This is the second half of a two part season preview written by Mike Ashcraft of Kent State Media Relations. You can check out his first season preview by clicking here.
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Catchers
Manning the other end of the battery after an extremely strong sophomore campaign will be Cory Hindel (Jr., 5-10, 190). Hindel displayed tremendous defensive prowess as KSU’s main backstop in ‘08. Offensively, he collected 28 hits while driving in 14.
“This is the deepest we have been behind the plate since 2006,” said head coach Scott Stricklin. “Cory is a great leader. His teammates really want to follow him. He’s a very hard worker, and he really improved behind the plate as the year went on last season. When you think about it, he was essentially a freshman last year even though he was actually a red shirt sophomore. He hadn’t really played in two years. He struggled a little bit early, but he just got better and better as the year went on. By the end of the season, he was one of the better catchers in the conference.”
Stricklin isn’t kidding about the depth at catcher, as the Flashes have three capable mitts behind Hindel.
“Cory is not going to be asked to catch every single day,” said Stricklin. “You need to have at least two catchers, and we feel like we have the luxury of having guys we feel very good about.”
David Lyon (Fr., 5-10, 185) comes to the program with tremendous defensive tools. Tyler Martin (Jr., 5-11, 185) has been dependable behind the plate during his career and hit .310 in 29 at-bats last year. Phil Smith (Fr., 6-3, 215) is a solid young addition to the group.
“David has great catch-and-throw ability,” said Stricklin. “We’ve just got to work him in there and build his confidence. He is going to get significant playing time as well. Tyler is the other guy, and he’s one of the hardest workers on our team. The pitching staff has a lot of confidence in him. He can swing the bat, so he can pinch hit late in a game. Phil is a very hard worker and has earned a lot of respect on this team. We’re fortunate to have a guy like him in our program.”
Infield
Kent State’s infield features great talent on the corners and a lot of depth up the middle.
Greg Rohan (Sr., 6-0, 205) returns as the starting first baseman for the Flashes, and what a starter he has been. The two-time captain and reigning MAC Player of the Year batted .355 with 70 hits, including a team-high 20 home runs and 18 doubles, drove in a team-high 61 runs, and hit a team-best .443 on-base percentage. He also led the conference with a .772 slugging percentage.
“Greg proved that he was the best player in the conference last year,” said Stricklin. “We hope he can repeat that. He had a great fall for us. He’s a great leader who leads by example. Greg is a very hard worker who has been a clutch hitter throughout his career here. He’s a guy who we’re going to rely heavily on to hit in the middle of our order.”
Returning at shortstop is Chris Tremblay (Sr., 5-10, 180), the team’s best returning hitter. Tremblay is coming off a .359 year at the plate with 78 hits (20 doubles).
“Chris has been a great player in this conference for the last three years. Having him back means a lot to this program. He got off to a slow start last year, but if you look at his numbers, he had a tremendous year. It’s amazing to think what his numbers would have been like if he would have had a solid start. We’re looking for him to get out of the gate a little quicker this year. He hits at the top of our lineup and really makes a lot of things happen.”
When he’s not pitching, Brett Weibley, a .237 hitter in ’08, will be covering third base.
“He played a lot as a freshman last year,” said Stricklin. “We’re going to rely on him to pitch a little bit more for us this year, but he’s a very strong, athletic guy at third base. We look for him to increase his offensive production.”
Captain Brad Winter (Sr., 6-0, 200) possess the versatility to play first, second, and third.
“The nice thing we have right now at the corners is a lot of depth,” said Stricklin. “Brad can really play any position on the infield. He’s very versatile and is a respected player on this team.”
The Boston Red Sox drafted Travis Shaw (Fr., 6-4, 215) out of high school in the 32nd round, but he opted to come to Kent State and will be utilized at a number of spots.
“Travis is a tremendous left-handed hitter,” said Stricklin. “He’ll get time at first base, third base and may DH. He’s athletic enough to play in the outfield as well. He just gives us a lot of options when you’re looking at match-ups versus left and right-handed pitching. Travis allows us to move some guys around.”
One position lost from 2008 for the Golden Flashes is second base, a spot occupied by Doug Sanders the past two seasons. Sanders helped turn double plays as well as anyone in the MAC and was a vital offensive cog as the team’s leading hitter last season.
“Doug was here for two years and was a great player for us,” said Stricklin. “It’s a position we’re looking to fill. I don‘t think we really realized how good we had it with Doug over there. He turned the double play as well as anyone we‘ve had here, and we‘ve had some good second basemen. He was very good at the pivot and was really good offensively for us. It‘s a big hole to fill.”
A surprise contender emerged during fall ball to potentially plug that hole at second. Jared Humphreys (Jr., 6-0, 180) has spent his career in the outfield but could be called upon to step into a new spot for the Flashes.
“We didn’t know how he’d do, but Jared played very well in the fall,” said Stricklin. “He’s probably our best athlete, base runner, and defender in the outfield. He proved he can play some second base as well, so we’re going to experiment with him there. We’ll see how it goes early on.”
Jimmy Rider (Fr., 5-8, 160) may be young, but he is already earning high praise from his skipper.
“Jim is just an unbelievable defender; a David Eckstein-type player,” said Stricklin. “He’s not big in stature, but he just makes every play and knows how to handle the bat. He’s the son of a high school and coach and understands the game. He gives us great depth in the middle infield.”
Ryan Mitchell (Sr., 5-9, 180) mostly has served as a designated hitter for the Flashes, batting .333 in 72 at-bats last year, but also adds depth to the infield.
“Ryan’s bat is very valuable in our lineup, and he had a great year last year hitting against left-handed pitching for us,” said Stricklin. “He also plays the middle of the infield and gives us some depth there.”
Ross Brunello (Fr., 5-11, 185) also gives Stricklin options and depth on the infield.
“Ross is a very hard-working guy who knows how to play the game of baseball and gives us an incredible amount of depth,” said Stricklin.
Outfield
The Kent State outfield is as solid as they come both offensively and defensively.
Anthony Gallas (Jr., 6-2, 215) patrols left field and has been a major force at the plate with a .324 average and 12 homers in ‘08.
“Anthony’s hit a lot of home runs for us, has been a big run producer in the middle of our lineup and a very solid defender for us in left field,” said Stricklin. “We’re going to look for him to do the same and have another great year. He’s a very good leader on this team.
When you hit in the middle of the lineup, you see a lot of different pitches. He’s increased his plate discipline and really shown he understands the game.”
Gallas’ classmate, Jared Bartholomew (Jr., 5-10, 195), is the outfield’s leader in center and a strong defensive presence.
“Jared’s played for us a lot the last two years and had a great year for us last year,” said Stricklin. “Defensively, he’s been very solid. He’s a guy we look to become more consistent. If he can be a little more consistent at the plate, I think he will have a tremendous year.”
Though his services will primarily be needed at second, Humphreys will not completely abandon his outfield duties.
“Jared’s going to move back and forth between the infield and the outfield,” said Stricklin. “He’s very valuable because he’s so athletic. He probably is our best outfielder. You’re going to see him in the outfield maybe in late game situations.”
Ben Klafczynski (So., 6-3, 200) and Jason Patton (Sr., 6-4, 190) will complete for playing time in right. Klafczynski garnered freshman All-American honors in his first season, hitting .339 with 56 hits and 35 RBI. Patton is looking to bounce back from a tough season.
“Ben had a great freshman year, and we’re looking for him to expand on that,” said Stricklin. “Jason didn’t have the kind of year that he wanted to have last year, but he had a great fall and his approach at the plate has improved. Both guys are power hitters and run producers and had a great competition in the fall.”
Conor Egan (Jr., 5-11, 185), has performed any task asked of him throughout his career and recorded an average of .396 in 53 at-bats last season.
“Conor, if we were in basketball, would have been our ‘sixth man of the year’ last year,” said Stricklin. “He hit nearly .400 almost exclusively against left-handed pitching. He had some big hits, played great defense, and really did a good job. I could see him doing the same thing in that role. He’s a great role player, and every team wishes they had a guy like him. He’s a team-guy who wants to play every day but understands his role. He’s extremely valuable to our team.”
Joe Koch (Fr., 5-7, 165) will push for at-bats thanks to his skills at the plate.
“Joe is a Brett Butler type of player. He sprays the ball all around, makes contact, bunts, runs, plays good defense and is just a solid all-around player. He’s going to be pushing for some situational playing time. He had a really good fall for us, and I think he has a chance to get some significant playing time.”
Schedule
Three trips to the Carolinas, a trip to Georgia and an always tough Mid-American Conference slate headline the 2009 baseball schedule for the Golden Flashes.
“I think we have a very challenging schedule once again,” stated Stricklin. “Our goal every single year is to go out and play a challenging schedule where our players are going to be tested on the road early against very good opponents at good venues.
“Our goal when we enter the conference season is that we have been able to play quality teams in tough atmospheres to hopefully get our players ready for the conference,” added Stricklin.
Trips to warmer climates kick off the 2009 season, as Kent State travels to UNC-Greensboro (Feb. 20-22), Winthrop for the Coca-Cola Classic with Wagner (Feb. 27-March 1), UNC-Wilmington for a pair of games against the Seahawks and Wright State (March 6-8) and Kennesaw State (March 13-15).
During the season, Kent State will play one home and away game each against Marshall, Duquesne, Youngstown State and Penn State. The Golden Flashes will also play home games against Canisius, Niagara and Malone.
“Having opponents like Marshall, Duquesne and Youngstown State, those are our traditional home and home series and it is great to have them on our schedule. We expect to have a very challenging road ahead of us,” said Stricklin.
The Golden Flashes kick off their conference slate at home with defending Mid-American Conference Tournament champions Eastern Michigan March 20-22. The other series against MAC West foes include hosting Northern Illinois and traveling to Ball State and Toledo.
The MAC East games begins with Bowling Green coming to town for a three game set. After the Falcons, the Golden Flashes with play nine of 10 games on the road, including conference series at Ohio and at Buffalo.
“Our conference will be improved this year. Having Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green at home helps us. I think there will be a lot of parity within the league,” said Stricklin.
Rivals Kent State and Akron will square off at Canal Park Tues., May 5 in their annual charity game. The season series concludes May 8-10 when the Golden Flashes host the Zips for a three-game set.
Miami University comes to Kent May 14-16 for the final regular season games of the 2009 season.
For the second straight season, eight teams qualify for the MAC Tournament, which will be played in Chillicothe, Ohio.
