Pitching is biggest question mark for CSUB baseball
| Friday, Jan 27 2012 11:13 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Jan 28 2012 10:51 PM
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CSUB baseball head coach Bill Kernen
CSUB assistant coach Mike Mayne explains a drill on the first day of practice for the Roadrunners.
Garrett Pierce chases down Hayden Carter at the first practice for the CSUB Roadrunners.
Kevin Younger slides under a leaping Walter Wells III at second base on the first day of practice at CSUB.
CSUB catchers are ready for the first day of practice.
CSUB assistant coach Mike Mayne getting his point across on the very first day.
A question looms as the baseball season approaches:
Can CSU Bakersfield approach the baseball success it enjoyed last season after losing many key players from a 33-22 squad that contended for a berth in the NCAA Tournament?
"We lost most of our production," coach Bill Kernen said. "We lost 400 innings of the pitching staff that had an ERA of 2.64 and 30 wins. We got wiped out on the pitching end."
CSUB's success this season will depend on how the new pitchers perform, Kernen said.
The Roadrunners held this season's first practice Friday at Hardt Field. The season starts in three weeks: a Feb. 18 home game vs. NCAA Tournament qualifier Kansas State.
Last year's top starting pitchers were Mike McCarthy, a senior who was drafted and signed a pro contract with the Boston Red Sox; Tommy Hoenshell, who had academic shortcomings and transferred to NAIA Concordia-Irvine; and Jonathan Montoya, who underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair a tendon in his left elbow on Monday.
Also gone is Martin Medina, who started three games, led the Roadrunners with eight saves and also led the team in HRs and RBIs each of the last three seasons.
Senior pitcher Brandon Van Dam is out for the season because of shoulder surgery, and CSUB is also missing two position players who were drafted and went pro: right fielder Ryan McIntyre and three-year starting catcher Jeremy Rodriguez.
"We know we're up against it when you lose that much," Kernen said. "But that's life. We're using this as a learning experience, and the good news is the guys who are here will get to pitch more and they will therefore become better faster. We think in the long run it's going to work for us."
Identifying the front-line starting pitchers could stretch into the season, Kernen said.
"We don't know who will be our opening day starter three weeks before we're starting (the season)," Kernen said. "I have a decent idea, but everybody will be used early, that's for sure. There will be some jobs fought for throughout the first half of the season."
The cupboard isn't bare. Position players returning as fulltime starters are second baseman Oscar Sanay, who led the team in hitting last season as a freshman (.355); shortstop Tyler Shryock; left fielder Kevin Younger; center fielder Andrew Letourneau and D.C. Legg, who started at third and may move to first base.
"It's actually a little more normal," Kernen said of replacing starters in the non-pitching positions. "We think we have guys who will fill in offensively and defensively. It's the pitching that's going to decide it."
Senior Spenser Messmore is the most experienced returning pitcher who has been mostly used in relief and could replace Medina as closer. JC transfer Dylan Christensen from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo may be in the closer mix also, Kernen said.
Cael Brockmeyer, a sophomore, is the starting catcher and looked upon as a potential power hitter. Mick Gaston and Stuart Smith, who also return, are other power-hitting candidates.
"Those are the guys who have to make those (Medina's HRs) up," Kernen said.
Kernen said the team made nice strides during the fall practice season.
"They came a long way in six weeks," he said. "This is a different group than it was in September. The assimilation of new guys has happened. Now the next three weeks the objective is to get together as a team."
"Our strength is we have a lot of scrappy guys," said Letourneau, a Liberty High graduate who batted .288 last season and played spectacular defense in center field. "I think this team has great potential."
Said Brockmeyer: "The mindset is to compete as hard as we can. We all know we lost key components from last year. But we feel we have a few solid core guys back from last year. We've meshed as a team. We're putting the work in."
Notes
The team unveiled different uniforms during Friday's practice, including a gold jersey. Between bright white, gold and gray uniforms, CSUB has up to 16 different unform combinations it can use by mixing and matching shirts, pants and stirrups (socks). ... Kernen said local incoming freshmen Garrett Pierce (Centennial) and Grant Campbell (Garces) have played well. .... Kernen said it is likely two of the top three starting pitchers will be left-handed. ... Freshman Jordie Hein from Scottsdale, Ariz., has wowed the coaching staff and is in line to be the starting right fielder and Letourneau's eventual successor in center.
