Last year was a very solid season for the Atlantic Sun Conference. Had FGCU not come back and won the conference tournament I think it would have been a 2-bid league. This year I think Stetson could earn an at-large bid, opening up the possibility of being a two-bid league again.
Florida Gulf Coast (2017 Record: 43-20, 13-8)
FGCU made a lot of noise early in the 2017 season with wins over Florida, Florida State, Miami and South Florida. They lost their second game in the Atlantic Sun Tournament, but came back from the loser’s bracket and beat one seeded Jacksonville twice to claim the title. They moved on to the Chapel Hill Regional where they beat Michigan, but then lost to Davidson (a 1-run game) and North Carolina.
Lineup:
Outfielder Gage Morey is back after hitting .289 with 45 runs scored, 2 home runs, 24 RBI and a team-high 11 stolen bases. Third baseman Richie Garcia hit .279 a year ago with 34 runs scored, 6 home runs and 37 RBI. Outfielder Marc Coffers also hit .279 last year to go along with 35 runs scored, 5 home runs, 22 RBI and 7 stolen bases. Catcher Alex Brait hit .296 in just 108 at-bats as a freshman. Another catcher, Spencer Levine, hit .284 last year with 31 runs scored, 13 doubles, 5 home runs and 38 RBI. Outfielder Eli Lovell will be back for his senior season after hitting .283 a year ago with 42 runs scored, 15 doubles, 6 home runs and 40 RBI. There is no doubt this team will miss Julio Gonzalez and Nick Rivera – their top two hitters from 2017 – but pretty much everyone else is back in this lineup.
Pitching:
The big loss will be Kutter Crawford who left after his junior season after being selected in the MLB Draft. He had a 1.71 ERA in 84 innings pitched last year with 99 strikeouts. Josh Dye is back though and should lead the weekend rotation. He posted a 3.23 ERA last year in 94.2 innings pitched with 76 strikeouts. Peyton Gray could get a shot in the weekend rotation after starting nine games a year ago with a 4.93 ERA in 65.2 innings pitched with 64 strikeouts. Kenton Hering should return as the team’s closer after posting a 1.96 ERA last year in 59.2 innings pitched with 77 strikeouts. He did make one start last year, so there is a chance he jumps into the starting rotation, but he is quite the weapon out of the bullpen. Mario Leon made nine starts last year and struck out 67 batters in 59.1 innings pitched with a 4.70 ERA.
2018 Outlook:
While this team loses its two best hitters from 2017 and it’s best starting pitcher, there is enough talent coming back for them to repeat as Atlantic Sun champions.
Jacksonville (2017 Record: 36-24, 16-5)
It was a great regular season for Jacksonville as they won 36 games and finished the regular season with the best record in the Atlantic Sun. However, after breezing through the first three games of the Atlantic Sun Baseball Tournament, they lost back-to-back games to FGCU, missing out on the NCAA Tournament.
Lineup:
There is a lot coming back to this lineup starting with third baseman Sam Armstrong who led the team with 10 home runs to go along with 41 RBI, 35 runs scored and a .268 average. At the other corner infield spot, Angel Camacho returns after hitting .299 with 34 runs scored, 6 home runs and 34 RBI. Scott Dubrule and Dakota Julylia form out the infield at second base and shortstop respectively. Dubrule hit .281 last year as a freshman with 38 runs scored, while Julylia hit .232 with 26 runs scored. Newcomer Duncan Hunter should get a shot to start in the outfield.
Pitching:
Chris Gau is the leading returning in innings pitched after throwing 75 a year ago with 68 strikeouts and a 3.96 ERA. Matt Meyer had a 2.02 ERA in 40 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts. Spencer Stockton posted a 2.33 ERA in 38.2 innings pitched with 41 strikeouts. Mike Cassala is a right-handed pitcher and catcher who should also have a big impact in 2018. A couple of newcomers who could have an immediate impact this season are RHP Trent Palmer, RHP Chris Mauloni and RHP Austin Temple.
2018 Outlook:
“(We need to improve in) all areas of the game, however, our biggest challenge will be improving on our consistency throughout the entire year.” – Head Coach Chris Hayes
Kennesaw State (2017 Record: 25-32, 10-11)
This team did not have a typical Kennesaw State season in 2017 finishing with a losing conference record. They did win their first two games in the Atlantic Sun Tournament, but then lost to Jacksonville and FGCU.
Lineup:
Second baseman Grant Williams returns for his senior season after a great summer in the Cape Cod League where he hit .326 in 135 at-bats with 22 runs scored and 7 doubles. Over his three-year career at Kennesaw State he has a .299 average and .364 on-base-percentage. Forrest Bramlett should receive a lot of at-bats after registering 10 doubles and 7 home runs last year. He’ll play catcher and DH. Outfielder Taylor Allum hit .319 last year with 41 runs scored, 15 home runs and 46 RBI. Outfielders Garrett Hodges and Terence Norman both hit .318 in limited playing time last year. Senior catcher Griffin Helms hit .296 last year with 32 runs scored, 9 doubles, 4 home runs, 27 RBI and 7 stolen bases. Just like FGCU, this team loses its top two hitters from 2017, but have plenty of key contributors coming back to be good offensively.
Pitching:
AJ Moore is hoping to bounce back from a porous 2017 season in which he posted a 6.12 ERA in 72 innings pitched with 58 strikeouts after having a 4.48 ERA in 2016. He will certainly need to step up as Kennesaw State loses its two best pitchers from 2017 and a host of other innings.
2018 Outlook:
This team should be fine offensively, but they’ll need several players on the pitching staff to have breakout seasons for this team to compete.
Lipscomb (2017 Record: 28-28, 9-12)
Last year was a disappointing season for Lipscomb as they stumbled down the stretch losing seven of their last eight regular season games before going 1-2 in the ASUN Baseball Tournament.
Lineup:
Third baseman Zeke Dodson is back after leading the team with a .309 average in 2017 to go along with 39 runs scored, 2 home runs and 37 RBI. First baseman Cade Sorrells led the team with 42 RBI, while also hitting .298 with 32 runs scored and 3 home runs. Catcher Jeffrey Crisan hit .294 in 102 at-bats last year and should return behind the plate. Jake Perry hit .279 with 7 home runs and 37 RBI last year. At shortstop Blake Thomas is back after hitting .273 with 29 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. Lee Solomon, Tevin Symonette and Von Watson also return after receiving significant playing time in 2017.
Pitching:
Lipscomb loses its top three pitchers from last year, but returns senior Dayton Tripp who had a 5.31 ERA in 61 innings pitched with 30 strikeouts. Kyle Kemp struck out 43 batters in 37.2 innings pitched last year with a 5.02 ERA. Nico Ortega had a 4.89 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts. Transfer Joshua Colon had a 3.28 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 49.1 innings for Western Oklahoma State College last year. Another junior college transfer, Chris Kachmar, struck out 48 batters in 57 innings with a 3.79 ERA. Robbie Knox is another junior college transfer who should help solidify the pitching staff. At Chipola College in 2017 he had an ERA of 3.29 in 41 innings with 43 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
Head coach Jeff Forehand said that one of their biggest challenges in 2018 will be “replacing one and two starters taken as juniors in MLB Draft, and leadoff hitter and center fielder Michael Gigliotti who was drafted in fourth round by Royals.”
New Jersey Tech (2017 Record: 9-40, 2-19)
It was a tough season for NJIT winning just two conference games, but there is reason to have hope for the upcoming season.
Lineup:
Junior center fielder Mike Anastasia is back after leading the ASUN in hitting with a .373 average to go along with 21 runs scored, 29 RBI and 7 stolen bases. Head coach Brian Guiliana also noted that Anastasia is a plus runner with an above average arm in the outfield. Jesse Uttendorfer will also play in the outfield. Despite suffering a hamate bone injury last year he hit .277 with 4 home runs, 33 runs scored, 22 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Another outfielder, Matt Coccidiferro, hit .277 last year with 28 runs scored and 4 home runs. Coach Guiliana mentioned that he expects shortstop Justin Etts to have a great season in 2018 after hitting .288 with 27 runs scored, 3 home runs and 31 RBI last year. Second baseman Tom Brady hit .400 in conference play last year. Freshman catchers Bryce Short and Paul Franzoni looked good in the fall according to coach Guiliana and could split catching duties. Freshman infielders David and Julio Marcano have a chance to get some playing time, as well as freshman first baseman Nick Hussey.
Pitching:
Redshirt junior Sean Lubreski is back after missing all of last season with an injury. In 2016 he started 14 games for NJIT. Coach Guiliana expects him to be their number one starter in 2018. Sophomore Tyler Staffinger should have a chance at starting too after leading the team with a 4.13 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched last year with 30 strikeouts. Coach mentioned that both Andres Fernandez and John Saviano looked good in the fall.
2018 Outlook:
“Our energy and effort is great, the guys are inspiring to watch. We need to relax and have the same excitement and effort in crunch time (e.g., making the routine plays in big situations). We need to pitch more effectively this season to win. I need to do a better job as a coach putting the team in better situations to win.” – Head Coach Brian Guiliana
North Florida (2017 Record: 33-24, 12-9)
North Florida had a very solid 2017 season finishing with the fourth best record in the conference. But they went two-and-out in the Atlantic Sun Tournament and saw their season cut short.
Lineup:
They lose five of their top six hitters from 2017. Chris Berry is the lone person among those six to return. The second baseman hit .310 with 21 runs scored, 6 doubles, 3 home runs and 32 RBI. Outfielder Wesley Weeks hit .267 last year with 28 runs scored, 10 doubles, 2 home runs, 21 RBI and 11 stolen bases. Catcher Blake Voyles and infielder Mac Wilson are expected to take on bigger roles in 2018.
Pitching:
This team does return its best starting pitcher from last year in Frank German. He posted a 2.43 ERA in 81.1 innings pitched last year with 76 strikeouts. Austin Drury also comes back after posting a 3.03 ERA in 74.1 innings pitched with 61 strikeouts. Cooper Bradford could join the weekend rotation as well after having a 2.79 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched (9 starts) last year with 53 strikeouts. Brad Depperman could get another shot in the rotation after starting eight games last year with a 5.57 ERA in 53.1 innings pitched with 42 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
Even though this team loses a lot of production from the lineup, they could have one of the best starting pitching rotations in the conference. They’ll need to add some depth in the bullpen to fill out the pitching staff, but if they find some offense this team could be good again in 2018.
USC Upstate (2017 Record: 24-31, 7-14)
It was a difficult year for USC Upstate in 2017 as they won just seven conference games and failed to reach the Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament.
Lineup:
“We have a number of players returning that we hope will have a positive impact on our efforts to improve in ASUN play,” said Head Coach Matt Fincher. “One of the strengths of our team will need to be the offense we receive from our outfielders. JJ Shimko, Russell Schwertfeger and Pat Raiff all return and will be seniors. We also hope to play Devon Ortiz in center field at some point. Jake Bourke will be a sophomore this year and will start at shortstop. He should be improved over a year ago and will be a big part of our infield. Charlie Carpenter was drafted by the Braves last June and has returned for his senior season. He will spend much of his time as our catcher, but could play first base and DH as well. He was an All-Conference catcher a year ago and second team All-Region.”
Carpenter hit .357 with 38 runs scored, 11 home runs and 46 RBI last year. Shimko batted .300 with 37 runs scored, 2 home runs, 35 RBI and 7 stolen bases; Schwertfeger hit .278 with 33 runs scored, 2 home runs, 28 RBI and 12 stolen bases; Raiff hit .323 with 19 runs scored, 2 home runs and 17 RBI in just 96 at-bats. Ortiz hit .291 in 213 at-bats with a team-high 41 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. Junior college transfer Andres Kim could get the start at second base after being an All-American at Pasadena Community College. Infielder Kyle Gensler had a good fall and could see some playing time as a freshman. Coach said Will Hardigree and Austin Morgan could both see time at catcher, as well as on the mound.
Pitching:
Blake Whitney led the team with 73.2 innings pitched last year and 82 strikeouts, while putting up an ERA of 5.50. Kevin Hickey had a 4.73 ERA in 70.1 innings pitched last year with 48 strikeouts, and Trey Van Der Weide posted a 6.06 ERA in 35.2 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts. Junior college transfers Jacob Thiessen and Caleb Matthews should also be a big part of the pitching staff in 2018. Coach said freshman Jordan Marks should also get plenty of playing time.
2018 Outlook:
The biggest need for improvement resides in our pitching staff. We have to do a better job of keeping hitters off balance and off the bases. Conjunctively, I am hopeful our defense will improve and provide more assistance to the pitchers.” – Head Coach Matt Fincher
Stetson (2017 Record: 27-29, 15-6)
Stetson had one of the best pitching staffs in the country last year, as well as one of the best pitchers in the country, but struggled in non-conference play and failed to reach the postseason. They did finish second in the ASUN standings, but went two-and-out in the ASUN Baseball Tournament.
Lineup:
Center fielder Jacob Koos returns after leading the team with a .317 average in 2017 with 50 runs scored and 23 stolen bases. Assistant Baseball Coach Dave Therneau said he is a guy that can really run and play defense, and is a potential pro guy. Austin Hale returns at catcher, while Jorge Arenas will be back at shortstop. First baseman Mike Spooner hit .303 last year with 5 home runs and 43 RBI, and Jack Gonzalez hit .298 with 6 home runs. Junior college transfer Baylen Sparks should start at a corner infield spot and hit in the middle of the lineup. He hit .390 last year and only struck out nine times. Freshman catcher Nick Cardieri could get some playing time as well, and coach Therneau said he should be really good.
Pitching:
Coming back as one of the best pitchers in the country is junior right-handed pitcher Logan Gilbert. Last year he was 10-0 with a 2.02 ERA in 89 innings pitched with 107 strikeouts. He was the ASUN Pitcher of the Year, and won several other awards. But Stetson also returns Jack Perkins and Brooks Wilson who also struck out over 100 batters last season. Perkins had a 2.71 ERA in 99.2 innings pitched with 108 strikeouts, while Wilson had a 3.01 ERA in 107.2 innings pitched with a team-high 127 strikeouts. You may not find a better starting rotation in the country in 2018. Coach Therneau said junior college transfer Jeremy Orbik had a plus breaking ball and will be a contributor out of the bullpen.
2018 Outlook:
“We pitched well and played pretty good defense last year for the most part, and we are returning with some additional depth in those areas. Our biggest improvement needs to be offensively and run production.” – Assistant Baseball Coach Dave Therneau
2018 All-Atlantic Sun Preseason Team
C: Charlie Carpenter (USC Upstate)
1B: Mike Spooner (Stetson)
2B: Grant Williams (Kennesaw State)
SS: Justin Etts (NJIT)
3B: Zeke Dodson (Lipscomb)
OF: Eli Lovell (Florida Gulf Coast)
OF: Jacob Koos (Stetson)
OF: Taylor Allum (Kennesaw State)
DH: Sam Armstrong (Jacksonville)
SP: Blake Whitney (USC Upstate)
SP: Logan Gilbert (Stetson)
SP: Jack Perkins (Stetson)
SP: Josh Dye (Florida Gulf Coast)
SP: Frank German (North Florida)
RP: Brooks Wilson (Stetson)
RP: Kenton Hering (Florida Gulf Coast)
RP: Spencer Stockton (Jacksonville)
Honorable Mention:
SP: Austin Drury (North Florida)
1B: Cade Sorrells (Lipscomb)
1B: Angel Camacho (Jacksonville)
OF: Mike Anastasia (NJIT)
DH: Jake Perry (Lipscomb)
SP: Chris Gau (Jacksonville)
Predicted Order to Finish:
- Stetson
- FGCU
- Jacksonville
- North Florida
- USC Upstate
- Kennesaw State
- Lipscomb
- NJIT
