The boys of summer are back
It may still be cold outside, but the Georgia College & State University baseball team is just warming up.
Good recruiting and breakthrough seasons could make this year’s installment of the GC&SU baseball team one of the best in recent history.
Head Bobcat baseball coach, Steve Mrowka, has a difficult task in front of him. He must somehow replace the core of his pitching staff and an entire outfield.
Pitching
Replacing a top-notch pitching staff from last year could present a problem for the Bobcats. The pitching staff lost two out of three of its starting pitchers. Returning to lead the young crop of aces is senior Jay Henderson (5-2, 3.51 ERA), a starter in 2002, sophomore left-handed pitcher Matt Goyen (4-3, 2.78 ERA, three saves) and junior Michael Buck (2-1, 2.61 ERA, two saves). These three will lead a staff that is more than capable of being the backbone of the whole team.
“The pitching staff can lead the team,” said Goyen. “Every pitcher should be a pivotal part of the team this year. We’re going to be the ones to carry the team through the season.”
Both Buck and Goyen are coming off summer seasons in the Coastal Plain Baseball League where they both pitched very well.
“I don’t think my numbers from last year have anything to do with being a leader,” said Goyen. “I think I’m a leader just because I’ve been here for a year and done everything for a year. I think the ones that were here have to lead the ones that haven’t had the same experiences yet.”
Two other returning pitchers that will be counted for quality innings and relief will be senior left-hander John Belflower (1-0, 6.67 ERA) and junior Joel Sayre (medical red-shirt ’02). Both are experienced pitchers that will be used primarily out of the bullpen with an occasional start mixed in.
Throughout the fall workouts, several new recruits proved that they will have very important roles on the 2003 Bobcat pitching staff. Junior left-hander Bret Newton (Middle Georgia College) and freshman left-hander Brandon Durden (Cook County High School, Adel, GA), along with junior right-handers Chris Lawson (Pasadena City College) and Tom Kelley (Middle Georgia College) are all excellent pitchers that can be starters for Bobcats.
Both Kelley and Newton were key members of the Middle Georgia College World Series teams in 2001 and 2002. Durden is a big left-hander with an abundance of talent. He turned down the Chicago White Sox offer to sign professionally after he was selected in the 34th round last summer.
Lawson comes to GC&SU as an experienced starter. He was a conference starter in one of the strongest junior college leagues in Southern California. Junior Matt Stubbs (Gordon College), sophomore left-hander Travis Spell (Georgia Southern University) and freshman Wes Sorrells (Clarke Central High School, Athens, GA) had good workouts during the fall and should see action out of the bullpen.
Red-shirt freshmen Adam Bradley (Statesboro High School), Dennis Moon (Loganville High School), Jimmy Finley (Oconee County High School) while freshmen Chase Shuman (Tattnall County High School, Claxton, GA) and Ash Senn (Newton County High School) will all have a chance to add depth to the staff.
“I can’t say right now that we’ve replaced the quality staff that we had last year,” said Mrowka. “The staff is not going to have the power arms from last year, but we can be just as good.”
Catching
Senior starting catcher Eddie Campbell (.347, 5 HR, 34 RBI) will be back for his final year behind the plate with the Bobcats. Campbell was the starting catcher for most of 2002. He put up good offensive numbers last season.
“It’s my senior year and I’m just trying to have fun and play it as a game,” said Campbell. “Hopefully I can come out here and leave it all on the field. I want one more year where I can say I came out here and had the time of my life.”
Also battling for playing time behind the plate is transfer student Chris Aeschlimann (Western Carolina University), junior Donald Johnson and freshman Nick Waldrip (Clarke Central High School, Athens, Ga.). All three of these men improved this fall and will be asked to provide depth at the catching position.
Infield
Red-shirt freshman Tyler Folsom (Pinewood Academy), and junior utility man Bret Lathem (.300, 18 RBI) return and will be battling for playing time at first base.
These two Bobcats, in addition to newcomer Kyle Schisler (Pensacola Junior College) can provide a lot of power for the offense.
The coaching staff has worked these men very hard throughout the fall and they are pleased with their defensive improvements.
The middle infield is teaming with many talented players. Candidates to play short this spring will be the returning Jason Samples (.339, 20 BRI, 31 SB), the starting shortstop in 2002, and newcomer Jose Leger (Middle Georgia College). Both of these athletes are capable of playing short stop or second base.
Samples has been a starter for the Bobcats throughout his college career. In his senior season, he will be expected to hit at the top of the order, play either short or second, and provide outstanding leadership.
“Jason Samples has been a four-year player for us,” said Kevin Mobley, assistant baseball coach. “He’s a very good team leader on the field. He’s not very vocal, but he usually leads by example.”
Leger will be a valuable hitter in the middle of the line-up for the 2003 Bobcats.
Senior Ron Womack (.206), junior John Belcher (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), and sophomore Bret Benson (.250) are all capable infielders who may see playing time around the infield.
Starting third baseman Jon Chappell (.345, 11 HR, 46 RBI) graduated in 2002. Replacing his excellent glove and bat, the Bobcats will rely on either Womack or Leger.
With very athletic and capable individuals, Mrowka has the daunting task of deciding the starting line up everyday. But on the flip side, the mobility of certain players allows the coaching staff many options for different games.
“You like the utility of players, that you’re able to move them around that’s a good thing to have,” said Mrowka. “But you do want to have a stable infield and lineup once the season gets going.”
Outfield
If replacing the pitching rotation is a problem, then replacing the starting outfield is a borderline Sherlock Holmes mystery. Right fielder Hal Jackson (.317, 31 RBI, 15 SB), center fielder Gary Harris (.365, 8 HR, 29 SB), and left fielder Will Martin (.260, 17 SB) have all finished their eligibility and have moved on. These three athletes created one of the best outfields in GC&SU history both offensively and defensively.
To replace such a strong group of outfielders, recruits from junior colleges and high schools will have to prove themselves to the coaching staff. Fighting for the three positions are junior college transfers Jamie Langham (ABAC), Matt Nixon (Middle Georgia College), J.J. Jones (Snead State University Junior College), while freshmen Justin Mills (John Milledge Academy) and Phillip Rogers (Loganville High School) look for some playing time.
After fall workouts, the starting outfield had not been clearly determined. New comers Langham and Nixon are solid outfielders with strong bats. They both will hit somewhere in the middle of the lineup.
Brett Lathem has improved from last year and has moved himself into a strong position to start in left field. Campbell, will also see some time as a back-up outfielder.
“I can’t really say what our starting lineup is going to be because it’s going to change,” said Mrowka. “We’ve got too many guys with inconsistent years last year to say ‘yeah they should be the starter.’ Also, during fall practice we didn’t get a consistent read on some guys to be able to tell them that they’re a starter.”
No matter what the lineup, who starts, or what rotation, the goal for the 2003 Bobcats is the same…to get to the NCAA Division II College World Series.
“We’re in a situation where we’re just starting out with our spring practice,” said Mobley. “The [preseason] polls have come out and they got us ranked 11th. We got some good guys in here, good talent. Hopefully these guys can develop and by the end of the year we can win the region and be in the college world series.”
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Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Jan 17 2003. Filed under Sports.
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