The committee was not kind to Conference USA last year as they only put two teams into the NCAA Tournament, even though I thought at least four deserved to be there. They were ranked as the sixth best conference in all of college baseball. Both Southern Miss and Rice made it to the finals of their respective regionals, but neither could break through to the Super Regionals. I think those two teams will be powerhouses in this conference in 2018, while the next four-to-five teams could also earn NCAA Tournament berths.
Charlotte (2017 Record: 34-24, 18-12)
The 49ers had a very good 2017 regular season, but like a lot of other very good Conference USA teams, they were left out of the postseason. They may have had the best case with wins over Wake Forest and NC State, and two wins in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament, but alas, they didn’t make the cut.
Lineup:
Charlotte brings back several key contributors from last year’s team, including third baseman Jackson Mims, shortstop Hunter Jones and center fielder Reece Hampton. Mims hit .319 with 47 runs scored, 20 doubles, 6 home runs and 39 RBI. Jones hit .312 with 35 runs scored, while Hampton hit .264 with 31 runs scored. Drew Ober should be a big part of the lineup as well in 2018. He was hitting .354 last year before going down with an injury. Junior college transfers Tommy Bullock and Dominick Cammarata should have an immediate impact on the infield.
Pitching:
Matt Brooks was named to the All-CUSA Freshman team last year after posting a 3.14 ERA in 63 innings pitched with 58 strikeouts and 2 saves. Left-handed pitcher Josh Maciejewski had a 5.35 ERA in 77.1 innings pitched last year with 59 strikeouts. Jonah Patten saved seven games for Charlotte last year with a 4.54 ERA in 33.2 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts. How the pitching staff comes together will determine whether Charlotte is an NCAA Tournament team or not in 2018.
2018 Outlook:
“We were a ‘bubble NCAA team last year’ and look to compete for a spot in the tournament this year,” said Head Coach Loren Hibbs. “We have another challenging schedule that should be top-50 (minimum) in the country, and have 30 games in the always tough Conference USA.”
Florida Atlantic (2017 Record: 35-21-1, 18-12)
FAU finished the regular season tied with the third best record in a very good Conference USA. However, after going 2-2 in the CUSA Baseball Tournament they were left out of the NCAA Tournament for a lack of quality wins in the regular season.
Lineup:
We are obviously big on Tyler Frank as he came in at 48 on our Top 100 Countdown. Last year he led the Owls with a .336 average and 54 runs scored, while also hitting 11 home runs and driving in 43. He’ll be a top draft pick in the summer. David Miranda also returns after hitting .319 with 46 runs scored and a team-high 12 home runs and 51 RBI. Eric Rivera also returns to the outfield after hitting .256 as a freshman with 43 runs scored, 6 home runs and 31 RBI. Transfer Cody Wilson is expected to have a big impact on the lineup this year and could bat in the middle of order. Joe Montes is another transfer who could have an immediate impact on the lineup and play some third base.
Pitching:
Jake Miednik is the team’s best returning starter after posting a 4.88 ERA in 86.2 innings pitched last year with 75 strikeouts. Drew Peden was good out of the bullpen for FAU last year with a 2.97 ERA in 33.1 innings pitched with 47 strikeouts. He was also impressive this past summer with a 0.75 ERA in 24 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Zach Schneider and Vince Colette are both junior college transfers who are expected to have an immediate impact on the pitching staff.
2018 Outlook:
“The strength of this team is pitching. Not too often do you find a staff that has 13 guys that have pitched in Division I baseball games. So the strength of this team is that, and overall depth. A weakness that we have is our bench. It’s very young and inexperienced. Offensively, the team is really good 3-4-5 (Wilson, Frank, Miranda), and there’s some really nice complimentary players around them, so the starting lineup is fine, but it’s a little thin as far as bench players.” – Head Coach John McCormack
Florida International (2017 Record: 31-27, 15-15)
Despite three wins over Miami and a win over Mississippi State last year, FIU went two-and-out in the CUSA Tournament and missed out on the postseason.
Lineup:
Javier Valdes return as the team’s leading hitter after FIU lost its top three hitters from 2017. Valdes hit .287 last year with 34 runs scored, 11 doubles, 5 home runs and 36 RBI. He’ll play third base and in the outfield. Outfielder Jack Schaaf is the only other hitter returning that had over 100 at-bats last year. He hit .262 with 26 runs scored, 4 home runs, 23 RBI and 12 stolen bases. FIU has brought in a lot of talented recruits the past couple of years, and they’ll need to step up and help this offense out in 2018.
Pitching:
Tyler Myrick should be back in the weekend rotation after posting a 3.73 ERA last year in 72.1 innings pitched with 57 strikeouts. Nick MacDonlad had a 4.29 ERA in 71.1 innings pitched last year with 68 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
They had 14 signees taken in the 2017 MLB Draft. Eight of them went unsigned and should be with the team this spring. That list includes: LHP-Jerryell Rivera Gonzalez (11th round), Gabriel RodriguezOF-(11th round), SS-Abdiel Layer (13th round), RHP-Christian Santana (15th round), LHP-Logan Allen (16th round), OF-Oraj Anu (28th round), C-Jose Garcia (38th round), and LHP-Joe Sanchez (39th round). They had five signees taken in the first eight rounds, and obviously all of them signed.
The pitching staff should be very good this year, but they’ll need some help from newcomers and underclassman for the offense to come together.
Louisiana Tech (2017 Record: 36-20, 17-13)
La Tech was on the verge of earning an at-large bid last year with wins over Arkansas and Mississippi State, but they went two-and-out in the CUSA Tournament and were left out.
Lineup:
It’s hard to believe, but La Tech loses its top eight hitters from last year. Shortstop Dalton Skelton is the team’s leading returning hitter after batting .255 last year with 37 runs scored, 11 doubles, 1 home runs and 27 RBI. He’s the only returning player that had over 100 at-bats this year. It will take some time for this lineup to rebuild.
Pitching:
Kent Hasler started seven games last year and had a 3.99 ERA in 56.1 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts. Casey Sullivan had a 2.77 ERA in 26 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts. Graham Ahlrich posted a 3.19 ERA in 36.2 innings pitched with 36 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
There are a lot of key loses from last year’s team. La Tech could take a big step back in 2018 as they look to rebuild the lineup and the starting rotation.
Marshall (2017 Record: 25-29, 12-18)
It was not a great 2017 season for Marshall as they won just 12 conference games and missed out on the CUSA Tournament.
Lineup:
Outfielder Hanon Shane will be back after leading the team with a .342 average last year, while scoring 31 runs, hitting 10 doubles, 2 home runs, driving in 33 and stealing nine bases. Another outfielder, Andrew Zban, hit .254 last year with 27 runs scored, 8 home runs and 30 RBI.
Pitching:
Wade Martin should be back atop the starting rotation after posting a 4.24 ERA last year in 87 innings pitched with 77 strikeouts. Senior Will Ray had a 5.08 ERA last year in 44.1 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts and 3 saves. Joshua Shapiro posted a 5.19 ERA last year in 59 innings pitched with 50 strikeouts. Matt Reed is back after picking up 5 saves last year.
2018 Outlook:
There isn’t much coming back from an offense that wasn’t great in 2017. But almost everyone is back in the pitching staff. If those arms can take a step forward we could see a slight improvement for the Herd in 2018.
Middle Tennessee State (2017 Record: 24-31, 10-20)
Other than a win over Tennessee, it was quite the disappointing season for MTSU as they failed to make the Conference USA Baseball Tournament.
Lineup:
Aaron Aucker returns after hitting .359 last year with 38 runs scored, 10 home runs and 41 RBI. Austin Dennis hit .296 last year with 33 runs scored, 13 doubles, 6 home runs, 48 RBI and 13 stolen bases. Third baseman Drew Huff will be back after hitting .308 last year with 37 runs scored, 11 doubles, 3 home runs, 31 RBI and 7 stolen bases. And second baseman Ryan Kemp is back after leading the team with a .366 average last year to go along with 39 runs scored, 16 doubles, 8 home runs, 29 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Outfielder Blake Benefield had a very good summer and is expected to have a bounce-back type year in their lineup. MTSU expects big things from outfielder Myles Christian as a freshman after he was drafted in the 18th round of the MLB Draft, but turned it down for college ball. Junior college transfer LA Woodard will compete for a spot on the infield.
Pitching:
The pitching staff is really what held MTSU back last year with a staff ERA of 7.58 on the season. Jake Wyrick will try to bounce back from a 6.79 ERA in 63.2 innings pitched last year with 30 strikeouts. Carson Lester will try to help him out after posting an ERA over eight last year with 37 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched. Huff led the team with a 3.63 ERA last year in 17.1 innings pitched with 19 strikeouts and 3 saves. He could be the closer again in 2018. Junior college transfer Andy Rivera had a huge summer in the South Florida Collegiate League, topping out around 93 MPH. He could have a huge impact on this pitching staff. Freshman Peyton Wigginton could also log significant innings this season.
2018 Outlook:
Obviously, the key area MTSU is hoping to improve upon in 2018 is pitching. They believe with new pitching coach Caleb Longshore in the mix they will improve in quality starts, overall ERA, while developing a hungrier staff that wants to win.
Old Dominion (2017 Record: 37-21, 19-11)
Old Dominion was one of several Conference USA that were wrongly left out of the NCAA Tournament. The Monarchs won 37 games, but went just 1-2 in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament and didn’t really have a signature out-of-conference win, which is probably what kept them out.
Lineup:
Right fielder Kyle Battle hit .341 a year ago with 39 runs scored, 2 home runs and 36 RBI. First baseman Vinny Pasquantino is back after hitting .321 with 42 runs scored, 17 doubles, 5 home runs and 38 RBI. Culver Lamb is a two-way player that hit .293 with 30 runs scored, 4 home runs, 33 RBI and 6 stolen bases, while playing some left field. Bryce Windham is also expected to be a big contributor to the lineup in 2018 after hitting .235 in just 85 at-bats last year.
Pitching:
On the mound Lamb had a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts, making 13 appearances out of the bullpen. John Wilson started 12 games last year and had a 3.41 ERA in 58 innings pitched with 35 strikeouts. Craig Lopez led the team with 30 appearances last year, while posting a 4.59 ERA in 51 innings pitched with 45 strikeouts. Corey Klak posted a 3.30 ERA in 30 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
Old Dominion would love to improve their bullpen depth and overall speed in 2018.
Newcomers that could have an immediate impact are: Brian Morley, Matt Schwarz, DJ Lardge, Jim Fluke, Tommy Bell and Erik Stock.
Rice (2017 Record: 33-31, 16-14)
It was an up-and-down year for Rice as they started out 13-15 overall with a difficult out-of-conference schedule, but were also just 4-11 in conference to start. It looked like their NCAA Tournament streak was going to end, but they went 14-4 the rest of the regular season, and then had a magical run in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament to win another championship. They went 2-2 in the Baton Rouge Regional, but were ultimately eliminated by the College World Series runner-up LSU.
Lineup:
Shortstop Ford Proctor returns as one of the best players in the conference after hitting .311 last year with 58 runs scored, 19 doubles, 4 home runs and 38 RBI. Catcher Dominic DiCaprio led the team with a .366 average last year to go along with 42 runs scored, 6 home runs and 49 RBI. Rice is also hoping outfielder Ryan Chandler has a big impact on the lineup in 2018. Trei Cruz, son of Jose Cruz Jr., could have an immediate impact as a freshman at second base. Junior college transfer Braden Comeaux will most likely start at third base. Freshman Luis Aviles is a switch-hitter who could have an immediate impact on the lineup.
Pitching:
Rice is typically known for its pitching, but that wasn’t the case last year with a team ERA of 5.10, and they lose their best overall pitcher from last year in Glenn Otto. However, they do return Matt Canterino who had a great freshman year with a 4.12 ERA in 96 innings pitched with 111 strikeouts. Freshman Dane Acker had a good fall and could have an immediate impact on the pitching staff. But filling out the rotation will be key for Rice in 2018.
2018 Outlook:
The Owls did not play typical Rice baseball in 2017 giving up way too many walks and hit batters, while playing below average defense with a .964 fielding percentage. The lineup should be very solid in 2018, but the pitching staff must cut down on the free passes to compete nationally.
Southern Miss (2017 Record: 50-16, 25-5)
Last year was a phenomenal season for the Golden Eagles that saw them reach 50 wins and host an NCAA Regional. However, there must be a bitter taste in their mouth as they lost to Rice in the CUSA Tournament Championship game, and then failed to beat Mississippi State in back-to-back to games in the regionals.
Lineup:
Outfielder Matt Wallner was one of the best freshman in the country last season after hitting .336 with 56 runs scored, 14 doubles, 19 home runs and 63 RBI. He’ll be the leader of this lineup in his sophomore season. Mason Irby was second on the team last year with a .338 average to go along with 62 runs scored, 20 doubles and 40 RBI. Hunter Slater is expected to move to first base after hitting .312 last year with 58 runs scored, 10 doubles, 7 triples, 4 home runs and 39 RBI. LeeMarcus Boyd should be back at shortstop after hitting .289 last year with 48 runs scored, 18 doubles, 4 home runs, 42 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Luke Reynolds will be eligible this season after transferring from Mississippi State and should receive the start at third base. He hit .314 in the NECBL this past summer with 25 runs scored, 10 doubles, 5 home runs and 27 RBI in 118 at-bats. Jaylen Keys missed last season with an injury and could help out at multiple positions, while junior college transfer Erick Hoard could see some time in the lineup as well.
Pitching:
Nick Sandlin was one of the best relief pitchers in the country last year with a 2.38 ERA in 56.2 innings pitched with 80 strikeouts and 8 saves. Colt Smith and J.C. Keys will have a shot to move into the weekend rotation in 2018. Smith had a 3.36 ERA in 67 innings pitched last year with 43 strikeouts, while Keys had a 5.56 ERA in 55 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
Losing Taylor Braley and Kirk McCarty from the starting rotation will be tough to overcome, so Southern Miss will need some players to step up in the pitching staff. The offense should be one of the best in the country again, so if guys like Smith and Keys can step up in the rotation this will once again be a top 25 team.
UAB (2017 Record: 24-31, 9-21)
After starting the season 11-5 with a win over Georgia, the Blazers struggled the rest of the season – with injuries playing a factor – and missed out on the Conference USA Baseball Tournament.
Lineup:
Infielder Carter Pharis returns after another solid season with the Blazers in which he hit .305 with 32 runs scored, 15 doubles, 3 home runs, 30 RBI and 8 stolen bases. Another infielder, Price Visintainer, had a solid 2017 as well hitting .288 with 28 runs scored. Those two will be solid in the middle of the lineup, but they’ll need some help around them. Tyler Tolbert, another infielder, had a very good summer and could have a bigger impact on the lineup in 2018. Junior college transfer Cole Collins should have an immediate impact in the outfield. Freshman Jess Davis could also get some immediate playing time in the outfield.
Pitching:
Senior Ryan Ruggles struggled with injuries last year but still pitched 49.2 innings for UAB with 49 strikeouts, but had a 6.70 ERA. Carson Jones was really good at times last year for UAB, but ended with a 5.68 ERA in 52.1 innings pitched and 38 strikeouts. Those two should have a shot to be in the weekend rotation. Junior college transfers Ty Harris and Ryan Wesson should come in and help this pitching staff in 2018.
2018 Outlook:
The Blazers would love to be healthier in 2018. They also lost a lot of talent to the MLB Draft with Brewer Hicklen going in the seventh round and Garrett Whitlock taken in the 18th round. Both were draft eligible sophomores last year.
UT-San Antonio (2017 Record: 29-28, 15-15)
UTSA had a solid year last season with wins over Big 12 teams Texas Tech and Baylor. In the CUSA Tournament they upset top seeded Southern Miss in their first game, but then dropped the next two and were eliminated.
Lineup:
First baseman Ben Brookover hit .331 last year with 24 runs scored, 2 home runs and 32 RBI. Second baseman Bryan Arias hit .323 a year ago with 55 runs scored, 20 doubles, 11 home runs and 43 RBI. Outfielder Trent Bowles hit .306 last year with 41 runs scored, 13 doubles, 8 home runs and 37 RBI. Catcher Tony Beam hit .297 last year with 23 runs scored and 4 home runs.
Pitching:
Steven Dressler should be back in the weekend rotation after posting a 3.99 ERA last year in 67.2 innings pitched with 37 strikeouts. Derek Craft, Karan Patel and Chance Kirby are all back after throwing significant innings last year.
2018 Outlook:
There is enough coming back in the lineup to build a good offense around, but they’ll need some arms to step up in the pitching staff to compete for a CUSA title.
Western Kentucky (2017 Record: 16-39, 6-24)
There is no way to sugar coat it, 2017 was a disastrous year for Western Kentucky as they won just 16 games overall, and only six conference games. We’ll see if they can turn things around in 2018.
Lineup:
Senior outfielder Colie Currie returns after hitting .311 last year with 42 runs scored, 13 doubles, 5 home runs, 26 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Shortstop Kevin Lambert started all 55 games last year as a freshman and hit .230 with 22 runs scored, 3 home runs and 18 RBI. Steven Kraft should have a significant role in the offense after hitting .250 a year ago in limited playing time. WKU is hoping that several junior college transfers help turn this lineup around quickly. That includes outfielders Jacob Rhinesmith and Dillon Nelson, as well as catcher Colin Butkiewicz.
Pitching:
Ryan Thurston and Paul Kirkpatrick both logged over 70 innings pitched last year, but both had an ERA above six. Thurston was a strikeout machine with 93 punchouts in 77.1 innings pitched. Ben Morrison is expected to have a bigger role in the pitching staff this year. They are also counting on several junior college transfers in the pitching staff, including Troy Newell, Colby Taylor and Malcolm Grady.
2018 Outlook:
“Our club in 2018 will include 17 new players, primarily transfers, who have dramatically upgraded the talent level at WKU. We feel like this team has a chance to make some noise in Conference USA and achieve our program goals of returning to postseason play. Along with a solid group of returnees, we feel that this group is the most talented that our coaching staff has had at WKU.” – Assistant Coach Ty Megahee.
2018 All-CUSA Preseason Team:
C: Dominic DiCaprio (Rice)
1B: Vinny Pasquantino (Old Dominion)
2B: Bryan Arias (UTSA)
SS: Tyler Frank (FAU)
3B: Carter Pharis (UAB)
OF: Kyle Battle (Old Dominion)
OF: Matt Wallner (Southern Miss)
OF: Mason Irby (Southern Miss)
DH: David Miranda (FAU)
SP: Matt Brooks (Charlotte)
SP: Tyler Myrick (FIU)
SP: Wade Martin (Marshall)
SP: Matt Canterino (Rice)
SP: Steven Dressler (UTSA)
RP: Nick Sandlin (Southern Miss)
RP: Drew Peden (FAU)
RP: Drew Huff (MTSU)
Honorable Mention:
1B: Hunter Slater (Southern Miss)
2B: Ryan Kemp (MTSU)
SS: Ford Proctor (Rice)
SS: LeeMarcus Boyd (Southern Miss)
3B: Jackson Mims (Charlotte)
OF: Javier Valdes (FIU)
OF: Hanon Shane (Marshall)
OF: Kyle Battle (Old Dominion)
DH: Aaron Aucker (MTSU)
SP: Jake Miednik (FAU)
Predicted Order to Finish:
- Southern Miss
- Rice
- Charlotte
- Old Dominion
- FAU
- FIU
- UTSA
- La Tech
- MTSU
- Marshall
- UAB
- WKU
