Dan Hetzel left Sachem East as the best offensive baseball player in Suffolk County last season and he’s opening his college career at Rhode Island in stride as well.
This week Hetzel was picked by Baseball America as a pre-season favorite to win Freshman of the Year.
“Rhode Island will make Hetzel one of the centerpieces of its lineup as a freshman,” Baseball America writes. “His bat packs a powerful punch and he owns a strong arm in right field.”
Hetzel was awarded with the Blue Chip Prospects Silver Slugger Award his senior year at Sachem East, and was also selected All-Long Island, All-County and All-League.
He was fifth on Long Island in total home runs last year.
Rhode Island competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference and was picked to finish third in pre-season polls behind Saint Louis and Virginia Commonwealth. Sachem North alum Alec Sole is a key contributor at Saint Louis.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro