SFA Baseball 2011 Preview: Starting Pitching
2/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 7, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Lumberjack baseball team was the surprise of the Southland in 2010, posting a program-best 34 wins a year ago in just the second year under head coach Johnny Cardenas.
SFA used the best statistical offense in the SLC last year and a dramatically improved pitching staff to contend for a league title, and with 22 returners on the roster in addition to 13 newcomers, the ‘Jacks look to be in position once again to make noise in the league.
The ‘Jacks return three all-conference players from a year ago, including all-SLC lefty Tyler Herriage, first baseman Darren Crabtree and outfielder Garrett Smith to make SFA one of four schools with three preseason all-league choices for the upcoming year. In addition, Johnny Cardenas is the reigning SLC Coach of the Year.
This is the second in a six-part series previewing the Lumberjacks, position by position, leading up to the 2011 opener against UALR on February 18 in Nacogdoches.
STARTING PITCHING
Returners: Tyler Herriage, Justin Braddock, Jared West, Jason West, Brett Higginbotham, Zack Taylor
Newcomers: None
A year ago the Lumberjacks were undergoing a nearly complete overhaul of the starting rotation, eventually ushering in a weekend rotation at the end of the year that did not include a single pitcher that had made a start in an SFA uniform the year before.
But the changes paid off as SFA starters went from just a 15-20 record in 2009 to a 22-12 mark just a year later. As a group SFA lowered its ERA, opponent’s batting average and pitched deeper into the game on average in keeping the load off the bullpen.
SFA will have the bulk of that staff back in 2011 with its top seven pitchers from last year’s team are back this season. That includes preseason first team all-conference choice Tyler Herriage, who enters his senior season coming off an 8-4 junior year in which he led the Southland Conference with a 2.89 ERA. The lefty was the Friday starter throughout the year for the ‘Jacks and went at least six innings deep in 12 of his 15 starts, only twice allowing more than three earned runs when he got the ball.
“Tyler was huge for us last season,” head coach Johnny Cardenas said. “We had hoped coming into the year that he could be that legitimate Friday night guy that we needed, and that is exactly what he was. We were able to give him the ball to start every series and he always gave us a chance to win, and hopefully he can have a season similar to that again this year.”
But Herriage was not the only one that put together a successful 2010 campaign as right-handers Justin Braddock, Jared West and Brad Oates each got the ball on the weekends and finished with at least three wins for the year.
Braddock was the primary hurler on Sundays for the ‘Jacks, putting up a 5-4 record on the year, and bursting on to the scene just before Southland play started when it took a ninth-inning rally by nationally-ranked Oklahoma to keep Braddock from handing the Sooners a loss on their home field. He issued just 12 walks in 77.2 innings of work over 15 appearances, including 14 starts, and will need that command in 2011 when he once again opens up the season as the No. 3 starter.
“Justin was a real steady influence for us last year, especially at the beginning of the year,” Cardenas said. “He does a great job of pitching to contact and making hitters earn their way on base and we knew what we were going to get out of him every time he took the ball.”
The biggest shakeup to the staff will be last year’s closer, Jason West, sliding into the Saturday spot in the weekend rotation after posting a 3.69 ERA and nine saves a year ago in 39 innings of relief work. West’s slider developed into one of the tougher pitches the Southland had to offer a year ago, but a developed changeup should allow the sidearmer to be just as effective against left-handers as right-handers, while a bolstered and more experienced bullpen gives Cardenas the opportunity to give West a chance to start for the first time as a collegiate pitcher.
“There may not have been a bigger surprise on our squad last year than what we got from Jason,” Cardenas said. “Coming into the year we thought Alex (Moshier) was going to be the stopper, but when he got hurt before the year started we knew we had to find someone else to fill the hole at the back end of our pen and Jason filled that void for us from the very first chance he got. Now he’s going to get the chance to help us even more on the weekend and with the progress he’s made in the last two seasons, there’s little reason for us to think that he won’t continue to move forward this season.”
In addition to the weekend trio, SFA also has several other options it can turn to for midweek starts or starts on the weekend if the need should arise. Jared West, Zack Taylor and Brett Higginbotham all have starting experience and will likely also be used in long relief roles when needed.
West, the hard-throwing twin brother of Jason, has earned seven wins and logged nearly 120 innings in the last two seasons; but, after a solid sophomore campaign, took a step backwards as a junior but still finished with a 3-1 record in 11 starts. Meanwhile, Taylor and Higginbotham each showed flashes of what they are capable of a year ago, combining for a 3-0 record in four starts.
Taylor struck out more than a batter per inning in 19.2 frames over 10 appearances, and was at his best in a 5.1-inning outing at UALR in which he picked up his first career win and fanned eight. Higginbotham logged the majority of his innings as a freshman in relief, but did pick up his lone win of the season as a starter when he went 6.2 frames in a home win over UT-Pan American in his only start of the season.
“We have some options this year when it comes to starting pitching,” Cardenas said. “It’s good to have as many guys with starting experience as we do, but at the end of the day they still have to go out there and perform.”
2011 Season Preview Schedule:
Feb. 3 - Catchers
Feb. 7 - Starting Pitching
Feb. 9 - Bullpen
Feb. 11 - Infielders
Feb. 14 - Outfielders/DH
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