Tennessee Baseball Report   2008 Small College Previews

NAIA

Bethel    Bryan   Cumberland     Freed Hardeman     King     Lambuth    Lee    

probable starters:

Pos.  Name                 
C-
1b- Brian Lucas       R/R  SR
2b- James Lilley      R/R  SR
SS- Austin Morgan     R/R  SR
3b- Tyler Fisher      R/R  FR
LF- Jason Bush        L/L  SR
CF- Nick Jiles        L/L  SR
RF- Zack Diekmann     R/R  JR
DH- Clint Alexander   R/R  SR

Weekend Rotation
#   Name                RH/LH   Class
1 Lance McClain          LH       JR
2 Robert Clayton         RH       SR
3 Eric Spivey            RH       JR
Closer

Weekday Starters
#  Name               RH/LH  Class
1 Anthony Fomasi       LH      JR
2 Aaron Tant           RH      SR
3 Matt Madigan         RH      SR
4 Sam Roberts          RH      JR
Any other pitchers who will help-
  Robert Post          RH      SO
 

Preview:

2007 W - 48  L- 20   
Starters returning :  Position players: 5   Pitchers: 1

Outlook by position:

Infield - Transfer Brian Lucas (San Diego St) and newcomer Tyler Fisher (3b) join returning starters to make a formidable offensive infield.

Catching- Michael Wheeler comes in after originally signing with Kentucky and joins Mario Perez in the bid to become the starting catcher.

Outfield- Nick Jiles and the only returnee from last year's outfield, Jason Bush, give the 'Dogs some left-handed sticks in the lineup.

Pitching- Robert Clayton is the lone returning weekend guy. Lance McClain transfers in from UT and as always, the 'Dogs will have a tough pitching staff to deal with.

Schedule Highlights- Away - Auburn-Montgomery, Texas Wesleyan, Lubbock Christian,
Home - Lee, Indiana Tech, Univ. of the Cumberlands, Georgetown,KY

Key to success in '06 - We have several new players that will make an impact along
with some top returning players.  Offense and Pitching could be our strength.
 

probable starters:

Pos.  Name                Hit/Throw     Class
C-    Dustin Woodward     R/R           Sr.
1b-   Brian Bullard       R/R           So.
2b-   Kyle Kegley         R/R           Sr.
SS-   Angel Nicolas       R/R           Jr.
3b-   Greg Allen          R/R           Jr.
LF-   Derek Bush          R/R           So.
CF-   Jarrett Jones       R/R           Sr.
RF-   Noslen Labrada      R/R           Jr.
DH-   Zach Smith          L/R           So.

Weekend Rotation
#   Name                RH/LH   Class
1   Josh Hester         RHP     Sr.
2   Javy Gomez          RHP     Jr.
3   Alan Barnett        RHP     Jr.
Closer
Josh Knight             LHP     Fr.
Weekday Starters
#  Name               RH/LH  Class
1  Amos Bingham       RHP     Fr.
2  Joey Gildea        RHP     Fr.
3  Adam Blackburn     RHP     Fr. (R)
4  Paden Buckley      RHP     So.
Any other pitchers who will help-
Chris Huggins         LHP     Fr.
Kyle Atkinson         RHP     Fr.
Andrew Campbell       RHP     So.
Jason Gallagher       LHP     Fr. (R)


Preview:

2007 W - 29  L- 26    
Starters returning :  Position players:    Pitchers:

Outlook by position:

Infield -

Catching-

Outfield-

Pitching-

Schedule Highlights-

Key to success in '08 -
 

Probable starters:

Pos.  Name                Hit/Throw     Class
C- Chris Dubon/Brad Griffiths  R/R      JR/JR
1b- Chris Warters              L/R       JR
2b- Edgar Mercado              R/R       SR
SS- Brian Bistagne             R/R       JR
3b- Josh Guy                   R/R       SR
LF- Clint Harrelson            L/R       SR
CF- Jeremy Hutslar             L/R       SR
RF- Luis Flores                R/R       SR
DH- Kevin Wyman                R/R       JR

Weekend Rotation
#   Name                RH/LH   Class
1 Joel Matthews          RH       JR
2 Dallas Sims            RH       SR
3 Josh Rose              RH       JR
Closer - Ryan Stovall    RH       JR

Weekday Starters
#  Name               RH/LH  Class
1 Dave Mason           RH      JR
2 Jeff Ibarra          LH      JR
3 Mitch Davidson       LH      JR
4 Pablo Lopez          RH      JR
Any other pitchers who will help- Ben Wilson - RHP - SO Josh Brundige - RHP - SO

Preview:

2007 W - 51  L- 15   
Starters returning :  Position players: 3   Pitchers: 5

Outlook by position:

Infield -  Power hitting left-hander Chris Warters should man 1st base.  He will hit
in the middle of our line-up and in addition to his power has the ability to hit for
average.  Sophomore Phillip Johnson has steadily improved and will back up Warters.
Utility player Ryan Stovall could be in the mix at first as well.  The mid-semester
transfer is as solid at the plate as he is on the mound.   Second base may be our
most competitive position on the field.  Sophomores Aaron Larsen and Josh
Higginbotham have gone toe-to-toe all fall and are both excellent options.  Senior
Edgar Mercado is also a possible option as is the versatile Stovall.  Freshman Max
Harvell could be in the mix also.  Transfer Brian Bistagne should man the middle
infield.  He is a player with plus tools – great hands, plus arm, plus speed, and
above average hitting ability.  We will look to him to anchor the infield.
Versatile Aaron Larsen and Max Harvell will provide additional depth.  Senior Edgar
Merca!
 do was off to a hot start in 2007 before a broken hand all but ended his season.
He made a late season return, but Nick Utley had emerged at 3rd and got most of the
at bats.  Mercado is hungry to finish his career out in style and has the ability
to hit in the middle of our line-up and produce runs.  Mid-semester transfer Josh
Guy hit 30 home runs in 3 seasons at Henderson State.  He gives us a solid power
guy in the middle of the line-up.  Freshman Preston Scoggins, who improved all
fall, and Aaron Larsen could also see reps at 3rd as well.

Catching- We were hit hard when 26th round pick Mike Valadez decided to forego his
senior season and sign with the Cleveland Indians.  Then during the fall we were hit
equally hard when Elvis Sosa (who had surgery on his shoulder over the summer) began
to show signs that he had not progressed enough to play in the spring.  As a result,
Sosa will red-shirt in 2008.  However, we are fortunate to have some key guys
already at Lee to pick up the slack.  Sacramento State transfer Chris Dubon was the
leading home run hitter from the fall and is a former junior college All-American.
Sophomore Brian Landru has steadily improved and has become a solid backstop and
good left-handed hitter and sophomore Josh Dunn swung the bat well all fall and is
another left-handed hitter option.  Finally, mid-semester transfer Brad Griffiths
will provide even more depth behind the plate and provides us with another solid
option.

Outfield- This is another highly competitive area that saw several players have
great falls.  Senior Jeremy Hutslar is the top returning player and has the
potential to be an All-American type player.  His speed, ability to hit, and great
defense make him one of the best all around players in the conference.  Senior
transfer Clint Harrleson had a big fall and can hit at the top of the line-up.
Senior transfer Luis Flores was injured all fall, but can be a really dynamic player
when healthy.  Junior Kevin Wyman can really hit and could possibly land in the DH
role.  Sophomore Ross Collins had a super fall and played himself into the mix and
mid-semester sophomore transfer Michael Brown had a solid freshman year at
Carson-Newman.  Dustin Fromm possesses plus speed and is solid defensively and
freshman Zach Clark will provide depth in the outfield also.

Pitching-Pitching will always be what we build our team around.  This year’s staff
has a chance to be a deep and exciting one to watch.  We will have 13 arms to choose
from and we feel all of them are capable of providing us with some key innings.  The
rotation will have no less than 8 guys competing for spots in it.  Leading the way
is returning senior Dallas Sims.  Sims is a strike-thrower and has a track record
for winning.  Junior Joel Matthews had been extremely impressive in fall workouts
and looks to rebound from a past arm injury that slowed his progress in 2007.
Junior transfers Dave Mason and lefty Mitch Davidson will also fight for a spot in
the rotation.  They both had stellar careers for former big leaguer Mackey Sasser at
Wallace-Dothan Community College.  Former 18th round pick of the Minnesota Twins
Josh Rose has the ability to be very good, but was slowed in the fall due to some
minor arm problems.  He should be fully recovered in the spring and has a chanc!
 e to be very good.  Lefty Jeff Ibarra has command of 3 pitches and has excellent
recovery time which makes him a valuable asset both as a starter and as a reliever.
 Finally, mid-semester transfers Ryan Stovall from Georgia Southern and Pablo Lopez
from Broward Community College have the potential to throw as a starter or as a
reliever.  Though all of the above could see time in the bullpen, the following
guys should be used exclusively out of the bullpen.  Sophomore Ben Wilson is back
after receiving a medical red-shirt in 2007.  He has thrown extremely well and
could be a very pleasant surprise in the spring.  Sophomore Josh Brundige returns
after an excellent freshman year and has continued to improve his velocity.
Sophomore Kyle Lymberopoulos returns after a year off for an injury and will be
joined in the bullpen by freshmen left-handers Mark Rose and Josh Wilson.

Schedule Highlights-We are excited about our schedule in 2008.  We will open the
season with a 14 game home stand and will play 35 games within the confines of
Olympic Field.  The schedule also features 14 games versus teams in the 2008
Pre-Season Top 25 NAIA Poll with a 4 game series versus 2007 NAIA World Series
participant Lindenwood University, 2 games versus rival Tennessee Wesleyan, single
games versus powers Cumberland University and Trevecca Nazarene University, and 3
game series versus SSAC rivals Auburn University @ Montgomery and Southern
Polytechnic State University.  The SSAC Conference is always rugged and will have a
lot of unknowns in it during 2008.  Along with traditional powers AUM and Southern
Tech, the conference seems be wide open and any of several teams could emerge as
contenders.  Berry is always a tough place to play and has a great pitching staff
returning as does Faulkner.  Shorter plays as hard as anyone in the conference and
Southern Wesleyan won the NCCAA National Championship on 2007.  Reinhardt has continued to improve and Brewton-Parker and Emmanuel should be much improved in 2008.

Key to success in '06 - With so many new faces, team chemistry will be as important
as ever.  We will look to the leadership of captains Dallas Sims, Edgar Mercado, and
Jeremy Hutslar to get all the players on the same page.  No doubt we will have to
have other leaders emerge as the season progresses.  Another key area is finding the
right rotation and line-up prior to starting conference play.  With so many new
faces (24)it will be a challenge to find the right mix on the field.  We will
experiment early to find the right combinations and roles for players that will
benefit the team going into the postseason.
 

Probable starters:

Pos.  Name                Hit/Throw     Class
C- Cliff Panezich         R/R             Sr
1b- Brandon Conner        R/R             Sr
2b- Taylor Bates          L/R             Sr
SS- Brenden Palm          R/R             Jr
3b- Bobby Bratton         R/R             Sr
LF- Danny Pulley/Rudy Lyles R/R R/R       Jr/So
CF- Darrin Holt           L/R             So
RF- Josh Dorris           R/R             Sr
DH- Andrew Bradley        R/R             Sr

Weekend Rotation
#   Name                RH/LH   Class
1 Jarrett Sellers       RH      Jr
2 Andrew Bradley        RH      Sr
3 Jerry McMurtry/ Josh Conatster/ Matt Sackowitz/ Bobby Hoban
Closer Mike Swaboda     RH      Jr

Weekday Starters
#  Name               RH/LH  Class
1 Jairo Espinoza      LH     Sr 
2 Matt Sackowitz      Lh     Sr 
3 Brian Woodlee       LH     So 
4 Hunter Norton       RH     Sr 
Any other pitchers who will help-
Jason Holt 
Clay Sanderson 
Cliff Hardy 

Preview:

2007 W - 31  L-  22   

MMC looks to be a competitive squad again this season after finishing in the middle
of the pack last year at 15-12 in the TranSouth and 31-20 overall.  The RedHawks
will have a solid infield with some key players returning around the horn. Catcher,
senior Cliff Panezich (.275 in 07 with 2 HR’s and 21 RBI’s), second baseman senior
Taylor Bates (.281 in 07 with 2 HR’s and 33 RBI’s) and shortstop junior Brendan Palm
(.314 in 07 with 24 RBI’s) will all be in the same starting positions as last season
with senior Bobby Bratton (.340 in 07 with 14 HR’s and 56 RBI’s) moving from first
base to third base and senior Brandon Conner (.377 in 07 with 1 HR and 15 RBI’s)
starting at first after catching some last season. There isn’t a lot of experience
with the depth on the infield but there is young talent if they are needed to step
in. In the outfield there are two returning starters. Darin Holt (centerfield) who
led the TranSouth in batting average last season .429 and in stolen bases !
 with 26 as a freshman and senior Josh Dorris will start in right field (.319 in 07
with 6 HR’s and 29 RBI’s).  Left field is still open with sophomore Rudy Lyles,
junior Jeff McMahan, and transfer junior Danny Pulley battling for the starting
role. 

The RedHawks have some transfers and guys from last season that had a great fall and
will all be vital aspects on the base path, in the designated hitting role, and in
pinch hitting roles.

The pitching staff this year hopes to be improved from last year, to do this they
must have a strong year from a talented group of senior arms led by starters Josh
Conatser, J. Espinoza, Baldwin Hernandez and transfer Andrew Bradley (Austin Peay
State University) who all have an excellent chance to be in the rotation because of
good velocity and command of 3 pitches. Matt Sakowicz will be counted on this year
to have great command and help our staff out by being our most consistent pitcher.
John Mathison will be relied on out of the bullpen, while Hunter Norton may
contribute in multiple roles for the RedHawks staff. Look for the team to get a
boost mid –march when Cliff Hardy is completed with his rehab and is able to toe the
rubber for Martin Methodist.
 
Jarrett Sellers (transfer Dyersburg St C.C) Mike Swaboda, and Jason Holt are the
juniors for the RedHawks staff. Jarrett will be counted on to be at the top of the
rotation pitching Friday conference games. He has quickly become one of the leaders
of our staff. Mike and Jason have the potential to be very important pieces for the
pitching staff this spring.  Sophomores Brian Woodleee and Bobby Hoban return this
spring with solid experience and both have shown improvements with control in the
fall this will help them to push for one of the starting jobs this spring. P.J Roper
who missed last season with an injury is back at full strength will also be a force
with his sharp breaking ball and great command.
 
The freshman class is very strong and is led by Red shirt Jerry McMurtry who had a
solid fall after a red-shirt year. Tyler Knox, David Spare, Clay Sanderson, Cory
Hasting, and Fred West round out a group of talented pitchers who have the make up
to be the best freshman group of pitchers at MMC in a very long time.
 
If the players pitch, play defense and get their bats hot the way that they are
capable of, MMC will have the right combination of depth and talent to propel the
RedHawks to be with the elite of our very strong conference.

probable starters:

Pos.  Name                Hit/Throw     Class
C-    Dean McDermond      R/R           SR
1b-   Matt Stanley        R/R           JR
2b-   Kevin Carby         S/R           JR
SS-   Vladimir Frias      S/R           SR
3b-   Tyler Moyneur       R/R           JR
LF-   Robby Hearn         R/R           JR
CF-   Eddie Van Es        L/L           JR
RF-   Adam Reeves         R/R           SR
DH-   Alan Wimmer         L/R           JR

Weekend Rotation
#   Name                RH/LH   Class
1   Kris Jiggitts       RH      JR
2   Rob Sherwood        LH      SR
3  
Closer
    Joel Brookens       RH      SR
Weekday Starters
#  Name               RH/LH  Class
1  Frank Dougherty    RH     SR
2  Jeremy Beeching    LH     JR
Any other pitchers who will help- SR/RH Travis McDaniel, JR/RH Cody Wise,
JR/RH Alan Gatz, JR/RH Jon Swartout, SR/LH Sammy Phillips


Preview:

2007 W-46 L-14
Starters returning :  Position players:3 Pitchers:3

Outlook by position:

Infield - The infield should be a strength with Frias (04 Draft 44th Round)
returning after a solid 07 season that saw him earn 1st team All AAC honors.  Carby
(University of Kentucky, 07 Draft 25th Round) and returner Chris Biggs will compete
to complete the middle.  Moyneur (Arizona Western, 06 Draft 24th Round) will start
at 3B.  Stanley (Volunteer State) will start at 1B.  Allan Wimmer (VMI) will backup
1B and see time as a DH.  Justin Moore (Redshirt in 07), Deacon Park, and Matt McKee
will add much needed depth.

Catching- McDermond returns for his 3rd season as the starting C.  David Miller will
backup and see time as a DH.

Outfield- Reeves returns for his 2nd season as the starting RF.  Van Es (VMI) and
Gary Tucker (Hiwassee College) will compete for the starting CF job.  Hearn, a
transfer OF from Lee University will start in LF and hit in the middle of the order.
 Morgan Gibson (Volunteer State), returnees Matt Gray and Mike Ziemke will compete
for additional playing time.

Pitching- The pitching will be the key to the 08 club, led by Kris Jiggitts (Colby
CC, 07 Draft 44th Round), Rob Sherwood, Frank Dougherty (North Alabama), and Jeremy
Beeching (Volunteer State, 06 Draft 47th Round).  We have much needed depth in our
bullpen, led by closer Joel Brookens (NC State).  Returnees McDaneil and Phillips
along with newcomers Swartout (Volunteer State), Gatz (El Camino CC), and Wise
(College of the Desert) will play vital rolls in long and short relief situations.

Schedule Highlights- Lee University (Preseason #5), Cumberland University (Preseason
#8), Embry Riddle (Preseason #15), Trevecca Nazarene (Preseason #17), Union (KY)
(Preseason #19), and University of the Cumberlands (Preseason RV).

Key to success in '06 - We have entirely new club.  We return 3 starters from a year
ago and 2 arms that logged significant innings.  We have a talented group, but our
success will depend on how our new players produce.

 

Probable starters:

Pos.  Name                Hit/Throw     Class
C- Brett Thaler             R/R          SR
1b- Cody Heggie             L/R          JR
2b- Ross Muirhead           R/R          JR
SS- Aaron Bree              L/R          JR
3b- Dylan Lynch             R/R          SR
LF- Wade Angel              L/L          SR
CF- Marty Parks             R/R          JR
RF- Chris Lowe              L/R          JR
DH- Landry Walker           R/R          SR

Weekend Rotation
#   Name                RH/LH   Class
1 Nick Shoup            RHP      JR
2 Barrett Brown         RHP      SR
3 Wes Griggs            LHP      JR
Closer

Weekday Starters
#  Name               RH/LH  Class
1 Drew Durossette     RHP      JR
2 Ben Johnson         LHP      FR
3 Chris Sutherland    RHP      SO
4 Chris Lowe          RHP      JR
Any other pitchers who will help-
Steven Brown RHP  SR (closer)
Brent Amburn LHP  FR
Wade Angel   LHP  SR




Preview:

2007 W - 44  L- 18    
Starters returning :  Position players:  4  Pitchers: 2

Outlook by position:

Infield - Only returning starter from last years team is at 3B. Team will rely
heavily on talented JUCO transfers to carry the load up the middle and at 1B.

Catching- Experienced group will lead the staff this year. Group will be led by two
senior catchers who will carry the brunt of the innings.

Outfield- This group possesses great depth with talented players. Each position is
filled with experience and offensive power that will lead our team. All have above
average arms with above average speed.

Pitching- This years staff will look to replace a Kansas City Royals free-agent
signee and a 16-game winner. Staff has taken a hit in some key areas for this years
team, which will force certain pitchers to pick up significant innings. This group
is talented but unproven as the Trojans look at many new arms to help carry the
load. 

Schedule Highlights- Feb 13th vs #10 TN Wesleyan, Feb 29-Mar 1 vs # 8 Cumberland
University, March 12 @ #10 TN Wesleyan, March 20 vs #24 Campbellsville, March 14-15
@ Martin Methodist, March 17 @ #5 Lee University, March 18-19 @ #16 Auburn
Montgomery, April 22 @ #24 Campbellsville

Key to success in '08 - Timely hitting and solid defense. The Trojans will rely
heavily on their offensive depth this season and experienced JUCO players, trying to
take the pressure off of the pitching staff. This team is still playing as "one
unit" and has the chance to be special, in a year were Region XI will be very
talented. 

Probable starters:

Pos.  Name                Hit/Throw     Class
C-Jonathan McMahon         R/R            SR
1b-Derek Long              R/R            SO
2b-Langdon Potts           L/R            SR
SS-Mills Rogers            R/R            SO
3b-Cody Nix                L/R            FR
LF-Nick Achberger          R/R            SR
CF-Tyler Wynn              R/R            JR
RF-Jason Gray              L/L            SR
DH-Wesley Dozier           R/R            FR

Weekend Rotation
#   Name                RH/LH   Class
1Brett Hontz            RH        SR
2Justin Higdon          RH        JR
3Jeremy Yoder           RH        SR
Closer Corbin Ariail    RH        JR

Weekday Starters
#  Name               RH/LH  Class
1Wes McIntrye          RH      SO
2Michael Elliott       LH      SO
3Jake McDonald         RH      JR
4Zach Howell           RH      FR
Any other pitchers who will help-
Josh Hensley           RH      FR
Andrew Berroth         LH      JR
Dustin Davis           RH      FR
Willie Buchanan        RH      JR
Dustin Dalton          RH      FR 

Preview:

2007 W -   L-     
Starters returning :  Position players:    Pitchers: 

Outlook by position:

Infield -Very strong up the middle.  Rogers and Potts, two of the better MIF we have
had. Cody Nix has a bright future, one of the strongest arms on the team.  Cory
McGinnis will be used at all INF positions as a valuable backup.

Catching-Jonthan McMahon is one the strongest defensive catchers ever to play at
Carson Newman.  Strong leader, natural catching instincts.  Backups will be ET
McCreary (JR) and Cory Harless (SO)

Outfield-Nick Achberger moves to LF after playing 3B for 3 years.  He will provide a
steady offensive threat for us.  Tyler Wynn will start in CF, is a good athlete who
plays very aggressive.  Jason Gray returns to RF, solid all-around player.  Cory
Lamson (SO) will backup.  

Pitching-Lost a lot of innings and wins from last year.  Brett Hontz is the main
returner and will provide consistency to the staff.  Their are questions concerning
the rest of the staff due to lack of experience or consistency.  

Schedule Highlights-Augusta State, USC-Aiken, North GA, Belmont Abbey, Limestone,
Pfeiffer, include some of the non-conference opponents.  The conference schedule is
very competitive everyear.  Pre-Season ranked opponents include, USC-Aiken, North
GA, Belmont Abbey, and conference member Tusculum College

Key to success in '08 - Pitching will be the indicator to our success.  Offense and
defense is going to be a strength.  The pitching staff needs to develop quickly for
us to compete day in and day out.

Probable starters:

Pos.  Name                Hit/Throw     Class
C- Jason Pabon              R/R          JR
1b-Ralph Rosas              L/L          JR
2b-Tommy Casto              R/R          JR
SS-Derek Treece             R/R          SR
3b-Casey Sedley             R/R          JR
LF-Bryon Izzo               R/R          JR
CF-TeWayne Willis           R/R          SR
RF-Storm Kaufman            R/R          SR
DH-Eric Kitts               L/L          FR

Weekend Rotation
#   Name                RH/LH   Class
1Mitch Kramer            LH       JR
2Casey Sedley            RH       JR
3
Closer Ray Burchell      RH       FR

Weekday Starters
#  Name               RH/LH  Class
1 
4
Any other pitchers who will help- Brett Vaughn, Scott Erland, Storm Kaufman, Shane
Kaufman, Steven Starbird, Jason Davila, Devin Karlsen, Logan Brady, Cody Pack


Preview:

2007 W -31   L-20     
Starters returning :5  Position players:4    Pitchers:1 

Outlook by position:

Infield - Should be solid and produce offensively

Catching- Strong with depth

Outfield- Fast and senior dominated

Pitching- Young and untested

Schedule Highlights- USC Aiken, Florida Southern, Florida Tech

Key to success in '06 - Must compete on the mound, and realize potential offensively. 

Weekday Starters
#  Name              
1 Brad Mayes, LHP, So
2 AJ Herron, RHP, Jr
3 Carlisle Dale, LHP, So
4 Brenton Brown, LHP, Jr
Any other pitchers who will help-
Matt Beard, LHP, Fr
Clinton Helton, RHP, Fr

Preview:

2007 W -  25  L- 19
Tied for regular season championship
Conference Tournament Champions   
Starters returning : 6 Position players: 4   Pitchers: 2

Outlook by position:

Infield - Ben Peters will secure 1B for the third consecutive season.  Chris
Hollander and Carson Dempsey are competing at 2B and both will see playing time
early.  Bebo Vazquez will be the starter at SS.  Kyle Cyprysiak and Ryan Kinsler are
in heavy competition at 3B and they too will both play early in the season.

Catching- Kyle Ray returns with solid experience behind the plate.  Justin Ghorley
will also have a chance to handle some early playing time.

Outfield- Nathan Nehf captains the the outfield from his position in center.  Zac
Hargett will be the starter in right field and Zach Smigiel will cover ground in
left field.

Pitching- Zach Smigiel returns from an all conference season in 2007.  Matt Johnson
is back for his third year in the rotation.   Ryan Archer and Riley Finch will also
be looked to contribute as starters early in the season.  Brad Mayes, AJ Herron,
Carlisle Dale, and Brenton Brown will log major innings in 2008.

Schedule Highlights- The Scots will host the likes of Carson Newman, Emory, Sewanee,
Huntingdon, Piedmont, Thiel, Shenandoah, and others at the comfortable confines on
Scotland Yard.  Hitting the road, the Scots will compete at King, Centre, Emory and
Henry, Birmingham Southern, and Lagrange to name a few.

Key to success in '06 - The Scots have added some much needed talent to the program.
 The question will be how quickly some young players develop at key positions.  Zac
Hargett is tremendously gifted as an outfielder as is Bebo Vazquez on the infield.
Riley Finch and Ryan Archer will need to provide some consistency as newcomers to
the pitching staff.  Competition at both 2B and 3B will eventually reveal a starter,
but will also add to the overall depth of the Scots.  Zach Smigiel's ability to
handle performing in the OF and on the mound will also be a critical to the Scots
success this season.
 

Probable starters:

Pos.  Name                Hit/Throw     Class
C- Christian Rosa         R/R           SR
1b-Marc Hyndsman          R/R           SR
2b-Maikol Gonzalez        R/R           SR
SS-Aaron Hudgins          R/R           JR
3b-Paul Finger            R/R           SO
LF-Sean Cotten            R/R           FR
CF-Carlos Rivera          R/R           SR
RF-Matt Webb              R/R           SR
DH-Matt Ford              R/R           JR

Weekend Rotation
#   Name                RH/LH   Class
1 Raymond Ruggles       RH      SR
2 Eric Donahue          RH      SR
3 Tio McLean            RH      JR
Closer Mat Galens       RH      SR

Weekday Starters
#  Name               RH/LH  Class
1 Rob Currie          RH     JR
2 Max Kekeher         RH     JR
3 Boo Morrow          RH     JR
4 Tyler Collins       RH     FR
Any other pitchers who will help- Morgan Tyson LH SR, Ryan Pfleger LH SR, Nate Hiner
RH FR, Michael Franklin RH FR, Eric Conley RH FR.

Preview:

2007 W - 50   L- 14    
Starters returning :  Position players: 7   Pitchers: 3

Outlook by position:

Infield - This group is led by Maikol Gonzalez who was a 1st team All-American and
player of the year in the SAC.  Paul Finger, Aaron Hudgins, Marc Hyndsman, and
Dustin Morrow all started for us last season, they have a lot of experience.

Catching- Led by All-American Christian Rosa, he led us in HR, RBI's and SB.  We
have good depth at this position with Seniors Marc Hyndsman, and Adam Wilson, both
who played a lot for us last year.  Sean Cotten will also see some time behind the
plate.

Outfield- All-American Carlos Rivera returns in Center and All-Conference performer
Matt Webb returns in right.  Sean Cotten, Eric Barclay, and Andrew Winslow will see
time in Left.

Pitching- This group has some talent but they must prove that they can compete with
the top teams in our conference.  Raymond Ruggles will lead the staff and
All-Conference performer Mat Galens will anchor our bullpen.

Schedule Highlights- We open the season with a series against #6 Mount Olive and
also play a series vs #16 Montevallo.  Our Conference schedule will also be very
tough, all the teams in our league are well coached and prepared.

Key to success in '08 - The key to our success will be our pitching staff, several
guys must step up if we expect to compete for a conference title.  We will go as far
as our pitching and defense carry us.