East Tennessee State (2018 Record: 28-25, 11-13)
ETSU had a decent season highlighted by a couple of wins over in-state foe Tennessee. They went 1-2 in the SoCon Tournament.
Returning Players
Outfielder David Beam will be back after a solid freshman season in which he hit .283 in just 112 at-bats. Infielder Cullen Smith will also return after hitting .295 last year with 32 runs scored. Catcher Jackson Greer is expected to take on a bigger role in the offense after hitting .235 in 2018 with 9 home runs.
Micah Kaczor should be back in the weekend rotation after posting a 5.01 ERA in 2018 over 82.2 innings pitched with 75 strikeouts. James Giambalvo was great out of the bullpen last year with a 3.38 ERA in 37.1 innings pitched with 38 strikeouts and 6 saves. Daniel Sweeney made nine starts last year and could step up in the weekend rotation.
Newcomers
Jake Lyle (INF) and Tyler Cox (OF) are both transfer players who could help give the lineup a boost in 2019.
Freshman right-handed pitchers Joseph Acosta and Nate Tate will have a chance to earn some big innings right away. Hooper Mills (LHP) and Landon Knack (RHP/DH) are both transfers that will add some depth to the pitching staff.
Outlook for 2019
ETSU struggled on the mound in 2018. They hope to find some guys who can eat innings and give them more consistency on the mound, while giving them a chance to win. They also hope to continue to play good defense, and they want to have an offense that can score in a variety of ways.
Furman (2018 Record: 24-28, 9-12)
The 2018 season was highlighted by a win over South Carolina as they finished just seventh in the conference and went 0-2 in the SoCon Tournament.
Returning Players
Third baseman Jake Crawford hit .276 last year with 32 runs scored, 5 home runs, and 24 RBI. Shortstop Bret Huebner hit .293 last season with 36 runs scored. Outfielder Jabari Richards hit .255 in 2018 with 6 home runs, 31 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.
Nik Verbeke should be back in the weekend rotation after posting a 4.50 ERA last year in 68 innings pitched with 47 strikeouts. John Michael Bertrand and Matt Lazzaro both started several games last year and will key parts of the pitching staff coming back.
Outlook for 2019
The offense is set to take a step back after losing their best two hitters by far from 2018. They also lose two of their better pitchers from last year, but should have plenty of depth in the rotation.
Mercer (2018 Record: 38-22, 11-13)
It was an unusual 2018 season for Mercer as they dominated their out-of-conference competition, including wins over Georgia Tech and Flordia, but they struggled in conference finishing fifth. They did make a run in the SoCon Tournament but lost in the finals.
Returning Players
Shortstop RJ Yeager had an outstanding freshman season hitting .324 with 53 runs scored, 12 doubles, 6 home runs, and 42 RBI. Le Bassett also had a great freshman season in 2018 hitting .282 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI. First baseman Brandon Michie is also back after hitting .388 a season ago with 37 runs scored, 12 doubles, 8 home runs, and 43 RBI.
They lose their top four pitchers from last season in terms of innings pitched. Nick Spear does return as the team’s closer after posting a 3.52 ERA last season in 38.1 innings pitched with 60 strikeouts and 5 saves. Zach Graveno, Sawyer Gipson-Long, and Kevin Coulter all made starts last year and will likely need to step up in the rotation.
Outlook for 2019
The offense should be very solid once again with Yeager, Bassett, and Michie in the middle of the lineup. If they can get some arms to step up in the starting rotation, they could compete at the top of the conference.
Samford (2018 Record: 37-26, 16-8)
The Bulldogs had a very successful 2018 season with wins over three ranked teams (UCF, Auburn, and Florida State). They entered the SoCon Tournament as the two seed and breezed through the competition for the title.
Returning Players
Head Coach Casey Dunn said that, “Anthony Mulrine (C) is the key to our pitching staff. His ability to control the game behind the plate is a big plus for our staff. Braden Fryman (SS) anchors our infield from a defensive standpoint.”
Mulrine also hit .307 last year with 34 runs scored, 8 home runs, and 49 RBI, while Fryman hit .262 with 44 runs scored and 25 stolen bases. Brooks Carlson led the team with a .343 average last year to go along with 48 runs scored, 16 doubles, 10 home runs, and 47 RBI.
Samuel Strickland should lead the weekend rotation after posting a 2.33 ERA in 2018 over 81 innings with 87 strikeouts. Jack Rude posted a 3.29 ERA in 38.1 innings pitched with 41 strikeouts.
Newcomers
“Sonny Dichiara and Preston Moore should play first and third for us and have a chance to provide some power at the plate. Preston is a solid defender at third and had a really solid fall. Sonny has a chance to be an impact bat as a freshman.” – Coach Dunn
Outlook for 2019
“The two areas of focus from an improvement standpoint this fall was overall team defense and more consistent approaches at the plate offensively. We lost some quality arms on our pitching staff from last season, and will need to improve on defense to support a staff that does not have as much swing and miss stuff.” — Coach Dunn
The Citadel (2018 Record: 19-34, 8-16)
The Citadel played a tough schedule to start the season but had some quality wins over UConn and South Carolina. They finished eighth in the SoCon and lost the play-in game for the conference tournament 6-5.
Returning Players
Outfielder Jeffery Brown hit .325 a season ago with 30 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. Catcher Bryce Leasure returns behind the plate with a strong arm. He also hit .297 in 2018 with 10 stolen bases and 24 runs scored. Also a wide receiver on the football team, Ryan McCarthy will roam the outfield in 2019 after hitting .262 a year ago with a pair of home runs. Ben Peden returns after leading the team with 35 RBI last season.
Jordan Merrit could be the team’s Friday night starter after making eight starts last season with 39 strikeouts in 52.2 innings pitched. Jordan Buster should get a shot to be the team’s closer after posting a 4.43 ERA in 2018 over 40.2 innings with 59 strikeouts and 3 saves. Ian Foggo figures to be a big part of the pitching staff as well.
Newcomers
INF – Tilo Skole – coaches son who has a strong understanding of the game. Can handle the bat in the small game. Redshirted in 2018
INF – Tyler Corbitt – emerged from the fall as the top contender at second base. Can handle the bat and brings some speed.
C – Tater Goodson – brings a strong bat to the team. Will serve as the backup catcher and could see time at DH
LHP/INF – Ches Goodman – a two-way player that could see time on the mound and at first base. Rare player who throws left, but bats right.
- Notes provided by The Citadel Athletics Department
Outlook for 2019
“The team will see an overall improvement in all areas. Second-year head coach Tony Skole is continuing to instill his style of play and has more of his style of players in the system. The team still has some holes to fill heading into the season, but an improved offense could help with some of the younger players that will be in the infield. The pitching staff has several pitchers who have plenty of experience and will need to show up this season to get this team back to its winning ways.” — Quote provided by The Citadel Athletics Department
UNC Greensboro (2018 Record: 39-15, 18-3)
UNCG racked up the wins in 2018, including wins over Tennessee and Wake Forest, but they fell short in the SoCon Tournament and were left out of the postseason despite losing only three conference games.
Returning Players
Third baseman Caleb Webster hit .380 last year with 51 runs scored, 3 home runs, and 37 RBI. Second baseman Austin Embler hit .357 with 57 runs scored, 2 home runs, and 32 RBI. Josh Madole hit .262 last year while playing first base and will need to setup in 2019. Infielder Greg Hardison hit.307 in limited playing time last year and is expected to take on a bigger role. Ryan Caveness hit .294 in just 51 at-bats last year and could take over behind the plate in 2019.
UNCG is hoping Chad Sykes is ready to go in 2019 after sitting out last season. He could be a huge, veteran boost to the pitching staff as a redshirt senior. Jake Lewis had a 4.25 ERA last year in 55 innings pitched with 57 strikeouts.
Newcomers
Zack Budzik and Mike Ferrara are both freshman infielders who could see playing time right away. Jacquez Koonce and David Flores are both transfer players who will compete for playing time in the outfield.
Phillip Sanderson and Corey Jackson are both transfers who will look to add some much-needed depth to the pitching staff this season.
Outlook for 2019
UNCG is losing a lot of experience from the lineup, starting pitching, and bullpen. They will rely on a lot of newcomers to till those holes left by players who were drafted or graduated. They are hoping those players will learn quickly through in-game experience. Ultimately, the coaching staff feels they have a good mix of power, speed, and athleticism that will help this team growing during the season.
VMI (2018 Record: 26-27, 12-12)
VMI got out to a good start in 2018 with wins over South Carolina and Virginia. Later in the year they also beat Virginia Tech. However, they went 0-2 in the SoCon Tournament.
Returning Players
Jake Huggins will try to lead the offense as a senior after hitting .280 last year with 4 home runs and 31 RBI. He’ll play both corner infield positions. Infielder Callen Nuccio hit .313 in just 20 games as a freshman in 2018.
Zak Kent should be back as weekend starter after posting a 5.88 ERA in 2018 over 75 innings with 81 strikeouts. Derek Tremblay was solid out of the bullpen last year with a 5.86 ERA in 27.2 innings pitched with 16 strikeouts.
Newcomers
Jacob Menders is a transfer who has a chance to be a starter for VMI in 2018, as does freshman Zach Sanders. Adam Jewell is a freshman pitcher who will pick up some big innings out of the bullpen.
Outlook for 2019
VMI hopes to continue producing well offensively as they did in 2018 when they hit .284 as a team. They also believe they will be a lot better on the mound this year despite losing a lot of innings from last year’s team.
Western Carolina (2018 Record: 11-47, 5-19)
Western Carolina finished the regular season last in the conference, but won the play-in game 6-5 over The Citadel. They continued that momentum first round win over number one seeded UNC Greensboro. They are hoping to build on that success in 2019.
Returning Players
They return six positions players from last season and all three weekend starters.
Justice Bigbie hit .324 last year as a freshman with 28 runs scored, 5 home runs and 46 RBI while playing outfield and third base. Andrew Bullock should be back on the infield this year after missing most of 2018 with an injury. He will give the lineup some much-needed pop. Justin Sparks hit .304 in 2018 with 33 RBI and could see time behind the plate and on the infield. Center fielder Bryson Parks played well at times as a freshman last year, but he has lightning speed.
Taylor Purus and Chase Walter should be back in the weekend rotation after starting 15 and 14 games respectively in 2018. Purus struck out 100 batters in 90.1 innings pitched, while Walter fanned 74 in 85.2 innings.
Newcomers
Daylan Nanny is a transfer who brings some experience and speed to the outfield. Ty McCulloch and Jack Snyder are both transfers who will come in add some depth to the pitching side.
Outlook for 2019
The 2018 season was not pretty for Western Carolina, but they’re hoping to build off some of the success they had in the SoCon Tournament. Timely scoring will be a key for this team in 2019 – answering scores by other teams, and creating more big innings. On the flip side, they need more shutdown innings from the pitching staff when they do score runs.
Wofford (2018 Record: 36-23, 15-9)
Wofford had a really solid 2018 season with 36 overall wins. They won their first game in the SoCon Tournament as the three seed, but then lost to the two and one seeds respectively.
Returning Player
Center fielder Colin Davis hit .303 last year with 44 runs scored, 17 doubles, 13 home runs, 45 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. Catcher Lawson Hill hit .277 in 2018 in just 47 games.
Austin Higginbotham will lead the weekend rotation after posting a 4.50 ERA last year in 102 innings pitched with 74 strikeouts. Anthony Garcia could be the team’s closer after posting a 3.81 ERA in 2018 over 56.2 innings pitched with 51 strikeouts.
Newcomers
Hudson Byorick is a JUCO transfer who has a chance to earn a spot in the outfield, while freshman left-handed pitcher Hayes Heinecke could be a weekend starter.
Outlook for 2019
The bullpen will be a major concern for Wofford in 2019, and the coaching staff hopes to have some guys step up in that area. They feel really good about their defense, but need some of those players to take a step forward offensively.
2019 All-SoCon Preseason Team
C: Anthony Mulrine (Samford)
1B: Brandon Michie (Mercer)
2B: Austin Embler (UNCG)
SS: RJ Yeager (Mercer)
3B: Caleb Webster (UNCG)
OF: Jabari Richards (Furman)
OF: Colin Davis (Wofford)
OF: Jeffery Brown (Citadel)
DH: Le Bassett (Mercer)
SP: Austin Higginbotham (Wofford)
SP: Samuel Strickland (Samford)
SP: Chase Walter (Western Carolina)
SP: Taylor Purus (Western Carolina)
RP: Nick Spear (Mercer)
RP: Jordan Buster (Citadel)
RP: James Giambalvo (ETSU)
Honorable Mention:
1B – Jake Huggins (VMI)
2B – Cullen Smith (ETSU)
DH – Justice Bigbie (Western Carolina)
DH – Brooks Carlson (Samford)
Predicted Order to Finish:
1. Samford
2. UNCG
3. Wofford
4. Mercer
5. VMI
6. ETSU
7. Western Carolina
8. Furman
9. The Citadel
