The Wildcats open the season against Radford Saturday.
Wildcats Open 2008 Campaign Saturday
2/21/2008 8:44:24 PM | Baseball
Will Bryan and Marc Gignac
Davidson baseball coach Dick Cooke is finding himself in one of the more unique situations regarding the program he has piloted for the last 18 years. He knows he has talented position players, he knows he has quality arms with depth on his pitching staff and he knows he has good hitters with team speed.
The question for Cooke is how to put the pieces of the puzzle in the right places for the Wildcats to improve on their 19-34 record from last year. Gone to graduation are half of last year's starters, including the middle of the order, but a wealth of physical talent, though a little untested, remains. The key for the Wildcats will be to play within themselves no matter what position they play, where in the order they hit or when in the game they take the hill.
“We have to try and control the things we can control and play to our strengths, and what those are is still a little bit open ended,” said Cooke. “I think we should be pretty good defensively. We have to pitch better. We should be deeper, but how they do when it counts is hard to say at this point.”
Infield
The middle of Davidson's infield stands very strong right now as it will be patrolled by preseason all-conference selections Zach Kayne (left) and Matt Webb. The duo combined to make just 19 errors in 513 chances a season ago.
Kayne started all 53 games at second base and finished last season with a .312 batting average and a team-best .464 slugging percentage, including 14 doubles. His 31 walks also led the team as the junior managed to get on base four out of every 10 times he came to bat.
Webb started all 53 games at shortstop and opened the campaign with a 10-game hitting streak. By the end of the year, the junior had tallied 44 RBIs and sported a .454 slugging percentage in his first full season in the red and black after missing most of his freshman campaign due to injury.
Both Kayne and Webb will see time on the mound as well. Kayne served as the Wildcats' setup man until an injury forced him out of that role. He threw 16.1 innings in 15 appearances. Webb was the team's closer, recording a 1.80 ERA and eight saves with 26 strikeouts in 30 innings. That performance earned him a spot on the SoCon media's all-league squad.
Chris FitzPatrick will get the starting nod at third base. The junior had 10 multiple-hit games after starting 39 games at the corner. FitzPatrick will likely share some time with fellow junior Graham Chapman, who will also serve as a late-game defensive replacement in the infield. Sophomore Brennan Baker will compete for playing time at third base and brings some added offense to the lineup.
The first base position looks to be wide open with freshmen Matt Ray and Danny Weiss competing with sophomore Jay Honeycutt. Honeycutt saw limited action in his first season with Davidson, while Weiss and Ray earned all-area honors while in high school. Ray could also contend for playing time at third.
The designated hitter role is also a bit of a question mark with Baker competing for time along with Honeycutt and Ray.
Outfield
Speed is the name of the game in the Davidson outfield, which will be patrolled by Brett Shore (right), Hugh Eden, Chase FitzPatrick and Pat Brady.
Shore will be a mainstay in left field. The winner of Davidson's Rick Smyre Hustle Award last year, Shore hit .328 and scored 25 runs while sporting a .364 on-base percentage. The junior will be called upon to get on base early and make things happen.
Eden, who split time in center field last season, looks to be there on a full-time basis this year. The senior struggled from the plate in limited at-bats in 2007, but hit .307 with six doubles and two triples as a sophomore.
FitzPatrick, a junior, will likely get the nod in right field, and classmate Pat Brady will be in the mix for playing time. The twin brother of Wildcat infielder Chris, Chase finished last season strong as he collected nine hits in his last six games with three doubles. Brady played in 14 games, making six starts, and collected five hits.
Catcher
Tommy Piacenza returns as the Wildcat catcher after a productive freshman campaign. The sophomore was named Davidson's George Weicker Rookie of the Year after making 33 starts behind the plate and recording 24 hits and 18 RBIs. Freshmen Shane Hammond and Will General will compete for time behind the dish as well.
Pitching
Senior Zac Long returns to the mound and will team with returning sophomores Thomas Middour and Chris Kennedy to form a solid starting rotation.
Long has not pitched in two seasons but was the team's rookie of the year in 2005 after posting a 4.09 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 22 innings.
“Zac threw the ball well in the fall, and he's thrown the ball well in the spring so far,” said Cooke. “He competes really well outside of his physical ability so we're looking forward to seeing him.”
Middour made 12 starts and threw 79 innings a season ago, and Kennedy tossed 34.1 innings and struck out 22 in a relief role last year.
Seniors Bobby DeMuro, Brian Packey and Brant West will help fill roles out of the bullpen. DeMuro, who will start the season on the shelf with an injury, is projected to be a valuable option in middle to late innings. He made a school record 33 appearances and tossed 34 innings in 2007.
Packey pitched 35.2 innings in 19 games, and West returns to the mound after missing 2007 with injuries. He was in the starting rotation in 2006 and fanned 40 batters in 62.2 innings.
The aforementioned Kayne and Webb (left) look to be the late-inning guys, and the remaining time on the mound will vary as Cooke and his staff develop some young arms and watch pitch counts closely, especially early in the season. With 53 games on the slate and a lot of innings to chew up, the expected depth of the staff will definitely be a plus.
“Who pitches come crunch time depends on how they do out of the gate,” coach Cooke said. “We'll be shaping a lot of who fits where as we go. That's the advantage and disadvantage of playing a lot of games because you are forced to see how deep you are.”
The freshmen on the staff, Andy Bass, Jason Diaz, Ian Horkley, Mike Frongello, Mac Hunter and Matt Sliwiak, will compete for playing time immediately, and Cooke is excited about the young arms he and his staff have brought into the program the last few years.
“There will be some young guys who get time,” Cooke said. “Our freshmen pitchers will learn with their feet in the fire. All six will see time, probably four will get quality time early and we'll see how they do.”
Lineup
The batting order will be hammered out as the season progresses, but Cooke said that Shore and Eden (below) will be near the top and Kayne, Webb, Chase FitzPatrick and Brady will be middle of the order guys.
“It's important for guys to know that they may be hitting cleanup, but they're not a prototypical cleanup guy. That doesn't mean you try to hit the ball over the trees,” said Cooke. “You have to try to be who you are no matter where you are and know how to hit in certain situations.”
One aspect that will be different than last year is team speed. While the Wildcats relied more on power to score runs last season, this year's squad will look to make things happen and put pressure on the defense without the same amount of long ball threats.
“Potentially, we have six guys in the lineup who are above average runners,” said Cooke. “We need to be able to play the short game offensively. We need to be able to bunt. We need to be able to execute sensibly, whether we are bunting for a hit or sacrificing.”
Schedule
Outside of the tough Southern Conference slate, Davidson boasts non-league bouts with teams from the “power” conferences, like Auburn, North Carolina and South Carolina.
“We play a really good schedule against a lot of high profile teams, and our guys really enjoy it,” Cooke said. “It's part of the experience we are able to provide here for our players that we can play really good people. When they look back at their experience at Davidson, they can say they played a great Division I baseball schedule against some of the premier teams in the country to go in concert with their academic experience here.”
The opponents will not get any easier when the Wildcats enter conference play. When looking at RPIs, the Southern Conference has been ranked in the Top 10 in the country each of the last three years and boasts two teams that have made College World Series appearances. The College of Charleston and Western Carolina have been tabbed the favorites in 2008.
“The Southern Conference is a great league so we have 30 really tough games on the schedule right there,” said Cooke “We're going to see some great arms so we can't go out expecting that we're going to score 8-10 runs a game. We're going to have to go out and scratch and claw and figure out a way to produce runs without changing what we do best.”
The question for Cooke is how to put the pieces of the puzzle in the right places for the Wildcats to improve on their 19-34 record from last year. Gone to graduation are half of last year's starters, including the middle of the order, but a wealth of physical talent, though a little untested, remains. The key for the Wildcats will be to play within themselves no matter what position they play, where in the order they hit or when in the game they take the hill.
“We have to try and control the things we can control and play to our strengths, and what those are is still a little bit open ended,” said Cooke. “I think we should be pretty good defensively. We have to pitch better. We should be deeper, but how they do when it counts is hard to say at this point.”
InfieldThe middle of Davidson's infield stands very strong right now as it will be patrolled by preseason all-conference selections Zach Kayne (left) and Matt Webb. The duo combined to make just 19 errors in 513 chances a season ago.
Kayne started all 53 games at second base and finished last season with a .312 batting average and a team-best .464 slugging percentage, including 14 doubles. His 31 walks also led the team as the junior managed to get on base four out of every 10 times he came to bat.
Webb started all 53 games at shortstop and opened the campaign with a 10-game hitting streak. By the end of the year, the junior had tallied 44 RBIs and sported a .454 slugging percentage in his first full season in the red and black after missing most of his freshman campaign due to injury.
Both Kayne and Webb will see time on the mound as well. Kayne served as the Wildcats' setup man until an injury forced him out of that role. He threw 16.1 innings in 15 appearances. Webb was the team's closer, recording a 1.80 ERA and eight saves with 26 strikeouts in 30 innings. That performance earned him a spot on the SoCon media's all-league squad.
Chris FitzPatrick will get the starting nod at third base. The junior had 10 multiple-hit games after starting 39 games at the corner. FitzPatrick will likely share some time with fellow junior Graham Chapman, who will also serve as a late-game defensive replacement in the infield. Sophomore Brennan Baker will compete for playing time at third base and brings some added offense to the lineup.
The first base position looks to be wide open with freshmen Matt Ray and Danny Weiss competing with sophomore Jay Honeycutt. Honeycutt saw limited action in his first season with Davidson, while Weiss and Ray earned all-area honors while in high school. Ray could also contend for playing time at third.
The designated hitter role is also a bit of a question mark with Baker competing for time along with Honeycutt and Ray.
OutfieldSpeed is the name of the game in the Davidson outfield, which will be patrolled by Brett Shore (right), Hugh Eden, Chase FitzPatrick and Pat Brady.
Shore will be a mainstay in left field. The winner of Davidson's Rick Smyre Hustle Award last year, Shore hit .328 and scored 25 runs while sporting a .364 on-base percentage. The junior will be called upon to get on base early and make things happen.
Eden, who split time in center field last season, looks to be there on a full-time basis this year. The senior struggled from the plate in limited at-bats in 2007, but hit .307 with six doubles and two triples as a sophomore.
FitzPatrick, a junior, will likely get the nod in right field, and classmate Pat Brady will be in the mix for playing time. The twin brother of Wildcat infielder Chris, Chase finished last season strong as he collected nine hits in his last six games with three doubles. Brady played in 14 games, making six starts, and collected five hits.
Catcher
Tommy Piacenza returns as the Wildcat catcher after a productive freshman campaign. The sophomore was named Davidson's George Weicker Rookie of the Year after making 33 starts behind the plate and recording 24 hits and 18 RBIs. Freshmen Shane Hammond and Will General will compete for time behind the dish as well.
Pitching
Senior Zac Long returns to the mound and will team with returning sophomores Thomas Middour and Chris Kennedy to form a solid starting rotation.
Long has not pitched in two seasons but was the team's rookie of the year in 2005 after posting a 4.09 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 22 innings.
“Zac threw the ball well in the fall, and he's thrown the ball well in the spring so far,” said Cooke. “He competes really well outside of his physical ability so we're looking forward to seeing him.”
Middour made 12 starts and threw 79 innings a season ago, and Kennedy tossed 34.1 innings and struck out 22 in a relief role last year.
Seniors Bobby DeMuro, Brian Packey and Brant West will help fill roles out of the bullpen. DeMuro, who will start the season on the shelf with an injury, is projected to be a valuable option in middle to late innings. He made a school record 33 appearances and tossed 34 innings in 2007.Packey pitched 35.2 innings in 19 games, and West returns to the mound after missing 2007 with injuries. He was in the starting rotation in 2006 and fanned 40 batters in 62.2 innings.
The aforementioned Kayne and Webb (left) look to be the late-inning guys, and the remaining time on the mound will vary as Cooke and his staff develop some young arms and watch pitch counts closely, especially early in the season. With 53 games on the slate and a lot of innings to chew up, the expected depth of the staff will definitely be a plus.
“Who pitches come crunch time depends on how they do out of the gate,” coach Cooke said. “We'll be shaping a lot of who fits where as we go. That's the advantage and disadvantage of playing a lot of games because you are forced to see how deep you are.”
The freshmen on the staff, Andy Bass, Jason Diaz, Ian Horkley, Mike Frongello, Mac Hunter and Matt Sliwiak, will compete for playing time immediately, and Cooke is excited about the young arms he and his staff have brought into the program the last few years.
“There will be some young guys who get time,” Cooke said. “Our freshmen pitchers will learn with their feet in the fire. All six will see time, probably four will get quality time early and we'll see how they do.”
Lineup
The batting order will be hammered out as the season progresses, but Cooke said that Shore and Eden (below) will be near the top and Kayne, Webb, Chase FitzPatrick and Brady will be middle of the order guys.
“It's important for guys to know that they may be hitting cleanup, but they're not a prototypical cleanup guy. That doesn't mean you try to hit the ball over the trees,” said Cooke. “You have to try to be who you are no matter where you are and know how to hit in certain situations.”
One aspect that will be different than last year is team speed. While the Wildcats relied more on power to score runs last season, this year's squad will look to make things happen and put pressure on the defense without the same amount of long ball threats.
“Potentially, we have six guys in the lineup who are above average runners,” said Cooke. “We need to be able to play the short game offensively. We need to be able to bunt. We need to be able to execute sensibly, whether we are bunting for a hit or sacrificing.”Schedule
Outside of the tough Southern Conference slate, Davidson boasts non-league bouts with teams from the “power” conferences, like Auburn, North Carolina and South Carolina.
“We play a really good schedule against a lot of high profile teams, and our guys really enjoy it,” Cooke said. “It's part of the experience we are able to provide here for our players that we can play really good people. When they look back at their experience at Davidson, they can say they played a great Division I baseball schedule against some of the premier teams in the country to go in concert with their academic experience here.”
The opponents will not get any easier when the Wildcats enter conference play. When looking at RPIs, the Southern Conference has been ranked in the Top 10 in the country each of the last three years and boasts two teams that have made College World Series appearances. The College of Charleston and Western Carolina have been tabbed the favorites in 2008.
“The Southern Conference is a great league so we have 30 really tough games on the schedule right there,” said Cooke “We're going to see some great arms so we can't go out expecting that we're going to score 8-10 runs a game. We're going to have to go out and scratch and claw and figure out a way to produce runs without changing what we do best.”
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