Jeremy Chapman loves baseball. He grew up playing a lot of it in Quaker Hill. The Waterford High graduate, a sophomore in sports management at Mitchell College in New London , has the distinction of having been named Pitcher of the Week in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) three times this season.
The first recognition came after a March 29 Mitchell College matchup against City College (CCNY). Chapman, a left-handed pitcher, fired a complete game (seven innings) shutout, striking out 11 CCNY players and scattering three hits and three walks. He also was recognized by all of New York ECAC (Eastern Connecticut Athletic Conference) Division III Metro Region, which includes the CUNY and SUNY ( State University ) leagues combined.
Then there were the two back-to-back recognitions in April. On April 22, in the second season win for Mitchell, he pitched a four-hitter game with 11 strikeouts in a 5-1 victory over John Jay. No batter got to walk in that game, and he allowed only one extra-base hit, according to the CUNY Web site’s news section.
The most recent Pitcher of the Week honor came after Mitchell’s April 26 matchup with Lehman. This time, he struck out 12 batters, his season-best. The final score was 9–1, with six hits and one earned run. For the season, Chapman had pitched six complete games, with 50 strikeouts in 45 innings.
Every pitcher in the league gets a shot at the weekly title, he said. There also are Player- and Rookie of the Week awards.
There aren’t too many left-handed pitchers in the CUNY conference, Chapman said. He’s vying with another southpaw, from College of Staten Island , who also had one loss in the conference.
Chapman is the son of Donald and Denise Chapman of Oakdale, and he graduated from Waterford Public Schools. His parents, older sister, Justine, and his grandparents are loyal fans and supporters.
“We knew Jeremy was a baseball player from day one, right from teeball,” laughed Denise. “We always had baseball going on in our yard 24/7, with the entire neighborhood involved.”
His grandparents, Carolyn and Charlie Muscarella, also of Quaker Hill, are his biggest fans. They make it to all of his games, even the away games and the ones when he’s not pitching, when his parents can’t take time off from work. Chapman’s dad works for Rings End Lumber in Niantic, and Denise works for BLC Consulting of New London.
“They are very good support. They’ve always been there for me,” Chapman said. “I don’t think they have missed a game in my whole life.”
The entire family, including grandparents, went down to Florida in March over spring break to watch Jeremy and the Mitchell College team practice at Fort Pierce.
Baseball is by far Chapman’s favorite sport. Staying close to home, at Mitchell, gives him the chance to continue playing ball with some lifelong friends and teammates.
“I played with John McGarry my whole life, since I was 4 years old,” Chapman said of a fellow Mitchell teammate and Waterford High graduate. “He grew up across the street from me. He’s one of the best friends and teammates I’ve ever had.”
McGarry, a freshman, was named Rookie of the Week the same week Chapman received his third honor.
Mitchell is having a good year, he said. It is more than 500 percent in the winnings, he said, and, as of May 2, Mitchell was on the path to win the CUNY League championship.
The team was headed into its finals starting last Thursday and running through Mother’s Day weekend, he said, just before semester final exams end on May 13. Tournament games are played at CSI on Staten Island . Although the last few weeks have been a challenge, between finals, end-of-semester projects, and the weekend away games, overall Chapman said the season has been manageable.
“I have a great defense and my hitters are doing what they need to do,” said Chapman, already sounding like a future baseball coach.
Once finals and the league championship are over, he is looking forward to playing more ball this summer. He plans to play in the Eastern Connecticut Men’s League in Norwich with McGarry and several other players from Mitchell, sticking close to home. He and another Mitchell teammate had been eying playing in the Rhode Island coastal league, with some Division I players, but decided to stay closer to home due to this summer’s expected gasoline prices.
Chapman is undecided on what he wants to do when he graduates, but expects it to involve sports and kids, perhaps as a baseball scout or a physical education teacher.
To follow Mitchell College Athletics and the men’s baseball team, go to www.mitchellathletics.com/sports/bsb/index and www.cunyathletics.com.