Baseball looks to defend PBC, Southeast Regional titles; high expectations dominate 2011 outlook

Georgia College baseball Head Coach Tom Carty knows the expectations couldn’t be higher for his 2011 club. After going 42-17, winning the Peach Belt Conference championship, winning the NCAA Southeast Tournament and falling just two victories shy of a Division II national championship, the Bobcats are looking to finish what they just missed out on last season.

The strong season has transpired into some significant preseason recognition. Two players are preseason All-Americans and the Bobcats are ranked in virtually every preseason poll around college baseball.

“I like this team. I think we showed some things in the Fall, and I think we have gotten the program to really embrace the high expectations,” Carty said. “Getting to the World Series last year was our goal. Our goal was to win the national championship, and it’s our goal this year as well.”

While the Bobcats lost talent from last year’s team, they return some key faces and will rely heavily on several transfers who have experience as well.

“They’re new, but they’re not freshmen,” Carty said. “They’re transfer and junior college guys who are a little more mature, and they’ve kind of embraced what our returners have as far as expectations to try to finish the job we couldn’t quite finish last year.”

If the Bobcats want to duplicate last year’s success, Carty says they will have to get healthy on the mound, where they are currently running a little thin. Senior righthander Eric Pettepher and senior southpaw Jason Nicholas will anchor the pitching staff.

“Those are certainly guys who pitched a lot of quality innings for us last year, so we’re really going to try to ride those guys, especially early in the season, since we are banged up,” Carty said.

Also returning on the mound for Georgia College are redshirt senior righthanders Ryan Parson and Tanner Moore, redshirt junior righty Chris George and sophomore righty Michael Jeanes.

“Those four guys were here last year, and Parson saw a good amount of innings out in the bullpen and made some spot starts and is always reliable,” Carty said. “The other three guys who are new are guys that will be fighting for innings and will be trying to get on the mound with the opportunity to do some things. We need them to because we are thin.”

Behind the plate, the Bobcats return preseason All-American Richard Pirkle. The redshirt senior played in 54 games, and started 51 in 2010, hitting .354 with 17 home runs and 65 RBI. Redshirt junior Benton Yaun will also see time at catcher while also playing some first base.

“Those two guys are big for us,” Carty said. “Richard has really put himself into a leadership role and has done a great job of getting these new guys to get on board with our goals.”

At first base, sophomore Cody Maas, who Carty expects to have a strong campaign, will get the majority of the starts after being converted from the catcher position during Fall practice.

Junior Luke McKay, who transferred from Cloud County Community College in Kansas, will be getting the early starts at second base. He will be joined up the middle by shortstop Tanner Funk, who transferred from Johnson Co. Community College in Kansas.

At third base, redshirt junior Travis Echols will be starting after missing the 2010 season because of a wrist injury. Freshmen Matt Robinson and Daniel Bick will also see playing time in the infield.

The outfield is shaping up to be a strength for the Bobcats this season.

“They’re really good,” Carty said. “It’s probably as talented of a group as we’ve had. We have five guys. Our DH is probably going to come out of that spot along with Benton Yaun.”

Senior rightfielder and preseason All-American Shawn Ward will anchor the outfield unit. Ward hit .358 last season, including a .409 mark with runners in scoring position and led the team with 87 RBI.

Junior Pat Daugherty, who transferred from ABAC and junior Jimmy Moreland, who transferred from Gordon College, both had strong showings in Fall practice and will add left-handed versatility to the lineup.

In addition junior Josh Young, a transfer from Arizona, and redshirt Ikaika Anderson, who transferred from ABAC will also see playing time.

“Those guys are all going to be very instrumental in our philosophy,” Carty said. “They all can run, they all can hit, and there’s certainly a lot of competition out there.”

Overall, Carty feels confident in the Bobcats offensive chances for the season.

“(Pirkle and Ward) have experience,” he said. “They know what it’s like to get clutch hits and drive runs in. The rest fill in very well.”

As for the competition Georgia College will face, things won’t get any easier. The Bobcats will open up the season Feb. 4 with a weekend series against perennial power Tampa, a series that the two teams have played for more than a decade now.

“It’s a series our guys really get up for. It’s an awesome opportunity for our guys to get exposure to professional baseball and scouts,” Carty said. “It’s a measuring stick. They’re always going to be good. It’s not a deal maker series, but it’s a good series to see what you need to work on because they’re going to test us.”

And Carty says the Peach Belt Conference has done nothing but improve.

“I think Columbus is going to be very strong, and I think that (USC) Aiken, North Georgia and Francis Marion are all going to be tough clubs,” he said. “I think the guys who have been in the middle to the bottom of the pack are going to be much better. Georgia Southwestern has a chance to be good this year, and I think UNC Pembroke has consistently put themselves in the position to be pretty strong.”

Even with an improved conference, the Bobcats can only control themselves.

“I really like where this team is mentally as far as expectations, and hopefully we can match those expectations with good execution,” Carty said.