2018 Season Preview

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

February 14, 2018 04:56 PM | Baseball

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By: Charlie Healy

A year after making history, the West Virginia University baseball team has raised expectations, increased national attention and an eagerness to keep the momentum going.

The Mountaineers, ranked No. 22 in the D1 Baseball Preseason Top 25 and receiving votes in four additional polls, enter the 2018 season with sights set on a return trip to the NCAA Tournament and beyond. WVU made the tournament for the first time in 21 years in 2017, and a loss in the regional final has fueled the fire for 23 returning lettermen and 12 newcomers.

"When you lose your last game, the summer and fall is going to be pretty long," sixth-year coach Randy Mazey said. "So, we feel like we're coming off a great year. We've set the bar pretty high in this program. Things have changed a little bit, as far as I'm concerned, in Mountaineer baseball."

The run to the 2017 NCAA Tournament was the latest, and biggest, of many changes around this program. It began in 2012-13, with the move to the Big 12 Conference and Mazey's arrival in Morgantown. The 2015 season saw the opening of Monongalia County Ballpark, one of the finest collegiate baseball facilities in the country. WVU just missed an NCAA Tournament berth in 2016, with an extra-inning loss in the Big 12 Championship title game.

Now, after entering the national rankings last year for the first time since 1982 and appearing in five of the six major polls for the first time ever, WVU is ranked in the preseason for the first time since the 1960s. National media outlets have started to take notice of West Virginia, featuring Mountaineers on preseason watch lists and position rankings and putting the team in postseason conversations.

All this while home attendance records have been broken on a yearly basis.

Things have changed, but a lot is still the same from 2017, as a strong nucleus from last year's squad returns.

Thirteen position players and 12 pitchers are back, while losing just three position players and five pitchers. Six of nine starting position players return, and everyone has extensive starting experience.

"These guys have been through a lot," Mazey said. "A lot of them have been playing every day since they were freshmen, and they have lost some really tough games and won some really big games. That's going to help us when we get into those situations, close games in the ninth inning. When the new guys in the program don't know how to react, the older guys have been through it. Hopefully, that's going to account for some wins this year."

The group that returns includes every start at catcher, center field and right field, all but one start at second base, 58 of 62 starts at shortstop and 57 starts at designated hitter. On the mound, every start and save is back.

In total, nine of a program-record 12 players who earned All-Big 12 Team honors last season return.

That includes junior right-handed pitcher/outfielder Braden Zarbnisky, a Preseason All-America First Team honoree by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA). Last year, Zarbnisky was named to the NCBWA All-America Third Team, the NCBWA District II Player of the Year, a John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award finalist and an All-Big 12 First Team honoree as a sophomore.

Added to that is a highly-touted group of 12 newcomers, including two SEC transfers and three junior college transfers, and Mazey has a team he likes.

"I love this team," Mazey said. "We have speed at the top and the bottom. We have guys in the middle who can run the ball out of the yard. We can do some different things and play an up-tempo game. We're going to win some games that way, we're going to win some games by slugging the ball, we're going to win some games by pitching, and we're going to win some games defensively. I don't think we're a one-dimensional team by any stretch of the imagination. It's nice to know that you have a team that's capable of winning in different ways. We've got a lot of options."

One of many things that stands out about the 2018 Mountaineers is its depth and versatility. That will help fill the void left by the three major losses from last year's team, who all played in the minor leagues last summer.

Jackson Cramer started all but three games at first base last year and hit a team-high 11 home runs before getting drafted in the 35th round by the Washington Nationals. Left fielder Kyle Davis started every game as a junior, hitting 10 home runs with a team-best .526 slugging percentage, and was drafted in the 15th round by the Houston Astros. Jackson Sigman made a school-record 36 appearances on the mound and notched a team-high-tying six wins before graduating and signing a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Royals.

The trio left big shoes to fill, but several players returning from injury or waiting for their chance expect to be strong options to take those spots.

In the field, Mazey has four catchers, 10 infielders and six outfielders to choose from. On the mound, it's 18 right-handed pitchers and four lefties.

The 36-man roster includes seven freshmen, 15 sophomores, 11 juniors and two seniors. Eight Mountaineers come from Texas, and another four from New Jersey, Ohio and West Virginia. Three are from Florida and New York, while two come to WVU from Georgia and Pennsylvania. Alabama, Colorado, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia are all represented on the roster once.

As the season commences on Friday, here is a position-by-position breakdown of the 2018 Mountaineers:

PITCHING
The pitching staff is headlined by returning weekend right-handed starters BJ Myers and Alek Manoah, who combined for 26 starts a season ago, and Zarbnisky, who had a team-best six saves and six wins.

"I think we have some depth on this team that we haven't had in the past," Mazey said. "I think we can go 10 or 12 guys deep and still put somebody out there that can get good hitters out. So, I'm excited about the depth, but we need somebody on this team to step up and win 10 games. If you don't have that guy, then it's hard to have a great year. Somebody's got to take the bull by the horns and be that guy."

Myers and Manoah, who both earned All-Big 12 Team accolades a year ago, are expected to lead the starting rotation. Myers, a senior, led the team with 16 starts, 73 strikeouts and 97.2 innings pitched. He has 35 career starts and tied for the team lead with five wins as a junior.

Manoah, a sophomore, made 19 appearances with 10 starts. He started his freshman season as a reliever, transitioned to closer before moving to starter, going from WVU's fifth starter up to second in a span of five starts in less than four weeks. In 55.2 innings, he posted a 3.07 ERA, fourth-best among all pitchers with more than 3.0 innings pitched and second among pitchers with at least three starts.

There are several contenders to finish out the rotation. Sophomore righty Isaiah Kearns was strong down the stretch in 2017, highlighted by an eight-inning complete game performance in the Big 12 Championship. He allowed one run on three hits against Baylor to earn all-tournament team accolades. Sophomore right-hander Kade Strowd made 17 appearances with eight starts last year, while redshirt junior Conner Dotson returns from an arm injury that sidelined him after he made six starts in 2017.

"You have Myers and Manoah who have pitched in this role last year," Mazey said. "So, it looks like they're going to be starting on the weekends, and that third spot is up for grabs. Isaiah Kearns pitched really well going down the stretch last year, as did Kade Strowd. We have some options."

In the bullpen, Zarbnisky returns after making 23 relief appearances last year, though he also is an option to start after making four starts as a freshman. Sophomore Sam Kessler was third on the team with 15 appearances in relief in 2017, while Riley Troutt came out of the bullpen 13 times. Myers and Dotson also have experience in relief.

"We have (Zarbnisky) back there, who had six saves last year, but he also had six wins," Mazey said. "So, we're toying with the idea of making him a starter. Sam Kessler had a great year pitching out of the bullpen, and BJ Myers has been a starter and a reliever in his career. Conner Dotson is the same way. We'll just see how it shakes out. It's early and pitch counts aren't very high yet, but a lot of guys are going to get opportunities to finish games. The guy that takes more pride in that role is going to end up being that guy."

There also are eight newcomers on the mound. That includes freshmen Tristen Hudson, the 2016 Mountain Lakes Region Player of the Year, and Jackson Wolf, a Perfect Game Underclass All-America Honorable Mention in 2016. Junior Christian Young was named an NJCAA All-America First Team last season at Niagara CC.

Another big addition in the pitching is assistant coach Dave Serrano. One of the most respected and accomplished coaches in collegiate baseball, Serrano has won 446 games and has taken two different teams to the College World Series in 13 years as a head coach. In 23 years as a coach at the Division I level, Serrano has helped guide his teams to seven College World Series appearances and 16 NCAA Tournaments, including the 2004 national title at Cal State Fullerton as an assistant coach.

"They're buying in to what he's teaching, so I think he's got their attention," Mazey said of Serrano. "Whether that be his background or his pedigree or the fact that he's won national championships and been on Team USA. You get instant buy-in even before you meet him, so I think they're buying in to the success that he's had and his ability. I think he's coached 34 pitchers who have gone on to pitch in the big leagues, so how can you not buy in? If you don't, that's your fault, it's not his."

INFIELD
Juniors Jimmy Galusky and Kyle Gray bring a wealth of experience and solid fielding to the infield. Galusky has started 115 of a possible 120 career games, all at shortstop, while Gray has started 104 of 120 games, the majority at second base.

An Arthurdale, West Virginia, native, Galusky was named to the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team a year ago after hitting .244 with 48 hits, seven doubles, 26 RBIs, 22 walks and eight stolen bases. He added a team-best 12 sacrifice bunts.

Gray also was named to the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Team. He led the team with 44 walks and six triples and finished third with a .393 on-base percentage, while hitting .260 with nine doubles and 31 RBIs.

"Jimmy Galusky and Kyle Gray, in the middle of the infield, have worked as hard as two middle infielders can at playing together," Mazey said. "If there's any justice in this world, then both of those guys will have really good years for us, because our message to the team this year has been 'you'll get what you deserve and what you've earned,' and those guys deserve to have a great year, based on how hard they've worked at it."

At the corner infield positions, Mazey has several options to fill roles that were taken by veterans a year ago.

At first base, redshirt sophomore Marques Inman returns after suffering a season-ending injury early in 2017, along with sophomore Kevin Brophy, who played in 25 games, primarily off the bench. Both put up impressive numbers last year, as Inman hit .351 with a .544 slugging percentage in 57 at-bats, while Brophy hit .300 in 40 at-bats.

"Manoah's a two-way guy who can play first base," Mazey said. "He's got great feel around the bag. Inman is back, and he's working every day to become a great first baseman, and Brophy has shown some great things offensively. So, that's a position that he's been working really hard at."

There also are a number of strong options at third base. Freshman Tyler Doanes is expected to see playing time, along with junior Ivan Gonzalez, who has plenty of experience at the hot corner as well as behind the plate.

A freshman All-American in 2016, Gonzalez has made 87 career starts, 26 at third base. Twenty of his 37 starts as a freshman came at third base in the final month of the season.

Doanes, from Fayetteville, Georgia, helped his team to a pair of state championship appearances, while serving as team captain in 2016 and 17.

"Ivan can always go out there when he's not catching and play a pretty good third base for us," Mazey added. "We have a new guy, Tyler Doanes, who might see some action over there.

"He's just a gamer. He can play all three infield positions. He can hit anywhere in the lineup. He can handle the bat. He's got a great mentality, great work ethic. He's going to be, before he leaves here, a tremendous, tremendous player. As far as opening day lineup, I don't know how that's going to shake up yet. If he's in the lineup, I feel pretty good about it and if he's not in the lineup, I'll feel pretty good about his mentality. He's trying to get in the lineup. He's just a real pleasure of a kid to be around, and I'm really glad that we have him in the program."

OUTFIELD
The outfield is anchored by a wealth of experience in junior Darius Hill in right and sophomore Brandon White in center. Plenty of options are available in left, including Zarbnisky and sophomore TJ Lake.

Hill will once again patrol right field, a post he has held for all but one game of his career. Named to five freshman All-America teams in 2016, Hill was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Team honoree as a sophomore, leading the team with 75 hits and tying for the team lead with 46 RBIs and 14 doubles. His .307 batting average was fourth best on the Mountaineers. Hill also has a knack for clutch hits, with a team-best seven game-winning hits last year, while also recording 14 hits, five RBIs and eight runs scored in WVU's eight postseason contests.

He is joined by White in center, also an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Team honoree in 2017. As a freshman, White played in 55 games with 50 starts, all in center field. He led the team with 13 stolen bases and hit .277 with 44 hits and 21 walks. His speed and ability to track down balls in center also led to several dazzling catches, including one that made SportsCenter's Top 10 plays.

The Mountaineers' speed on the base paths, along with several players who can lay down a bunt, provides an added wrinkle to the lineup.

"It's letting guys steal bases but, at the same time, if the guy on base is disturbing the pitcher and making him pitch differently, you get a lot better pitches to hit too,", Mazey said of WVU's speed and impact on the team's hitting. "Even if we don't steal more bases, I think we can create the impression that we're going to play that way and get a lot better pitches to hit. We might have a game where we don't steal any bases, but the fact that we can run a little bit really helped us win the game."

In left, Zarbnisky and Lake have both seen time at the position, either as a starter or a defensive replacement. Zarbnisky hit a team-best .336 in 125 at-bats, with 42 hits and 12 stolen bases in 12 attempts. Lake played in 45 games with 17 starts, hitting .233 with 20 total bases and six steals. Like Zarbnisky, Kearns also can play the outfield when he's not on the mound.

"Kearns, he's a two-way guy and has tremendous power," Mazey added. "He's going to see some days in left field. Zarbnisky, you have to manage him as a two-way guy. He can play left when he's not pitching. TJ Lake is a great defensive outfielder, and he's going to get a lot of games under his belt. So, we have a couple options out there."

CATCHER
Behind the plate is two familiar faces in Gonzalez and sophomore Chase Illig. Gonzalez started 40 games behind the plate as a sophomore, while Illig played the remaining 22.

A freshman All-American in 2016, Gonzalez was named to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List a season ago. He finished second on the team with a .317 batting average and fourth with a .444 slugging percentage. With a career batting average of .342, Gonzalez's bat is expected to find its way into the lineup, even if he's not behind the plate.

Illig, from Bluefield, West Virginia, hit .242 as a freshman with three home runs and a .396 slugging percentage. He is coming off a strong summer season with the Bellingham Bells, where he broke the West Coast League record with 15 home runs.

"We've got an option behind the plate because Chase Illig had a great summer and is very capable," Mazey said. "If we need to get him in the lineup, then that can push Pudge (Ivan Gonzalez) to third base. It just depends on who the matchup is on that particular day how we're going to go, but you're going to see those guys split time quite a bit."

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
WVU's 2018 schedule features 23 home games and 21 games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament in 2017. The 54-game regular-season also includes 30 contests on the road and one at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

"I am really excited about this year's schedule," Mazey said. "It's a challenging schedule, with 21 games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament, nearly 40 percent of our season, but I know that will help us as we look to make the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year. We'll open with 15 games on the road and then play a lot of home games in April and May, which I am really looking forward to, and I know our fans are as well."

WVU's 23-game home slate includes games against Big 12 foes Oklahoma State (April 13-15), Kansas State (April 20-22), Texas (April 27-29) and Baylor (May 17-19), along with regional rivals Pitt (March 27), Maryland (May 1), Virginia Tech (May 9) and Marshall (May 15). UT, OSU, BU and Maryland all made the NCAA Tournament last season.

"We have a really good home schedule, with 10 games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year along with games against regional rivals that fans always are excited to see," Mazey added. "I know our fans are excited for the upcoming season. They helped create a tremendous home field advantage last year which propelled us to the NCAA Tournament, and I can't wait to see them back at Monongalia County Ballpark in 2018."

The Mountaineers' road schedule features a series at Jacksonville (Feb. 16-18) to open the season, a four-game tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Feb. 23-25), and mid-week contests at Pitt (April 17) and vs. Marshall (April 25) in Charleston, West Virginia, along with a matchup against Penn State at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, on April 10. In Big 12 play, West Virginia travels to Oklahoma (March 23-25), Texas Tech (March 29-31), Kansas (May 4-6) and TCU (May 11-13).

The complete 2018 schedule, including a printable PDF version, can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com.

Season tickets and mini-packages are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.