With the start of college baseball season less than a month away, here at College Baseball Daily we’re previewing each team in the Atlantic Coast Conference. We will start with the Atlantic Division and then move to the Coastal Division.
The University of Virginia, preseason ranked nationally at number 2, has been selected as the 2015 Atlantic Coast Conference baseball preseason favorite by the leagues 14 head coaches. Virginia, for the second year in a row has been slated as the team to beat in the ACC with 10 first-place votes followed by Florida State with 4 first-place votes. In a conference that hosts 5 of the top 25 teams in the nation one thing is for sure and that is competitive baseball in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Atlantic Division Predictions
| 1. | Florida State (7) | |
| 2. | Louisville (4) | |
| 3. | Clemson (3) | |
| 4. | NC State | |
| 5. | Wake Forest | |
| 6. | Notre Dame | |
| 7. | Boston College |
Atlantic Division
Florida State:
Florida State will enter the 2015 season as the 11th seed nationally and the 1st seed in the Atlantic Division of the ACC. The Noles return the reigning ACC Player of the Year and Second Team All-American, junior, D.J. Stewart. The outfielder from Yulee, Florida led the Seminoles (43-17, 21-9 ACC) to the Atlantic Division title game with his Atlantic Coast Conference leading .351 AVG, 50 RBI, and 19 doubles. Without a doubt Stewart will guarder much attention from players and coaches throughout the country this season and not to mention the heat he draws from scouts for this June’s upcoming Major League Baseball draft. Stewart has already notched a preseason first-team All-American selection from Louisville Slugger and looks to continue an award filled career this season.
Key contributors for the Seminoles should be RHP, Mike Compton, a red shirt junior out of Bronson, Mo. In 83.2 innings pitched last season, Compton went 7 and 3 with a 3.23 ERA and collected 50 strikeouts in 15 starts for the Noles.
Expected to help D.J. Stewart and the Seminoles offense is junior, Ben DeLuzio. The former third round draft pick contributed in a major way in 2014 by making 50 starts in his first season at Florida State, where he batted .281 which was good for fifth highest on the team.
Louisville:
Louisville comes off a stellar 2014 season, (50-17, 19-5 AAC) which saw the Cards advance to their second College World Series in as many years and for the third consecutive year were conference champions.
U of L has a constant weapon in Head Coach Dan McDonnell. In 8 years as the Head Coach, McDonnell has enjoyed great success on the diamond and has brought his Louisville baseball team to 3 College World Series, made 7 NCAA Tournament appearances, has won 2 Conference Tournament Championships and has won the regular season 5 times. Louisville, preseason ranked nationally at number 9 will look to bring their success from the American Athletic Conference to the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference.
The 2015 Louisville Cardinals will look for key contributions from 2014 Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American and 2015 preseason first-team All-American RHP, Kyle Funkhouser and rising junior, righty, Anthony Kidston. In 120.1 innings pitched, Funkhouser went 13-3 with a 1.94 ERA and collected 122 strikeouts in 15 starts for the Cards. Giving Funkhouser some help with the pitching this season will be Anthony Kidston. The junior from Defiance, Ohio finished with a 9-1 record, a 3.40 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched and 14 starts during his second collegiate season.
Clemson:
Clemson has been picked to finish third in the ACC Atlantic Division, behind Florida State and Louisville. Last year’s (36-25, 15-14 ACC) league mark was the Tigers’ worst since 2008.
The Tigers’ know that long time, Hall Of Fame Head Coach, Jack Leggett is coaching for his future. Athletic Director, Dan Radakovich decided to retain Leggett after the 2014 season, but not extend his contract past 2016.
Clemson returns five out of nine starters in the field, including preseason third-team All-American outfielder Steven Duggar, junior lefthander Matthew Crownover and junior infielder Tyler Krieger. Duggar batted .294 with 70 hits, 11 doubles, 3 triples and 1 home run. Crownover a Third-Team All-ACC selection had an 8-6 record and 2.90 ERA in 16 starts. In 99.1 innings pitched, he allowed 94 hits and 20 walks with 90 strikeouts. In addition to the southpaw, Clemson will count on the 2014 Brooks Wallace Shortstop-of-the-Year Watch List member and Second-Team All-ACC selection Tyler Krieger. The switch hitting junior from Johns Creek, Georgia hit .338 with 49 runs, 18 doubles, two bombs, 32 RBIs and only struck out 24 times in 219 abs.
North Carolina State:
North Carolina State has been picked to finish fourth in the ACC Atlantic Division, behind Florida State, Louisville and Clemson. Last year’s 32-23 overall record and 13-17 mark in the ACC was a disappointing year for the highly talented Wolfpack. The Pack lost a few key players in All-Americans Trea Turner and Carlos Rodon.
Head Coach Elliot Avery has some work to do to get the Wolfpack contending for a conference championship and College World Series visit. However, if there is one thing Avery has learned in his 18 seasons as Skipper, anything can happen in the ACC.
Leading the Wolfpack this season will be last years first-team Freshmen All-American selection and 2015 preseason first-team Perfect Game All-American selection sophomore infielder Andrew Kninzer. As well as senior outfielder Logan Ratledge. Kninzer and Ratledge are familiar names in what is sure to be an unfamiliar lineup on opening day for Coach Avery and the NC State faithful. Last season, as a freshmen Kninzer batted .330 with 69 hits, 47 RBIs, 11 doubles, 1 triple and 4 homers. Ratledge started all 54 games at second base for the Wolfpack in 2014 hitting .274 with 57 hits, 31 runs 30 RBIs, six doubles and five bombs.
Other key contributors to the Wolfpack this season will be sophomore Preston Palmeiro, senior Bubby Riley and junior pitcher Brad Stone. Palmeiro started in 24 games for the Pack while batting .284 with 29 hits, 12 runs, 14 RBIs, four doubles, one triple, 13 walks and two stolen bases. Riley, a Juco transfer, last season started in 33 games, batted .200 with 23 hits, 15 runs, 17 RBIs, two doubles, a triple, and a homer, while drawing 22 walks. As far as pitching goes, the Wolfpack will look to junior southpaw Brad Stone who went 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA, fanning 34 and walking 23 in 6 starts.
Wake Forest:
Wake Forest baseball was picked fifth in the ACC Atlantic Coastal Division in the 2015 Coaches Preseason Poll. Wake Forest finished fifth last year in the Atlantic Division with 30-26 overall record and 15-15 mark in the ACC.
Wake Forest returns several starters from last season including Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-American, Will Craig and fellow sophomore standout Nate Mondou. The “true two-way player” as stated by the Demon Deacons Head Coach, Tom Walter batted .280 while collecting 53 hits, 21 runs, six doubles and eight homers that ranked among the conference leaders. While on the mound Craig made seven appearances, had a 4.05 ERA, got the start against Florida State and finished the season with a 1-0 record and seven strikeouts. Helping out Craig will be fellow sophomore, Nate Mondou. The sophomore out of Lake Tapps, Washington played in 54 games while starting 43. He finished the season with a batting average of .279 while recording 48 hits, 25 runs, 11 doubles and 22 RBIs, and 7 homeruns.
Other key returners for the Demon Deacons are Joey Rodriguez and Aaron Fossas. In 103 at bats, Rodriguez had 21 hits, 5 doubles, 8 RBIs, and 1 homerun. Aaron Fossas is set to be the “go-to guy” in the bullpen according to Head Coach Tom Walter. The redshirt junior became the closer for Wake Forest and anchored the penn. He made 27 appearances with a 5-1 record and 3.51 ERA. He collected 10 saves which was among the leaders in the ACC. Fossas was named to the 2014 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List, which was later won by Louisville closer Nick Burdi. (3-1, 18 saves and an 0.51 ERA)
Notre Dame:
Notre Dame was picked to finish sixth in the 2015 ACC Atlantic Division. The Fighting Irish finished the 2014 campaign with an overall record of 22-31 and an ACC record of 9-21. Notre Dame hopes to get contributions as well as leadership from captains Mac Hudgins and Forrest Johnson.
Forrest Johnson was a captain last year where he provided leadership from behind the plate and batted .248 with a homer, four doubles, 15 RBIs, and 13 runs scored. Johnson also maintained a .990 fielding percentage, had 183 put outs, and 23 assists. The 2015 Co-Captain, Mac Hudgins batted .218 with 29 hits, nine RBIs, five doubles, one triple and one home run and played a solid outfield for the Fighting Irish. Both Johnson and Hudgins will be looked upon by their teammates for leadership and above average performances if they want to make a run at an ACC title.
Other key returners and contributors are junior outfielder Blaise Lezynski, sophomore infielder Kyle Fiala, junior pitcher and outfielder Zak Kutsulis, sophomore infielder Caven Biggio, and a pair of freshmen pitchers Brad Bass and Peter Solomon. Bass and Solomon are ranked nationally in the Perfect Game’s list of the top 100 college freshmen released on Friday. Blaise Lezynski led the Irish with a .296 batting average, 61 hits, 32 RBIs and 12 doubles in 53 games started. Kyle Fiala batted .268, with 48 hits, 27 runs scored, and 19 walks in 47 starts. Zak Kutsulis batted .255, had 42 hits, 18 RBIs and 9 doubles in 42 starts. On the mound Kutsulis made 12 appearances, including two starts, and went 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA. Caven Biggio batted .246, scored 29 runs, had 46 hits, 16 RBIs, 10 doubles, 21 walks and 2 home runs in 52 starts.
Boston College:
Boston College is slated to finish last in the 2015 ACC Atlantic Division. BC is coming off of a subpar year where they sported a 22-33 overall record and a 10-20 ACC mark.
If there is one highlight for Boston College before the season kicks off it is in the person of 248-pound outfielder Chris Shaw. The Boston College junior earned a spot on the Perfect Game’s Preseason All-American First-Team ballot that was announced on Friday. The slugger from Lexington, Mass was also named to the Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American Second-Team last month.
In 2014, Shaw earned All-ACC First-Team honors and was named to the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All-New England team and the American Baseball Coaches Association All-Northeast First-Team. He batted .329, slugged .502, and recorded 68 hits, 45 RBIs, 18 doubles and 6 home runs.
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