Baseball: Fourth-year Anthony DePino
The University of Rhode Island home run king has shaped himself into a true five-tool player this season in his fourth year.
DePino’s power has always been there, with all four of his seasons having home run totals inside the top five in program history. Hitting for average has been huge with him exclusively batting leadoff this year; his .375 batting average has helped him to become a .300 career hitter.
After seven total stolen bases in his first two seasons, DePino swiped 16 bags last year and has already beaten that total this season. The glove and arm have always been there with DePino holding down the hot corner, but this season, he holds his best fielding percentage of his career.
With all of the success on the field, the most important thing he has provided the Rams with this season is his leadership. As a captain of the team, he is focused on winning over any personal achievement. The record he wants more than anything is the single-season wins record, currently set at 37 wins in 2009.
Softball: Third-year Kylie Bulinski
Although the first season under coach Mike Coutts hasn’t produced as many winning results on the field as one might have hoped, Kylie Bulinski has been a consistent highlight.
In her words, the new coaching staff “unleashed” her power. Bulinski launched 10 home runs in her senior season at Woodland Regional High School in Beacon Falls, Connecticut, according to MaxPreps. That power has crept back into her game this year with a team-leading five homers.
She leads the team as one of two qualified hitters batting over .300 and is far ahead of her teammates with a .900+ on-base plus slugging percentage. In a down year for the team, Bulinski has been a bright spot in her time behind the plate and serving as the designated hitter.
Her fourth year still lies ahead, leaving a chance for her to continue to make an impact on the program under its new head coach.
Golf: First-year Luke Stennett
Luke Stennett has been a first-year standout for Rhode Island’s golf team since he arrived in Kingston.
Stennett’s first taste of collegiate golf was a team win at the Ryan T. Lee Memorial Collegiate in September, where he finished tied for 10th in a 90-player field.
Since then, he has rolled on with consistent top-10 finishes, breaking through on April 13 to win The Rutherford Intercollegiate for his first individual title.
The Atlantic 10 Conference has taken notice, as Stennett has earned Player of the Week honors twice and Rookie of the Week once.
There’s a strong case to be made that Stennett has been the most impressive rookie this school year across all sports, and there’s a lot of season left as he is currently taking on the A-10 Championship alongside his team, with the final round taking place tomorrow.
Lacrosse: Head Coach Jenna Slowey
Starting a brand new Division I athletics program should be hard, but URI Head Coach Jenna Slowey hasn’t made it seem that way at all.
Women’s lacrosse has a positive win percentage, with its biggest game looming on Saturday against Virginia Commonwealth University. A win would be the fourth conference win in a row and clinch a spot in the A-10 Tournament.
This type of debut was a pleasant surprise to many, but it is all a credit to Slowey’s roster construction. She found the right players to buy in and develop into a successful and historic first team. Like Stennett, there is a strong case to be made for Slowey being the coach of the year across URI athletics.
Abby LePage
Sports Staff Reporter
Women’s Tennis: First-year Katharina Spieth
In a toss-up between Spieth and third-year Nikki Fernando, Spieth’s three Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors and 10-2 record at the No.1 spot in singles play were too hard to brush off. The latest A-10 award came on April 8, making it the first time in program history that a player earned a weekly honor three times in one season. The previous two recognitions came in the month of February. Spieth is 17-7 in singles and 8-7 at the No.1 spot in doubles with Fernando. Spieth set the tone for her first season in October, being the solo Ram in the A-10 Masters Qualifier to make a run to the semifinals. It’s only up from here for Spieth, and the sky’s the limit.
Men’s Track and Field: Fourth-year Jarrett Young
Now a seasoned veteran for Rhody, Young has contributed to the continuance of the program’s dynasty in the A-10. Young began his season by securing the first seed in the 400-meter, while also running the 500-meter and finishing top three in the 200-meter. In the A-10 Indoor Championship on March 1, Young set a meet-record time of 47.33 in the 400-meter. This rounds out his resume ahead of the outdoor championship as a nine-time A-10 Champion. Young’s impact not only at URI but around the Northeast has solidified his legacy. According to Justin Theriault’s profile on the sprinter, the one thing Young strives to complete before the end his career is becoming an All-American.
Women’s Track and Field: Third-year Lily Saul
As a two-time A-10 champion in the 800-meter, Saul continued her dominance at the beginning of her third season as she broke a five-year-old school record. A standout in her field, Saul has also placed highly in the mile event. Along with fellow star fifth-year Sydney Federico, who also deserves a shoutout, Saul was a representative at the Raleigh Relays in March, running a personal best in the 1,500-meter. Continuing to lead at each meet, Saul’s success as well as her versatility makes her invaluable at URI.
Rowing: Fourth-year Hailey Pardi
In her fourth season with the Rams, Pardi has worked her way up to consistently competing as the stroke seat of the First Varsity 8+. Pardi started the season in this position at the Doc Hosea Invitational, where her boat advanced to the Grand Final. Following this, at the Saint Joseph’s Invitational, Pardi led her crew to victory, as the First Varsity 8+ won the Grand Final by about 10 seconds. Pardi’s contributions to the Rams this season have helped lead the program to success.
