Eagles Open at Augusta State Sunday
Jan. 31, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - After reaching the NCAA Tournament in his third season at Mossy Creek, Eagle head baseball coach Tom Griffin will rely on a deep pitching staff and defense in 2009 as C-N shoots for back-to-back tournaments berths.
The Eagles open their 2009 season this weekend with a three-game series at Augusta State University. C-N will play a noon doubleheader on Sunday and a single game Monday at 2 p.m. All games will be played at Lake Olmstead Stadium in Augusta, Ga.
For the Eagles to match their '08 school-record of 43 wins, they will have to find a way to replace a senior class that had 300 hits, 200 runs, and an 11-1 All-American starter in last season's lineup.
"We have some holes to fill," Head Coach Tom Griffin said, heading into his opening weekend. "We need to find a "go-to" guy on the mound, but our chemistry and attitudes are good."
C-N begins the year with five All-SAC preseason selections, including two first-team selections.
First baseman Derek Long (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and outfielder Tyler Wynn (LaGrange, Ga.) are both first-teamers. Long batted .352 as a sophomore, finishing with eight doubles and two home runs. Wynn hit .358 with 13 doubles and five home runs. Both were red-hot as the season ended in the NCAA Tournament.
"Wynn is one of our team leaders, and makes us more aggressive as a team," Griffin said of his All-SAC outfielder. "Derek is one of the key bats in our lineup, and has to be a producer for us."
Shortstop Mills Rogers (Simpsonville, S.C.), pitcher Wes McIntyre (Chattanooga, Tenn.), and reliever Corbin Ariail (Elgin, S.C.) were all picked to the second team.
Rogers, who will likely hit in the middle of the C-N lineup, joins Long as the only returning starter on the Eagle infield. He batted .286 last season with nine doubles and three home runs.
Sophomore Wesley Dozier (Cornelious, N.C.) is the favorite to fill the vacancy at third base, while a group of first year players, Rory Elliott (Jefferson City, Tenn.), Aaron Vargas (Oak Ridge, Tenn.), Zach Long (Jefferson City, Tenn.), and Robbie Thigpen (St. Petersburg, Fla.), will all compete for start on the infield.
"That group is built on speed and defense," Griffin said. "They can all play any position and will give us good depth. Vargas has a great glove and instincts at second base, while you can move the others across the field and still get consistency."
Wynn will likely patrol right field, while sophomore Cody Nix (Cartersville, Ga.) is the projected starter in centerfield. Junior Corey Lamson (Gray, Tenn.), sophomore Evan Patterson (Knoxville, Tenn.), and senior Tyler Kitts (Knoxville, Tenn.) will all factor into an outfield rotation built on speed, athleticism, and strong arms. Lamson led the group surrounding Wynn with 10 extra-base hits last season. Zach Long could also see starts in the outfield.
Junior Cory Harless (Knoxville, Tenn.) is C-N's only returning catcher and manages games well. He finished '08 with a pair of doubles at the plate. Freshmen Mason Guymon (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) and Antonio Nickel (Naples, Fla.), who could hit in the middle of the Eagles lineup, are both capable freshmen ready to handle the starting role.
The depth of the Eagles' pitching staff could be the strength of the team.
Ariail will move from the bullpen, and take the role as C-N's No. 1 starter heading into the season's opening weekend. He was 3-5 in 24 appearances in last season, with a 3.27 ERA.
McIntrye, 6-2 a year ago, and senior Justin Higdon (Ooltewah, Tenn.) could complete the Eagles weekend rotation, but a number of newcomers will factor into the mix. Junior college transfers D.J. Ferguson (Jupiter, Fla.), Ryan Hendrickson (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), along with Thigpen, a true freshman, will all get starts.
The Eagles bullpen could feature as many as nine arms on a regular basis, led by returners Jacob Lambert (Kettle River, Minn.), Jake McDonald (Shelbyville, Ky.), and Michael Elliott (Chattanooga, Tenn.). Both Elliott and Lambert were 4-0 last season.
"We'll have a deep staff," Griffin said. "It won't be unusual to throw three or four guys in a game."
Junior Ryan Jordan (Abingdon, Va.) and freshman Morgan Gregory (Nashville, Tenn.) will be guys Griffin turns to off the bench in pinch-hit situations.
The Eagles play their first seven games on the road, with a series at Augusta State and at Montevallo (Ala.) in each of the two opening weekends. C-N's first home series is February 14-15 against Northern Kentucky University.
Carson-Newman will host rivals Catawba and Tusculum in South Atlantic Conference action later in the season.
