Last year was a very good season for the AAC as three teams made it into the NCAA Tournament with Houston winning the AAC Tournament and hosting a regional. This should be another big year for the conference as they add Wichita State and should be another 3-bid league.
Central Florida (2017 Record 40-22, 15-9)
UCF had a very good regular season in 2017 winning 38 games, but went 2-2 in the AAC Baseball Tournament losing in the semi-finals to eighth seeded East Carolina. They still advanced to the NCAA Tournament, but went two-and-out in the Tallahassee Regional.
Lineup:
The Knights lose their top two hitters from a year ago, but return first baseman Rylan Thomas who hit .303 with 46 runs scored, 11 doubles, 14 home runs, 53 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Second baseman Matthew Mika is also back after hitting .278 with 33 runs scored, 12 doubles, 28 RBI and 25 stolen bases. They’ll be relying heavily on those two in 2018, while trying to replace a lot of at-bats. Redshirt sophomore infielder Ray Alejo will be eligible to play this year after sitting out 2017 due to transfer rules. Tyler Osik is an infielder and catcher that transferred from Chipola College where he hit .329 with 5 home runs, 45 runs scored and 27 RBI as a sophomore. Brody Wofford also comes over from Chipola College and LSU. He was drafted in the 14th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, but decided to come back and play at UCF. He should get a shot to start in the outfield.
Pitching:
This team does bring back two of its best starters from 2017 in Chris Williams and Joe Sheridan. Williams had a 2.65 ERA in 78 inning pitched with 48 strikeouts, while Sheridan had a 3.25 ERA in 72 innings with 64 strikeouts. They also bring back their closer in Bryce Tucker who had a 1.66 ERA in 38 innings with 55 strikeouts and 9 saves. Thaddeus Ward was great out of the bullpen last year as well with a 2.29 ERA in 35.1 innings pitched with 32 strikeouts. JJ Montgomery and Jordan Spicer are two junior college transfers who are expected to have an immediate impact on this pitching staff.
2018 Outlook:
“After losing 13 seniors and five players to the draft, this year’s club is very talented but also inexperienced,” said Assistant Coach Ryan Klosterman.
I expect the pitching staff to be very good once again, but how quickly the lineup fills out could determine whether or not this team makes a return trip to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team.
Cincinnati (2017 Record: 28-30, 10-14)
The Bearcats had some big wins in 2017 over big time programs like Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Louisville. But they really struggled in conference, including back-to-back losses in the AAC Tournament.
Lineup:
Outfielder A.J. Bumpass was second on the team last year with a .287 average to go along with 31 runs scored, 15 doubles, 4 triples, 7 home runs and 40 RBI. Third baseman Connor McVey hit .280 last year with 34 runs scored, 14 doubles, 2 home runs, 30 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Infielder Jace Mercer also returns after hitting .273 with 28 runs scored, 8 doubles, 29 RBI and 10 stolen bases.
Pitching:
Senior David Orndorff should have a chance to start in the weekend rotation after posting a 3.41 ERA in 63.1 innings pitched last year with 40 strikeouts and 7 saves. J.T. Perez should also be a weekend starter after starting 12 games last year and compiling a 4.42 ERA in a team-high 77.1 innings pitched with a team-high 60 strikeouts. Senior Jarod Yoakam was solid out of the bullpen last year with a 3.62 ERA in 37.1 innings pitched with 29 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
Cincinnati had a lot of highs and a lot of lows in 2018. They have some key contributors coming back in the lineup and in the pitching staff that should help them win more games in 2018.
East Carolina (2017 Record: 32-28, 7-17)
It was an unusually bad 2017 season for East Carolina as they won 32 games, but were just 7-17 in conference play. Still, they battled all the way to the AAC Baseball Tournament Championship game before losing 6-0 to Houston.
Lineup:
The Pirates lose their top three hitters from 2017, but still have some solid players returning. First baseman Spencer Brickhouse returns after a Freshman All-American season in which he hit .310 with 10 home runs. Shortstop Turner Brown will be a leader on the team this year. He was great defensively in 2017, while hitting .263 with 32 runs scored, 31 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Outfielder Dwanya Williams-Sutton was a Freshman All-American two years ago, but was injured much of last year. He still hit .286 in 112 at-bats, and coach Godwin said he has “big time power and speed.” Redshirt Sophomore Jake Washner hit four home runs in the fall and could get a lot of playing time at catcher. Freshman Seth Caddell could also see time behind the plate. Another freshman, Alec Burleson, should be a huge boost to the lineup. Coach Godwin said he has a chance to be the team’s 3-hole hitter. The same could be said for junior Chandler Jenkins who was the Division II Junior College Player of the Year in 2017 after hitting .460 with 18 home runs and 74 RBI.
Pitching:
Trey Benton is projected to be the team’s Friday night started after posting an ERA of 4.18 in 71 innings last year with 74 strikeouts. His fastball sits in the low 90’s with some sink, and he also features a good slurve and change-up that he can throw for strikes. Jake Agnos should be the Saturday starter with an explosive fastball in the upper 80’s that helped him compile an ERA of 3.22 in 64.1 innings last year with 64 strikeouts. Chris Holba is the projected Sunday starter with a fastball, slider, change-up mix. He had a 3.38 ERA in 42.2 innings and 47 strikeouts last year. Tyler Smith also has a chance to make some starts after posting a 3.95 ERA last year in 43.1 innings. Freshman Gavin Williams, who was up to 95 MPH in the fall, has a chance to be the team’s closer. Burleson is another freshman who could get some innings on the mound this year. Junior Sam Lanier also hit 95 in the fall and will be a big part of the bullpen in 2018.
2018 Outlook:
“We will be much improved on the mound this year,” said head coach Cliff Godwin. “We have front line pitching with experience. We also have a ton more depth on the mound.”
The pitching should be strong for East Carolina this year. The question will be whether or not they can hit.
Houston (2017 Record: 42-21, 15-9)
It was another great year for Houston as they amassed 40 wins, breezed through the American Tournament to a championship and then hosted a regional. However, that’s where their season came to an end.
Lineup:
Outfielder Grayson Padgett is the leading hitter returning from last year’s team after batting .309 with 41 runs scored, 10 doubles, 2 home runs, 40 RBI and 7 stolen bases. Second baseman Connor Hollis returns after hitting .266 last year with 39 runs scored. Joe Davis is back after hitting .299 with 8 home runs and 46 RBI last year. Infielder Lael Lockhart also returns to the starting lineup.
Pitching:
Trey Cumbie returns as one of the best starting pitchers in the conference after posting a 2.04 ERA last year in 101.1 innings pitched with 82 strikeouts. Mitch Ullom also returns to the starting rotation after posting a 3.57 ERA in 95.2 innings pitched with 51 strikeouts. Aaron Fletcher was lights out as the team’s closer last year with a 2.40 ERA in 41.1 innings pitched with 41 strikeouts and 8 saves. Brayson Hurdsman made three starts last year and could get a shot in the rotation. He had a 3.41 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched with 30 strikeouts. Joey Pulido and Fred Villarreal were both solid out of the pen last year pitching over 40 innings each. Pulido had a 3.98 ERA with 42 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
The Cougars have become the staple in the AAC lately, and should be right there again in 2018. They lose a lot of production from the lineup, but should have one of the best rotations in the conference. Early tests against Cal State Fullerton (3x), Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt will determine whether or not this an at-large team.
Memphis (2017 Record: 30-29, 8-16)
Despite a couple of big wins over Ole Miss, the Tigers had a disappointing year in 2017, which ended with a loss to UCONN in their third game of the AAC Baseball Tournament.
Lineup:
Center fielder Tyler Webb returns after hitting .305 with 43 runs scored last year. Shotstop Alec Trela will also be back after hitting .263 with 38 runs scored, 8 home runs and 34 RBI as a freshman in 2017. Memphis loses five of its top seven hitters from 2017, so there will be a lot of production to replace in 2018. Transfer second baseman Cale Hennemann will try to help fill that void. Another transfer, first baseman Kyle Ouellette, should step in and get a lot of playing time early.
Pitching:
Jon Bowlan should be the team’s Friday night starter after leading the team with a 3.75 ERA last year in 84 innings with 78 strikeouts. He has the chance to be a high draft pick in June. Another weekend starter could be Alex Hicks after he had a 5.26 ERA in 65 innings last year with 53 strikeouts. A couple of junior pitchers who could have a major impact on the pitching staff this season are Riley Cabral and Drew Hall.
2018 Outlook:
“I think our pitching should be much better. We have three quality starters and a decent bullpen. Offensively, we lost some power but have gained some speed. May be a little down offensively but should still be able to score some runs.” – Assistant Coach Clay Greene
South Florida (2017 Record: 42-19, 14-11)
The Bulls had a stellar 2017 season winning over 40 games and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. They won their first game in the AAC Tournament, but dropped the next two. They did the same thing in the Gainesville Regional.
Lineup:
Outfielder Duke Stunkel returns atop the lineup after hitting .344 last year with 36 runs scored, 16 doubles, 2 home runs and 22 RBI. Middle infielder Coco Montes hit .293 last year with 37 runs scored, 4 home runs and 30 RBI. Third baseman David Villar hit .290 last year with 36 runs scored, 13 doubles, 7 home runs and 45 RBI. Their top two home run hitters from last year return in outfielder Chris Chatfield and first baseman Joe Genord who hit eight and nine home runs respectively.
Pitching:
Ace Shane McClanahan will be one of the first college pitchers taken in the MLB Draft in 2018. He posted a 3.20 ERA in 76 innings pitched last year with 104 strikeouts. Peter Strzelecki is back after posting a 2.42 ERA in 67 innings pitched with 62 strikeouts. Andrew Perez was number 65 our top 100 countdown. He should be the team’s closer in 2018 after posting a 2.72 ERA in 39.2 innings pitched with 52 strikeouts and 6 saves last year.
2018 Outlook:
South Florida will push Houston for the best pitching staff in the conference. The Bulls also have a lot coming back in the lineup, but do have to replace two of their top three hitters. They start the season at home against North Carolina in a 3-game series and then face Florida State in a mid-week game. We’ll know right away if this is a tournament team.
Tulane (2017 Record: 27-31, 13-11)
Tulane started the season just 3-12, but got back on track during conference play where they had a winning record. In the AAC Tournament they went two-and-out to bring an end to their season.
Lineup:
Outfielder Grant Witherspoon is back after hitting .299 with 48 runs scored, 10 doubles, 5 home runs, 36 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Kody Hoese and Sal Gozzo return after receiving significant playing time last year and will need to step up in a lineup that is losing a lot of at-bats from last year’s team.
Pitching:
Chase Solesky led the team with a 3.84 ERA in 68 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts. He should get a chance to lead the rotation with their top two starters from last year departing. Just like in the lineup, there are a lot of innings gone from last year’s team. Others will need to step up and breakout in 2018 for this team to compete.
2018 Outlook:
The Green Wave will pretty much put out a brand new team in 2018 with almost everyone gone from the lineup and rotation. This will be a transition year for Tulane.
UCONN (2017 Record: 33-25, 14-10)
The Huskies had a very solid 2017 season, but they went 1-4 against Houston, including two losses in the AAC Tournament. They hope to build on last season and continue their upward trend.
Lineup:
The leader of the lineup will be catcher Zac Susi. He hit .286 last year with 23 runs scored, 2 home runs and 40 RBI. Shortstop Anthony Prato also returns after hitting .304 a year ago with 50 runs scored, 10 doubles, 1 home run, 33 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Outfielder John Toppa hit .267 as a freshman last year, while outfielder Isaac Feldstein led the team with 7 home runs and 43 RBI. Although this lineup losses it’s top hitter from a year ago, there is a solid group coming back.
Pitching:
The starting rotation will be led by Tim Cate. He posted a 3.33 ERA last year in 75.2 innings pitched with 102 strikeouts. Mason Feole should return to the rotation after posting a 3.38 ERA as a freshman with 75 strikeouts in 82.2 innings pitched. Sam Nepiarsky had a team-low 1.75 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched with 29 strikeouts. P.J. Poulin had a solid freshman season with a 3.28 ERA in 35.2 innings pitched with 29 strikeouts. He also had a great summer in the Cape Cod League with a 1.27 ERA in 17 appearances. Even though they lost two key underclassman to the MLB Draft last year, this pitching staff is shaping up to be a very good one.
2018 Outlook:
I think there is a great opportunity here for UCONN to have a special season. They have two players that are in our top 100, and return a lot of key players from a 33-win team.
Wichita State (2017 Record: 28-30, 10-11)
Wichita State played a very difficult out-of-conference schedule in 2017 and didn’t do very well going 0-6 against LSU and Texas Tech. They finished with a losing record in the Missouri Valley Conference and then went 1-2 in the MVC Tournament. Now they move to the AAC were the competition will be even tougher.
Lineup:
First baseman Greyson Jenista begins the season as one of the top college bats in the country after being named the Cape Cop League MVP hitting .310 with 24 runs scored and 3 home runs. In 2017 for the Shockers he led them with a .320 average and 45 runs scored to go along with 14 doubles, 9 home runs and 41 RBI. Third baseman Alec Bohm also had a great summer in the Cape Cod League hitting .351 with 10 doubles, 5 home runs and 28 RBI. This past spring he was second on the team with a .305 average and led the team with 11 home runs to go along with 44 runs scored and 40 RBI. Shortstop Trey Vickers is back after hitting .296 last year with 36 runs scored, 4 home runs and 32 RBI. Second baseman Jordan Boyer led the team with 42 RBI in 2017. Despite moving to the AAC, this Wichita State lineup should be one of the best in the conference.
Pitching:
Adam Keller is the only pitcher coming back from last year’s team that had an ERA under four. He posted a 3.86 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched with 30 strikeouts. Connor Lungwitz had an ERA of 4.00 in 27 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts. Tommy Barnhouse and Cody Tyler made eight and 11 starts respectively last year, but they both had an ERA over six.
2018 Outlook:
This team should be very explosive on offense in 2018, but several guys will need to step up in the pitching staff for this team to compete.
2018 All-AAC Preseason Team
C: Zac Susi (UCONN)
1B: Rylan Thomas (UCF)
2B: Matthew Mika (UCF)
SS: Trey Vickers (Wichita State
3B: Alec Bohm (Wichita State)
OF: Greyson Jenista (Wichita State)
OF: Tyler Webb (Memphis)
OF: Grant Witherspoon (Tulane)
DH: Joe Davis (Houston)
SP: Shane McClanahan (South Florida)
SP: Trey Cumbie (Houston)
SP: Tim Cate (UCONN)
SP: Joe Sheridan (UCF)
SP: Jon Bowlan (Memphis)
RP: Bryce Tucker (UCF)
RP: Andrew Perez (South Florida)
RP: Aaron Fletcher (Houston)
Honorable Mention:
1B – Spencer Brickhouse (ECU)
SS – Alec Trela (Memphis)
SS – Turner Brown (ECU)
SS – Anthony Prato (UCONN)
3B – David Villar (South Florida)
OF – Dwanya Williams-Sutton (ECU)
OF – A.J. Bumpass (Cincinnati)
DH – Alec Burleson (ECU)
DH – Chandler Jenkins (ECU)
SP – Trey Benton (ECU)
SP – Peter Strzelecki (South Florida)
Predicted Order to Finish:
- South Florida
- Houston
- UCONN
- UCF
- East Carolina
- Wichita State
- Cincinnati
- Memphis
- Tulane
