2015 Baseball Season Preview
February 08, 2015 10:27 AM | General
Catchers
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Behind the plate is one of the few areas where the Mountaineers have experience heading into the 2015 season. Returning for his second season as the starting catcher will be senior Cam O’Brien (Tulsa, Okla.).
O’Brien started 44 games in 2014, batting .259 with 12 doubles, two triples, two home runs and 18 RBI. In the final 29 games of the season, O’Brien batted .306 and had hits in 20 of 29 games.
“Cam is very capable. He has experience and has been through a year of Big 12 pitching and catching,” coach Randy Mazey said. “His experience is really going to help.”
A big change for O’Brien this season is that he will be batting from the left side only. As a switch hitter in 2014, he batted .306 from the left side and only .167 from the right side.
“The second half of the season Cam was pretty offensive and there was a big discrepancy in his batting average from the left side and right side,” Mazey said. “He went to the Cape this summer and hit left handed all summer and had some success. I think that is going to be a big boost to his career.”
Ray Guerrini (Mayfield, Ohio) will serve as O’Brien’s backup for the second-straight season after starting 10 games in the same role in 2014. Guerrini finished with three hits and four RBI, while ranking third on the team with six hit by pitches.
“Ray can really catch and throw and he had a tremendous fall swinging the bat,” Mazey said. “He is a great athlete and a great worker. He went off to Alaska and got to play summer ball and was able to get a lot of at bats. He came back with some confidence and showed that in the next year or two he has a chance to not be just a defensive guy.”
In addition to playing left field and third base, freshman Kyle Davis (Cincinnati, Ohio) will provide depth at the catching position, while Garrett Hope (The Woodlands, Texas) is looking to be a two-sport athlete as he was a catcher in high school before joining the Mountaineer football team in 2012.
Infielders
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Seniors Taylor Munden (Lewisville, Texas) and Justin Fox (New Martinsville, W.Va.) are the lone infielders that have starting experience, both on the left side of the infield. Munden will begin his third season as the starting shortstop, while Fox enters his second season at third base.
As the leadoff man in 2014, Munden batted .261 with a team-leading 16 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 19 RBI and 13 stolen bases. He began last season with a 13-game hitting streak.
“He had a great fall offensively and defensively. He really, really plays hard,” Mazey said. “He is going to be the mainstay in the top of the lineup and he makes our team go. He gives 100 percent, he plays hard and he has a chance to be one of the best shortstops in the league.”
One of the biggest improvements in Munden’s game last season was defensively, finishing as one of the top defensive shortstops in the Big 12 with a .944 fielding percentage, up 37 points from 2013.
“He’s always been a good player, but at this level you have to learn how to have success,” Mazey said. “He has matured and he stays within himself. He doesn’t swing for home runs or try to make the highlight reel plays, he’s just matured a lot more as a baseball player.”
Before an injury to his arm during the middle of 2014, Fox was the starting third baseman and miraculously did not make an error in 57 attempts. He began the season recording hits in 10 of his first 27 at bats, including two doubles and six RBI.
He was never able to fully get back into his groove following the injury and batted .226 with two doubles and 10 RBI in 2014.
“His makeup is off the charts and he is just a great Mountaineer. He’s an in-state kid that has been fighting his way into the lineup for four years,” Mazey said. “Hopefully this year he’ll be rewarded with a starting spot and I think when that pressure is off of him he’ll respond and have a lot more success offensively.”
After serving as designated hitter in a situational role in 2014, Jackson Cramer (Coppell, Texas) will handle the duties at first base. Cramer played in 41 games last season, including 19 starts, batting .242 with seven doubles, one home run and 14 RBI. He had a number of key at bats, including a game-winning double against Baylor and an eventual game-winning home run versus Kansas in the opening game of the Big 12 Championship.
“He has a chance to be a special hitter at this level. He chases some pitches out of the zone, but once he matures and figures out how to hit and what pitchers are trying to do, he has a chance to be a premium hitter,” Mazey said. “He didn’t hit home runs last season, but he hit a lot of balls off the fence in the air, so with the new baseballs and our new park I think he has the chance to be a double-digit home run guy. That’s the kind of guy you need in the middle of your lineup.”
In the field, Cramer is taking over for Ryan McBroom, arguably the best defensive first baseman in West Virginia history. McBroom finished his four-year career ranked No. 1 in chances (1,886), No. 1 in putouts (1,762) and No. 3 in fielding percentage (.992).
“Jackson is as hard of a worker at first base as you’ll ever get,” Mazey said. “Again, he’s not Ryan McBroom, but he’s going to develop into a pretty good first baseman. He really works at it and that helps the infield defense if you have a first baseman that can save errors.”
After redshirting his true freshman season, Shaun Corso (Lancaster, Pa.) is looking to crack the starting lineup. He will likely begin the season at second base, while also having the ability to play third.
“He redshirted last year which really helped him, but we took him on a lot of trips so he could see what college baseball was all about,” Mazey said. “He has a good feel for hitting and I really think down the road he is going to be a good player.”
One of the second half surprises in 2014, Brad Johnson (West Chester, Pa.) returns for his senior season after hitting .318 with four doubles, one triple and 17 RBI, starting the final 21 games of the season in right field. Johnson can play in a number of roles between first base, outfield and designated hitter.
“Brad showed that he could hit at this level and be an offensive guy. We just need to figure out what Brad’s best position is,” Mazey said. “He’s going to get his opportunities around the field and wherever he settles in the best is where we will put him.”
A pair of freshmen will likely serve in backup roles to begin the season as Tucker Cascadden (Houston, Texas) and Jimmy Galusky (Arthurdale, W.Va.) have shown great ability to play in the middle of the infield.
Despite missing the fall due to an injury, the coaching staff is high on Cascadden, who earned All-District 20-5A First Team honors his final three seasons at Lamar High.
“We’re excited about Tuck, he’s a really talented kid and plays real hard,” Mazey said. “He was hurt all fall so we have yet to see him in a game, but he is a guy we’re planning on having a great future here as a Mountaineer. We’re going to get him as much playing time as we can.”
Galusky is a familiar Morgantown name and he attended nearby Preston High, where he batted .558 with 44 runs, 15 doubles, four triples, three homers, 54 RBI and 32 stolen bases in 2014. He was a two-time member of the West Virginia AAA All-State First Team, while also earning all-state honors in basketball.
“I think Jimmy has a chance to be an outstanding player,” Mazey said. “Any opportunity for him to get into games, we’re going to give him that chance. Defensively at shortstop he is very solid, he just needs to get bigger and stronger. In a few years he will be a very good player.”
Outfielders
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There could potentially be two new starting outfielders when WVU takes the field on opening day with the loss of star centerfielder Bobby Boyd, who was picked in the eighth round of last year’s draft by the Astros.
Taking Boyd’s place in center field is KC Huth (La Verne, Calif.), a junior college transfer who played last season at Fullerton College (Calif.). Huth, who has two years of eligibility remaining, led the team in batting average (.350) and RBI (32), while posting 11 doubles, three triples, one homer and 14 stolen bases en route to being named to the All-Orange Empire Conference Second Team.
“He has a great make up. KC is a hard worker who really plays his butt off,” Mazey said. “He has good tools and were looking forward to outstanding things from him. He loves to play defense, he loves to play offense and he is a baseball rat.”
After losing his starting spot in right field midway through last season, a strong fall showing was enough for sophomore Shaun Wood (Arlington, Va.) to regain his spot. Wood played in 39 games with 26 starts last year, showing promise at the plate with two doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI.
“Shaun had a really good fall. He hit some home runs and had some extra base hits,” Mazey said. “Shaun has the chance to be a Major League player, he has all of the tools and the body. If he puts it all together he could be a really good player at this level and play beyond college. We’re expecting big things out of Shaun this year.”
Freshman Kyle Davis (Cincinnati, Ohio) has a chance to make an immediate impact for the Mountaineers in a variety of roles. He spent the fall games playing left field, but can also play third base and catcher.
Davis joined the Mountaineers from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, where he batted .480 with 10 doubles, six triples, four homers and 40 RBI in 2014, while being named to the all-state first team.
“He has a great swing and a good feel for hitting. This first year he is probably going to hop around from position to position until he settles on one for his career,” Mazey said. “He can catch, play third and play left, and he may have to do a lot of that this year. We definitely want him in the lineup as much as we can.”
Freshman Caleb Potter (Mentor, Ohio) needs a year to get stronger, but Mazey envisions him getting some time in left field or as the designated hitter after posting an outstanding prep career in Ohio.
“Caleb is a big, strong kid that we think is going to be a pretty good hitter down the road,” Mazey said.
Brad Johnson (West Chester, Pa.), who was mentioned in the infield preview and started the final 21 games of the season in right field, also has a chance to jump around the outfield and is capable of playing both corner outfield positions.
Pitchers
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The question mark entering the 2015 season is the pitching staff, which returns just one player with substantial experience in junior Ross Vance (McKinney, Texas), who was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention performer in 2014.
The left-hander appeared in 17 games, starting his final seven and going 3-4 with a 3.41 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 58.0 innings. He went at least 7.0 innings in four of his starts, including striking out 14 against Ohio State in his first career start.
“He is hard to hit no matter who you are. He has three pitches that he can mix up; nobody ever sees the same pitch twice,” Mazey said. “His issue is that he gets too deep in the count and runs his pitch count up too quickly. He needs to get outs earlier in the count. He had a great fall and showed some great leadership abilities. If he stays healthy, he’ll be a weekend guy for us all year long.”
Sophomore right-hander Chad Donato (Cypress, Texas) returns with hopes to crack the starting rotation after making just four appearances in relief last season. He struck out one in 3.1 innings pitched, allowing one earned run on four hits. Donato did start two games in the fall, allowing four hits in 4.0 innings with four strikeouts.
“We have high expectations for Chad. If we’re going to be good, Chad has to be good,” Mazey said. “He has a good arm, good makeup and he will get his opportunities, it just depends on how he takes advantage of them.”
Junior righty Alec Horvath (Sugarland, Texas) joined WVU prior to the 2014 season, but missed his second-straight year while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
“He has a big arm and is coming off Tommy John surgery, so we didn’t get to see him last year,” Mazey said. “He wasn’t with us in the fall, but if he comes back healthy he could be a weekend guy for us. He is off surgery long enough where you could see his name in the lineup once a weekend.”
With a full pitching staff last season, Jordan Sergent (Chesapeake, Va.) and Nick Wernke (Oswego, Ill.) each redshirted as true freshmen.
Sergent came in as a position player, but quickly made the transition to the mound where the left-hander saw success this past fall.
“Jordan was a two-way guy turned pitcher,” Mazey said. “He has a good fastball and is really hard to hit. If he can command the strike zone he should have a lot of success at this level.”
As a hard-throwing righty, Wernke is also relatively new to pitching, starting as a senior in high school.
“Wernke has great stuff, a 90 mile per hour guy with a really good breaking ball,” Mazey said. “He needs to throw strikes and if he does, he is hard to hit. He is going to get his chances.”
Junior righty Jeff Hardy (Sunnyvale, Calif.) also will be vying for a role in the starting rotation after transferring from Lane Community College (Calif.). Hardy started seven games, posting a 3-3 record with a 2.00 ERA and striking out 31 in 45.0 innings pitched.
“Jeff has a good arm. We don’t know what role he will settle into, but he had a good fall and we’re looking for some big things out of him this year,” Mazey said.
Junior right-hander Blake Smith (Tyler, Texas) is a right-handed transfer from Howard College (Texas), who struck out 15 batters in 15 innings last season.
“After fall practice in his bullpen situation he made some adjustments and I think Blake has a chance to be good at this level,” Mazey said. “He is a three-pitch guy who loves to compete and has had some success in junior college.”
Sophomore right-hander Brandon Boone (Georgetown, Texas) joins the Mountaineers after spending one season at Weatherford College (Texas), where he went 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA and struck out 50 batters in 49.0 innings. He is expected to see time in a number of different roles.
“Brandon Boone may have the best stuff on the team. He has a hard breaking ball that is hard to hit and if he gets his fastball in the strike zone you may see him in a number of different roles,” Mazey said. “He could start, close or come in in the middle, but it’s nice to have a guy on the staff with a swing and miss breaking ball.”
Another junior college transfer is sophomore right-hander Jackson Sigman (Austin, Texas), who played for Glendale Community College (Calif.) in 2014. Sigman made 14 appearances in relief with a 1.46 ERA, striking out 23 batters in 24.2 innings.
“Jackson is the side arm guy that will probably lead the team in appearances because he can come in in the fifth inning, the seventh inning or the ninth inning in a double play situation,” Mazey said. “He gives you a different look on the mound and is something we must have.”
A trio of freshmen from Flower Mound, Texas have provided excitement for the coaching staff in left-hander Seth Jordan and righties Connor Dotson and BJ Myers.
Jordan has drawn comparisons to Vance after going 21-7 during his four seasons of high school ball, including 201 strikeouts in 191.1 innings pitched. In 2014, he went 7-4 with a 1.39 ERA, striking out 83 and walking only six in 70.1 innings.
“Seth is a guy that doesn’t have great stuff, but when the hitters go back to the dugout shaking there head, it’s hard for him to tell the next hitter what to look for because Seth can mix three pitches,” Mazey said. “He’s not going to blow anyone away, he just knows how to pitch and gets outs.”
Dotson arrived at West Virginia with an injury, but helped Marcus High to a 35-12 record in 2014, including a No. 22 ranking in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25. Dotson went 5-4 in 2014 with a 1.35 ERA, striking out 71 in 52 innings.
“He has yet to throw a pitch as a Mountaineer,” Mazey said. “We really need him to be good for us and we took it easy on him in the fall to make sure he was healthy, but now we feel he is healthy and ready to pitch.”
Myers was a two-year starter at Flower Mound High, finishing 2014 with a 10-2 record, 1.35 and 104 strikeouts, earning The Dallas Morning News All-Area Third Team honors.
“BJ is going to be a great pitcher,” Mazey said. “He attacks hitters with all three pitches, he’s a strike thrower and he will get a lot of innings this year.”
Two more freshmen to look for are Jake Danner (Gibbstown, N.J.) and Shane Ennis (Romney, W.Va.), both right-handers.
Danner spent most of his senior season at Gloucester Institute of Technology hurt, but the coaching staff has seen potential and looks forward to him getting healthy.
“Jake Danner has a great arm and great makeup,” Mazey said. “He has been hurt, but he is a freshman with a good arm on a young staff who will get opportunities against good teams on our schedule.”
One of the biggest surprises on the staff in the fall was Ennis, who attended Hampshire High. He was a four-year starter, going 2-2 with a 1.14 ERA and 91 stirkeouts in 49.1 innings in 2014. Ennis was a two-time all-state first team honoree.
“Shane was probably the bright spot of the whole pitching staff in the fall,” Mazey said. “I thought he did an outstanding job. He’s going to have a good career here. He has a good fastball, good breaking ball, good makeup, does everything right and he will be a guy you will hear about in the future here.”
