NORFOLK, Va. - Bolstered by the return of seven pitchers and two All-MEAC position players from last year's MEAC Tournament runner-up squad, a still relatively young Norfolk State baseball team eagerly anticipates the start of the 2012 season, which begins Friday when Rider comes to Marty L. Miller Field for a four-game series.
NSU has just four seniors on its 28-man roster, but the Spartans, under eighth-year head coach Claudell Clark, aren't using youth as an excuse.
“This year's team has been one of the hardest-working groups and we have shown excellent team chemistry,” said Clark, who led NSU to the MEAC Tournament championship round for the third time in his tenure last season. “They seem focused in doing the little things that can make the difference in winning and losing games.”
Following is a position-by-position glance at the Spartan baseball team heading into the season.
PITCHING STAFF
Clark, a former Spartan pitcher and pitching coach, has always prided himself on having quality staffs at NSU. He thinks this year should be no exception. With seven pitchers back and just two lost from 2011, plus the addition of several key newcomers, Clark feels that this could be one of his deepest and most versatile pitching staffs.
Despite losing No. 1 starting pitcher Ryan Shook to offseason arm surgery, NSU could have one of the MEAC's toughest weekend rotations with the return of last season's other top starters, junior Jordan Egan and sophomores Ryan VanAssche and Justin Bhatti. Egan made 11 of his 16 appearances last year as a starter and posted a 3-3 record. Egan was second in the MEAC in strikeouts (79), tops in strikeouts per nine innings (10.5 – 22nd in the nation) and third in lowest opponents batting average (.252). He will again anchor one of the top spots in the weekend rotation.
VanAssche was the workhorse of the staff as a rookie in 2011, earning Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors after finishing third in the MEAC in wins (seven) and earned-run average (3.47). VanAssche, who made 18 appearances, came out of the bullpen 10 times before transitioning to a starting role later in the season. He and Egan should hold down the top two spots in the weekend rotation, in some order.
“Jordan and 'RV' will be expected to go deep into games each outing. They both have shown that they can be dominant at times,” Clark said. “On Saturday doubleheaders, they complement each other very well and give our opponents two tough and contrasting looks.”
Bhatti went 3-6 with a 4.92 ERA as a freshman. He came on strong down the stretch, capped by a complete-game win over Delaware State at the MEAC Tournament.
“Justin has improved his slider and developed a nice changeup, which should be a big help to him as our Sunday starter,” Clark said.
The pitching depth doesn't stop with the top three in the weekend rotation, however. Several of the Spartans' other arms are capable of both starting and relieving, giving Clark a variety of options and versatility. Junior left hander Richie Salter (2-2, 4.76 ERA) and sophomore righty Jeff Di Fulgo (1-1, 6.65) are two players who could see time in either role.
While Salter and Di Fulgo could see time as starters or relievers, Clark will look to senior Horace Smith, junior Ray Morton (3-3, 5.16) and sophomore Chase Kyriacou (0-2, 8.63) to work primarily out of the bullpen. Smith missed last season due to a knee injury, but is healthy and looked strong in offseason workouts. Morton made a team-high 21 appearances last season, 18 in relief. Kyriacou made 14 appearances, 11 in relief. The two combined to walk just 17 hitters in 77.2 innings.
Three newcomers – JC transfer Chris Horne and freshmen Jeremy Sandifer and Ian Shiner – will also compete for innings out of the bullpen. Sandifer also has the potential to contribute as a mid-week starter along with Di Fulgo, according to Clark.
“All three newcomers proved to be effective in offseason workouts and have the potential to pitch in key situations for us,” Clark said. “They all have good arm strength and will be expected to move into starting roles as their careers progress.”
INFIELD
The Spartans must replace a pair of four-year stalwarts from their infield in shortstop Chris Joyce and first baseman Brandon Hairston. Joyce was a two-time All-MEAC performer who finished his career as the school's all-time doubles leader while ranking second in both hits and runs batted in. Hairston was second on the team last season with a .365 average and paced the Spartans with five home runs en route to second-team All-MEAC honors.
Replacing their production won't be easy, but Clark feels he has a number of players ready to step in. JC transfer Ross Cardwell, senior Hunter Kenney and junior Shane Hoggard could all see time at first base. Cardwell displayed a nice hitting stroke and good defensive skills in fall workouts, while Kenney and Hoggard both provide experience, as well.
“Ross is probably our best defensive option at first base, but Shane and Hunter will compete for time there and at DH to show how much they have improved,” Clark said.
Shortstop will be manned by either senior Rafael Colon (.175 in 18 games in 2011) or touted freshman Justin Lee. Colon began the 2011 season as the team's starting shortstop before transitioning to a reserve role. He can also play second base if needed. Lee was the Tidewater area's Player of the Year while leading prep power Great Bridge to the state title. Like Colon, Lee can also play second if needed.
“Justin has shown a lot of promise at both second and shortstop and will push the upperclassmen from day 1,” Clark said.
NSU does have plenty of experience at second and third base. Junior Ryan Montgomery was a first-team All-MEAC selection in his first season as a starter at third base last season. He batted .362 with 13 extra-base hits and 25 RBI. Clark also said that he has worked hard to improve his defense at the “hot corner.”
Fellow junior Sammy Serafine is back for his third year as the starter at second base. He hit .257 with 10 doubles last season.
“Sammy has made some adjustments that will allow him to improve offensively,” Clark said of Serafine, who hit .339 as a freshman in 2010. “Defensively, he has been solid and is one of the reasons why we will be strong in our middle infield this year.”
Sophomores Kyriacou and Jason Ellington are also options for Clark on the infield. Kyriacou has taken reps at second base in addition to his work on the mound. Ellington, who worked as a pitcher last year, will be looked to contribute offensively this season.
OUTFIELD
NSU's personnel losses from 2011 were heaviest among its outfielders as the trio of LF John Rasberry, RF John Lynch and CF TiQuan Griffin all used up their eligibility. Rasberry was the team's leading hitter with a .372 mark last season, good enough to earn him first-team All-MEAC accolades. Lynch, meanwhile, leaves NSU as the school's all-time hits leader. He batted .319 with a MEAC-leading 29 stolen bases last year. Griffin hit .299 in 2011 and started 133 games in his career.
The cupboard is far from bare, however. All-MEAC second-team designated hitter James Taylor will move into the starting center fielder's role this season. Taylor, the team's lead-off hitter, finished the 2011 year with a .338 average, a .472 on-base percentage and 12 steals. He has plenty of experience spelling Griffin in center over the past two seasons.
“James is a very capable center fielder, and he's shown that he can be very effective at getting our offense going from the lead-off spot,” Clark said.
Sophomore Tyon Ore will likely be the opening-day left fielder. Ore had only 38 at-bats last season, but had 14 hits, including a home run. Fellow sophomore Cameron Day will be counted on to either man right field or DH and have a prominent spot in the middle of the NSU lineup. Day had just nine at-bats last season, but has good speed and power potential.
“Tyon looked good in his limited at-bats this year, and I think he'll be ready to assume a larger role,” Clark said. “Cameron is one of the team's strongest hitters and has improved his defense in right field.”
Clark is also high on freshmen James Essex and Mikey Bruno and sophomore transfer Josh Boyd. Essex and Bruno were high school standouts from the state of Virginia. Both are athletic players who possess good speed. Boyd, the younger brother of former Spartan All-MEAC performer John Boyd, has good power potential.
Sophomore Mark Wells also returns to the squad this season and gives Clark yet another option off the bench.
CATCHER
The Spartans boast one of the top catchers in the conference in senior Chris Warren. Warren received most of the starts behind the plate as last season progressed with graduated senior Cameron Parsons. Warren threw out 35 percent of would-be base-stealers and also batted .286 with 12 doubles.
“Chris is a key piece of our defense because he gives our pitchers even more confidence to pitch with runners on base,” Clark said. “He also has worked hard to become an above-average receiver, allowing our pitchers to throw all of their pitches in any count.”
Freshman Carson Moon, a product of Elberton, Ga., will push for time to spell Warren behind the plate when needed. Another option is Ryan Montgomery, who began his career as a catcher and has a strong arm.
SCHEDULE
The Spartans have another challenging schedule, but 32 of their 51 regular-season games as well as the 2012 MEAC Tournament will be played at NSU's Marty L. Miller Field. The non-conference slate includes home weekend series with Rider (Feb. 17-19), Villanova (Feb. 24-26), Binghamton (March 3-4) and Maine (March 30-April 1). NSU also has home-and-home dates with in-state rivals Old Dominion, William & Mary and Longwood in addition to a road matchup with Maryland of the ACC (May 1). The second ODU game, originally scheduled for Marty L. Miller Field, will be played at Harbor Park, home of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides.
With the addition of North Carolina Central and Savannah State to the MEAC this year, the MEAC baseball race now includes nine teams. The squads will be split into a Northern and a Southern Division. NSU will play a total of 24 conference games against Northern Division foes Delaware State, Coppin State and Maryland Eastern Shore. The Spartans wouldn't face Southern Division counterparts Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T, Florida A&M, Savannah State or N.C. Central until MEAC Tournament play. The tournament returns to Norfolk for a three-year term through 2014. The 2012 championship will be played May 16-20.
“I feel there will be some extra motivation for our team to develop and peak at the right point during the season since we will play host to the conference tournament at our home field,” Clark said. “Our guys have the ultimate goal of a conference championship in mind and have shown that they are willing to put in the extra work to get there.”
