Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
2011 Baseball Season Opens Friday at 5:30 against Georgetown
2/18/2011 12:31:54 AM | Baseball
2011 Baseball Outlook
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The 2010 Davidson baseball season got off to a a hot start, as Davidson won six of its first eight games, propelling sophomore third baseman and Preseason All-SoCon second team selection Andrew Barna to February SoCon Player of the Week and Month honors, which turned into a winning conference record as the 'Cats took two of three to win series victories against their first two SoCon opponents.
Though they failed to make the SoCon Tournament, the young Wildcats tallied a couple of Hallmark victories down the stretch. In the first game of the series, Davidson handed The Citadel just their second SoCon loss of the season and the first for No. 1 Bulldog starter Asher Wojciechowski on April 23, before Barna went 4-for-5 with a home run and five RBI to lead Davidson to a 14-10 victory on May 4 at then-ranked No. 16 Virginia Tech, the team's first win over a ranked team since 2006.
Tasked with replacing six starters in the field, the 2010 Wildcats started then freshmen Barna and shortstop Michael Zeblo for all 51 games. In 2011, Davidson returns starters at all but one spot, including Preseason All-SoCon Second Team selection Danny Weiss at first, and sports one of its deepest rotations in recent years.
Translating that experience into production will be key for the 2011 Diamond 'Cats, who also have finding an everyday catcher, establishing some outfielders and replacing Thomas Middour in the starting rotation on their early-season to-do list. And along with programs across the country, the 'Cats will be trying to gauge the impact of the new NCAA bat regulations, intended to make metal bats act closer to their wooden counterparts, and a 20-second “pitch” clock on the game.
“I think the variable that is going to come into play this year for everybody is the fact that the bats have changed,” Davidson head baseball coach Dick Cooke said. “Theoretically they are going to perform differently, which was certainly the case in the fall. So you throw out any statistical expectation. That being said, everybody should pitch better, numbers wise. Team batting average, slugging percentage, home runs, all that should drop. The guy who hit .364 last year may hit .280 this year, and I don't know if that is a good year or a bad year. We can't say back in 1986 this is what that meant.”
Only way to find out is to lace 'em up and play the game, which the Wildcats will do when they open the 2011 season against Georgetown Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Wilson Field.
The Infield
After facing the daunting task of replacing three of five starting infielders a season ago, the 2011 Diamond 'Cats should reap the benefits this season, with Weiss, junior James Cerbie, Zeblo and Barna all returning around the horn.
“The one variable that shouldn't change is that we fielded .960 last year, defensively, which is good,” Cooke said. “I think we should be that good or better this year. We are going to be new behind the plate, whether it is a returning player playing more or one of the freshmen, but in the middle of the field — shortstop, second, centerfield, third base, we have a lot of returning guys there. So that is a constant, and we ought to be pretty good there.”
The only true question mark in the infield this season is who will get the starting nod behind the plate with the loss of Tommy Piacenza — who started 129 games over a four-year career— to graduation. But with three returning players and three freshmen in the mix, the 'Cats have plenty of depth and possibility at the position.
“Tommy was hurt a lot, so we already mixed and matched there a little bit,” Cooke said. “There are a number of guys competing for that spot behind the plate. It could be a freshman or a returning guy, but there is going to be a little bit of a learning curve there regardless.”
Returners Seth Freeman, Will General and #J.P. Craven# all have experience behind the plate and could step into the starting role. Of the three, the versatile Freeman is the most likely candidate. With Piacenza out with injury for a significant stretch during the 2009 season, he started 33 games in the catcher's role as a freshman and did some spot duty last season while spending most of his time in the outfield. General is capable and experienced as well, having appeared in 61 games over the last three seasons, and Craven could see time in the catcher's role, though both are more likely to make their contributions in the designated hitter spot.
Freshmen Daniel Gerow and Chris Dyer both have the potential to make an immediate impact and grab the starting spot as well, while Adrian Muoio gives the 'Cats even more depth at the position.
“Gerow is the best thrower, and Seth is probably the more experienced receiver,” Cooke said. “I don't know how they are going to hit because in Dyer and Gerow's case in particular, they are freshmen, combined with these new bats.”
Otherwise, the 'Cats infield lineup is fairly predictable heading into opening weekend. In his final season in red and black, Weiss is slated to start at first base once again. And after putting up impressive numbers in the power categories last season, expect him to be hitting in the middle of the lineup once more. Despite missing the final 12 games of the season, Weiss led the team in both batting average (.368) and in slugging percentage (.597), to go along with 11 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBI. He committed just four errors against 326 putouts to field the second best percentage (.989) among Davidson starters.
But while Weiss works back into the lineup from an injury suffered during the fall season, senior Matt Ray, who has appeared in 42 games and started 29 for Davidson, will likely get the starting nod at first and the chance to earn more playing time that comes with it. Sophomore Bryan DaCanal will factor into the depth at first base, while junior Drew Gadaire has experience playing the position, earning the starting spot as a freshman before shifting to the outfield last year, and could return if needed.
Cerbie will start at second base, the position he has played for the past two seasons for the Wildcats. After making 27 starts at second last season and starting the season with a 12-game hitting streak where he batted .370 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and 13 RBI, Cerbie suffered a season-ending injury, and sophomore Michael Goldberg split time at the position with junior Calvin Sigelbaum for the rest of the season. While Goldberg has since shifted his focus towards the mound, Sigelbaum will back up the position as one of the most versatile players on the roster, with the ability to move into any of the four infield positions as well as to the outfield. Sophomore Jack McLindon, set back by illness in his first season, could also see time at the position and is another versatile Wildcat infielder with the ability to jump into different spots on the field.
Having started every game at their respective positions in their rookie seasons, Barna and Zeblo return as seasoned players with a full year of experience under their belts. Barna burst onto the scene in February, leading Davidson to a 6-2 record to earn SoCon Player of the Month by batting .452 with a home run and 10 RBI. He finished off one of the most impressive freshman seasons in Wildcat history with a selection to the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America Team and the All-Freshman SoCon Team. The team's 2010 George Weicker Rookie of the Year finished the season with a .329 average to go along with a triple, seven home runs, five stolen bases and a team-high 52 RBI. Following behind a pair of Davidson standouts in Matt Webb and Zach Kayne, Zeblo stepped ably into the starting spot at shortstop and played all 51 games there last season, leading the Wildcats with nine home runs as a rookie.
The Outfield
After moving to the outfield last season and starting all 51 games in center for the Wildcats, Gadaire will once again patrol centerfield for Davidson. Batting .346, second highest on the team, with 14 doubles, a home run and 30 RBI to go along with team highs in both hits (74) and triples (3), he ranked among Southern Conference leaders in average (15th) and triples (eighth) and should again bat in the meat of the Davidson order.
While Gadaire is a constant in center, Cooke expects to tinker with the lineup to find the right combination in left and right field, with five or six guys battling for significant playing time. Sophomore Coleman Barron appeared in 32 games and started 25 in right field for the Wildcats last season and could see time at the position in his second year, though he is also expected to try his hand on the mound. Senior Sam Payne started all 51 games in the outfield a season ago, splitting his time between the right (29) and left (22) sides of the field. Capable of playing anywhere in the outfield, Payne is likely to see significant action alongside Gadaire, though he could get into the lineup in the designated hitter's spot as well.
Freshmen Forrest Brandt and Kelly Myers could be a couple of impact rookies, while Freeman and junior Jake Berman could also see time in the field.
“Our best defensive group out there is probably Barron, Gadaire and Myers,” Cooke said. “Which means Sam Payne becomes the DH. That's not out of the question. Forrest Brandt is pretty athletic, and Jake Berman would be another guy battling out there. Seth freeman could jump out there and is a very good defensive outfielder."
On the Mound
If Davidson can replace the more-than-significant contributions of Middour, the 2011 Wildcat starting rotation has the chance to be one of the deepest in recent history.
Davidson's Friday night starter last season, Middour finished his career with 54 starts, just two shy of tying the school record, and 209 strikeouts in 305 innings over 72 appearances. But the Saturday and Sunday guys — juniors Chris Lamb and Ryan Overcash, return to the weekend rotation, bolstered by the return of senior Andy Bass from the bullpen.
Lamb, a hard-tossing leftie who has shown flashes of being really good, is the heir apparent for Middour's Friday night time slot. Having made 10 starts for the 'Cats in each of the past two seasons, Lamb is the most experienced starter on this year's Davidson staff. In 2010, he tossed a 16-strikeout, seven-inning complete game win over NC Central, and nearly helped Davidson comeback in an elimination game at the 2009 SoCon Tournament by allowing just three runs with five strikeouts over the final 6 2/3 in the 11-inning, 4-3 loss.
Overcash is a viable number two starter and is likely to slide into the Saturday spot. After making six starts as a rookie, Overcash turned the 2010 season into a coming out party, starting 13 games and winning his first five decisions. In one of his most impressive showings, he struck out a season-high eight against Elon in six shutout innings of two-hit ball, but failed to earn the decision.
Working out of the bullpen last season, Bass, who has made nine starts over the last two seasons, will return to the starting rotation in 2010. Davidson's closer last season, he earned a pair of saves and struck out four in 2 2/3 shutout innings of relief to help Davidson to the 14-10 win over ranked Virginia Tech.
Juniors Brian Russell and Ian Horkley started 12 games between them a year ago, mostly in the midweek games, but either has the potential to crack the weekend rotation this season. Russell picked up a win in relief at Furman and put together his most complete effort to beat Duke, allowing just one run on six hits over six innings.
To complement the starting rotation, the Wildcats will depend once again on bullpen steadies seniors Matt Sliwiak, Mac Hunter, and Mike Frongello, who is the school's all-time appearance leader with 97 career appearances, to do the heavy lifting. After spending some time in the field last season, Goldberg, Barron and Cerbie could get a chance to make an impact on the pitching staff, and junior Michael Loeb and DaCanal flesh out the Wildcat relief. Freshmen Danny Mooney and Jip Richards will both vie for legit time, and freshmen Justin Charles is a wild card and another leftie option.
“I think the guys coming back, with their experience combined with the new bats should mean we ought to pitch better,” Cooke said. “We should walk fewer guys per nine innings then we did and opposing batting average should drop. But specifically, our on-base percentage needs to improve, our strikeouts offensively need to cut down, and we need to walk fewer guys per nine innings as a pitching staff.”
Though they failed to make the SoCon Tournament, the young Wildcats tallied a couple of Hallmark victories down the stretch. In the first game of the series, Davidson handed The Citadel just their second SoCon loss of the season and the first for No. 1 Bulldog starter Asher Wojciechowski on April 23, before Barna went 4-for-5 with a home run and five RBI to lead Davidson to a 14-10 victory on May 4 at then-ranked No. 16 Virginia Tech, the team's first win over a ranked team since 2006.
Tasked with replacing six starters in the field, the 2010 Wildcats started then freshmen Barna and shortstop Michael Zeblo for all 51 games. In 2011, Davidson returns starters at all but one spot, including Preseason All-SoCon Second Team selection Danny Weiss at first, and sports one of its deepest rotations in recent years.
Translating that experience into production will be key for the 2011 Diamond 'Cats, who also have finding an everyday catcher, establishing some outfielders and replacing Thomas Middour in the starting rotation on their early-season to-do list. And along with programs across the country, the 'Cats will be trying to gauge the impact of the new NCAA bat regulations, intended to make metal bats act closer to their wooden counterparts, and a 20-second “pitch” clock on the game.
“I think the variable that is going to come into play this year for everybody is the fact that the bats have changed,” Davidson head baseball coach Dick Cooke said. “Theoretically they are going to perform differently, which was certainly the case in the fall. So you throw out any statistical expectation. That being said, everybody should pitch better, numbers wise. Team batting average, slugging percentage, home runs, all that should drop. The guy who hit .364 last year may hit .280 this year, and I don't know if that is a good year or a bad year. We can't say back in 1986 this is what that meant.”
Only way to find out is to lace 'em up and play the game, which the Wildcats will do when they open the 2011 season against Georgetown Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Wilson Field.
The Infield
After facing the daunting task of replacing three of five starting infielders a season ago, the 2011 Diamond 'Cats should reap the benefits this season, with Weiss, junior James Cerbie, Zeblo and Barna all returning around the horn.
“The one variable that shouldn't change is that we fielded .960 last year, defensively, which is good,” Cooke said. “I think we should be that good or better this year. We are going to be new behind the plate, whether it is a returning player playing more or one of the freshmen, but in the middle of the field — shortstop, second, centerfield, third base, we have a lot of returning guys there. So that is a constant, and we ought to be pretty good there.”
The only true question mark in the infield this season is who will get the starting nod behind the plate with the loss of Tommy Piacenza — who started 129 games over a four-year career— to graduation. But with three returning players and three freshmen in the mix, the 'Cats have plenty of depth and possibility at the position.
“Tommy was hurt a lot, so we already mixed and matched there a little bit,” Cooke said. “There are a number of guys competing for that spot behind the plate. It could be a freshman or a returning guy, but there is going to be a little bit of a learning curve there regardless.”
Returners Seth Freeman, Will General and #J.P. Craven# all have experience behind the plate and could step into the starting role. Of the three, the versatile Freeman is the most likely candidate. With Piacenza out with injury for a significant stretch during the 2009 season, he started 33 games in the catcher's role as a freshman and did some spot duty last season while spending most of his time in the outfield. General is capable and experienced as well, having appeared in 61 games over the last three seasons, and Craven could see time in the catcher's role, though both are more likely to make their contributions in the designated hitter spot.
Freshmen Daniel Gerow and Chris Dyer both have the potential to make an immediate impact and grab the starting spot as well, while Adrian Muoio gives the 'Cats even more depth at the position.
“Gerow is the best thrower, and Seth is probably the more experienced receiver,” Cooke said. “I don't know how they are going to hit because in Dyer and Gerow's case in particular, they are freshmen, combined with these new bats.”
Otherwise, the 'Cats infield lineup is fairly predictable heading into opening weekend. In his final season in red and black, Weiss is slated to start at first base once again. And after putting up impressive numbers in the power categories last season, expect him to be hitting in the middle of the lineup once more. Despite missing the final 12 games of the season, Weiss led the team in both batting average (.368) and in slugging percentage (.597), to go along with 11 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBI. He committed just four errors against 326 putouts to field the second best percentage (.989) among Davidson starters.
But while Weiss works back into the lineup from an injury suffered during the fall season, senior Matt Ray, who has appeared in 42 games and started 29 for Davidson, will likely get the starting nod at first and the chance to earn more playing time that comes with it. Sophomore Bryan DaCanal will factor into the depth at first base, while junior Drew Gadaire has experience playing the position, earning the starting spot as a freshman before shifting to the outfield last year, and could return if needed.
Cerbie will start at second base, the position he has played for the past two seasons for the Wildcats. After making 27 starts at second last season and starting the season with a 12-game hitting streak where he batted .370 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and 13 RBI, Cerbie suffered a season-ending injury, and sophomore Michael Goldberg split time at the position with junior Calvin Sigelbaum for the rest of the season. While Goldberg has since shifted his focus towards the mound, Sigelbaum will back up the position as one of the most versatile players on the roster, with the ability to move into any of the four infield positions as well as to the outfield. Sophomore Jack McLindon, set back by illness in his first season, could also see time at the position and is another versatile Wildcat infielder with the ability to jump into different spots on the field.
Having started every game at their respective positions in their rookie seasons, Barna and Zeblo return as seasoned players with a full year of experience under their belts. Barna burst onto the scene in February, leading Davidson to a 6-2 record to earn SoCon Player of the Month by batting .452 with a home run and 10 RBI. He finished off one of the most impressive freshman seasons in Wildcat history with a selection to the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America Team and the All-Freshman SoCon Team. The team's 2010 George Weicker Rookie of the Year finished the season with a .329 average to go along with a triple, seven home runs, five stolen bases and a team-high 52 RBI. Following behind a pair of Davidson standouts in Matt Webb and Zach Kayne, Zeblo stepped ably into the starting spot at shortstop and played all 51 games there last season, leading the Wildcats with nine home runs as a rookie.
The Outfield
After moving to the outfield last season and starting all 51 games in center for the Wildcats, Gadaire will once again patrol centerfield for Davidson. Batting .346, second highest on the team, with 14 doubles, a home run and 30 RBI to go along with team highs in both hits (74) and triples (3), he ranked among Southern Conference leaders in average (15th) and triples (eighth) and should again bat in the meat of the Davidson order.
While Gadaire is a constant in center, Cooke expects to tinker with the lineup to find the right combination in left and right field, with five or six guys battling for significant playing time. Sophomore Coleman Barron appeared in 32 games and started 25 in right field for the Wildcats last season and could see time at the position in his second year, though he is also expected to try his hand on the mound. Senior Sam Payne started all 51 games in the outfield a season ago, splitting his time between the right (29) and left (22) sides of the field. Capable of playing anywhere in the outfield, Payne is likely to see significant action alongside Gadaire, though he could get into the lineup in the designated hitter's spot as well.
Freshmen Forrest Brandt and Kelly Myers could be a couple of impact rookies, while Freeman and junior Jake Berman could also see time in the field.
“Our best defensive group out there is probably Barron, Gadaire and Myers,” Cooke said. “Which means Sam Payne becomes the DH. That's not out of the question. Forrest Brandt is pretty athletic, and Jake Berman would be another guy battling out there. Seth freeman could jump out there and is a very good defensive outfielder."
On the Mound
If Davidson can replace the more-than-significant contributions of Middour, the 2011 Wildcat starting rotation has the chance to be one of the deepest in recent history.
Davidson's Friday night starter last season, Middour finished his career with 54 starts, just two shy of tying the school record, and 209 strikeouts in 305 innings over 72 appearances. But the Saturday and Sunday guys — juniors Chris Lamb and Ryan Overcash, return to the weekend rotation, bolstered by the return of senior Andy Bass from the bullpen.
Lamb, a hard-tossing leftie who has shown flashes of being really good, is the heir apparent for Middour's Friday night time slot. Having made 10 starts for the 'Cats in each of the past two seasons, Lamb is the most experienced starter on this year's Davidson staff. In 2010, he tossed a 16-strikeout, seven-inning complete game win over NC Central, and nearly helped Davidson comeback in an elimination game at the 2009 SoCon Tournament by allowing just three runs with five strikeouts over the final 6 2/3 in the 11-inning, 4-3 loss.
Overcash is a viable number two starter and is likely to slide into the Saturday spot. After making six starts as a rookie, Overcash turned the 2010 season into a coming out party, starting 13 games and winning his first five decisions. In one of his most impressive showings, he struck out a season-high eight against Elon in six shutout innings of two-hit ball, but failed to earn the decision.
Working out of the bullpen last season, Bass, who has made nine starts over the last two seasons, will return to the starting rotation in 2010. Davidson's closer last season, he earned a pair of saves and struck out four in 2 2/3 shutout innings of relief to help Davidson to the 14-10 win over ranked Virginia Tech.
Juniors Brian Russell and Ian Horkley started 12 games between them a year ago, mostly in the midweek games, but either has the potential to crack the weekend rotation this season. Russell picked up a win in relief at Furman and put together his most complete effort to beat Duke, allowing just one run on six hits over six innings.
To complement the starting rotation, the Wildcats will depend once again on bullpen steadies seniors Matt Sliwiak, Mac Hunter, and Mike Frongello, who is the school's all-time appearance leader with 97 career appearances, to do the heavy lifting. After spending some time in the field last season, Goldberg, Barron and Cerbie could get a chance to make an impact on the pitching staff, and junior Michael Loeb and DaCanal flesh out the Wildcat relief. Freshmen Danny Mooney and Jip Richards will both vie for legit time, and freshmen Justin Charles is a wild card and another leftie option.
“I think the guys coming back, with their experience combined with the new bats should mean we ought to pitch better,” Cooke said. “We should walk fewer guys per nine innings then we did and opposing batting average should drop. But specifically, our on-base percentage needs to improve, our strikeouts offensively need to cut down, and we need to walk fewer guys per nine innings as a pitching staff.”
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