'Cats Counting on Experience Translating to Success in 2009
2/19/2009 10:23:59 AM | Baseball
Coming off an injury-plagued 2008 campaign, the Wildcats return a wealth of experience in both the field and on the mound and have high hopes for the 2009 season.
The 2008 team finished a disappointing 12-38 overall and 4-23 in the always-competitive Southern Conference, but was without the services of starting shortstop and closer Matt Webb most of the season.
With Webb, and others who suffered injuries last season, healthy, the Wildcats are hoping to rebound in a big way in 2009.
“We will return a lot of guys positionally,” head coach Dick Cooke said. “But we return a lot of guys from a team that did not hit very well. So you like the experience, but you are going to need to have some guys step up with that experience.”
The Infield
Injuries most impacted the Wildcats in the infield last season. Webb, Chris FitzPatrick and Graham Chapman all missed significant time last season. With all three back and healthy, the Wildcats are a very different, and potentially much better, ball club.
“We are still learning this club, because we were never really at full strength I didn't think,”Cooke said of last season's team. “And when you take your shortstop/closer out of the lineup that impacts a lot of what you do.”
With Webb back at short and Zach Kayne, whom Cooke says could easily be a college shortstop, at second, the Wildcats are solid up the middle.
“We are lucky in that we have two guys that are interchangeable there,” Cooke said. “Health is the key, but it's the key for everybody.”
Danny Weiss, who spent a lot of time at second base last season despite never having played the position before, will return to his more natural fit at first base.
Chris FitzPatrick will begin the season starting at third base once again. Chapman could also see time there and is able to slide over to second when Webb takes the mound.
Tommy Piacenza will start once again behind the plate, backed up by Will General and Seth Freeman.
“Defensively, we should be good,” Cooke said. “And I will be disappointed if we don't play well there.”
The Outfield
With the loss of Hugh Eden, Brett Shore will move from left to center field.
“Shore will give us a good solid defender out there,” Cooke said. “He won't have as much speed as Eden, but he runs pretty well.”
Chase FitzPatrick will once again get the starting nod in right field. And in Shore's absence, left field is up for grabs. Sam Payne, Pat Brady, Jay Honeycutt — moving from the infield to the outfield this season, and Drew Gadaire are a few of the players Cooke could see getting some time in left.
The same can be said of the designated hitter spot, where several Wildcats — including Honeycutt, Brady, General and Freeman, could get a shot.
The Pitching Staff
Thomas Middour and Chris Kennedy are the team's top two returning starters and figure to once again be a key component of the Wildcats' weekend rotation.
Andy Bass — who made five starts last season and should figure into the weekend rotation this year, and Ian Horkley — who started three games a year ago, are a pair of sophomore returners who will have a chance to build off significant time as freshmen. John Edwards, who started a pair of games and made nine appearances in 2008, is another option for the Wildcats' starting rotation.
Mac Read, who pitched very well as a freshman but missed last season, is returning from Tommy John surgery and could be a wild card, and Chris Lamb has a chance to make a similar impact as a rookie.
“We have a lot of guys; we always do,”?Cooke said of this year's staff. “We've got some depth there, but a lot of that depth is going to be in some young guys.”
Webb will once again be the team's closer. He made only four appearances last season, after sustaining an injury in the first game of the season, but was named All-SoCon as a sophomore with eight saves.
The key will be bridging the gap between the starting rotation and Webb, and several guys will be asked to get the job done. Matt Sliwiak, Michael Loeb, Jonathan Fisher, Ryan Overcash, Mac Hunter, Mike Frongello, Brian Russell and David Fredlund are among the most likely candidates.
“The fun part of it is and the nerve-wracking part at the same time is seeing who steps up, and how they perform when the bell rings,”?Cooke said. “A lot of guys throw great in the bullpen and in scrimmages, but we need to see who gets it done to show they need to be in the lineup everyday.”
The Schedule
The Wildcats open the 2009 season with nine straight home games against some pretty good non-conference opponents in Army, Lafayette, Cincinnati and others. Those early games allow the coaching staff to get a feel for the club and, maybe more importantly, evaluate a young pitching staff.
After a pair of road games at Auburn, Southern Conference play opens March 6 with Furman.
“Once we get into conference play, there aren't going to be an easy weekends,”?Cooke said. “There are going to be some teams in the league that are going to sniff the top 25.”
With Samford joining the league, the conference tournament - relocating from its long-time home at Charleston's Riley Park to Greenville's Fluor Field May 20, will revert to an eight-team format, leaving three teams at home.
The 2008 team finished a disappointing 12-38 overall and 4-23 in the always-competitive Southern Conference, but was without the services of starting shortstop and closer Matt Webb most of the season.
With Webb, and others who suffered injuries last season, healthy, the Wildcats are hoping to rebound in a big way in 2009.
“We will return a lot of guys positionally,” head coach Dick Cooke said. “But we return a lot of guys from a team that did not hit very well. So you like the experience, but you are going to need to have some guys step up with that experience.”
The Infield
Injuries most impacted the Wildcats in the infield last season. Webb, Chris FitzPatrick and Graham Chapman all missed significant time last season. With all three back and healthy, the Wildcats are a very different, and potentially much better, ball club.
“We are still learning this club, because we were never really at full strength I didn't think,”Cooke said of last season's team. “And when you take your shortstop/closer out of the lineup that impacts a lot of what you do.”
With Webb back at short and Zach Kayne, whom Cooke says could easily be a college shortstop, at second, the Wildcats are solid up the middle.
“We are lucky in that we have two guys that are interchangeable there,” Cooke said. “Health is the key, but it's the key for everybody.”
Danny Weiss, who spent a lot of time at second base last season despite never having played the position before, will return to his more natural fit at first base.
Chris FitzPatrick will begin the season starting at third base once again. Chapman could also see time there and is able to slide over to second when Webb takes the mound.
Tommy Piacenza will start once again behind the plate, backed up by Will General and Seth Freeman.
“Defensively, we should be good,” Cooke said. “And I will be disappointed if we don't play well there.”
The Outfield
With the loss of Hugh Eden, Brett Shore will move from left to center field.
“Shore will give us a good solid defender out there,” Cooke said. “He won't have as much speed as Eden, but he runs pretty well.”
Chase FitzPatrick will once again get the starting nod in right field. And in Shore's absence, left field is up for grabs. Sam Payne, Pat Brady, Jay Honeycutt — moving from the infield to the outfield this season, and Drew Gadaire are a few of the players Cooke could see getting some time in left.
The same can be said of the designated hitter spot, where several Wildcats — including Honeycutt, Brady, General and Freeman, could get a shot.
The Pitching Staff
Thomas Middour and Chris Kennedy are the team's top two returning starters and figure to once again be a key component of the Wildcats' weekend rotation.
Andy Bass — who made five starts last season and should figure into the weekend rotation this year, and Ian Horkley — who started three games a year ago, are a pair of sophomore returners who will have a chance to build off significant time as freshmen. John Edwards, who started a pair of games and made nine appearances in 2008, is another option for the Wildcats' starting rotation.
Mac Read, who pitched very well as a freshman but missed last season, is returning from Tommy John surgery and could be a wild card, and Chris Lamb has a chance to make a similar impact as a rookie.
“We have a lot of guys; we always do,”?Cooke said of this year's staff. “We've got some depth there, but a lot of that depth is going to be in some young guys.”
Webb will once again be the team's closer. He made only four appearances last season, after sustaining an injury in the first game of the season, but was named All-SoCon as a sophomore with eight saves.
The key will be bridging the gap between the starting rotation and Webb, and several guys will be asked to get the job done. Matt Sliwiak, Michael Loeb, Jonathan Fisher, Ryan Overcash, Mac Hunter, Mike Frongello, Brian Russell and David Fredlund are among the most likely candidates.
“The fun part of it is and the nerve-wracking part at the same time is seeing who steps up, and how they perform when the bell rings,”?Cooke said. “A lot of guys throw great in the bullpen and in scrimmages, but we need to see who gets it done to show they need to be in the lineup everyday.”
The Schedule
The Wildcats open the 2009 season with nine straight home games against some pretty good non-conference opponents in Army, Lafayette, Cincinnati and others. Those early games allow the coaching staff to get a feel for the club and, maybe more importantly, evaluate a young pitching staff.
After a pair of road games at Auburn, Southern Conference play opens March 6 with Furman.
“Once we get into conference play, there aren't going to be an easy weekends,”?Cooke said. “There are going to be some teams in the league that are going to sniff the top 25.”
With Samford joining the league, the conference tournament - relocating from its long-time home at Charleston's Riley Park to Greenville's Fluor Field May 20, will revert to an eight-team format, leaving three teams at home.
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