In back-to-back years, and for the fourth time in the past six years, the Rice Owls took home the Conference USA Tournament crown. The baseball powerhouse was also the regular season champion going 23-7 in conference play, finishing three games ahead of the second place finisher in the UAB Blazers.
UTSA upset the Blazers in the first round of the tournament and rode that momentum all the way to the championship game before being humbled by the Owls 11-5.
Rice and Old Dominion were the only teams to represent Conference USA in the NCAA Tournament. The Owls were actually a number one seed and host for the regionals, but after an easy win over George Mason they were taken out by Texas and Texas A&M in a couple of one-run games. ODU went two-and-out.
Conference USA remains a competitive baseball conference with nine teams finishing last season with a winning record, and eight of those teams finishing with a winning conference record.
The conference had 35 players selected in 2014’s MLB Draft led by East Carolina’s Jeff Hoffman who was taken with the ninth overall pick in the draft. ECU has since moved to the American Athletic Conference, and Western Kentucky University joined the conference this year.
The next highest Conference USA player taken in the draft was Aramis Garcia from FIU. He was taken in the second round by the San Francisco Giants. Rice led the conference with five players taken in the draft. Owls’ pitcher Zech Lemond was taken in the third round by the San Diego Padres.
Southern Miss, FIU, UTSA and ECU all had four players taken in the draft, MTSU had three taken, Charlotte, FAU and ODU had two each, and UAB and WKU had one player taken. Tulane, who also joined the American Athletic Conference this year, had three players taken in the draft.
Of the 35 players taken from the conference, 12 of those were taken in the first 10 rounds of the draft. This conference doesn’t get the respect it deserves in college baseball for the amount of talent they’re producing in the major leagues. There is some good baseball being played in this conference and that should continue in 2015.
Charlotte 49ers 19-31-1 (10-19)
Key Players Returning: Derek Gallello, T.J. Nichting, Logan Sherer, Brandon Vogler, Micah Wells
Key Losses: Ryan Butler, Brock Hudgens, Corey Roberts, Hunter May
Notable Newcomers: Luke Gibbs, J.D. Prochaska, Josh Maciejewski
The 49ers had a rough go of it during their first season in Conference USA. They only managed to win 10 conference games, finishing 5.5 games out of a spot in the conference tournament. This was a team that was just a year removed from winning the regular season championship in the A-10.
To add salt to the wound after coming off a disappointing season, Charlotte is without its two best pitchers from a year ago in Butler and Hudgens who were both drafted. Butler was taken in the 7th round by the San Diego Padres, while Hudgens was taken in the 31st round by the Milwaukee Brewers.
The pitcher returning with the most starting experience will be Brandon Vogler who started just four games last year in eight appearances. He did post a respectable 3.67 ERA over 27 innings. Micah Wells returns after a solid season out of the bullpen in which he put up an ERA of 1.02 in 17.2 innings with 21 strikeouts.
Things look a little brighter on the offensive side where Charlotte returns its best two hitters from a year ago in Derek Gallello and T.J. Nichting. Gallello hit .283 with an OBP of .361. Nichting hit .283 as well. The team’s home run and RBI leader from a year ago also returns in Logan Sherer. The sophomore hit five long balls and drove in 29 as a freshman in 2014. He also was a solid pitcher out of the bullpen posting an ERA of 2.45 in 14.2 innings.
Gibbs is a transfer from Itawamba Community College where he hit .331 a year ago. Prochaska could add depth to the pitching staff after transferring from Allen County Community College where he had an ERA of 3.12 and struck 59 batters in 53 innings. Maciejewski could add to that staff as well after striking out 90 batters in 65 innings as a high school senior.
Charlotte has a couple of young pieces on offense to build off of, but they’re going to need some help in that starting rotation if they’re to compete for a conference title this year.
Florida International Panthers 36-20 (16-14)
Key Returning Players: Josh Anderson, Edwin Rios, Julius Gaines, Chris Mourelle, Cody Crouse, Robby Kalaf
Key Losses: Aramis Garcia, Mike Franco
Notable Newcomers: Danny Dopico, Jack Schaaf, Mitchell Robinson, Gianni Zayas, Garrett Cave
The Panthers had a pretty good year finishing with a solid 16 wins in conference play, which snuck them into the conference tournament as an eight seed. Unfortunately, FIU went two-and-out in the tournament and their season came to an end.
FIU doesn’t lose a lot from last season quantity-wise, but they lose a whole lot quality-wise with Garcia and Franco leaving the program. Garcia was taken in the second round of the draft by the San Francisco Giants, while Franco was taken in the seventh round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Both players will be sorely missed in 2015.
On the bright side, just about every single one of the team’s other key contributors from 2014 returns. Anderson is back after hitting .300 with 43 RBI a year ago. Gaines returns after hitting .288 with 43 runs scored in 2014.
Mourelle, Crouse and Kalaf all return after starting at least 10 games each last season. Mourelle had an ERA of 1.95 in 15 games (12 starts); Crouse put up an ERA of 2.23 in 14 games (10 starts); and Kalaf had a 3.74 ERA in 14 games (10 starts). FIU’s top bullpen guy from 2014 returns as well in the form of Williams Durruthy who had an ERA of 1.65 in 19 games (1 start) with 34 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.
Cave is one very interesting freshman to watch this year out of FIU after he was taken by the New York Yankees in the 17th round of the draft. The right-handed pitcher can apparently touch the mid-90s with his fastball and has a change-up and curveball as well. He could be a big boost for the Panthers’ pitching staff in 2015.
There is a lot of good talent coming back on a team that won 36 games in 2014. This Panthers team has a very good shot to make some noise in Conference USA this year.
“Somebody has to take over and be the Friday night guy,” said FIU Head Coach Turtle Thomas. “We lost ace Mike Franco to the Rays in the draft and he really nailed down that spot for us last year. We have to see who the four main relievers in the bullpen are going to be. We have a lot of good possibilities. We need our 1 and 2 hitters in the lineup to have great seasons, which they didn’t last season. We have three guys back in Anderson, Rios and Gaines who hit in the middle of the order last year. Brian Portelli has improved his outfield play and will be a middle of the order hitter.”
Florida Atlantic Owls 28-25 (14-16)
Key Players Returning: Brendon Sanger, Stephen Kerr, C.J. Chatham, Drew Jackson, Bo Logan
Key Losses: Tyler Rocklein, Austin Gomber, Jeremy Strawn, Kevin Alexander
Notable Newcomers: Robbie Coursel, Alex House, Christian Dicks, Ryan Miller, Roman Collins
FAU had a good squad in 2014, but not well enough as they just missed getting an invite to the Conference USA Tournament a year after winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
They return a good group of players on offense in 2014 led by Sanger who a year ago hit .332 with 2 home runs, 29 RBI and 36 runs scored. Kerr also returns after a great freshman season in which he hit .324 and scored 38 runs. They also return their top run producer from 2014 in Chatham who hit 4 home runs and drove in 36. The offense looks solid for the upcoming season.
The big loss comes on the pitching side with the departure of Gomber. The pitcher was taken in the fourth round by the St. Louis Cardinals after putting up an ERA of 3.26 in 12 starts, striking out 72 in 77.1 innings. The Owls also lost their second best starter from a year ago in Strawn who started 14 games and put up an ERA of 3.69.
Drew Jackson is the team’s most experienced starter returning from a year ago. He had an ERA of 4.48 in 14 games (13 starts) with 56 strikeouts in 68.1 innings. The senior will need to grow in that role if he’s to lead this staff in 2015. Other notable arms returning include Bo Logan who had an ERA of 1.28 in 27 appearances (49.1 innings) with 46 strikeouts. Brandon Rhodes also comes back after making 17 appearances (6 starts) in 2014 with a 3.27 ERA. The junior could be asked to step up into the rotation this year.
Collins has the chance to make a huge impact in the FAU lineup this year after hitting .435 at Des Moines Area Community College last year with 12 home runs and 75 RBI. House had an ERA of 1.46 as a senior in high school last year, while striking out 68 in 67 innings. Christian Dicks is a transfer from Tallahassee Community College where he hit .348 with 8 home runs, 54 RBI, 51 runs and 19 stolen bases.
The Owls just barely missed out on the conference tournament in 2014, but I expect that won’t be the case this year with the amount of talent they have returning. Of course, that hinges on how well others step up in the rotation to take the places of Gomber and Strawn.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 15-35 (5-25)
Key Players Returning: Taylor Love, Eric Dunbar, Austin Greer
Key Losses: Ryan Jones, Tyler Ervine, Richie Navari
Notable Newcomers: Phillip Diehl, Adam Atkins, Graham Ackal, Mason Paxton, Bryce Stark, Brent Diaz
It’s safe to say that the Bulldogs had a difficult time adjusting to their new conference in 2014. La Tech was the worst team in the league record-wise managing just 15 wins overall, and only five of those were conference wins.
They were also one of the few Conference USA teams that didn’t have anyone taken in the 2014 MLB Draft, which means some key players are returning in 2015.
One of those players is Love who hit .320 with 24 runs and 11 stolen bases; however, probably they’re best hitter from a year ago is gone in Ervine. He led the team in home runs with five and RBI with 25.
The Bulldogs also lost their best pitcher from a year ago in Navari. He had an ERA of 2.23 in 14 games (13 starts) with 51 strikeouts in 96.2 innings. Greer should return to lead the rotation after posting an ERA of 3.67 in 13 games (10 starts) a year ago. Dunbar could also step into the rotation after putting up an ERA of 2.59 in 41.2 innings last year.
Diehl could be inserted into the weekend rotation after transferring from Wabash Valley College where he went 8-2 with a 2.27 ERA, striking out 95 in 95 innings. Paxton is a transfer from Hill College where he hit .354 with 33 RBI and 35 runs scored.
The pitching on this team might be good enough to keep them in ball games, but unless someone breaks out on offense this could be another tough year for the Bulldogs.
“We have great senior leadership,” pointed out Louisiana Tech Head Coach Greg Goff. “We have 12 seniors that I feel like are ready and really made a commitment to what we have done here as a new coaching staff. I think our biggest strength is the 12 seniors we have and their willingness to change and do the things we have asked them to do; their commitment to what we are asking of them.”
Marshall Thundering Herd 20-31 (10-19)
Key Players Returning: Corey Bird, TJ Diffenderfer, Josh King, Michael Taylor, Matt Margaritonda
Key Losses: None
Notable Newcomers: Andrew Bladt, Austin Norman, Ryne Dean, Billy Sager, Callaway Kirkpatrick, Tyler Ratliff
The Thundering Herd had a disappointing season in 2014 failing to make it to the Conference USA Tournament. Marshall has now failed to reach the tournament in each of the past four seasons. The team wasn’t that far off in 2014 though and they return all of their key contributors from a year ago.
Bird returns after hitting .292 with an OBP of .370 to go along with a team high 15 stolen bases. The team’s home run and RBI leader from a year ago returns in the form of Diffenderfer who hit four dingers and knocked in 29. Cory Garrastazy will try to build off a freshman campaign in which he hit .321 in just 53 at-bats.
Josh King returns to lead the rotation after missing the second half of last season due to injury. King had a 2.60 ERA in six starts before getting hurt with 28 strikeouts in 34.2 innings. The team’s other two main starters from a year ago return in Taylor and Margaritonda. Taylor had an ERA of 3.56 in 13 starts, while Margaritonda posted an ERA of 4.35 in 13 starts with 58 strikeouts in 82.2 innings.
Caleb Ross returns after a spectacular season out of the bullpen where he posted an ERA of 2.29 in 36 appearances with 18 strikeouts in 19.2 innings.
Norman could have an impact in the lineup as a freshman after hitting .417 as a senior with 12 home runs and 50 RBI. Sager hit .390 with 4 home runs and 33 RBI at Potomac State College. Kirkpatrick should have an immediate impact in the weekend rotation after transferring from Paris Junior College where he was 9-3 with a 1.19 ERA as a sophomore. Ratliff hit.425 his senior year in high school.
If this team can grow and take a step forward from their development in 2014, they have the pieces to make a run at making it to the Conference USA tournament once again and perhaps making some noise once there.
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders 31-27 (18-13)
Key Players Returning: Jared Allen, Dustin Delgado, Austin Bryant, Johnathan Frebis
Key Losses: Trent Miller, Zac Curtis, Paul Mittura
Notable Newcomers: Ronnie Jebavy, Blake Stansberry, Austin Norrell, Nate Hoffman, Sam Alton
MTSU was a mediocre out-of-conference team last year, but they stepped it up during conference play winning 18 games and being set as the four-seed in the conference tournament. They started out strong beating ODU in round 1, but then they lost to eventual champion Rice before being eliminated in a rematch with ODU.
The Blue Raiders lost two big pieces of their success from the 2014 season in Miller and Curtis. Curtis was taken in the sixth round of the MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks after going 9-3 with a 1.89 ERA in 15 starts with 136 strikeouts in 114 innings. Miller was the team leader in average (.339) and RBI (45). He was taken in the 40th round of the draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.
They will have Delgado coming back after he hit .306, drove in 30 and scored 34 runs. The team’s home run leader from a year ago returns in Allen who hit 10 bombs and drove in 33. Bryant also comes back after a solid season in which he hit .286 and scored 37 runs.
With Curtis and Mittura gone, the team’s most experienced starter returning is Frebis. He started 15 games last year and had an ERA of 4.07 with 49 strikeouts in 77.1 innings. Kooper Kessler returns after a good season mostly out of the bullpen where he had an ERA of 3.28 in 35.2 innings. He also started two games so he could be moved into the rotation to help for the losses of Curtis and Mittura.
Jebavy hit .323 with 42 runs scored and 20 stolen bases with Columbia State last year. Stansberry hit .480 as a senior in high school after hitting .505 as a junior. Norrell brings another good bat to MTSU after hitting .390 at Walters State, while belting 6 home runs. Alton joins the pitching staff after going 10-1 in 14 games (13 starts) with an ERA of 0.88 and 76 strikeouts in 102 innings at Canada College.
There is no doubt that this team had some significant losses in Curtis, Miller and Mittura, but there are still enough key players coming back that the Blue Raiders could once again be a factor in the CUSA Tournament. If they can find a few pitchers to replace their losses, they have the talent on offense to win a lot of games.
Old Dominion Monarchs 36-26 (17-13)
Key Players Returning: Taylor Ostrich, P.J. Higgins Jr., Nick Walker, Josh Eldridge, Victor Diaz
Key Losses: Ryan Yarbrough, Andy Roberts, Conner Overton
Notable Newcomers: Jason McMurray, Thomas Busbice, Nick Lustrino
The Monarchs made it a seamless transaction coming over from the Colonial Athletic Association by winning 17 conference games and being placed as the five seed in the conference tournament. After losing in Round 1 by one run to MTSU, they fought back to win their next three games in the tournament before losing to eventual champion Rice 7-5.
Their run in the tournament earned them a trip to the NCAA Tournament. They lost in Game 1 to Maryland 4-3 before being eliminated by Campbell in an extra innings game. That was the first time ODU had reached the NCAA Regionals since 2000.
All of the Monarchs’ key losses come on the pitching side. Yarbrough was taken in the fourth round of the MLB draft by the Seattle Mariners, and Overton was taken in the 15th round by the Miami Marlins. Meanwhile, Roberts was probably their best pitcher from a year ago posting an ERA of 2.85 in 85.1 innings.
That production will be hard to replace, but if it can be replaced they have almost all their key offensive players from the 2014 season returning. Walker was the team’s leading hitter in 2014 with a .309 average, but Higgins was right behind him at .308 and led the team with 77 hits. Higgins also led the team in runs scored with 44. ODU does lose their power production from last year with Josiah Burney (6 home runs and 41 RBI) and Ben Slaton (3 home runs and 40 RBI) gone.
The team’s most experienced starter returning in 2015 is Victor Diaz. He started in 11 games last year and had an ERA of 3.00 over 69 innings with 45 strikeouts. He’ll try and lead the staff this year. Sam Sinnen could also step into the rotation in his sophomore season after putting up an ERA of 2.22 in 24.1 innings (1 start).
McMurray should help improve the lineup after transferring from Iowa Western Community College where he hit .390 his sophomore year with 8 home runs and 71 RBI.
Coach Chris Finwood has does an exceptional job with this program in his three years there, and with the talent coming back on offense I don’t expect anything less than another run toward the regionals in 2015. When asked what this team needs to do to compete in 2015 coach Finwood said, “We need to figure out the pitching roles and have all the returning position players improve on last year’s performances.”
Rice Owls 42-20 (23-7)
Key Players Returning: Blake Fox, Leon Byrd, John Clay Reeves, Jon Duplantier, Jordan Stephens, Kevin McCanna
Key Losses: Skyler Ewing, Zech Lemond, Shane Hoelscher
Notable Newcomers: Ryan Chandler, Grayson Lewis, Tristan Gray
In 2014 Rice continued its dominance in Conference USA by winning its 9th straight conference championship – combining years they won regular season title and tournament title. They now won the tournament six of the nine years they’ve been in Conference USA, and in the years they haven’t won the tournament they’ve been the regular season champion.
They hosted another NCAA Regional in 2014, but after winning Game 1 they were bounced in back-to-back losses. The Owls have appeared in the NCAA Tournament every year since 1995, and they’ve made seven trips to the College World Series; however, they haven’t made it there since 2008.
The Owls had five players taken in the draft with Zech Lemond taken in the third round by the San Diego Padres; Skyler Ewing going in the sixth round to the San Francisco Giants; Caleb Smith in the 15th to the Milwaukee Brewers; Matt Ditman in the 15th to the St. Louis Cardinals; and Shane Hoelscher in the 17th to the Colorado Rockies.
As you might imagine, there is still a ton of talent coming back on this team in 2015. Reeves comes back after a solid year in which he hit .317 with 6 home runs and 41 RBI. Byrd is also hoping to build upon a shortened sophomore season in which he only player 45 games and hit .258.
The pitching staff is always the strength of this team and 2015 that will be no different. Blake Fox comes back to lead the rotation after going 12-0 last year with a 1.46 ERA in 15 starts. He struck out 69 batters in 104.2 innings. Duplantier is another option for the rotation after posting a 2.29 ERA in 18 games (7 starts) a year ago. McCanna also comes back after starting 12 games in 2014 with an ERA of 2.69 in 93.2 innings. Head Coach Wayne Graham is also hoping Jordan Stephens bounces back to have a nice year after being sidelined for most of 2014. In just three starts last year he had an ERA of 2.57 with 15 strikeouts in 14 innings.
Ryan Chandler could start in center field as a freshman after hitting .358 his senior year in high school with a .776 on-base-percentage. Grayson Lewis is a transfer from Navarro College where he hit .306 in 2014 and led the team with 32 runs scored. Tristan Gray is another freshman that has a chance to get a lot of playing time in the outfield. He hit .456 as a senior with 5 home runs and 23 RBI in 30 games.
While Rice continues to be a powerhouse in Conference USA, their sites are set on getting back to the College World Series and winning a National Championship, which is definitely attainable with the pitching they have coming back in 2015.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles 35-25 (19-11)
Key Players Returning: Matt Durst, Dylan Burdeaux, Christian Talley, Cody Carroll, Tim Lynch
Key Losses: Mason Robbins, Conor Fisk, Bradley Roney
Notable Newcomers: Taylor Braley, Bryan Coughlin, Kirk McCarty, Chase Scott
Southern Miss had a great 2014 season finishing with 19 conference wins and 35 wins overall, while entering the Conference USA Tournament as the three seed. They lost a close 9-8 game to start out tournament play, but then won their next three before being eliminated in the semi-finals. Despite the high win total, the Golden Eagles were left out of the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year.
The Golden Eagles had four players taken in the 2014 MLB Draft led by Bradley Roney who saved 12 games a year ago while posting an ERA of 1.24 in 36.1 innings with 38 strikeouts before being taken by the Atlanta Braves in the eighth round. Fisk is another big loss from the 2014 squad. He was taken in the 24th round by the Toronto Blue Jays after going 7-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 13 starts, while striking out 84 in 89.1 innings.
Coming back to lead the rotation will be Christian Talley who had a 2.67 ERA in 13 starts last year with 74 strikeouts in 77.2 innings. Carroll should also be returning to the rotation after posting an ERA of 3.99 in 11 starts a year ago.
Southern Miss losses a big bat from a year ago in Robbins who was taken in the 25th round of the draft after hitting 4 home runs and driving in 38, but they do return their best hitter from 2014 in Durst. Last year the senior led the team in average (.277), home runs (6) and RBI (42).
Scott could provide a boost to the lineup as a transfer from Chipola College where he hit .288 and four home runs in 41 games last year. Braley has a chance to make a difference in the lineup and in the bullpen as a freshman, while McCarty will also add some depth to the bullpen as a freshman.
This team returns a lot of talent a year after winning 19 conference games. The loss of Fisk hurts in the pitching staff, but Talley should fill those shoes. The key will be whether or not they can score enough runs to support the pitching staff. If they can find some offense, this team will once again compete for the conference title.
UAB Blazers 35-21 (20-10)
Key Players Returning: Griffin Gum, Chase Davis, Jeff Schalk, Alex Luna, Johnny Lieske, Thomas Lowery, Cory Eller
Key Losses: Chase Mallard, Turner Lee
Notable Newcomers: Brett Blackwood, Garrett Peek, Brewer Hicklen, Ryan Ruggles
The Blazers had an amazing season in 2014 winning 35 total games and 20 games within conference play, finishing in second place in the regular season. Unfortunately, they were bounced from the conference tournament after just two games and therefore were left out of the NCAA Tournament.
UAB got an outstanding season from eventual Conference USA Player of the Year Chase Mallard who was eventually taken in the 14th round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays after going 9-3 with a 1.55 ERA and racking up 94 strikeouts in 110 innings.
Luna and Lieske had pretty good seasons of their own for the Blazers and return to bolster the rotation in 2015. Luna was 7-1 a year ago with a 1.76 ERA in 87 innings, while Lieske was 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA in 73.2 innings. Lowery and Eller were both huge out of the bullpen last year. Lowery had a 3.02 ERA in 50.2 innings, while Eller had a 3.29 ERA in 41 innings. One of those men could be asked to step into the rotation in 2015.
The Blazers aren’t really losing much offensively from a year ago. They return their best hitter average-wise (.296) in Gum, as well as their home run (4) and RBI (29) leader from a year ago in Schalk. Davis was also a solid hitter throughout the year for UAB as he finished with a .278 average, 27 RBI and a team-high 38 runs scored.
UAB has a ton of new talent coming into 2015 that could help right away. Blackwood holds the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) record for hits in a single season with 103 as a junior. Peek had an ERA of 0.85 as a senior with 65 strikeouts in 52 innings. Ruggles racked up 147 strikeouts as a senior in 74 innings, while posting an ERA of 1.04.
This team really shocked a lot of people last year when they won 20 conference games, but they won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year. They return almost every key player from a year ago with the exception of Mallard. They’ll once again rely on great pitching and defense to try and repeat last season’s regular season success. This year though, they hope to make a deeper run into the postseason with this talented group of players.
“We finished in second place behind Rice last year in CUSA,” said UAB Head Coach Brian Shoop. “Our pitching and defense gave us a chance to win every single game last year. Our pitching staff guided the way with a very low ERA, but they were able to have confidence in getting groundballs because our infielders fielded so well last year. This year, we expect much of the same. Even though we lost the CUSA POY in Chase Mallard, we think our pitching staff has a chance to be as good as last year.”
UTSA RoadRunners 35-26 (16-14)
Key Players Returning: John Bormann, Brock Hartson, Logan Onda, Jesse Baker, Nolan Trabanino
Key Losses: Mike Warren, R.J. Perucki, Justin Anderson
Notable Newcomers: Tyler Straub, Kevin Markham, Matt Hilston, Chance Kirby
UTSA was one of six Conference USA teams that won at least 35 games last year, but they were also left out of the NCAA Tournament despite making it to the Conference USA Championship game where they lost to Rice.
They’ll try to build upon that success in 2015 even though they’ll be without several key players from last year’s squad. Most notably they’ll be without Justin Anderson who was selected in the 14th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels. Last year Anderson had a 2.92 ERA in 74 innings.
They’ll also be without their best hitter from a year ago in Warren who led the team with a .317 average, and 48 RBI. Perucki will be another big loss to the lineup after he hit .314 last year with 3 home runs and 40 RBI to go along with 40 runs.
Returning to the lineup will be Bormann. The catcher was selected in the 19th round of the draft but decided to come back for his senior season after hitting .288 a year ago with 4 home runs. Baker also returns after leading the team in home runs a season ago with six.
The RoadRunners return their top two starters ERA-wise from a year ago in Hartson and Trabanino. Hartson was 7-3 with a 2.24 ERA in 104.1 innings, while racking up 88 strikeouts. Trabanino was 9-3 in 15 starts with a 2.43 ERA. Logan Onda returns as the team’s closer after saving eight games last year and posting an ERA of 2.34 in 61.2 innings with 54 strikeouts.
Markham, a transfer from North Central Junior College, could be a big boost in the outfield after hitting .371 last year with 17 stolen bases and 35 runs scored. Hilston knocked in 40 last year at McLennan, and could also add some depth in the outfield. Kirby could be a force in the pitching staff after going 10-1 his senior year in high school with a 0.72 ERA, while piling up 130 strikeouts and tossing two no-hitters.
The RoadRunners were snubbed from an NCAA postseason berth last year and will be even hungrier to not let that happen again this year. They have a difficult non-conference schedule that should prepare them for another shot at the Conference USA title.
WKU Hilltoppers 29-28 (15-15)
Key Players Returning: Cody Wofford, Ryan Church, Ryan Messex, Anderson Miller, Josh Bartley, Ryan Thurston
Key Losses: Regan Flaherty, Scott Wilcox, Justin Hageman, Jake Thompson, Ian Tompkins
Notable Newcomers: John Harman, Austin King, Danny Hudzina, Kaleb Duckworth, Kevin Elder
The newbies in the conference this year will need to step up their game joining a talented group of teams in Conference USA. They finished with a .500 record in Sun Belt play last year, pinning them as the five seed in the conference tournament where they went two-and-out.
The Hilltoppers will be without Flaherty and Wilcox this year, but other than that their lineup stays intact with some key hitters returning. Miller was the team’s top hitter average-wise hitting at a .335 clip over 200 at-bats. Church comes back as the team’s leading home run (7) and RBI (38) guy from a year ago. Wofford also returns some thump after hitting 5 home runs last year in just 156 at-bats.
Where the Hilltoppers really take a hit is on the pitching side. They lose their top two starters from a year ago in Hageman and Thompson. Hageman was 6-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 15 games (14 starts). Bartley returns as the team’s most experienced starter as he had an ERA of 4.61 last year in 66.1 innings (10 starts). Thurston returns after a good year mostly out of the bullpen where he posted an ERA of 2.16 in 33.1 innings.
WKU will also be without their closer from a year ago in Tompkins. The left-handed pitcher was taken in the 14th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals after posting an ERA of 2.42 in 26 innings with 14 saves and 46 strikeouts.
Incoming transfers Harman and King could be inserted into the weekend rotation right away. Harman won eight games at Darton State College last year with a 2.33 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 104.1 innings. King struck out 78 batters in 77 innings for Seward County Community College last year.
Hudzina could be a boost to the lineup as their new starting third baseman after transferring from Palm Beach Community College where he hit .323 last year with 32 RBI and 33 runs scored. Duckworth has the chance to make an impact as a freshman after being named Mr. Baseball in Kentucky his senior year. He hit .447, scored 40 runs, stole 38 bases and drove in 35.
Jumping from the Sun Belt to Conference USA will be quite a change for WKU this year, and the losses they have in their rotation won’t make it any easier. If they’re going to compete in Conference USA this year they’ll need their offense to pick up the slack as they look for someone to step up in the rotation.
Hitters to Watch
Derek Gallelo – Sr. – INF – Charlotte
Josh Anderson – Sr. – INF – FIU
Stephen Kerr – So. – INF – FAU
Jared Allen – Sr. – OF – MTSU
Dustin Delgado – Sr. – INF – MTSU
P.J. Higgins – Jr. INF – ODU
John Clay Reeves – Sr. C – Rice
Matt Durst – Sr. – DH/C – So. Miss.
John Bormann – Sr. – C – UTSA
Anderson Miller – Jr. – OF/LHP – WKU
Ryan Church – Sr. – INF – WUKU
Pitchers to Watch
Chris Mourelle – So. – RHP – FIU
Josh King – Sr. – RHP – Marshall
Blake Fox – Jr. – LHP – Rice
Jorden Stephens – Jr. – RHP – Rice
Christian Talley – Sr. – RHP – So. Miss.
Alex Luna – Sr. – RHP – UAB
Brock Hartson – Jr. – RHP – UTSA
Newcomers to Watch
Garrett Cave – Fr. – RHP – FIU
Roman Collins – Jr. – OF – FAU
Phillip Diehl – Jr. – LHP – La Tech
Austin Norman – Fr. – OF – Marshall
Callaway Kirkpatrick – Jr. – LHP – Marshall
Ronnie Jebavy – Jr. – OF – MTSU
Austin Norrell – Jr. – INF/C – MTSU
Sam Alton – Jr. – RHP – MTSU
Jason McMurray – Jr. – INF – ODU
Ryan Chandler – Fr. – OF/INF – Rice
Ryan Ruggles – Fr. – LHP – UAB
Kevin Markham – Jr. – C/OF – UTSA
Chance Kirby – Fr. – RHP – UTSA
