Friday, February 15
Davidson, N.C.
6:00 p.m.
Davidson College
vs
George Washington
Andrew Barna (L) and Bryan DaCanal (R) will serve as senior captains
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
2013 Baseball Outlook
2/14/2013 6:10:00 PM | Baseball
Live Stats
Live Video
DAVIDSON, N.C. – A serious car accident involving head coach Dick Cooke in September made for an atypical offseason for the Davidson baseball team, but the Wildcats have been working harder than ever and are primed for the 2013 season.
Coach Cooke is moving slower in his 23rd season at the helm as he continues to mend from his injuries sustained in the accident, but as anyone would expect of a Davidson squad, the players and all-new assistant coaches stepped up in his absence while he recovered during the fall. Although aided by a crutch and unable to throw batting practice or hit fungos, Cooke is set to guide a squad with returning starters poised for their best seasons yet and talented newcomers hungry to contribute early.
“Collectively, I have been impressed with how hard they've worked,” said Cooke. “Rucker [Taylor, first-year assistant coach,] unsolicited, told me he had never seen a group of guys work as hard.”
The Wildcats have dedicated themselves to improving fundamentals on the field, strength and athleticism in the weight room and, of course, staying on top of their coursework, as the challenging 51-game schedule that lies ahead makes time management paramount. As a team, the 'Cats compiled a team GPA over 3.2 this past fall.
Defense and positional flexibility in the lineup are expected to be strengths of this season's team. The 'Cats have strived to improve defensively during the offseason, and with multiple two-way players and versatile defenders, the 'Cats will create messy lineup cards to maximize matchups. As many as five left-handed batters and three switch hitters could be big contributors, making the 'Cats a tough out against right-handed pitching.
“Pick it up defensively,” said Cooke. “If you do that, then everything else should be better. If you're making the routine play, then you're pitching better and taking a little heat off of your offense.”
At the Plate
With a versatile group of players defensively, the 'Cats will have several options when juggling the lineup as situations dictate.
Davidson will rely on a familiar junior duo of Daniel Gerow and Chris Dyer behind the plate. Gerow has seen the majority of the action behind the plate the past two seasons, drawing 35 starts in 36 appearances as a freshman and 26 starts in 35 appearances last season. He was a key factor in some of Davidson's biggest highlights last season, as he had timely hits in the Wildcats' dramatic comebacks against Elon. Gerow hit a pinch-hit, two-RBI double to tie the second game of the series in the bottom of the 11th and scored the game-winning run, and then forced extra innings in the rubber match with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth, leading to another 11th-inning victory. He also caught a no-hitter against Wofford.
Dyer was highly effective in 19 games last season and drew 13 starts at catcher. Adrian Muoio and Will Cox will both play supporting roles behind the plate.
The battle for the starting nod at first base features several candidates. When he's not on the mound, sophomore Ryan Lowe will be an option after starting 31 games at designated hitter last season. Freshman Lee Miller could also see significant time, as he was one of the Wildcats' top offensive threats in preseason work. Senior captain Andrew Barna has been a mainstay at third base since his freshman year, but he could move across the diamond as situations dictate. Sophomore Ben Arkin and freshman Aaron Tovsky could also see action.
Senior Michael Zeblo and freshman Sam Foy are expected to see most of the time in the middle of the infield. Zeblo has been the primary starting shortstop the past three seasons and is coming off his best offensive season, as he was second on the team with a .390 on-base percentage. Zeblo had a good eye that resulted in a team-best 32 walks, which also ranked ninth in the SoCon.
Foy, an in-state product, can play both middle infield positions, and will do so as Zeblo will also serve as a relief pitcher. Senior Jack McLindon, who missed all of last season with an injury, will also see time at either second or third base. Sophomore David Daniels will also see time at both second and third after starting 18 games as a rookie last season, primarily at designated hitter, but with four at second base.
Aside from four games in 2011, Barna has started every game at third base the past three seasons. He rebounded from a sophomore slump last season to become one of the top offensive threats for the Wildcats once again, finishing with 14 multi-hit games and driving in the second most runs on the squad. A leader on-and-off the field, the past Freshman All-American will look to make his final season in the red and black his best yet.
Junior captain Forrest Brandt leads a host of outfield candidates as Davidson's top returning bat. In 2012, Brandt was second on the team with a .280 batting average and led with 15 multi-hit games. He was also one of the top threats on the bases, leading the 'Cats and ranking in a tie for 10th in the SoCon with 16 stolen bases. He is slated to start in centerfield, but he's more than capable of handling the corner positions, as left field has been his primary home in his first two seasons.
Sophomore Ty Middlebrooks will look to crack the lineup in left field, while sophomore Nathan Becker will contend with the versatile Miller for the nod in right field. Freshmen Andrew Pope and Aaron Ruzinsky are serious contenders for playing time. The outfield group is interchangeable, so a variety of combinations as matchups dictate are possible. Freshman Wade Leach will provide depth in both the infield and outfield.
On the Mound
Davidson will feature a young, all-righty rotation that is expected to be led by a pair of sophomores. Clark Beeker started five games last season, moving into the weekend rotation in April and finished with four SoCon starts. He improved in each outing, lowering his ERA from a peak of 5.48 in early April to 3.66 at the end of the season. Beeker boasted a 1.76 ERA in 15.1 innings of work in his final two outings and will look to continue that success as Davidson's Friday night starter.
Classmate Ryan Lowe has yet to start a collegiate game, but the two-way player was solid in 16 relief appearances as a rookie in 2012, posting a 4.08 ERA in 17.2 innings of work with 15 strikeouts, and was one of the top pitchers in preseason work, allowing him to secure a spot in the weekend mix. Junior Danny Mooney is slated to round out the rotation after making eight starts early in 2012.
Cooke will rely on a group of stoppers in the late innings. Davidson's versatile defense will allow Zeblo to move from shortstop to the mound, while sophomores Rob Bain and Matt Saeta and veterans Michael Goldberg and Jip Richards will be among the first Cooke turns to.
As a junior last season, Zeblo made the first seven relief pitching appearances of his career, earning two saves and posting a 4.05 ERA with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Saeta also earned a pair of saves in 2012, including a two-inning one against Duke, and will look to be a reliable option after making 11 appearances last season. Bain is the top left-handed option and posted a 5.16 ERA in 22.2 innings of work as a rookie.
Goldberg and Richards, are both looking to return to form in their third seasons, and the right-handers have been impressive in preseason work. Goldberg missed all of last season due to injury after making eight appearances on the mound in 2010, while Richards started last season strong, including a scoreless outing against No. 6 North Carolina, he is poised to rebound after struggling late in the season.
Other returners expected to see time include senior captain Bryan DaCanal and sophomores Nick Neitzel and Ben Arkin. DaCanal made four mid-week starts and nine relief appearances last season, posting a 4.81 ERA and earning two wins. Arkin and Neitzel had the two lowest ERAs on the team (0.00 and 2.79, respectively) in limited action as rookies. A host of freshmen will also be relied upon. Two-way players Lee Miller and Andrew Pope are likely to see action, while Rob Caudill, Chad Moss and Durin O'Linger will also be expected to contribute. Returners Justin Charles and Ryan Wood and freshmen Shea Parikh and Jake Batchhelder will also support the 'Cats on the mound.
In the Dugout
The winningest coach in the history of the Davidson baseball program, Dick Cooke, is in his 23rd season at the helm of the Wildcats. Last July, Cooke was also appointed as the Chair of the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee, where will is responsible for leading the committee's deliberations at the annual meeting and serves as the committee's spokesperson.
Cooke has three new assistants, this season: Rucker Taylor , Wayne Miller and Andy Carter. The trio was battle-tested in the fall when Cooke was limited during his initial recovery from his September car accident.
“They had their feet thrown in the fire a little bit quicker than normal with the stuff in the fall, but they've done a great job,” said Cooke. “They all have a great baseball background and a great baseball acumen.”
Taylor spent the last six seasons on the Samford coaching staff, serving as the outfield coach and assisting with hitting and the infielders. He helped lead the Bulldogs to a school-record 41 wins, as well as the program's first-ever Southern Conference title and NCAA Tournament bid last season. Taylor is a 2006 graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he saw significant starting time at second base, shortstop and designated hitter, and played on two NCAA Regional teams.
Miller also has a Samford connection, as he was a four-year starter at second base and centerfield for the Bulldogs and posted a .328 career batting average. He was selected to the All-Southern Conference second team and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team as a senior and was a four-year academic all-conference honoree. In 2009, Miller received the SoCon's prestigious Coleman-Lew Leadership Award. He was most recently an assistant coach at Emory & Henry College.
Carter, a 2005 Davidson graduate and former player in the New York Yankees' organization, returns to his alma mater after most recently serving as the varsity baseball head coach at nearby North Mecklenburg H.S.
"Andy had an outstanding career at Davidson and was a great competitor on the mound for us," said Cooke. "He can speak to the experience of having been a successful student-athlete at Davidson while also having played professional baseball for an affiliated organization.”
Carter was a 35th round selection of the New York Yankees after graduating from Davidson in 2005 with a degree in history, and was a member of the 2005 Gulf Coast League Champion GCL Yankees team. He later pitched in independent leagues and worked for both the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles in baseball operations.
“They have done a great job of taking responsibility, running with it and adding and enhancing things.”
The Schedule
Davidson will take on non-conference opponents in February before starting the Southern Conference schedule in March. George Washington will open the season with a three-game series before Georgetown and Lafayette visit the following weekend. The 'Cats will also travel to historic Durham Athletic Park for a mid-week tilt against NC Central and then host USC Upstate in another mid-week matchup.
The Wildcats will host their first three Southern Conference series at home, welcoming Appalachian State, Western Carolina and Furman. However, the final game of the Furman series will be played a Flour Field in Greenville, S.C. In between, the 'Cats will face two of the best teams in the nation when they travel to North Carolina and South Carolina.
After hosting Cornell in a pair of midweek games, the 'Cats will hit the road for series at Georgia Southern and Elon before opening April with a road contest at Duke a home-and-home, two-game, non-conference weekend series with UNC-Wilmington. Davidson will host College of Charleston and UNCG in a SoCon series, and also complete a series with Winthrop, before traveling to NC State and Wofford.
Davidson will take on The Citadel and Samford on the road in May to wrap-up the regular season, and also host Duke in the home finale.
Davidson will be vying for a spot in the eight-team Southern Conference Tournament, which will be hosted at Flour Field in Greenville, S.C. May 22-26.
Live Video
DAVIDSON, N.C. – A serious car accident involving head coach Dick Cooke in September made for an atypical offseason for the Davidson baseball team, but the Wildcats have been working harder than ever and are primed for the 2013 season.
Coach Cooke is moving slower in his 23rd season at the helm as he continues to mend from his injuries sustained in the accident, but as anyone would expect of a Davidson squad, the players and all-new assistant coaches stepped up in his absence while he recovered during the fall. Although aided by a crutch and unable to throw batting practice or hit fungos, Cooke is set to guide a squad with returning starters poised for their best seasons yet and talented newcomers hungry to contribute early.
“Collectively, I have been impressed with how hard they've worked,” said Cooke. “Rucker [Taylor, first-year assistant coach,] unsolicited, told me he had never seen a group of guys work as hard.”
The Wildcats have dedicated themselves to improving fundamentals on the field, strength and athleticism in the weight room and, of course, staying on top of their coursework, as the challenging 51-game schedule that lies ahead makes time management paramount. As a team, the 'Cats compiled a team GPA over 3.2 this past fall.
Defense and positional flexibility in the lineup are expected to be strengths of this season's team. The 'Cats have strived to improve defensively during the offseason, and with multiple two-way players and versatile defenders, the 'Cats will create messy lineup cards to maximize matchups. As many as five left-handed batters and three switch hitters could be big contributors, making the 'Cats a tough out against right-handed pitching.
“Pick it up defensively,” said Cooke. “If you do that, then everything else should be better. If you're making the routine play, then you're pitching better and taking a little heat off of your offense.”
At the Plate
With a versatile group of players defensively, the 'Cats will have several options when juggling the lineup as situations dictate.
Davidson will rely on a familiar junior duo of Daniel Gerow and Chris Dyer behind the plate. Gerow has seen the majority of the action behind the plate the past two seasons, drawing 35 starts in 36 appearances as a freshman and 26 starts in 35 appearances last season. He was a key factor in some of Davidson's biggest highlights last season, as he had timely hits in the Wildcats' dramatic comebacks against Elon. Gerow hit a pinch-hit, two-RBI double to tie the second game of the series in the bottom of the 11th and scored the game-winning run, and then forced extra innings in the rubber match with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth, leading to another 11th-inning victory. He also caught a no-hitter against Wofford.
Dyer was highly effective in 19 games last season and drew 13 starts at catcher. Adrian Muoio and Will Cox will both play supporting roles behind the plate.
The battle for the starting nod at first base features several candidates. When he's not on the mound, sophomore Ryan Lowe will be an option after starting 31 games at designated hitter last season. Freshman Lee Miller could also see significant time, as he was one of the Wildcats' top offensive threats in preseason work. Senior captain Andrew Barna has been a mainstay at third base since his freshman year, but he could move across the diamond as situations dictate. Sophomore Ben Arkin and freshman Aaron Tovsky could also see action.
Senior Michael Zeblo and freshman Sam Foy are expected to see most of the time in the middle of the infield. Zeblo has been the primary starting shortstop the past three seasons and is coming off his best offensive season, as he was second on the team with a .390 on-base percentage. Zeblo had a good eye that resulted in a team-best 32 walks, which also ranked ninth in the SoCon.
Foy, an in-state product, can play both middle infield positions, and will do so as Zeblo will also serve as a relief pitcher. Senior Jack McLindon, who missed all of last season with an injury, will also see time at either second or third base. Sophomore David Daniels will also see time at both second and third after starting 18 games as a rookie last season, primarily at designated hitter, but with four at second base.
Aside from four games in 2011, Barna has started every game at third base the past three seasons. He rebounded from a sophomore slump last season to become one of the top offensive threats for the Wildcats once again, finishing with 14 multi-hit games and driving in the second most runs on the squad. A leader on-and-off the field, the past Freshman All-American will look to make his final season in the red and black his best yet.
Junior captain Forrest Brandt leads a host of outfield candidates as Davidson's top returning bat. In 2012, Brandt was second on the team with a .280 batting average and led with 15 multi-hit games. He was also one of the top threats on the bases, leading the 'Cats and ranking in a tie for 10th in the SoCon with 16 stolen bases. He is slated to start in centerfield, but he's more than capable of handling the corner positions, as left field has been his primary home in his first two seasons.
Sophomore Ty Middlebrooks will look to crack the lineup in left field, while sophomore Nathan Becker will contend with the versatile Miller for the nod in right field. Freshmen Andrew Pope and Aaron Ruzinsky are serious contenders for playing time. The outfield group is interchangeable, so a variety of combinations as matchups dictate are possible. Freshman Wade Leach will provide depth in both the infield and outfield.
On the Mound
Davidson will feature a young, all-righty rotation that is expected to be led by a pair of sophomores. Clark Beeker started five games last season, moving into the weekend rotation in April and finished with four SoCon starts. He improved in each outing, lowering his ERA from a peak of 5.48 in early April to 3.66 at the end of the season. Beeker boasted a 1.76 ERA in 15.1 innings of work in his final two outings and will look to continue that success as Davidson's Friday night starter.
Classmate Ryan Lowe has yet to start a collegiate game, but the two-way player was solid in 16 relief appearances as a rookie in 2012, posting a 4.08 ERA in 17.2 innings of work with 15 strikeouts, and was one of the top pitchers in preseason work, allowing him to secure a spot in the weekend mix. Junior Danny Mooney is slated to round out the rotation after making eight starts early in 2012.
Cooke will rely on a group of stoppers in the late innings. Davidson's versatile defense will allow Zeblo to move from shortstop to the mound, while sophomores Rob Bain and Matt Saeta and veterans Michael Goldberg and Jip Richards will be among the first Cooke turns to.
As a junior last season, Zeblo made the first seven relief pitching appearances of his career, earning two saves and posting a 4.05 ERA with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Saeta also earned a pair of saves in 2012, including a two-inning one against Duke, and will look to be a reliable option after making 11 appearances last season. Bain is the top left-handed option and posted a 5.16 ERA in 22.2 innings of work as a rookie.
Goldberg and Richards, are both looking to return to form in their third seasons, and the right-handers have been impressive in preseason work. Goldberg missed all of last season due to injury after making eight appearances on the mound in 2010, while Richards started last season strong, including a scoreless outing against No. 6 North Carolina, he is poised to rebound after struggling late in the season.
Other returners expected to see time include senior captain Bryan DaCanal and sophomores Nick Neitzel and Ben Arkin. DaCanal made four mid-week starts and nine relief appearances last season, posting a 4.81 ERA and earning two wins. Arkin and Neitzel had the two lowest ERAs on the team (0.00 and 2.79, respectively) in limited action as rookies. A host of freshmen will also be relied upon. Two-way players Lee Miller and Andrew Pope are likely to see action, while Rob Caudill, Chad Moss and Durin O'Linger will also be expected to contribute. Returners Justin Charles and Ryan Wood and freshmen Shea Parikh and Jake Batchhelder will also support the 'Cats on the mound.
In the Dugout
The winningest coach in the history of the Davidson baseball program, Dick Cooke, is in his 23rd season at the helm of the Wildcats. Last July, Cooke was also appointed as the Chair of the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee, where will is responsible for leading the committee's deliberations at the annual meeting and serves as the committee's spokesperson.
Cooke has three new assistants, this season: Rucker Taylor , Wayne Miller and Andy Carter. The trio was battle-tested in the fall when Cooke was limited during his initial recovery from his September car accident.
“They had their feet thrown in the fire a little bit quicker than normal with the stuff in the fall, but they've done a great job,” said Cooke. “They all have a great baseball background and a great baseball acumen.”
Taylor spent the last six seasons on the Samford coaching staff, serving as the outfield coach and assisting with hitting and the infielders. He helped lead the Bulldogs to a school-record 41 wins, as well as the program's first-ever Southern Conference title and NCAA Tournament bid last season. Taylor is a 2006 graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he saw significant starting time at second base, shortstop and designated hitter, and played on two NCAA Regional teams.
Miller also has a Samford connection, as he was a four-year starter at second base and centerfield for the Bulldogs and posted a .328 career batting average. He was selected to the All-Southern Conference second team and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team as a senior and was a four-year academic all-conference honoree. In 2009, Miller received the SoCon's prestigious Coleman-Lew Leadership Award. He was most recently an assistant coach at Emory & Henry College.
Carter, a 2005 Davidson graduate and former player in the New York Yankees' organization, returns to his alma mater after most recently serving as the varsity baseball head coach at nearby North Mecklenburg H.S.
"Andy had an outstanding career at Davidson and was a great competitor on the mound for us," said Cooke. "He can speak to the experience of having been a successful student-athlete at Davidson while also having played professional baseball for an affiliated organization.”
Carter was a 35th round selection of the New York Yankees after graduating from Davidson in 2005 with a degree in history, and was a member of the 2005 Gulf Coast League Champion GCL Yankees team. He later pitched in independent leagues and worked for both the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles in baseball operations.
“They have done a great job of taking responsibility, running with it and adding and enhancing things.”
The Schedule
Davidson will take on non-conference opponents in February before starting the Southern Conference schedule in March. George Washington will open the season with a three-game series before Georgetown and Lafayette visit the following weekend. The 'Cats will also travel to historic Durham Athletic Park for a mid-week tilt against NC Central and then host USC Upstate in another mid-week matchup.
The Wildcats will host their first three Southern Conference series at home, welcoming Appalachian State, Western Carolina and Furman. However, the final game of the Furman series will be played a Flour Field in Greenville, S.C. In between, the 'Cats will face two of the best teams in the nation when they travel to North Carolina and South Carolina.
After hosting Cornell in a pair of midweek games, the 'Cats will hit the road for series at Georgia Southern and Elon before opening April with a road contest at Duke a home-and-home, two-game, non-conference weekend series with UNC-Wilmington. Davidson will host College of Charleston and UNCG in a SoCon series, and also complete a series with Winthrop, before traveling to NC State and Wofford.
Davidson will take on The Citadel and Samford on the road in May to wrap-up the regular season, and also host Duke in the home finale.
Davidson will be vying for a spot in the eight-team Southern Conference Tournament, which will be hosted at Flour Field in Greenville, S.C. May 22-26.
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