Sophomores Dennis, Pierce Excel on Bridgewater State Baseball Diamond

May 18, 2011

By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise 


BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- There are still two years remaining in their college baseball careers, yet Tyler Dennis and David Pierce have already made significant impacts.

Only sophomores at Bridgewater State University, Stoughton’s Dennis and East Bridgewater’s Pierce earned spots on the All-Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference teams this spring.

Dennis, who made the first team as a utility player, and Pierce, who was chosen to the second team as a first baseman, have helped the Bears reach the NCAA Div. 3 tournament for the first time since 2004.

“This has been a great experience for them,’’ said BSU coach Rick Smith, whose team faces top-seeded Tufts University in Harwich at 1 p.m. today, “and says great things for the program’s future.”

Following up on an impressive freshman season when he led the Bears in hitting, Dennis is third on the team this spring with a .352 average while spending time as the second baseman, third baseman, catcher and DH.

Pierce, who started only four games as a freshman in 2010, has adapted to a new position in college and is one of the top first basemen in the MASCAC in addition to hitting .296.

Dennis played three years of varsity ball at Stoughton High School before taking advantage of open enrollment and spending his senior year at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High.

He had little trouble moving from the Old Colony League to the MASCAC as a freshman, starting 26 games and leading BSU with a .363 average while adding six doubles and two home runs along with driving in 20 runs.

There has been no sophomore slump this season for Dennis, who has 43 hits, including 13 doubles and a homer, and is second on the team with 24 RBI. Through two seasons, Dennis is batting .357 and has 76 hits.

“I had high expectations for myself coming here,’’ said Dennis. “I was happy with how I did last year, but I wasn’t shocked or anything. I didn’t find it too hard of an adjustment.

“I’ve played with really good competition the past couple of years, a bunch of Div. 1 and Div. 2 players. I know I can play with them. I just wasn’t surprised with the pitching and things like that. I have a whole lot of areas to improve in, definitely a lot like consistency throughout the year.”

Dennis was behind the plate earlier in the season, fills in at second base when Dave Billotte is pitching, spends time at third base and has been the DH.

With that kind of versatility and the production he has had, Dennis was an easy choice to be on the MASCAC team as the utility player.

“It definitely helps the team,’’ said Dennis. “I think it helps me in terms of playing. The more versatile you are, the better shot you have of playing. I don’t have a problem with it, but I’d like to get settled into a position.”

Said Smith: “I feel bad for Tyler because he never knows where he’s going to play when he shows up. But hitting-wise, he’s had no problem adjusting to this level. Yes, I was surprised because coming out of high school, usually what happens to those kids is they hit that wall when they reach 20 games. He worked through it and he’s adjusted very well.”

While Dennis was in the lineup for most of his freshman year, Pierce appeared in 17 games with the four starts. He had only 23 at-bats, getting eight hits that included a home run.

Pierce, a pitcher and shortstop at East Bridgewater High, suffered an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament as a senior and was unable to play those positions.

The elbow ailment forced Pierce to move to first base, a spot he had never played, once he got to Bridgewater State, but he has flourished there. Pierce has made only two errors while appearing in every inning of all 38 games this season.

“He’s been trying to get back to second base or shortstop, but he’s got tremendous hands for first base,” said Smith, who had another sophomore, catcher Keane Costa, make the second team. “His feet are flawless around the base and he’s very, very, quick. That’s his position now.

“He does a real good job. It’s a pleasure to watch him because he’s a competitor and he wants to win.”
Pierce, who has 42 hits with 10 doubles, two triples and a homer plus 21 RBI, had little trouble moving across the diamond to first base for the Bears.

“The glove is about the only thing that’s different,’’ he said. “Everything else has been a smooth transition. I was an infielder and enjoy playing the infield. First base is really the only position I hadn’t played.

“Defense is definitely something I’ve always loved. Even at shortstop, I was a good defensive player.”
Pierce’s offense improved as the season went along and he’s on the verge of going over the .300 mark.

After getting very little playing time as a freshman, Pierce settled right in to become one of the conference’s top players.

“I think, confidence-wise,” he said. “I went up the more I played, but you play so much baseball, you just keep building and working on the things you’ve always done.”