Team captains Forrest Brandt (L) and Ryan Lowe (R)
Photo by: DavidsonPhotos.com
2014 Baseball Season Outlook
2/12/2014 11:41:00 AM | Baseball
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Experienced returners and talented newcomers will look to lead the Davidson baseball team during the 2014 season.
The slate opens with a three-game series against Buffalo, startingValentine's Day at 6 p.m. Saturday's game has been pushed back to 3 p.m. from its originally scheduled time of 2 p.m., and the set will conclude Sunday with first pitch at 1 p.m.
UPDATE: Snow has postponed the season opener Friday against Buffalo. Check @Davidsonwildcat for the latest updates.
Live stats and Twitter updates will be available, while live video streaming will commence Tuesday when the Wildcats host Wake Forest.
While fans may recognize many of the players, Wilson Field has a slightly different look. A new scoreboard is in place in right field, as well as an all-new fence across the entire outfield, which has yet to be painted due to inclement weather. New padding behind home plate, in between the dugouts, has also been added.
It will be Davidson's final season in the now 10-team Southern Conference, as the Wildcats will move to the Atlantic 10 for the 2015 season. All 10 teams will be included in the conference championship tournament in Charleston, but the top-six in the regular season standings will avoid a play-in round.
The Wildcats will be hoping the experience gained in 2013 will pay dividends in 2014. Last season's team finished with its most wins in conference in eight seasons, despite a completely revamped starting rotation from 2012 and 19 different pitchers seeing game action, including six freshmen. In total, Davidson is returning over 82 percent of last season's innings pitched.
The offense has two big holes to fill, as 19 of the team's 39 home runs will not return due to the graduations of four-year starting infielders Michael Zeblo and Andrew Barna. However, the 2013 'Cats improved the team batting average by 20 points from 2012, and returns its top-three in the category: team captains Forrest Brandt and Ryan Lowe, as well as, Nathan Becker.
"Collectively, the offense has done a nice job in early scrimmages and I really like their approach," said head coach Dick Cooke, who is entering is 24th season at the helm.
With plenty of arms for the mound and positional flexibility, the Wildcats have the ability to mix-and-match as situations dictate. The early season contests will be crucial in determining what roles individual players will best succeed in as, the 'Cats look to make their final SoCon campaign a special one.
"The players are excited about some facility changes. They've worked exceptionally hard in the strength and conditioning aspect. Zach Rowell and the assistant coaches have done a great job. The players have really bought into it, enjoy it, look forward to it and expect it. We're ready to get the season started."
Around the Horn
Catcher
The familiar senior duo of Daniel Gerow and Chris Dyer returns behind the plate, but the position will have added depth with three freshmen vying for time. Gerow (25) and Dyer (24) split starts evenly as possible in 2013 and expect to continue to see the majority of the action behind the plate.
"Gerow and Dyer have done a nice job behind the dish handling the pitching staff and are throwing the ball well," said Cooke.
Jake Sidwell, the first player drafted by a Major League Baseball team to enroll at Davidson, will compete for time as a rookie, while classmate Tyler Agard, a natural infielder, has also seen time catching in the fall and winter. Max Torbiner will also contribute at the position.
First Base
A three-way battle has emerged to replace Andrew Barna at first base, but all three candidates could find their way into the lineup. Lowe, sophomore Lee Miller and freshman Brian Fortier are the options, but with Lowe and Fortier serving as two-way players and Miller also an option to play left field, there could be plenty of moves at the position throughout the season.
"Lowe's bat will be in the lineup, but it will just be a case of how we utilize it either at first or primarily in the DH role like last year," said Cooke. "Among the young guys, Fortier has probably pushed himself the hardest as far as getting himself into the forefront. He's a big, 6-6 guy and has some juice in his bat."
In addition to being the Friday night starting pitcher, Lowe emerged as one of the team's top hitters in 2013, batting .295 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. Miller is the team's top-returning home run hitter after slugging six as a freshman, and will look to be more consistent at the plate as a sophomore.
Second Base
Sophomore Sam Foy earned SoCon All-Freshman honors playing second base last season, but he will replace Zeblo defensively at shortstop, his natural position. Thus junior Ben Arkin and sophomore Andrew Pope are the primary competitors for the starting nod to his left. Both are inexperienced at the collegiate level at second as Arkin has primarily seen action at third base off the bench during his first two seasons, and Pope's primary role as a rookie was as a late-inning defensive replacement in centerfield, making 30 appearances and 10 starts. Both will likely see time.
"We're not necessarily looking for just one guy there," said Cooke. "A lot of it could depend on if we see a role for Pope in the outfield again, or more of a role on the mound."
Agard has also been taking reps at second base and could factor in.
Third Base
After Barna moved across the diamond to first base last season, David Daniels emerged as the starter at third base, ultimately starting 40 games and batting .255 with three home runs and 18 RBIs. Daniels is expected to continue in the same role entering his junior season, and the coaches have cited him as one of the top performers offensively in preseason action.
Arkin and corner infielder Aaron Tovsky are additional options at the hot corner.
Shortstop
Foy will look to improve on his rookie season as he settles in on the other side of the infield. He started and played in 47 games last season and had a flair for the dramatic with a pair of walk-off hits and a grand slam for his lone home run of the season. Foy also led the team with four three-hit games.
His understudy will be freshman Lukas Pracher, a 6-2 all-league, all-conference and all-county player from Manahasset H.S. (N.Y.)
Outfield
Brandt, a senior, will look to continue as a team leader in the lineup. He led the team in batting and is the top returner in RBIs after driving in 27 runs last season. Becker enjoyed a breakout season as a sophomore, batting .292 after seeing limited action as a freshman.
That leaves the primary battle for left field between Miller, junior Ty Middlebrooks and freshman Will Robertson. Miller could end up in left, at first base or designated hitter, while Middlebrooks saw success late last season drawing starts in five of the last seven games and batting .384 during that stretch. Both are left-handed batters.
The freshman righty Robertson cannot be counted out though, as he has joined Fortier as one of the most successful of the newcomers.
"Robertson has competed well for time in either corner," said Cooke. "He struggled a bit early, but had one of the best fall seasons amongst the newcomers and, positionally, he may be lobbying the hardest at this point to get into the lineup somehow."
Lefty classmate Cameron Marshall, a two-way player, is as intriguing option as he is one of the fastest Wildcats in recent memory. His speed is most likely going to be used on the base paths though as he polishes his game.
On the Mound
The 2013 team ultimately had a completely revamped starting rotation from the year prior after Clark Beeker went down with an injury in his second game, but he and anchors Danny Mooney and Ryan Lowe return, along with late-season successes Nick Neitzel and Rob Bain.
"I think our success pitching will be a little contingent on when and to what level Beek is able to get back," said Cooke. "We have experience amongst the starting candidates, and that should benefit us going forward."
Mooney, a senior, and Lowe, a junior, will look to lead the rotation as Beeker, also a junior, is still trying to return to full strength.
"Beek has been in the normal mix, but he's not to the same level of workload as the other guys, and I don't know when that will be," said Cooke. "We'll be wise with that."
Lowe, in his first season as a starting pitcher, led the Wildcats with 14 starts and posted solid numbers until encountering some late season struggles. Mooney was consistent throughout most of the season and his team-best six wins were the most by a Wildcat pitcher since 2004. He also led the team with 78.1 innings pitched and 70 strikeouts.
The remaining rotation and bullpen roles remain to be determined. Bain was solid late in the season as a starter, and Neitzel earned the final SoCon Pitcher of the Week honor of the 2013 season after holding Samford without an earned run in a rain-shortened, six-inning season finale. RHP Matt Saeta, another junior, had three limited starts, but was primarily used in late innings and tallied three saves. Sophomore Durin O'Linger will also be looking to make a case for a starting role.
A pair of freshmen righties out of Texas Christian Academy, Westin Whitmire and Cody White, could also factor in prominent roles, either as starters or relievers. The duo, along with Fortier, has stood out in preseason pitching work.
Bullpen roles will be determined as the rotation plays out. Experienced depth is lacking though, as 2013 saves leader Michael Zeblo has graduated along with Bryan DaCanal, who made 17 appearances and pitched 27 innings last season to rank third on the team in both categories.
"Numbers wise, we've got plenty of arms, but once we get beyond our older guys, there is not a lot of experience there in critical parts of games," said Cooke.
Including Saeta's three starts, he was the most called upon and reliable bullpen option last season with 41.1 innings pitched across 24 appearances. He posted a 3.48 ERA with two wins to his lone loss, as well as three saves, but could his role could vary. Other experienced options include senior Jip Richards, who led the team in appearances out of the 'pen in 2013 and struck out 25 batters in 30 innings, and senior Michael Goldberg, who was called upon 13 times in his first season back from injury.
Senior Justin Charles will look to continue to be the leading lefty relief option. Sophomore LHP Jake Batchelder will also compete for more playing time after seeing limited action as a freshman, and Marshall is the lone left-handed newcomer.
Pope and Fortier are two-way players that could be counted on in later innings as situations dictate, while fellow right-handers Chad Moss and Ryan Wood are also options. RHP Chase Plebani is a freshman that will add depth. Another unique option is senior Jonathan Carkhuff, who will conclude his Wildcat career on the diamond after starting at quarterback the past four seasons on the gridiron, becoming the school's all-time passing leader.
"His best role and ability to impact is still to be determined, but I think he's done a respectable job in preseason work for not having pitched since his senior season of high school," said Cooke of the converting quarterback.
Schedule
The
2014 season is slated to include 52 regular season games. Of those, 33 will be at Wilson Field, including 25 of the first 27. It will begin with a three-game series with Buffalo on Friday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. The Wildcats will then host Wake Forest Tuesday, Feb. 18 in the first game of a home-and-home series. Cooke was a recipient of the College Baseball Insider Inspiration Award this past summer that is named after Demon Deacons coach Tom Walter. Walter donated a kidney to a freshman outfielder before the 2011 season, which inspired the now annual award. Cooke was honored for returning to the diamond after sustaining serious injuries in a car accident caused by a drunk driver just before the start of fall practice.
The Wildcats will play four games in three days when hosting Massachusetts and North Carolina A&T Mar. 7-9, and then open their final Southern Conference season by hosting The Citadel, Mar. 14-16. Following a visit to Wake Forest (Mar. 18), the 'Cats will play their next eight at home, hosting Wofford (Mar. 21-23), Duke (Mar. 25), Georgia Southern (Mar. 28-30) and Winthrop (Apr. 1).
Davidson will travel to Furman (Apr. 4-6) and UNC Asheville (Apr. 8) before returning to Wilson Field Apr. 11-13 to host Samford. The home-and-home series with Duke will conclude Tuesday, Apr. 15 in Durham, and then the 'Cats will host their final weekend series at home Apr. 17-19 against UNCG.
Ten of the 'Cats' final 12 games will be on the road, starting Tuesday, Apr. 22 at South Carolina at 7 p.m. That game will be televised live on Fox Sports South.
Davidson will then face Appalachian State (Apr. 25-27), Winthrop (Apr. 29) and defending conference champion Elon (May 2-4) before hosting UNC Asheville Wednesday, May 7, and then NC Central the following day in the home finale. The regular season will conclude at Western Carolina with a Thursday, May 15 doubleheader and a single game Friday.
All 10 Southern Conference teams will participate in the conference tournament, which will begin Tuesday, May 20 in Riley Park in Charleston, S.C.
The slate opens with a three-game series against Buffalo, starting
UPDATE: Snow has postponed the season opener Friday against Buffalo. Check @Davidsonwildcat for the latest updates.
Live stats and Twitter updates will be available, while live video streaming will commence Tuesday when the Wildcats host Wake Forest.
While fans may recognize many of the players, Wilson Field has a slightly different look. A new scoreboard is in place in right field, as well as an all-new fence across the entire outfield, which has yet to be painted due to inclement weather. New padding behind home plate, in between the dugouts, has also been added.
It will be Davidson's final season in the now 10-team Southern Conference, as the Wildcats will move to the Atlantic 10 for the 2015 season. All 10 teams will be included in the conference championship tournament in Charleston, but the top-six in the regular season standings will avoid a play-in round.
The Wildcats will be hoping the experience gained in 2013 will pay dividends in 2014. Last season's team finished with its most wins in conference in eight seasons, despite a completely revamped starting rotation from 2012 and 19 different pitchers seeing game action, including six freshmen. In total, Davidson is returning over 82 percent of last season's innings pitched.
The offense has two big holes to fill, as 19 of the team's 39 home runs will not return due to the graduations of four-year starting infielders Michael Zeblo and Andrew Barna. However, the 2013 'Cats improved the team batting average by 20 points from 2012, and returns its top-three in the category: team captains Forrest Brandt and Ryan Lowe, as well as, Nathan Becker.
"Collectively, the offense has done a nice job in early scrimmages and I really like their approach," said head coach Dick Cooke, who is entering is 24th season at the helm.
With plenty of arms for the mound and positional flexibility, the Wildcats have the ability to mix-and-match as situations dictate. The early season contests will be crucial in determining what roles individual players will best succeed in as, the 'Cats look to make their final SoCon campaign a special one.
"The players are excited about some facility changes. They've worked exceptionally hard in the strength and conditioning aspect. Zach Rowell and the assistant coaches have done a great job. The players have really bought into it, enjoy it, look forward to it and expect it. We're ready to get the season started."
Around the Horn
Catcher
"Gerow and Dyer have done a nice job behind the dish handling the pitching staff and are throwing the ball well," said Cooke.
Jake Sidwell, the first player drafted by a Major League Baseball team to enroll at Davidson, will compete for time as a rookie, while classmate Tyler Agard, a natural infielder, has also seen time catching in the fall and winter. Max Torbiner will also contribute at the position.
First Base
A three-way battle has emerged to replace Andrew Barna at first base, but all three candidates could find their way into the lineup. Lowe, sophomore Lee Miller and freshman Brian Fortier are the options, but with Lowe and Fortier serving as two-way players and Miller also an option to play left field, there could be plenty of moves at the position throughout the season.
"Lowe's bat will be in the lineup, but it will just be a case of how we utilize it either at first or primarily in the DH role like last year," said Cooke. "Among the young guys, Fortier has probably pushed himself the hardest as far as getting himself into the forefront. He's a big, 6-6 guy and has some juice in his bat."
In addition to being the Friday night starting pitcher, Lowe emerged as one of the team's top hitters in 2013, batting .295 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. Miller is the team's top-returning home run hitter after slugging six as a freshman, and will look to be more consistent at the plate as a sophomore.
Second Base
Sophomore Sam Foy earned SoCon All-Freshman honors playing second base last season, but he will replace Zeblo defensively at shortstop, his natural position. Thus junior Ben Arkin and sophomore Andrew Pope are the primary competitors for the starting nod to his left. Both are inexperienced at the collegiate level at second as Arkin has primarily seen action at third base off the bench during his first two seasons, and Pope's primary role as a rookie was as a late-inning defensive replacement in centerfield, making 30 appearances and 10 starts. Both will likely see time.
"We're not necessarily looking for just one guy there," said Cooke. "A lot of it could depend on if we see a role for Pope in the outfield again, or more of a role on the mound."
Agard has also been taking reps at second base and could factor in.
Third Base
Arkin and corner infielder Aaron Tovsky are additional options at the hot corner.
Shortstop
Foy will look to improve on his rookie season as he settles in on the other side of the infield. He started and played in 47 games last season and had a flair for the dramatic with a pair of walk-off hits and a grand slam for his lone home run of the season. Foy also led the team with four three-hit games.
His understudy will be freshman Lukas Pracher, a 6-2 all-league, all-conference and all-county player from Manahasset H.S. (N.Y.)
Outfield
Brandt and Becker are the most certain options to patrol the outfield. The duo primarily started in center and right field, respectively, and will presumably continue to do so in 2014. However, Brandt could slide over to left field, as he often did last season, depending on Pope's role.
That leaves the primary battle for left field between Miller, junior Ty Middlebrooks and freshman Will Robertson. Miller could end up in left, at first base or designated hitter, while Middlebrooks saw success late last season drawing starts in five of the last seven games and batting .384 during that stretch. Both are left-handed batters.
The freshman righty Robertson cannot be counted out though, as he has joined Fortier as one of the most successful of the newcomers.
"Robertson has competed well for time in either corner," said Cooke. "He struggled a bit early, but had one of the best fall seasons amongst the newcomers and, positionally, he may be lobbying the hardest at this point to get into the lineup somehow."
Lefty classmate Cameron Marshall, a two-way player, is as intriguing option as he is one of the fastest Wildcats in recent memory. His speed is most likely going to be used on the base paths though as he polishes his game.
On the Mound
"I think our success pitching will be a little contingent on when and to what level Beek is able to get back," said Cooke. "We have experience amongst the starting candidates, and that should benefit us going forward."
Mooney, a senior, and Lowe, a junior, will look to lead the rotation as Beeker, also a junior, is still trying to return to full strength.
"Beek has been in the normal mix, but he's not to the same level of workload as the other guys, and I don't know when that will be," said Cooke. "We'll be wise with that."
Lowe, in his first season as a starting pitcher, led the Wildcats with 14 starts and posted solid numbers until encountering some late season struggles. Mooney was consistent throughout most of the season and his team-best six wins were the most by a Wildcat pitcher since 2004. He also led the team with 78.1 innings pitched and 70 strikeouts.
The remaining rotation and bullpen roles remain to be determined. Bain was solid late in the season as a starter, and Neitzel earned the final SoCon Pitcher of the Week honor of the 2013 season after holding Samford without an earned run in a rain-shortened, six-inning season finale. RHP Matt Saeta, another junior, had three limited starts, but was primarily used in late innings and tallied three saves. Sophomore Durin O'Linger will also be looking to make a case for a starting role.
A pair of freshmen righties out of Texas Christian Academy, Westin Whitmire and Cody White, could also factor in prominent roles, either as starters or relievers. The duo, along with Fortier, has stood out in preseason pitching work.
Bullpen roles will be determined as the rotation plays out. Experienced depth is lacking though, as 2013 saves leader Michael Zeblo has graduated along with Bryan DaCanal, who made 17 appearances and pitched 27 innings last season to rank third on the team in both categories.
"Numbers wise, we've got plenty of arms, but once we get beyond our older guys, there is not a lot of experience there in critical parts of games," said Cooke.
Including Saeta's three starts, he was the most called upon and reliable bullpen option last season with 41.1 innings pitched across 24 appearances. He posted a 3.48 ERA with two wins to his lone loss, as well as three saves, but could his role could vary. Other experienced options include senior Jip Richards, who led the team in appearances out of the 'pen in 2013 and struck out 25 batters in 30 innings, and senior Michael Goldberg, who was called upon 13 times in his first season back from injury.
Senior Justin Charles will look to continue to be the leading lefty relief option. Sophomore LHP Jake Batchelder will also compete for more playing time after seeing limited action as a freshman, and Marshall is the lone left-handed newcomer.
Pope and Fortier are two-way players that could be counted on in later innings as situations dictate, while fellow right-handers Chad Moss and Ryan Wood are also options. RHP Chase Plebani is a freshman that will add depth. Another unique option is senior Jonathan Carkhuff, who will conclude his Wildcat career on the diamond after starting at quarterback the past four seasons on the gridiron, becoming the school's all-time passing leader.
"His best role and ability to impact is still to be determined, but I think he's done a respectable job in preseason work for not having pitched since his senior season of high school," said Cooke of the converting quarterback.
Schedule
The
Davidson will host Fairleigh Dickinson and Mount St. Mary's (Md.) Feb. 21-23 before hitting the road for the first time at NC State Tuesday, Feb. 25. Miami (Ohio) will visit for a three-game weekend series Feb. 28-Mar. 2 before the 'Cats play their third-straight ACC mid-week game at North Carolina Wednesday, Mar. 5.
The Wildcats will play four games in three days when hosting Massachusetts and North Carolina A&T Mar. 7-9, and then open their final Southern Conference season by hosting The Citadel, Mar. 14-16. Following a visit to Wake Forest (Mar. 18), the 'Cats will play their next eight at home, hosting Wofford (Mar. 21-23), Duke (Mar. 25), Georgia Southern (Mar. 28-30) and Winthrop (Apr. 1).
Davidson will travel to Furman (Apr. 4-6) and UNC Asheville (Apr. 8) before returning to Wilson Field Apr. 11-13 to host Samford. The home-and-home series with Duke will conclude Tuesday, Apr. 15 in Durham, and then the 'Cats will host their final weekend series at home Apr. 17-19 against UNCG.
Ten of the 'Cats' final 12 games will be on the road, starting Tuesday, Apr. 22 at South Carolina at 7 p.m. That game will be televised live on Fox Sports South.
Davidson will then face Appalachian State (Apr. 25-27), Winthrop (Apr. 29) and defending conference champion Elon (May 2-4) before hosting UNC Asheville Wednesday, May 7, and then NC Central the following day in the home finale. The regular season will conclude at Western Carolina with a Thursday, May 15 doubleheader and a single game Friday.
All 10 Southern Conference teams will participate in the conference tournament, which will begin Tuesday, May 20 in Riley Park in Charleston, S.C.
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