2018 Lumberjack Baseball Preview
2/15/2018 3:26:00 PM | Baseball
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Sixty-five percent.
Seventy-three-point-nine percent.
After graduating a 2017 senior class that numbered at 14 individuals, the numbers - unfortunately - do not lie for the Stephen F. Austin baseball team as it heads into the 2018 campaign.
Almost two-thirds of the team's run total and nearly three-quarters of the squad's RBI departed the dugout following a 2017 season that saw the Lumberjacks post a 29-28 record, finish in a tie for fifth place in the Southland Conference standings and advance to the Southland Conference Tournament for the second-straight year.
The mood around Jaycees Field, however, is anything but forlorn. A reloaded Lumberjack roster that includes a talented group of 22 newcomers has been hard at work alongside the 'Jacks' 14 returners as the team prepares to continue its rise in what is expected to be another nail-biting race for the Southland Conference title.
A sturdy foundation has already been laid by the 'Jacks who finished in a tie for fifth place in the Southland one season ago - the squad's highest standing sine 2013 - after winning their most league games (17) since 2011. The recipe for many of the 'Jacks' wins last year called for a heavy helping of power hitting, but 10th-year head coach Johnny Cardenas does foresee a slight change in the 'Jacks' offensive plans for 2018.
Namely, a little more dash and a touch less bash.
"This year's team is kind of a knee-jerk reaction to how baseball is trending toward at the DI level and particularly in the Southland Conference," Cardenas said. "If you don't have any speed you have to find other ways to create runs offense like using that long ball capability. At times last year that was our MO, but if you look at years where we have stolen a lot of bases that translated to more wins.
"In the offseason, coach [Michael] Haynes, coach [Caleb] Clowers and even coach [Matt] Collins who is no longer with us did a really good job of bringing in guys who fit that mold of speed and power. Defensively they're going to be a little bit better, offensively they will give us ways to control at-bats a little bit more, get some runners in motion and steal some bases. That was a huge priority for us."
Make no mistake, the Lumberjacks' lineup will not be devoid of power entirely, but with the team seeking to fill all three outfield positions and three infield spots it becomes a more imperative to locate players with the speed and defensive profile needed for success.
"In our conference if you can't play defense you can't win games," Cardenas admitted. "The onus is on the defense to put the offense in a position to where they don't have to turn every weekend into a slugfest to get wins.
"What we've done recruiting wise and development wise, is move in that direction. We think we have the right pieces, so we're going to have to make sure in those first couple of games if there are some deficiencies to address you do it before you get into conference play so you're in a position to do what you want to do both offensively and defensively."
With so many starting sports up for grabs, it's not just one individual who can fit into each spot according to Cardenas and his staff.
"The hard thing is - or the good thing is depending on how you look at it - is that we don't have a clear-cut one though nine," said Cardenas. "We have about 15-18 players that we feel like can play at any position at any time in the game. That's going to allow us as coaches to make some moves matchup wise that we haven't had the luxury of doing in years past.
"I think our roster's a little bit deeper and allows us some mobility and some ability to make some moves late in the game to get some preferential matchups for pitching, defense and hitting."
INFIELD
Boasting one of the nation's best double-play turning infields in 2017 (55, 20th nationally and second in the Southland), the 'Jacks are in search of new everyday players at first base, second base and shortstop following the departure of Alex Hrinevich, Nick Ramos and Tyler Kendrick. Two of those three spots will almost certainly be occupied by a pair of familiar faces.
Unquestionably the program's biggest holdover from the previous year, at least from an offensive standpoint, is senior Josh Evans. The second-straight Lumberjack to capture the title of Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year and Ponca City, Okla., product, Evans' bat was arguably the most dangerous on the 'Jacks' roster as he slashed at a rate of .383/.440/.638 with a team-leading 10 home runs to go along with eight doubles.
Slotted in as the squad's designated hitter in 2017, Evans will get a change of scenery as a senior by being stationed at first base. He made one start as a first baseman for SFA last season and had a few additional appearances there due to various in-game positional changes, but as a full-time infielder it won't just be his defensive game that's important to SFA.
Already known as a top power-hitting threat, Evans' at-bat mentality will not change all that much but those who surround him in the lineup will be expected to make opposing pitchers pitch to the slugger.
"There's not a whole lot of pressure on Josh. There's more pressure on the guys who surround him," Cardenas remarked. "He's going to be who he is and if we allow teams to pitch around him and not attack him with pitches in the zone that's failure on our part. We have to surround him with guys who can give legitimate at-bats consistently so he has a chance to drive in runs and be who he is."
Manning the hot corner for the majority of his junior season, senior Eric DeJesus is set to shift over to second base for what will be his final season of collegiate baseball. Each of the Diboll, Texas, product's 20 starts in 2017 were at third and he's expected to build on a slash line of .233/.412/.315. One of four players with 20 or more walks, DeJesus' defensive abilities will be of the utmost importance as the 'Jacks look to break in a new shortstop.
The individual who split time with DeJesus at third base - Josh Campbell - is the early favorite to play there again in 2018. The only freshman to work his way into the 'Jacks' lineup on a consistent basis in 2017, Campbell made 36 starts and played in 46 games. In that time, he batted .264/.388/.358 with 28 hits and 16 RBI.
Up the middle, players who will challenge for that spot include Tyler Kimball, Antonio Lima, Jake Georgiades and Manny Vasquez. Of that group, it's Vasquez and Kimball who have had the most experience playing shortstop. Vasquez hails from Naco, Ariz., and racked up 71 RBI in a pair of seasons at Pima Community College. Displaying a good eye at the plate, Vasquez posted an on-base percentage of .407 or better in each of his two junior college seasons.
Both Georgiades and Jhon Santos played third base in junior college and Santos enjoyed a great career on offense at Northern Oklahoma College as well. In 2017, the native of the Dominican Republic batted .365/.463/.594 and finished with 70 hits and 69 RBI. Of those hits, 24 of of the extra-base variety and included eight home runs. That makes Santos a good candidate for the 'Jacks' designated hitter spot early on.
CATCHER
Only Jarrod Huber - now a junior - returns from the 'Jacks' group of three 2017 backstops. It was Huber who was SFA's starting catcher in 45 games and defensively his fielding percentage of .994 was among the best on the team.
At the dish, Huber hit .216/.327/.261 while collecting 10 RBI. This season, he's joined by transfers Skylar Black and Luis Santiago, all of whom will vie to call pitches. Santiago earned the starting catcher spot in both of his seasons at Bossier Parish Junior College and put together an almost flawless two years defensively, posting a fielding percentage of .995 as a freshman and 1.000 as a sophomore. On offense, he never hit below .321 and drove in 52 runs in two seasons.
A First Team All-Conference choice in his sole season at Eastfield College, Black served as a hot-hitting backstop for the squad by batting .382/.470/.653 with 20 extra-base hits - nine of which left the park.
OUTFIELD
None of the Lumberjacks who oversaw the three outfield spots on a regular basis are back in 2018, meaning it'll be a whole new group of players who will set up shop in the grassy area. The 'Jacks' outfield brigade was as solid offensively as it was defensively last season as Andrew Cole, Conner Fikes and Zac Michener combined to produce 179 of the team's 540 hits and 107 of its 307 RBI.
An easy choice to start with when it came to piecing together the 'Jacks' 2018 outfield was junior Nick Daley - a former star at Chandler Gilbert Community College in Gilbert, Ariz. One of two players from Arizona the 'Jacks have on their roster, Daley made a great deal of noise with his offensive abilities while at the junior college level.
In two seasons, Daley racked up 69 stolen bases - a whopping 57 of which came in his sophomore season - and reached base frequently after hitting .318/.379/.398 as a freshman and .368/.453/.468 as a second-year player.
Another junior college product - Nic Minor - joined up with the 'Jacks after a stint at Northern Oklahoma College where he manned an outfield spot and drove in 43 runs on the strength of a .360/.458/.490 slash line in 2017. Those two upperclassmen outfielders are joined by freshmen Kyle Cullen and Carson Chapman as well as SFA football wide receiver Cody Williams who was a three-time All-District performer on the diamond at Pearland High School.
A first baseman and pitcher at the prep level, freshman Jared Martin obtained a pair of All-State awards for Wakeland High School but could conceivably make the switch to outfield for the 'Jacks.
PITCHING STAFF
With the departure of Patrick Ledet and an offseason surgery that will sideline Tony Grabowske for the entirety of the 2018 season, that leaves senior Trevor Kiminski as the lone member of the 'Jacks' 2017 starting rotation who returns.
What that also means is that the other two coveted weekend spots are up for grabs. There are, however, some frontrunners in the race to see who will lock up those spots.
"We don't have a definite starting rotation yet, and it'll be a week-to-week process as to who we think can get the job done for us," stated Cardenas. "I like our pitching staff and there are several guys who can give us potential starts on the weekend."
One of the individuals hoping to figure into the 'Jacks' weekend starter equation is junior Seth Campbell. Capable of delivering a devastating bender - something he baffled Baylor with to the tune of a career-high six strikeouts last season - the Channelview, Texas, product has never heard his name called as a member of the 'Jacks starting lineup but proved his worth time and time again as a valuable member of the team's bullpen.
One season ago, Campbell tossed 24.1 frames and finished with 31 strikeouts against only 13 walks. That strikeout total was the third-highest among SFA's group of bullpen arms, trailing strong-armed southpaw Tyler Starks (50 strikeouts, 18 walks) and Will Vest (46 strikeouts, 18 walks).
Entering his final season of collegiate baseball, Kiminski has already locked down a spot among the 'Jacks' starting rotation. This comes on the heels of a junior year in which he racked up 66.2 innings of work and a 3-4 record through his 14 starts. After working to improve his command in the offseason, the only question remains on what day the Brooklyn Park, Minn., product will start.
"What we're going to try to find for Trevor is what's going to be the best set up for him," continued Cardnenas. "That could mean he's a Friday, Saturday or Sunday guy and with him being our most sound pitcher going into the season, we're trying to find a matchup that's going to work best for him and will give us the best chance to win."
One newcomer who hopes to make his mark with the 'Jacks' staff right off the bat is junior Jake Norton. A Waxahachie, Texas, native, Norton tossed balls and strikes at North Central Texas College for the first two seasons of his collegiate career and finished with 126 punch-outs through his two-year junior college stint.
The right-hander stands tall at 6'5 and was chosen for a spot in the Texas/New Mexico Junior College All-Star Game following the conclusion of NCTC's 2017 season. Norton is just one of seven new arms brought in to bolster the 'Jacks' staff. Of those seven, three are freshmen and that includes southpaw Dru Dziedzic.
A First Team All-State choice, Dziedzic pitched Robinson High School to the state finals and was listed as the 23rd-best pitching prospect in the state of Texas entering his senior year.
Shifting back to the bullpen, the 'Jacks' closer for the past two seasons figures to be the man called upon in the ninth once again as he begins his days as an upperclassman. Starks was the owner of a 3-2 record as well as a 2.39 ERA in 2017, Starks made 30 appearances and finished four four of the 'Jacks' five saves. Constantly confounding opposing batters, the Mesquite, Texas, product let the opposition hit just .167 off of him through 37.2 innings of work.
Making sure Starks got his chance was Vest's job a season ago, but after graduating in May of 2017 the infielder-turned-pitcher was chosen by the Detroit Tigers in the 12th round of the MLB Draft, leaving the door wide open for someone to assume the role of set-up man.
"You don't replace a guy like Will Vest," Cardenas said. "Knowing we're in good shape during the seventh and eighth last season was a big commodity. A lot of games are lost in the seventh or eighth before you even get to the closer so I don't know that we have anyone who can take that position and run with it. We have a few guys that we're going to put in those roles and hopefully they will be prepared and accept those roles."
Individuals such as Cody Adams, Aaron Cardona, Jackson Gore, Austin Hearn, Josh Ponder and Cole Ridgely have each tossed multiple seasons for the 'Jacks in years past and join new faces Logan Ammons, Sean Beasley, Austin Cornish, Jesus Gamez, Trayson Kubo and Jordan Powell as players who could all serve time as late-inning arms on the pitching rubber.
SCHEDULE
Cardenas and his staff have once again constructed a schedule that will test the 'Jacks from opening day. Of SFA's 15 non-conference foes, four of them are ranked in one of the four major collegiate baseball preseason polls (Houston, Southern Miss, TCU and Texas A&M) and when adding a 30-game Southland Conference slate to the 2018 schedule it figures to be another year of daily dog fights.
"I'd put our conference up against anyone in the nation," vowed Cardenas. "What our coaches do in this league top to bottom is hard to duplicate. There are leagues that have better top four teams than the Southland - no doubt - but when you take one through 13 there are not a lot of leagues that can say they have that kind of depth.
"The Southland has made a name for itself at a regional and national level with the way many of the programs have played."
SFA begins its 2018 campaign Friday afternoon in Edinburg, Texas, when it takes on Central Michigan in the opening game of the Al Ogletree Classic at UTRGV. First pitch between the 'Jacks and Chippewas is set for 3:00 p.m.
-SFA-
