time for baseball season. Eventually, he could do core exercises and by January, he was throwing. It wasn't long before he was in form: In his first five appearances last season, he registered two wins while scattering seven hits, six strikeouts and a walk over 8.2 innings.

Over the summer, McNamara played for the Stoneham Sabers of the Yawkey League, which features a collection of collegians and ex-pros. He went 6-1 in eight appearances (37 innings) with a sterling 1.51 ERA, leading the Sabers to a 22-10 clip.

Sanborn is a 1986 graduate of St. Joe's and has been the head coach since 1993. He has guided the Monks to the NCAA Tournament in eight of the last 10 years and has seen them all.

"We've had two or three guys over the last 23 years that were legitimate closers," he said. "Corey is as good as any of them. I think his personal demeanor makes him as successful as his repertoire of pitches. He doesn't get too high or too low.

"Everyone is so confident in his ability to get it done," Sanborn added. "When your team feels that way, it's a powerful thing."

With the better part of two seasons to go, there is a world of potential for McNamara. When asked about moving on to a higher profile summer league, or the possibility of being a late draft pick, he shuns the question only to say it would be "nice to play at some level" after school.

For now, he loves the Monks' chances at another GNAC title and an NCAA bid.

"We've played against really good competition on our trips down south," he said. "Our record isn't where we want it, but we know what it's like to play against the best of the best. I think we should make another run, win the conference and get back to the (NCAA) regional."

If only the snow would melt.

 

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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.