Your Source For All Things Charlotte 49ers Baseball

With the academic year getting underway, the Niners released their 2021 Baseball roster over Labor Day Weekend. We may wear green tinted glasses from time to time, but we are not going to lie… this roster is LOADED.  With the guys that are returning and the recruiting class coming in, there is lots to be excited about for 49er fans. Over the next 45 says the Niners will have roughly 18 fall scrimmages mixed in among team practices.

There are many of factors affecting college baseball rosters for the 2021 season and we will see the effects for years to come.  The NCAA granted all players including Seniors from 2020 with an additional year of eligibility due to the virus-shortened season.  The MLB Draft was also shortened from 40 Rounds to only five. Many of the roster restrictions in college baseball were lifted for the 2021 season in order to help accommodate the larger rosters throughout the country. All of this adds up to what may be the most unique season in college baseball history.

Here is our first overall look at the 2021 49ers Baseball Roster.  We will start by taking a look at the position players and then move on to the pitching staff.

CATCHERS

Behind the plate, the Niners return juniors Jacob Whitley and Craig Keuchel.  These two split time behind the plate in 2020 as Whitley started 11 games and Keuchel six.  Whitley had a double and 5 RBI in 2020.  He spent the summer playing with the Mooresville Spinners in the SCBL.

Keuchel spent the majority of his time in RF during 2020 season leading the Niners in HR (4) and RBI (15).  Over the summer Keuchel won the Metro Summer League Tournament MVP playing for the Texas Toros.

The Niners have added three additional catchers to the roster with newcomers Aaron McKeithan, Martin Zelenka, and Tyler Cotten. 

McKeithan, a sophomore, comes to Charlotte after batting .289 with 2 HR, and 14 RBI for State College of Florida in 2020. Prior to that, McKeithan started 6 games in the 2019 season for Tulane. He spent this past summer playing in the SCBL for the Carolina Vipers under former Niner Aaron Bray.

Freshman Martin Zelenka comes to Charlotte from Prague, Czech Republic. He spent time playing in the triangle as part of the International program through Purpose Driven Baseball and Pro5 Academy.

Another freshman Catcher, Tyler Cotten, comes to Charlotte from Yorktown, VA (Grafton HS). He spent the summer playing for the Tuckahoe Tigers in the Piedmont Collegiate League.

INFIELDERS

Charlotte returns three infielders from the 2020 season with seniors Carson Johnson, Rafi Vazquez, and freshman David McCabe.

Johnson started at 2B for the Niners in both 2019 and the shortened 2020 season. In his 70 games played as a Niner, Johnson is batting .309/.363/.394 and has scored 47 Runs. He spent the offseason recovering from shoulder surgery.

Vazquez has been the 49ers primary DH over the 2019 and 2020 seasons, also seeing time at 1B.  In 2019 he led the 49ers with 12 HRs & 45 RBI. Over his 49ers career he is slashing .281/.494/.373 with 57 RBI.

McCabe saw time at 3B, SS, and 1B in the shortened 2020 season. He batted .238 with 3 doubles and was named a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American.

The Niners have three sophomores and five freshman infielders that have been added to the roster this season.

Sophomore infielder Austin Knight transfers to Charlotte from Tennessee.  Knight played in 25 games as a Volunteer.  He spent the Summer playing SS for the Bradenton Mafia in the Florida Gulf Coast Collegiate League, and was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. He received an NCAA waiver to be eligible immediately.

Incoming sophomore Jack Dragum comes to Charlotte after spending the 2020 season at Louisburg College.  He led the Hurricanes in BA (.431) and HR (6), while driving in 20 runs through 19 games. Dragum is a 2-way guy and could see time on the mound.  He was named 2^nd Team Coastal Plain League as a relief pitcher this summer where he played with the Pennisula Pilots. He spent the 2019 season at Virginia where he played 2B during his freshman season.

Another incoming sophomore infielder, Thomas Caufield, comes to Charlotte after spending the 2020 season at Pitt CC. He scored 11 Runs and batted .243 in 20 games in 2020.  Prior to 2020, Caufield played for Coach Woodard at UNC in 2019 and batted .286 in 13 Games for the Tarheels.

Freshman Dante Defranco comes to Charlotte from Hillsboro, NC where he played for Pro5 Academy, Orange HS, and Cedar Ridge HS. He batted .425 with 29 RBI in his last season at OHS and also played WR for the Panthers football team.

Freshman Chandler Riley comes to Charlotte from nearby Cox Mill HS in Concord, NC. Riley is the 3^rd rated SS in the state of NC according to Prep Baseball Report.  He got a jump on playing college baseball by playing for the Carolina Vipers in the SCBL this summer under former 49er Aaron Bray. (We witnessed him hit a walk-off RBI single in the SCBL Playoffs. See the video here.)

Freshman Gino Groover was rated as the 187^th best prospect by MLB leading up to the 2020 MLB Draft. After having opportunities offered in professional baseball, Groover makes his way to Charlotte from the Walker School in Marietta, GA.

Freshman Nate Furman comes to Charlotte from Monsignor Bonner HS in Brookhaven, PA. Furman spent the Summer playing college baseball in the SCBL for the Concord A’s. He finished 3^rd in the league with a .321 Average and 2^nd in Runs scored with 24. (*according to SCBL site)

Recent transfer, Will Butcher is listed as a first baseman on the roster.  He spent his freshman season at NC State but did not play in the shortened 2020 season. Prior to NC State Butcher played at TC Roberson where he was an All-American in 2019. HS teammates with incoming catcher Aaron McKeithan. Butcher also received an NCAA waiver to be eligible immediately.

OUTFIELD

In addition to previously mentioned Craig Keuchel, the Niners return two additional starters from the 2020 team in the outfield.

Senior Todd Elwood returns after starting 2020 and the majority of the 2019 season in CF.  The lefty led the Niners in BA in 2019 (.333) and was the first 49er to be honored with a ‘Gold Standard Locker’ by the 49er Coaching staff. Finished 3^rd in Hits and 2^nd in Runs scored for the Niners in 2020.

Returning freshman Dominic Pilolli made a big first impression in his first year as a 49er. Pilolli was named the Team MVP for the 2020 Season after slashing .403/.567/.481 with 2 HR and 14 RBI.  He was also named the Most Impressive Freshman by D1 Baseball and Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Two sophomores and one freshman outfielder have been added to the roster. Parker Stinnett comes to Charlotte from Walters State where he batted .397 and scored 24 runs in 23 games last season. Niner fans may remember Stinnett from the fall exhibition at the Hayes last year where he drove in 2 key runs for Walters State.

Another sophomore newcomer in the outfield is Hunter Baker from Florence Darlington Tech. Baker was named a NJCAA All American following the 2019 season at FloDar and was the #65 rated JUCO prospect according to Prep Baseball Report. Baker attended Hough HS in nearby Cornelius and played at NC State before transferring to FloDar. He played for former 49er Aaron Bray this summer in the SCBL for the Carolina Vipers.

Incoming freshman Jake Cunningham comes to Charlotte from nearby Ardrey-Kell HS. Cunningham was rated the 9^th best outfielder in the 2020 class from NC by Perfect Game.

PITCHING

The Niners will have a full stable of arms in 2021. Charlotte returns 12 pitchers from last year’s roster and will add 14 pitchers from the recruiting class.

Returning senior RHP Ryan Czantskowski was a weekend starter in 2019 and 2020 for the Niners. He struck out 20 in 4 starts last season and had 1-1 record with a 4.07 ERA. Ryan was the 2^nd player to be honored with the “Gold Standard Locker” by the coaching staff.

Another senior returning for the Niners is RHP Colby Bruce.  Unfortunately, Colby recently underwent a procedure on his arm and will miss Fall practice while he recovers. Last season he was a pre-season All-C-USA Reliever and was on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List.

Reliever Nick Turnbull will also return for the Niners in 2021.  The senior RHP had 13 Ks in 10. IP last season.

Four juniors will return for the Niners this season. RHP Matt Brooks will look forward to being back on the mound after missing the 2020 season recovering from shoulder surgery. In 2019, Brooks was off to a great start posting a 3-0 record and a 3.10 ERA in 4 starts as the Friday starter. Was the 3^rd 49er to be honored with ah “Gold Standard Locker” by the coaching staff.

Junior RHP Patrick Szczypinski returns for 2021 with nearly 60 innings under his belt. He was one of the most reliable arms out of the bullpen in 2019 posting a 2.56 ERA in 20 appearances. He picked up his 1^st collegiate save last season.

RHP Andrew Roach was the Sunday starter for the Niners last season. In his 1^st season at Charlotte he posted a record of 2-2 with a 1.99 ERA and 22 Ks. He tied for 2^nd on the team in K’s and posted the lowest ERA among starters.

Junior RHP Jackson Boss pitched in 11 of the 49ers 17 games last season and subsequently led the NCAA in appearances. He struck out 16 in 17.1 IP and had a 3.63 ERA in 2020. He spent the Summer with the Carolina Vipers of the SCBL where he played for former 49er Aaron Bray.

One of three lefties on the roster, junior Trae Starnes returns for 2021. He made 2 starts and 3 relief appearances in 2020, striking out 10 in 9.1 IP.

Sophomore RHP Bryce McGowan returns in 2021 after spending 2020 as the 49ers Friday starter, grabbing 2 wins and striking out 22. The righty has 16 starts and 76.2 IP under his belt in two seasons heading into 2021.

RHP Will Palinkas returns as a Sophomore.  Palinkas has experience as both a starter and a reliever over his two seasons as a Niner, starting 4 Games and coming out of the pen in 19.

Another returning sophomore RHP, Justin Offshanka made 5 appearances out of the 49er bullpen last season and struck out 11 in 7.1 IP.

The Niners will add ten more sophomore righties to the roster in 2021 with several transfers and junior college pitchers joining the fold.

Austin Marozas joins the Niners from San Jacinto College in Texas. The 6’7” power righty had interest from MLB this summer but will be pitching for the Niners in 2021 with a fastball in the upper 90s. Out of Plainfield, Illinois, he was the #2 overall ranked prospect in the state of Illinois in his HS class. Originally signed with Kentucky.

Blake Dockery, from nearby Hickory Ridge HS, joins the Niners after spending two seasons at Catawba Valley CC.  He was named all Region in 2019, and was named an All American in both 2019 & 2020 by JBB. Was also named 2020 Pitcher of the Year by JBB after posting a 0.39 ERA and 31 Ks in 23 IP. Originally signed with NC State.

Andrew Lindsey brings a big arm to Charlotte from Walters State in Tennessee.  Standing at 6’4” Lindsey was 4-1 in 6 starts for Walters State last season with a 1.74 ERA and 39 Ks. Prior to Walters State, Lindsey played at Waverly Central HS in New Johnsonville, TN.

Hale Sims comes to Charlotte from Logan College in Illinois. The 6’5” righty posted a 12.06 K/9 in his 2 seasons at Logan.  He attended St. Mary HS in Paducah, Kentucky.

Jake Curry joins the Niners from Polk State College in Florida where he posted a 3.5 ERA in 16 starts over 2 seasons. The 6’5 RHP played HS ball at Coral Shores in Key Largo, FL.

Tyson Tucker pitched for the Northern Iowa Area CC over the past two seasons, striking out 25 in 23.1 IP over 15 appearances. He played at Maquoketa Valley HS in Dehli, Iowa.

Sam Grace comes to Charlotte after spending last season at Jefferson College. Prior to that he made 21 relief appearances at Southern Illinois as a Freshman in 2019. He was drafted out of Francis Howell North HS in the 40^th Round by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2018 MLB Draft. Recovered from a knee operation this summer at P3 and pitched in the CarShield Collegiate League in Missouri this summer.

At 6’7” 215. Casey Bargo brings the Niners another big righty with a fastball in the mid-90s. Bargo pitched for Lincoln Trail College in Illinois and played HS baseball at Madison Central HS in Richmond, Kentucky.

Kolton Scherbenske comes to Charlotte from Des Moines Area CC.  Last season he started 4 games and posted a 3.63 ERA and led the team with 24 K. Scherbenske played his HS baseball at Saint Thomas More HS in Rapid, City, South Dakota.

RHP Zach Zedalis joined the Niners roster after transferring from NC Central. In his Freshman season he made 1 start and 6 relief appearances for the Eagles, striking out 8. Zedalis played his HS baseball at nearby Cox Mill HS in Concord. Zedalis spent this past Summer with the Carolina Vipers and Coach Aaron Bray.

The Niners will have one returning freshman pitcher in LHP Christian Lothes. Lothes pitched 2.2 innings of perfect relief in the opening weekend of 2020 striking out 3.  Unfortunately, he missed the rest of the shortened season with an abdominal injury. His fastball was hitting in the mid-90s during the fall and pre-season last year.

Another freshman with some college pitching experience is RHP Dillon Phillips.  Phillips comes to Charlotte from Walters State in Tennessee.  He had a 3-1 record in 6 starts last season, including 29 Ks in 23.1 IP.  He attended RS Central HS in Mooresboro, NC.

There are three true freshman pitchers on the 49ers roster coming from the HS ranks this season.  One of only three lefties on the staff is freshman Spencer Giesting. Giesting was 4-2 with a 1.49 ERA in 2019 with 48 strikeouts in 42.1 innings for Badin HS in Ohio. Head Coach was 49er great Brion Treadway.

RHP Gus Hughes comes to Charlotte from Grimsley HS in Greensboro. Hughes was rated the 7^th best RHP in the 2020 class from NC (15^th Overall) by Perfect Game with a fastball around 90.

Another freshman RHP beginning his career at Charlotte is Tyler Parks from Gloucester Catholic HS in Sicklerville, New Jersey. One of the top 15 RHP’s from NJ in the 2020 class with a fastball sitting around 90.

There you have it. Team practice starts on September 18 and we look forward to seeing seeing all these guys compete this Fall. We will be sure to keep you updated on what we see in the Fall at the Hayes!! Go Niners!!

Niner baseball is back! Well, sort of. 

Collegiate players typically spend their Summers sharpening their skills in wooden bat leagues all over the country. That looks a little different this year due to…you know why. Well known leagues such as the Cape Cod League have been forced to take this year off. That being said, a handful of leagues, including a couple in our area, have managed to push ahead with plans to play baseball and we have Diamond Niners among the participants. This year more than ever players are looking to knock off as much rust as possible after being on the shelf since March.

The Southern Collegiate Baseball League (@SCBLbaseball) is based in the Charlotte area and has a number of our guys on its rosters. They began play on June 15th. You can find their schedule here.

The Carolina Vipers (@Carolina_Vipers)  are fielding two teams in the SCBL this year due to the influx of players looking for spots after league cancellations. You’ll recognize the coaches for the Vipers and Venom as they are led by a pair of former 49ers. Aaron Bray is the program’s all-time hits leader (2006-2009) and B.J. Hagan pitched for the Niners from 2005-2008.

Carolina Vipers

RHP Jackson Boss

OF Hunter Baker

INF Chandler Riley

Carolina Venom

INF Tate Pennington

INF Josh Haney

The Mooresville Spinners (@spinnerbaseball) of the SCBL have a pair of 49ers on the roster:

Mooresville Spinners

OF Jake Whitcomb

C Jacob Whitley

The Coastal Plain  League (@CPLBaseball) has modified its format and plans to open play on July 1st with its teams located in South Carolina and Georgia. At this time the plan is for the teams located in North Carolina and Virginia to begin play later in July.

UPDATE (6/25/20): Both the Owls and Grizzlies have cancelled their seasons. If Elwood, McKeithan, & Kuechel find new spots we’ll let you know.

Forest City Owls (@ForestCityOwls)

OF Todd Elwood

C Aaron McKeithan

Gastonia Grizzlies (@GastoniaGrizz)

C/OF Craig Kuechel

Peninsula Pilots (@PeninsulaPilots) 

INF Jack Dragum

INF David McCabe is back home in Canada and hoping to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs (@IBLMapleLeafs) of the Intercounty Baseball League (@IBL1919). As of last week, the IBL was still hopeful of playing a limited schedule.

OF Dominic Pilolli is playing for the Astro Falcons of Youngstown Class B baseball back home in Ohio.

LHP Trae Stanes is pitching for the Statesville Owls (@StatesvilleOwls). The Owls are formally of the SCBL, but are playing an independent schedule this year.

You’ll notice a lack of pitchers on the Summer baseball list. The overwhelming majority of the pitching staff is spending at least part of their Summer training at Premier Pitching Performance (@P3_StL) in St. Louis.

We will do our best to keep Niner Nation up-to-date on the guys as the Summer progresses. Look for updates @Diamond9erFans using the hashtag #SummerNiners.

Wondering who went where in the Charlotte 49ers baseball fantasy draft? Below you’ll find the round-by-round results.

Darin Spease – The Thumping Termites

Kevin Harward – The Swinging Norms

Mark Colone – Niner Inch Nails

Sean Fox – The Throat Stompers

	GM	Player	Position
Round1	Darin	Bo Robinson	3B
	Kevin	Barry Shifflett	3B
	Mark	James Matan	RF
	Sean	Joey Anderson	CF
Round 2	Sean	Adam Mills	P
	Mark	Chris Haney	P
	Kevin	Tim Collie	P
	Darin	Andrew Smith	P
Round 3	Darin	John Maine	P
	Kevin	Brad McElroy	RF
	Mark	Stu Cole	SS
	Sean	Jason Stanford	P
Round 4	Sean	Chris Taylor	DH
	Mark	Brion Treadway	P
	Kevin	Joey Hammond	SS
	Darin	Kris Rochelle	C
Round 5	Darin	Donnie Poplin	1B
	Kevin	Rob Lylerly	1B
	Mark	Kevin Ayers	2B
	Sean	Kelly Skeens	C
Round 6	Sean	Cam Browder	RF
	Mark	Filed Culbreth	DH
	Kevin	Jeff Johnson	P
	Darin	Brett Netzer	2B
Round 7	Darin	Aaron Bray	DH
	Kevin	Brain Harvey	P
	Mark	Donovan Mitchell	3B
	Sean	Andy Bovender	3B
Round 8	Sean	Jason Hill	1B
	Mark	JD Dickerson	LF
	Kevin	Sean Whiteside	P
	Darin	Zach Jarrett	LF
Round 9	Darin	TJ Nichting	RF
	Kevin	Justin Seager	LF
	Mark	Deon Danner	P
	Sean	Josh Maciejewski	P
Round 10	Sean	Shane Brown	LF
	Mark	Carlos Strickland	1B
	Kevin	Jeff Shore	DH
	Darin	Ryan Baker	P
Round 11	Darin	Erik Walker	P
	Kevin	Harris Yett	C
	Mark	Armando Rios	CF
	Sean	Cory Lane	2B
Round 12	Sean	Spencer Steedley	P
	Mark	Frank Kowar	P
	Kevin	Danny Montgomery	2B
	Darin	Mike Ambrose	SS
Round 13	Darin	Randy Duncan	CF
	Kevin	Reece Hapton	CF
	Mark	William Jurney	C
	Sean	Shane Basen	SS

The recruiting cycle for this 2020 recruiting class has been a very hectic one for Charlotte Baseball.  The recruitment of this class started with one staff and concluded with another. Former head coach Loren Hibbs retired after the 2019 season and Robert Woodard was hired to take over the program in late June, right in the heart of prime recruiting season.  With the staff change, Bo Robinson was promoted to Associate Head Coach, and Woodard brought in Toby Bicknell as the new Recruiting Coordinator. Together, this group has put together a stellar recruiting class. Congrats to the staff on pulling this all together.

All together the Niners have brought in 24 guys in the 2020 class, which is large compared to years past. For reference, over the past few years, the Niners have usually brought in anywhere from 17-19 guys.  Even with this size of a class, the staff says they are never finished recruiting until the class gets to campus. They are always looking for impact players to help the program. 

This is a large class but it is very balanced as it includes 12 new arms and 12 new position players.  The class has 11 high school signees and 13 signees from the JUCO ranks. There is lots of talent in this group and we can’t wait to see the development of these guys over the next few seasons.

As we’ve seen in the past, Niner fans will have to pay close attention to the June MLB Draft.  Many on this list will have high draft potential. A few of the guys on this list have already been drafted by an MLB team. 

Here is our look at the 2020 Charlotte 49ers Baseball recruiting class starting with the High School commits:

Tyler Cotten C R/R 5’11” 200 Yorktown, VA (Grafton HS): Solid defensive Catcher with some pop from the right side of the plate.  Previously committed to UNCG. Video

Jake Cunningham OF R/R 6’3″ 180 Charlotte, NC (Ardrey Kell HS): Big right-handed bat.  Ranked 15th best 2020 outfielder in NC. Profile

Dante Defranco MIF R/R 5’9″ 160 Hillsborough, NC (PRO5 Academy): Top of the line-up right handed bat. Hit .425 last season at Orange with 29 RBI. Also played WR for the Orange Football team. Article

Nate Furman MIF R/L 5’10” 160 (Bonner-Prenderast HS) Brookhaven, PA: Advanced middle infielder & a table setter offensively from the left side. One of the best young leaders in the class. LHH gamer who commands the field while he’s on it. Coaching staff loves his makeup. Profile

Spencer Giesting LHP L/L 6’3″ 185 Badin HS (Hamilton, OH): Top rated LHP in the state of Ohio for the 2020 class. Played under former 49er standout Brion Treadway at Badin HS. Article

LuJames (Gino) Groover III SS R/R 6’2″ 190 Morrow, GA (The Walker HS): Athletic SS with a big bat from the right side.  Ranked #38 prospect in Georgia in the 2020 Class by PBR Georgia. Shined at the 49ers Team Camp in July. Has the potential of being an elite college player. Video

Gus Hughes RHP R/R 6’0″ 180 Greensboro, NC (Grimsley HS): Righty with a fastball in the low 90s. Rated one of the Top 20 Players in NC by Prep Baseball Report. Profile

Lucas Martino 1B/3B R/L 6’3″ 250 Charlotte, NC (Carmel Christian HS): Big, physical, lefty bat.  Recently represented NC in the National Power Showcase HR Derby ,and event for players from the 2020 class at Arizona’s Chase Field including HRs measuring 473′ and 502′. Video

Tyler Parks RHP R/R 6’3″ 185 Gloucester City, NJ (Gloucester Catholic HS): One of the top 10-15 RHP in the 2020 class from NJ. Fastball in upper 80’s with room to grow.  Also has a plus breaker in the high 70s. High spin RHP that can strike guys out. Video

Chandler Riley SS R/L 6’0″ 165 Concord, NC (Cox Mill HS): Rated one of the top 20 players in NC by Prep Baseball Report.  Probably the best pure hitter of HS players in the class. Will compete to get on field/lineup right away. A complete and well rounded player. Video

Martin Zelenka C R/R 6’2″ 220 Pro5 Academy; Prague, PR Czech Republic: International flavor for the 2020 class as the catcher from the Czech Republic provides a big RH bat. Played with the Pro5 Academy in the Triangle area. Video

Junior College Signees:

Hunter Baker OF R/L 6’2″ 187 Huntersville, NC (Hough HS; NC State; FDTC): Was named a NJCAA All-American last year at FDTC.  Listed #65 in the Top JUCO list for 2020 by PBR.  Potential immediate impact in the middle of the lineup in 2021. Plus bat speed and power potential. Stats

Casey Bargo RHP R/R 6’8″ 180 Richmond, KY (Madison Central HS; Lincoln Trail CC): Long, lean RHP with FB topping high 80’s. Strike thrower with 3 pitch mix and a plus breaker. Projects to compete for weekend rotation in 2021. Stats Article

Garrison Burress SS R/L 6’1″ 165 Granite Falls, NC (South Caldwell HS; Catawba Valley CC):Drafted in Round 40 of the 2018 MLB draft by the Diamondbacks. Burress will sit out 2020 recovering from a shoulder injury. Bio

Thomas Caufield SS R/L 6’1″ 165 Westchester, PA (Henderson HS; UNC-CH; Pitt CC): Athletic and wiry LHH SS that should compete to be the everyday in 2021. Tough competitor from PA that plays  hard. Coach Woodard coached in 2019 at UNC. Chose Charlotte over going back to the ACC. Bio

Jake Curry RHP R/R 6’5″ 205 Key Largo, FL (Coral Shores HS; Polk State): Strike thrower with good breaking ball. Fastball sits in the upper 80s, with more projected.  Staff loves his moxy and pitch-ability.  Bio

Blake Dockery RHP R/R 6’2″ 180 Harrisburg, NC (Hickory Ridge HS; NC State; CVCC): Named to several preseason watch lists for 2020 at CVCC. Righty has a FB in the low to mid-90’s. Named All-Region last season at CVCC, and was NJCAA National Pitcher of the Week last May. Bio

Sam Grace RHP R/R 6’4″ 205 St. Charles, MO; (Francis Howell North HS; SIU; Jefferson College): Big righty with FB topping mid-90’s. Drafted by the Orioles in the 40th Round of the 2018 Draft. Pitched last season at Southern Illinois. Bio

Andrew Lindsey RHP R/R 6’4″ 190 New Johnsonville, TN (Waverly Central HS; Walters State): Was 5-0 last season with 66 K’s in 42.3 IP. Threw 5 shutout innings against the Niners in a fall exhibition at the Hayes. Fastball sits 88-91 up to 92. Most polished pitcher in 2020 class, potential rotation arm. Bio

Dillon Phillips RHP R/R 6’3″ 210 Mooresboro, NC (RS Central HS; Walters State CC): Pitched against the Niners in the fall exhibition and struck out 4 of the 6 batters he faced. Pitched for the Forest City Owls this summer in the CPL. Bio

Kolton Scherbenske RHP R/R 6’3″ 210 Rapid City, SD (St Thomas More HS; Des Moines Area CC): Righty with a FB in the low 90’s.  May have the best breaking ball in the recruiting class. Slider is up to 83 with wipe-out potential and is high spin stuff across the board. Bio

Hale Sims RHP R/R 6’5″ 270 Paducah, KY (St. Mary HS; Logan College): Big righty with FB in the low 90’s. Brother plays for WKU. Should compete for the weekend rotation in 2021, if not the power 5 midweek starter. Pounds the zone and a big time competitor. Bio

Parker Stinnett INF/OF R/L 6′ 2″ 180 Knoxville,TN ( Powell HS; Walters State CC): LHH CF had the game tying and game winning RBI in an exhibition against the Niners this fall. Should impact the top of the 2021 order with plus contact ability and speed. Also has plus plate discipline with a knack for getting on base. Bio

Tyson Tucker RHP R/R 6’2″ 210 Delhi, IA   (Maquoketa Valley HS; North Iowa Area CC): Righty with FB topping low 90’s. Competing to start or close in 2021. One of the biggest competitors in 2020 recruiting class. Bulldog with a plus slider who attacks hitters. Bio

The Niners have released another challenging schedule for the upcoming 2020 season. The schedule is stacked full of top notch programs that will not only bring excitement to the fanbase, but also gives the Niners an opportunity to earn an at-large NCAA bid. Fifteen of the 25 non-conference games scheduled were in the top 100 RPI from 2019. 

Let’s first take a look at the Non-conference weekend opponents for the Niners.  Charlotte will get a tough challenge right out of the box as historically familiar foe VCU visits the Hayes.  The defending A-10 Regular Season Champs (59 RPI) have shared a conference with the Niners on three separate periods of the program’s history (Sun Belt, Metro, A-10). It should be a good series to start the 2020 season.

Weekend number two of the season brings UMBC (258 RPI) to the Hayes for a four-game series.  This will be the first meeting of the two programs on the diamond and both programs will be under first-year head coaches.  Another team from the northeast, St. Johns, will make its way down to the Hayes in the third weekend of the season. St. Johns finished 2019 with a 113 RPI from the Big East. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

The fourth and final Non-conference weekend series is a big one as the 49ers once again welcome East Carolina (6 RPI) to the Hayes. The 2019 Champions of the AAC hosted and won their regional last season before falling to Louisville in the Super Regionals. The Pirates will be picked by many to make a run towards Omaha in 2020.

The non-conference weekday games are also loaded with challenging games.  For the first road trip of the season, Charlotte will travel to SEC power Tennessee (13 RPI).  The Vols were a Regional team in 2019. 

The Niners will play home and home with 2016 National Champion Coastal Carolina (60 RPI), who won the Sun Belt last season and was a Regional team in 2019. Another Regional team that the Niners will play a home and home with in 2020 will be NC State (22 RPI) from the ACC. The Niners will host the Wolfpack once again at beautiful BB&T Ballpark in Uptown Charlotte and also travel to Raleigh for a return game. The Wolfpack and the 49ers played the 1st ever college game at BB&T Ballpark in 2015.

Charlotte will once again host Wake Forest (54 RPI) at BB&T Ballpark before making a return trip to Winston -Salem.  The Niners will also play home and homes with local programs UNCG (88 RPI) and Winthrop (112 RPI). UNC Asheville (257 RPI) will also make a trip to the Hayes in 2020.

The 30 game Conference USA schedule includes home series hosting defending C-USA Champion Southern Miss (43 RPI), ODU (80 RPI), UAB (133 RPI), WKU (161 RPI), and FIU (171 RPI).

The road trips for the Niners include trips to 2019 Regional team, FAU (37 RPI), UTSA (134 RPI), Rice (140 RPI), Marshall (178 RPI), and MTSU (222 RPI).  Just like last season, the Niners will not play LaTech in 2020.

*** RPI from the end of 2019 Season

 All Time Series vs:

VCU ………………………53-33-1

Tennessee ……………………1-3

UMBC ……………….1st Meeting

UNCG ………………………13-7

St. John’s………….. 1st Meeting

Coastal Carolina ………..11-11

East Carolina ………………5-26

N.C. State …………………9-29

Wake Forest …………30-43-1

UNC Asheville ……………24-5

Winthrop ………………22-17-1

 

With the first fall exhibition game upon us, here is our best take on the 2020 Charlotte Baseball roster.  This is certainly unofficial and we expect the official roster to be released at a later time. As we all know, college sports rosters are very fluid.  Here is our first breakdown of the roster to get you ready for the Fall season. The Niners return some key players from last season and bring in an exciting recruiting class looking to contribute. 

We will start with the pitching.  Last season was a struggle to find consistency as a pitching staff.  After Friday starter Matt Brooks went out with a shoulder injury, the depth of the 49er staff was tested and several pitchers got their first D1 experience on the mound.  The Niners will return 64% of their innings pitched from 2019. Returning pitchers started 32 of 53 games last season, 25 of those starts coming on the weekend (25/42). Seven new arms will be added to the 49er staff including 3 Freshman and 4 transfers.

Returning Pitching:

#21 Sr RHP Colby Bruce– All C-USA 2nd Team Reliever in 2019. Threw 41 relief innings last season and struck out 43, picking up 8 Saves while posting a 2.63 ERA.

#34 Sr RHP Ryan Czantstkowski – Made 7 relief appearances before becoming a weekend starter for 8 weekend starts last season. Had a 6.50 ERA with 34 Ks over 54 IP in his 1st season for Charlotte.

#33 Sr LHP Ethan Earhardt– Made 9 appearances out of the Niner bullpen, striking out 9 over 12.1 IP.

#39 Sr LHP Spencer Ard– Made 11 appearances out of the Niner bullpen, striking out 13 over 22.1 IP.

#41 Sr  RHP Matt Brooks– Injured after 4 starts last season. Had offseason surgery and should be throwing in November. Was on pace for his best season as a Niner as the Friday ace before the shoulder injury ended his season.

#25 Jr RHP Patrick Szczypinski– One of the most consistent arms in 2019, making 20 relief appearances and picking up 39 Ks in 38.2 Innings of work. Led the Niners with a 2.56 ERA.

#19 So RHP Bryce McGowan – Developed into a weekend starter, starting in 12 games in his Freshman season.  Had a 5.82 ERA with 41 Ks in 55.2 IP last season.

#35 So RHP Will Palinkas– Saw time as a weekend starter in his freshman season, starting in 3 games overall.  Also made 15 appearances in relief, overall striking out 34 in 37 IP for a 6.81 ERA.

#13 So RHP Mason Herbert– Made 4 starts in mid-week games and 8 relief appearances during his freshman campaign.  Ended the season with a 12.05 ERA in 21.2 IP, and 12 Ks.

#28 So RHP Justin Offfshanka– Only appeared in 2 games as a reliever.  May be eligible for RS.

Incoming Pitching:

#29 Sr RHP Nick Turnbull (Maryland)- Grad transfer from Maryland where he made 18 appearances out of the Terrapin’s bullpen and started 1 game in 2019, throwing 17.2 Innings and striking out 17.

#37 Jr RHP Andrew Roach (Cowley)- Newcomer from Cowley CC where he started 12 games, throwing 49.2 innings, striking out 63 while walking 17 last season. Ended up with a 5-3 record and a 3.62 ERA in 2019.

#30 Jr LHP Trae Starnes (Catawba Valley)- Newcomer from Catawba Valley CC where he started 11 games last season and made 1 bullpen appearance.  He threw 43 innings and struck out 48. Ended up with a 3-3 record and a 5.65 ERA in 2019.

#26 Jr LHP Chase Covington (Catawba Valley)- Lefty pitched for Catawba Valley CC over the past 2 seasons.  He made 14 appearances in relief last season, striking out 30 over 15 IP.

#27 Fr LHP Christian Lothes (Lakewood Hebron HS, OH)- 1st Team All District Pitcher for Lakewood HS was one of the top LHP in Ohio last season. He has a Fastball topping out in the low 90s. 1st Team All Central Region by Perfect Game.

#38 Fr RHP Ethan Haislip (Cuthberson HS, NC) – Perfect Game 2nd Team All Atlantic Region Pitcher with a fastball in the upper 80s. Suffered a knee injury in the summer and will likely be in recovery mode this fall.

#32 Fr.  RHP Mason Gwyn (North Surry HS, NC) – Predicted to be an immediate impact player from this class according to Prep Baseball Report NC.  The WPAC Pitcher of the Year for North Surry HS has a fastball topping out in the low 90s.

 Looking at the 2020 roster of position players compared to 2019, there are large holes to fill both offensively and defensively.  In broad terms, the Niners lose 45% of their Runs scored and 50% of their total bases from the 2019 offense. Defensively, the Niners lose 4 regular starters that played a large role in the Niners finishing 2nd in C-USA in Fielding % in 2019.

Returning Position Players:

# 17 Sr Todd Elwood – Led the 49ers with a .333 batting average in 2019. Slashed at .333/.384/ 385 near the top of the order while playing solid defense in CF.

#2 Sr Carson Johnson – Started every game at 2B for the Niners in 2019 slashing .304/.385/.362 at the plate. 

#36 Sr Rafi Vasquez – Spent some time at 1B, but was the regular DH in the 49ers line-up for 2019. Rafi led the team in HRs (12) and RBI (45) while hitting .289/.362/.543. Was injured during the summer season and will be limited this fall.

#45 Sr Austin Lynch– Started 22 games in RF during his 1st season with the Niners in 2019. The lefty batted .276/.402/.368.

#11 Sr Patrick Wheeler – Limited to 18 starts in CF before he suffered an injury at ODU making a game saving catch. Did not make and error in 2019 while batting .155/.261/.172. Five for five in SB attempts.

#10 Jr. Tate Pennington – Started 4 games at 3B and 1 in RF during the 2019 season. Batted .154/.261/.179 in a limited 39 ABs.

#1 Jr. Jake Whitcomb – Started 3 games as the 49er right fielder and batted .154/.313/ .231 in only 13 ABs.

#44 Jr. Jacob Whitley – Started 6 games behind the plate, and was used as a pinch hitter in 13 games in 2019. Batted .148/.148/.185 in a limited 27 ABs. Threw out 3 of 6 SB attempts last season.

#6 So. Josh Haney – Was named C-USA All-Freshman Team in 2019. Starting in 49 games at 3B as he batted .276/.328/.325.

#3 So. Carter Foster – Saw time as the DH and in RF but mostly used as a PH in his freshman season, batting .273/.359/.394 in 33 ABs.

#12 So. Riley Cheek – Started 6 games in RF as a freshman and saw action in 22 games.  Slashed .176/.194/.176 in 34 ABs.

 Incoming Position Players:

#9 Jr. Craig Keuchel (Hill College)- Had a slash line of .331/.418/.638 last season at Hill playing mostly C and 1B. Was named to the Prospect League All Star Game this summer for the Danville Dans.

#43 Jr. Nate Kinsch (Florida Southwestern State) – Played mainly the corner infield positions last season batting .239/.344/.325 for FSW. Spent a red shirt season at Coastal Carolina in 2017.

#18 So.  Brady Pope  (South Iredell HS) – Flips over to the diamond from the gridiron after playing QB for the 49ers last season. Played SS/3B this summer for the Catawba Valley Stars.

#24 Fr. David McCabe– (Everest Academy, Canada)-  Big switch hitting corner infielder homered against the 49ers in an exhibition at the Hayes before last season with the Ontario Blue Jays.

#22 Fr. Dominic Pilolli – (Canfield HS, Ohio) – Solid defensive outfielder that has some power at the plate from the left side.

#16 Fr. Zach Weston (South Mecklenburg HS, NC)- Lefty Middle infielder was named “Sleeper” in this recruiting class by Prep Baseball Report NC.

#14 Fr. Vito Patierno  (Heritage HS, NC) – Corner infielder, was all Conference at Heritage HS and a PG Pre-Season Atlantic Region All American 2nd Team.

#46 Conner Manco (Fort Mill HS, SC) – Lefty Corner infielder was named All-State in SC and All Region 3 5 A team. Rock Hill Herald All Area 2nd Team.

Collegiate Summer baseball is a different animal. The bats are wooden, the rosters are fluid, and the locales can be far-flung. The leagues provide college players the opportunity to work on their game, stay in shape, and have a change of scenery before heading back to campus. Summer ball results can be deceiving. You never know what a guy is working on that might impact their performance. The level of competition of the league should also be considered. Also, some teams are much better at publishing stats than others.  What we are saying is, that when it comes to Summer baseball, don’t take the results with a grain of salt, take the top off the shaker and apply liberally. Still, it’s fun to follow and certain trends do emerge. Here are some observations from Summer 2019:

Speed doesn’t slump – After posting an OBP of .384 during the 2019 season, Todd Elwood spent considerable time on the base paths for the Forest City Owls of the Coastal Plain League. Todd slashed .329/.401/.403 in 40 games while swiping 26 bases in 27 attempts and driving in 15 runs. Todd finished 5th in the Coastal Plain League in SB’s.  The Niners will be looking for more of the same this season from the speedy senior outfielder.

Junior Jake Whitcomb also spent a lot of the Summer on base for the Mooresville Spinners of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League. Jake slashed .382/.538/.529 with 10 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 26 games on his way to an SCBL All-Star nod.

Replacement Power – A key issue for the Niners heading into the Fall will be replacing the offensive power lost to graduation. Harris Yett (.325/.392/552) & Dominick Cammarata (.293/.398/.512) combined to drive in nearly 1/3rd of the Niners’ runs last season. Part of the answer appears to be incoming juco catcher Craig Keuchel, from Hill College in Texas. In 31 games for the Danville Dans of the Prospect League, Keuchel (.250/323/.607) hit 9 HRs and drove in 29 runs. Keuchel was also selected to the Prospect League All Star Game this summer.  How this translates to the collegiate game will be worth watching once practice cranks up.

Szczypinski Stays the Course – After last season there is no doubt that new head/pitching coach Robert Woodard will be looking to reinvigorate a staff that was touched up at times. One of the staff’s more consistent performers in 2019, Patrick Szczypinski posted a nice strings of outings for the Forest City Owls on his way to earning a spot on the CPL All-Star roster. The numbers aren’t overwhelming (2-2, 3.98 ERA, 31.2 IP) but he continued to show the durability that suggests he could be in the mix for a starting role in 2020.

Junior pitchers Ryan Czanstkowski and Spencer Ard were likely looking to put the 2019 campaign behind them. Both seem to have done so with the Asheboro Copperheads of the CPL. Ard made 22 appearances out of the pen, tossing 42 innings with an ERA of 4.29. This earned him a record of 4-0 with 2 saves. Perhaps the biggest stat for the senior lefty was his 1.77 K/BB ratio. Czanstkowski tossed 16.2 innings in 9 appearances while earning 5 saves. His K/BB was a robust 2.66. Walks were a major detriment to the staff last season. For the pitching staff to rebound from that performance, these two seniors will need these Summer performances to carry over.

Summer stats can be seen by clicking the links below below:

2019 Summer Stats – Hitting

2019 Summer Stats – Pitching

 

Off-seasons rarely go the way you think they will. This one certainly did not. At the end of the 2019 season it was clear that the build up to 2020 would be one of the most important in recent memory. Coming off a subpar season (21-31-1 overall, 11-18-1 C-USA), it would be important for the program to reload and bounce back.  Then on June 14, 2019, Head Coach Loren Hibbs announced that he would be leaving the program after 27 seasons to become the Assistant Athletic Director of Baseball Operations and Player Development at Wichita State University, his alma mater. Hibbs and new WSU head man Eric Wedge have a long-standing relationship dating back to Wedge’s days as a player for the Shockers while Hibbs served on the staff of the legendary Gene Stephenson. While Wedge is no stranger to managing at the MLB level, this is his first time as a skipper at the collegiate level. There’s no doubt that Hibbs’ experience will be invaluable as the Shockers rebuild after a rough stretch in the years following Stephenson’s retirement in 2013. This is a great move for Coach Hibbs, but it immediately cast a shadow of uncertainty over the baseball program. Charlotte baseball would have its first new head coach in 27 years. Who would it be?

Charlotte 49ers Director of Athletics Mike Hill answered that question on June 29th. Hill tapped Robert Woodard to lead the program forward. A native of Charlotte, Woodard went to Myers Park before staring at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he is their all-time winningest pitcher. After a three-year stint in the Padres organization, he began his coaching career in Chapel Hill during 2011. He spent the 2013 campaign in Wilmington coaching the Seahawks’ pitchers before becoming the pitching coach, and eventually recruiting coordinator, at Virginia Tech. Woodard returned to his alma mater in 2017 where he led a nationally recognized pitching staff. Now the rookie head coach has returned to his hometown as the skipper of the 49ers. For a detailed introduction to Coach Woodard’s approach to the game, check out this interview from December of 2018 by clicking here.

Building a Staff

Woodard wasted little time in assembling his first coaching staff. He will work with the pitching staff himself, which freed him up to add a number of skill sets to the staff. Bo Robinson agreed to stay on with a promotion to Associate Head Coach. Charlotte fans certainly don’t need to be introduced to Bo. A local product himself (South Meck), BoRob was an All-American for the 49ers and has his #4 retired by the program. After an eight year professional career, Robinson returned to the Charlotte area to serve as an instructor at On Deck Academy, a baseball development program for prep players. Ironically, it was there that he coached a young Robert Woodard. Robinson returned to campus in 2012 and has been in the Niner dugout ever since. Retaining Robinson is a great start to the Woodard era. Bo is extremely well thought of in the local baseball community and is a natural salesman/representative for the 49ers brand. His presence also provides stability for the roster and recruiting efforts during this time of transition. In addition to all of that, Bo is an excellent hitting instructor that has played a key role in developing the bats of guys like Netzer, Nichting, Jarrett, Hampton, Yett, and others.

Woodard’s choice for assistant coach/recruiting coordinator is an unfamiliar name to many 49ers fans, but Toby Bicknell is a known quantity in baseball circles. Another local guy (Charlotte Christian), Bicknell is returning home after spending the last three years as Texas Scouting Director for Prep Baseball Report. After his playing career at Wingate, he coached locally at Providence and Myers Park, in addition to serving as an instructor at On Deck Academy. Among the players coached by Bicknell was, you guessed it…Robert Woodard. On the collegiate level, Bicknell has coached at Clemson, Davidson, Air Force, and Kentucky. To listen to an interview with Coach Bicknell where he shares his thoughts on scouting, recruiting, and more, click here. A fun fact about Bicknell’s time at the Air Force Academy: in addition to baseball, he taught Combatives and Water Survival. Umpires, you have been warned. 

The final two spots on staff are both being filled by faces familiar to 49ers fans. Ross Steedley has been named as the third/volunteer assistant. Ross doesn’t need much introduction as he played catcher for the 49ers from 2008-2012, earning All-Conference honors in 2011. Off the field, 49er fans might remember Ross from when he co-hosted the Basketball Madness event at Halton Arena. Another local product, he played his high school ball at East Rowan. Steedley had been on staff at Garnder-Webb since 2015 and served as recruiting coordinator since 2016. Rounding out the staff is Tyler Simmons as Director of Player Development. Tyler transitioned into this role after being on staff at Charlotte since 2017 as third/volunteer assistant. Simmons is also a Charlotte native and played at Charlotte Christian under his father Greg Simmons, a NC Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer in his own right. Prior to joining the 49ers staff, Simmons enjoyed a 4 year playing career at Wingate.

What to Expect

On the Field-  As mentioned earlier,  Coach Woodard will also be taking on the role of Pitching Coach for the 49ers.  Having two former catchers on staff in Steedley and Simmons, will certainly assist in handling the staff.  Simmons served as the 49ers Catching Coordinator in previous seasons and Steedley worked with catchers as an assistant at Gardner-Webb.

Bo Robinson will continue to serve as Hitting Coach and working with the infielders. The All-American 3rd baseman will continue to put his mark on the 49ers offense and defense.  Steedley also served as Hitting Coach at Gardner-Webb and will also contribute on the offensive end. Coach Bicknell has experience in many different areas at the college level. He served as Hitting Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Air Force, Offensive & Defensive Coordinator at Davidson, and coached hitters and infielders during his time at Clemson.

Recruiting – As with any staff transition, it will take some time before Woodard’s plan for the program will be fully realized. Still, certain priorities are already emerging. First, recruiting, recruiting, and recruiting. You can’t teach talent and Woodard’s hires have made it abundantly clear that he intends to land his fair share of it for the 49ers. In addition to himself, Robinson, Bicknell, and Steedley all have experience as recruiting coordinators. That’s a lot of recruiting experience. Bicknell’s addition is particularly interesting, as he is well-traveled in national recruiting circles. We may well be preparing to cast our nets even wider out on the trail.  Bicknell’s recent experience in Texas is intriguing since the Conference USA Baseball footprint spreads into Texas with Rice and UTSA being annual foes. It’s also worth noting that Steedley’s efforts are curtailed by NCAA rules that govern the conduct of volunteer assistants, but having his experience can only help.

Niner fans are used to hearing Will Healy and Ron Sanchez talk about the importance of aggressively recruiting our home market. You can add Woodard’s name to the list. Just look at the staff he has assembled. Each member is from the region and already possess deep ties in the local baseball community. Not that the 49ers haven’t been recruiting the Charlotte area. A quick check of the rosters from previous years will prove that. However, Woodard appears to have doubled-down on the strategy. This staff was built with Charlotte in mind. Charlotte fans should be excited about how this staff plans to capitalize on the amount of baseball talent coming out of the region each year.

Analytics – For most, analytics in baseball came to the forefront when Michael Lewis’ 2003 book was adapted to the big screen in 2011’s Moneyball. The use of  data analytics has been and continues to be a source of debate. Any Niner baseball fans unfamiliar with the concepts should probably think about doing some research. Now, don’t get us wrong, it’s not like the program hasn’t been using data analysis in recent years, because they have. However, fans should expect an expansion of the 49ers analytics program. Don’t be surprised to see the Niners employ more aggressive defensive shifts and utilize pitching strategies designed to induce ground balls hit into the teeth of that defense. If you want to do some homework on Woodard’s experience with analytics we suggest starting with this 2018 Baseball America article here.  From there, you might want to look into the two books mentioned in the article: Travis Sawchick’s Big Data Baseball and Brian Kenny’s Ahead of the Curve. Both books are highly informative and will change the way you watch baseball if you have yet to brush up on analytical baseball.

Player Development – As previously mentioned, Tyler Simmons now has the title of Director of Player Development. While that’s a new role for the program, it is not a new position. This is the former Director of Baseball Operations position added to the staff last season. Focusing on successful player development will only serve to enhance the product on the field and increase results out on the recruiting trail. The good news is that some of the infrastructure needed, such as the new indoor practice facility, is already in place.

In an effort to enhance the program’s player development efforts, the staff has traveled to St. Louis to spend time at P3 (Premier Pitching Performance). P3 works with prep, collegiate, and professional pitchers to develop the physical, mental, and technical aspects of their game. In addition to their staff, P3 has recently installed a biomechanics lab to help pitchers focus on their mechanics and throwing efficiency. This looks to be time well spent and should pay dividends for the program going forward. Read more about P3 here.

What Does it All Mean?

February feels very distant right now, but it will be here sooner than we think. In the meantime, Fall practice should be very interesting. That should include two more exhibitions against regional DI teams, an option that the NCAA made available last year. If you recall, the 49ers scheduled games against Davidson and at Virginia Tech. The game against the Hokies was cancelled after Hurricane Florence struck the East Coast. Alas, Niner Nation had to settle for a blowout win over Davidson at The Hayes. 

As we move closer to Fall practice, we’ll provide you with more information regarding the team and what to look for as the Woodard era begins. In the meantime, we believe the take-away from this Summer to be that Mike Hill is serious about baseball. You would expect that from someone that spent 25 years at the University of Florida. He began demonstrating commitment to the program soon after his arrival with the addition of the operations position. Now, signs point to continued investment in the program. Assembling this staff took resources. So did sending the staff to St. Louis. Keep in mind that the administration is set to release its comprehensive facilities master plan in the coming months. There are bound to be upgrades for baseball included in the plan. A video board, a beer garden, and upgraded lights wouldn’t be bad places to start, but we’ll see how it shakes out. This looks to be a promising time for Charlotte Baseball. Let’s get going.

With week one in the books, the Diamond Niners find themselves 3-0 on the young season after sweeping the Delaware Blue Hens.

Keys to the Week

Loren Hibbs – Coach Hibbs notched career wins 799 & 800 on Friday. It is no surprise that Hibbs deflected much of the credit for the achievement to the many players and coaches that he has worked with during his 27 years on campus. Still, this is a big deal and he has a right to be proud. Congratulations, Coach.

Starting Rotation – A big question coming into the season was who would the staff send to the mound opening weekend. It was not surprise to see Jr RHP Matt Brooks (6.2 IP, 7H, 2ER, 6K, 2BB, W) get the ball on Friday. After a rough first inning, Brooks settled in looked more than capable of leading the staff as the go-to Friday guy. Sr LHP Joey Cooner (3.2, 5H, 1ER, 2K, 1BB) started game to of the DH on Friday and did a solid job before giving way to the pen. Fr
RHP Will Palinkas (4.1 IP, 3H, 2ER, 7K, 3BB) came out firing on Saturday. The rookie racked up 3Ks in the first inning on his way to a good start to his collegiate career.

Options – What this team has that others have lacked in the past is options at multiple spots around the diamond. Third base, first base, right field, and DH shifted this weekend depending on starting matchups. Fr Josh Haney (3B), Sr Jesse Gonzales (1B), and Jr Todd Elwood (DH) appeared in the lineup to face the right handed starters from Delaware. Elwood started t DH in Game 3. Sophomores Tate Pennington (3B) and Jake Whitcomb (RF) got the nod against Delaware’s lefty starter in Game 2. Dominick Cammarata shifted from RF to 1B against the LH starting pitcher. Rafi moved from DH in the 1st 2 games to playing 1B in the series finale. As you can see there are lots of moving pieces in the line-up and defensively.

Defense – The Niners only made 1 error on the weekend, turned a few big double plays, and Yett threw out 2 runners at second. Patrick Wheeler made some nice plays in CF saving runs. Solid defensive performance overall.

Offense – To the team’s credit, they ground out 3 wins for the weekend. When hits were needed, they came though in the clutch. However, the boys will be looking to knock some rust off going forward and get the bats going after totally 20 hits for the series.

Players of the Week

Offense – Rafi Vasquez (.500, 5H, 3R, HR, 2 RBI). Honorable mention to Harris Yett (3 hits, HR, 2 RBI), Tommy Bullock (.300, 3H, 2R, 2B, 2 RBI). Rafi gave fans a glimpse of what he is capable of with a towering HR to the opposite field on Friday. Word is the ball that Yett crushed to left field on Saturday wound up in Toby Creek.

Pitching – Colby Bruce (4.2 IP, 0ER, 2H, 3Ks, SV) This was a tough choice between Bruce and Chase Gooding (2 IP, 1H, 3K, 0ER, 2 SV), but Bruce got the nod this week due to his gutty performance on Friday where he appeared in both games of the double header.

The Week Ahead

The Niners have 5 games coming up this week.

Clemson – The game at Clemson on Tuesday has been moved up to Monday at 4 PM due to impending weather. The Tigers were ranked 19th in the preseason coaches poll and picked to finish 3rd in the ACC’s Atlantic division. The Tiger are 2-1 after their series with South Alabama this past weekend. The Tigers’ key player is All-American SS Logan Davidson, of Providence HS in Charlotte. There’s a deeper connection here, as Logan’s father, Mark Davidson, was a part of the original 49ers squad before transferring to Clemson and going on to a career in MLB.

Canisius – The Golden Griffs will come to Charlotte for 4 games this weekend after dropping 2 of 3 to NC Central last weekend. An NCAA team a year ago, they are picked to finish 1st in the MAAC again this season. They are led by preseason all-conference picks SS Connor Morro and OF Mark McKenna.

C-USA

The league opened up with a 25-11 mark this weekend. Southern Miss carried the banner for the league by sweeping Big 10 foe Purdue. Rice opened the Matt Bragga era by taking 2 of 3 from our old A-10 conference mates, Rhode Island. ODU dropped 2 of 3 to Big South opponent High Point. It will be a few more weeks before we get a more accurate reading on what the league’s strength of schedule may look like. Not a terrible start overall.

It was a busy off-season for Coach Loren Hibbs and staff as they continue to steward the program. Several key developments promise to pay dividends for years to come. First, the long-anticipated indoor practice facility opened, giving the program a much-needed player development tool. You’ll see the new facility down the right field line at Hayes Stadium. Also, the Niners were able to add a staff member to direct baseball operations. While the position is new, you’ll recognize Charlie Muchukot as he has been a regular fixture in the dugout as a student manager for the last several seasons. Both of these commitments to baseball on behalf of the athletic department help bring the Niners into line with many of  their regional and conference peers as the program continues to grow.

The following is an analysis of the what the Diamond Niners could look like as Coaches Hibbs, Robinson, Doty, and Simmons lead the team into the 2019 season. Make sure to take all of these predictions with a grain of salt. We’re just speculating and let’s face it, we’ve been wrong before.

Key Losses

As the 2019 season prepares to kick-off, the Niners have some key holes to fill. LHP Josh Maciejewski (9-2, 2.25 ERA) will no longer anchor the pitching staff as Friday night starter after graduating and being selected in the 10th round of the MLB draft. The Niners will also need a new center fielder after junior Reece Hampton (.302, 37 RBI) went to the Detroit Tigers in the 12th round. Hampton’s defense will be hard to replace, as he covered more ground in center field than just about anyone in the nation over the past three seasons. The left side of the infield will be completely new this season as 3B Jackson Mims (.328, 9 HR, 40 RBI) graduated in December and chose not to continue his baseball career, while SS Hunter Jones (.220, 29 RBI) finished his college career after holding down short for the past several seasons. Behind the plate, backup catcher Zack Smith (.235, 2 HR , 25 RBI) transferred to the University of Mount Olive for his junior season.

The bullpen will miss RHP Jonah Patten (4-1, 9 SV, 3.53 ERA) who began the season in a starting role but migrated back to his natural spot as the reliable closer. The pitching staff will also miss lefty Matt Horkey who logged 40.1 IP with 3 Saves and righty Phillip Perry, who logged 35.1 IP out of the bullpen.  Overall the bullpen lost 142 IP from last season.

Position Breakdown

Catcher – The Niners return one of C-USA’s best catchers in senior Harris Yett (.323, 6 HR, 37 RBI). Yett started 38 games behind the plate and 18 as the DH in 2018. The Johnny Bench Award Finalist for Nation’s best catcher was also a 2nd team all-conference selection. The lack of buzz about Yett in this year’s conference previews has us baffled. No matter, we’ll just let him do his talking on the field. You can count on Yett continuing to start the majority of the games behind the plate and occupying a spot in the heart of the batting order. Jacob Whitley, a sophomore transfer from Gardner-Webb, will likely see playing time when Yett takes a day off. Whitley will finally get his chance to step on the field for the Niners after being with the team last year and sitting out, per NCAA rules. Freshman Carter Foster, a 2nd team all-state selection as a high school senior, could also push for playing time, although he has been working in right field during the preseason. Opening day prediction: Harris Yett.

First Base – The Niners had 3 regular starters at 1B in 2018 and only 1 returns for 2019. Dominick Cammarata (.265, 8 HR, 30 RBI) settled in towards the end of the season after playing RF for much of the season. Dom is likely to shift back to right field, leaving an open competition for playing time at 1B. Senior Jesse Gonzales will be a candidate after making 3 starts last season and compiling 16 at-bats.  A player for fans to watch will be newcomer Rafi Vazquez, a juco transfer from Florence Darlington Technical College. Vazquez led FDTC in most of the offensive categories last season (.419, 43 R, 10 2B, 13 HR, 46 RBI, .829 SLG%) on his way to earning Region X Conference Player of the Year & NJCAA All-American honors. A left-handed batter, Rafi has shown that he has power to all fields, hitting multiple homers in preseason practice. Opening day prediction: Rafi Vazquez.

Second Base – Last season Tommy Bullock (44 starts) and Tate Pennington (14 starts) split time at 2B. Bullock’s move to SS opens up competition. Newcomer Carson Johnson is likely to emerge as the starter. The junior college transfer started both fall exhibitions at 2B and has continued to work there during the preseason. Johnson comes to the Niners after posting a strong summer league performance where he earned playoff MVP honors in the Western Major Baseball League of Canada (.355, 13 2B, 47 RBI, 72 R) with the Medicine Hat Mavericks. Sophomore Jake Whitcomb (.283, 2 RBI) looks to be the backup as he has gotten most of the reps there in preseason practice after appearing in 31 games a season ago. Opening day prediction: Carson Johnson.

Short Stop – The Niners lost 4 year starter Hunter Jones to graduation last season. For the 1st time since 2014 the Niners will have a new starting SS. Senior Tommy Bullock (.259, 37 RBI, 42 R) looks to be the guy.  Bullock started every game, mostly at 2B, while only committing 5 errors in 2018. An all-tournament selection season, Bullock hit the game-winning HR against Southern Miss to force a decisive C-USA semifinal game versus USM. Backing him up will likely be freshman Riley Cheek, who has seen a lot of work there this preseason. Cheek comes to the Niners after earning conference player of the year and 2nd team all-state honors while at Crest High School. Opening day prediction: Tommy Bullock.

Third Base – The surprise retirement of third baseman Jackson Mims means the left side of the infield will be completely new for the 2019 season. Freshman Josh Haney and sophomore Tate Pennington (.250, 9 RBI) have been alternating at third both in the fall and this preseason.  Pennington made 28 appearances last season, including 17 starts. Haney, joining the Niners out of SouthLake Christian Academy, was listed as one of the top incoming freshman for C-USA by Perfect Game. He also earned all-conference and all-state recognition and leaves SouthLake as their career leader in hits. Both of these guys have shown themselves capable of getting the job done this preseason. Who gets the start? Good question. Opening day prediction: Tate Pennington (went with experience on this one).

Outfield – Redshirt junior Drew Ober (.286, 41 RBI), junior Todd Elwood (.316, 16 RBI), and Dominick Cammarata  are returning starters that anchor a deep outfield group. Unfortunately Elwood is recovering from an offseason injury and is unlikely to be available opening day, but looks to be back in the mix within a  few weeks. Ober, who is underrated as an athlete, may well be the starter in center field. He has shown the ability to cover serious ground in center during preseason practice. Redshirt senior Dominick Cammarata has spent time in right field throughout the preseason, along with freshman Carter Foster, from Forbush High School. Foster joins the Niners after earning conference player of the year and all-state honors. Left field could be patrolled by one of two newcomers from the junior college ranks. Juniors Patrick Wheeler (Pitt Community College) and Austin Lynch (Redlands Community College) have both seen work in the outfield this preseason. Both Wheeler and Lynch were speedy outfielders with lead-off experience from their respective Junior Colleges. Wheeler has shown some power, homering against DAvidson in the Fall and going deep in spring scrimmages.  Sophomore Eric Lansinger and freshman Alec Roberts also provide depth. After a quiet freshman campaign Lansinger will look to continue to develop and work his way into the mix. Roberts is an interesting prospect. Although only a freshman, he possesses a physicality most seniors would be proud to have. It will be interesting to see what Coach Patrick does with him in the weight room. Roberts comes to the Niners after earning conference player of the year, all-region, and all-state honors in his native Alexandria, VA. Opening day prediction (left-to-right): Wheeler, Ober, Cammarata.

Designated Hitter – The staff has a lot of different looks that they can go with here. When Yett takes a day off from behind the plate, he will likely be in this role. The lefty Vazquez and righty Cammarata would seem to be good candidates depending on the matchup. Gonzales provides another lefty bat that could be used if Vazquez at 1B. Vazquez and Gonzales split time at DH and 1B in the Fall.  This could also be an opportunity for Elwood to provide some speed to the lineup as he works his way back from injury. The Niners had nine different players start in the DH spot last season, so expect more of the same in 2019. Opening day prediction:  Vazquez/ Gonzales

Pitching – The keys to this season’s pitching will be returners stepping forward, new faces emerging, and left-handed pitching.

Junior Matt Brooks (3-7, 5.35 ERA), along with seniors Joey Cooner (3-5. 5.43 ERA), Chase Gooding (4-2, 4.34 ERA), and Carson Pinkney (1-3. 2 SV, 4.54 ERA), head up a group that will be looking to reestablish its identity early in the season. Brooks looks ready to take a step forward and reclaim the role of Friday starter after giving way to Josh Maciejewski early last season. Cooner and Gooding may be called upon to complete the weekend rotation while Pinkney may take over as closer. Junior Colby Bruce (5-1, 4.54 ERA) has been working on his arm slot angle and has looked good this preseason. Sophomore Patrick Szczypinski (1-0, 13.50 ERA) got off to a strong start in his freshman campaign before falling off. With the offseason to work on his game, he has looked confident on the mound once again. Another interesting returner is redshirt freshman Eli Ellington. After sitting out last season, the big left-handed pitcher has looked good in the preseason. If Bruce, Szczypinski, and Ellington can carry their strong offseasons into the 2019 season they could form the nucleus of a strong Niners bullpen.

Coach Doty has 7 new arms to work with this season (4 freshman, 3 juco). Freshman Will Palinkas is a RHP from Providence High School that earned all-conference honors his last 2 years in high school. Palinkas pitched well in both fall exhibitions and has been working near the top of the rotation during the preseason. He could well be in the mix to start on the weekend. Freshman RHP Bryce McGowan earned 1st team all-conference honors at Cary High School and has also had a solid preseason, getting early inning work in the preseason. He may figure into the weekend bullpen or potentially start during the week. Freshman RHP Justin Offshanka, from Hough High School will not be hard for fans to spot. His side-armed delivery will give batters a different look when he comes out of the pen. He has put together a solid preseason and, like the other fresmen pitchers, should contribute right away. Freshman RHP Mason Herbert received all-conference and all-state recognition while at Pisgah High School. Coming off an injury, Herbert has recently been cleared to resume activities and should begin to work his way into the mix as the season progresses.

Junior LHP Ethan Earhart (Seward County CC) figured to be a big part of the staff’s plans before tearing his ACL at the beginning of fall practice. Not one to stay down long, Earhart has done an excellent job rehabbing and is already throwing off the mound. He could be back in the mix as soon as March, barring no further setbacks. Junior LHP Spencer Ard comes to the Niners from Redlands CC and has looked good in preseason scrimmages. With lefty pitching at a premium, he will need to have a solid season. Junior RHP Ryan Czanstkowski previously played at Connors State CC (alongside fellow Niner newcomer Carson Johnson) and looks to provide depth to the bullpen in his first season on campus.

As mentioned earlier, lefty pitching will worth keeping an eye on all season. There are 4 lefties on the roster (Cooner, Ellington, Ard, Earhart) and one (Earhart) is coming off an injury. That makes Ellington’s solid performance in the preseason even more promising.

Opening weekend prediction: Friday, RHP Matt Brooks. Saturday, LHP Joey Cooner. Sunday, Will Palinkas.

Closer prediction: Carson Pinkney

Weekday starter prediction: Chase Gooding, Bryce McGowan.

The Schedule

Every team in the country would like to win their conference tournament and secure their league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Diamond Niners are no different. What makes Charlotte’s position even more appealing is the opportunity to compete for an at-large bid due to the strength of both Conference USA and the Niners’ out-of-conference schedule.

Two games versus Clemson (@ Clemson, BB&T Ballpark Uptown), two games @ Arkansas, a matchup with NC State (BB&T Ballpark), a game @ South Carolina, and a home-and-home with Wake Forest give the Niners plenty of chances to build a resume. In league play, the 49ers’ season may well come down to the month of April. Yes, every league game is important, but the April schedule is absolutely brutal. Florida Atlantic and Rice come to town in back-to-back weekends before the Niners travel to Southern Miss and FIU.

Where do the Diamond Niners finish? We aren’t good enough to call our shot on this one. We’ll say this: the Niners have been picked to finish 6th in C-USA each of the past two seasons. They have finished higher in each case. Where did every preseason poll pick the team to finish in the league this season? You guessed it, 6th. We like our chances to keep the streak alive and surpass expectations. Will that add up to the 49ers first trip to the postseason since 2013? We’re about to find out.

Happy opening week, everybody!

 

Kevin and Nick