Troy University Athletics
Expectations Not A Problem for Trojans in 2007
2/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
Back-to-back conference championships - Atlantic Sun in 2005 and Sun Belt in 2006 - have elevated expectations across the board. The Trojans enter 2007 as a solid NCAA Regional contender, are the preseason favorites to repeat as Sun Belt Conference champions, and enter the year ranked nationally by Collegiate Baseball.
Despite those high expectations from others, the highest expectations come from the Trojans themselves. After tasting NCAA Regional competition last spring for the first time since 1997, the returning members of the squad have set higher goals for themselves this spring. Those expectations are much bigger than outside expectations could possibly match.
I don't think our players care either way about preseason picks,” Pierce said. Those kinds of things can have an effect on a team, but we have such good senior leadership that I expect it to affect this team much less.”
Reaching those goals will be, in great part, determined by the Trojans' ability to replace a quartet of highly decorated players from the 2006 squad. The team lost a pair of juniors - Tom King and Mike Felix - in the opening rounds of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. The squad also lost a group of seniors - keyed by Jared Keel and Blake Green - who anchored back-to-back league titles.
But, the high expectations come not because of what was lost, but because of the returning cast that includes 15 seniors in 2007.
We do have a lot of returning experience,” Pierce said. The experience we have is greater and deeper than even what we had in 2005, and that is a great advantage. Realistically, the loss of King hurt us because we weren't prepared for that loss, but we were very close to losing several others and having those players back leaves us in good shape.”
Fan expectations for the Trojans are also fueled by a challenging schedule this spring. The slate opens with Arkansas, a preseason favorite to reach the College World Series, and includes non-conference dates with other 2006 Regional teams like Saint Louis, Southern Miss, Alabama, Jacksonville State, Michigan and Mississippi state. The slate also includes dates with solid programs like Coastal Carolina, and the 30-game conference schedule.
I think this team is ready for this schedule,” Pierce said. I think this schedule is going to bring us a little more exposure and credibility on the national level and it provides our players with great of opportunity.
I said the same thing last year, and our players were able to answer the challenge.”
As with any team, the players will determine if reality meets expectations. For the 2007 Trojans, those expectations are as high as they have ever been.
Craze Anchors Revamped Outfield
Senior center fielder Ian Craze knows all about expectations. When he joined the Troy program last year, all he had to do was replace a conference player of the year. While there are differences between the way Craze plays center from the style that led Adam Godwin to that award in 2005, the Ohio native is poised to have a breakout season of his own this spring.
I know that Ian is comfortable in his role this year,” Pierce said. He started last year trying to live up to the expectations everyone had put on him in replacing Adam. Ian responded to that and had a fine year - his numbers (.336 average, 61 runs, 19 stolen bases) speak for themselves, but he is a little more comfortable and relaxed now.”
It is Craze's defense that is the key to his game as much as what he contributes from the top of the Trojans' batting order. During the 2006 season, he had a perfect fielding percentage while starting 57 of 63 games in center.
He is one of the better, overall, center fielders that I have coached, and that puts him into a class with Adam Godwin,” Pierce said. Offensively, Ian is very comparable to Adam, even from a stolen base standpoint. The difference is that we do not need Ian to steal as many bases because we think we are better swinging the bats than stealing bases.”
Craze will be flanked by a combination of players in left and right field, with senior Ben Woods making the move from right to left to open the 2007 season.
Ben is a blue collar type player who just refuses to have any let downs and refuses to let teammates have any let downs,” Pierce said. We have other guys who may hit a little better, or play a little better defense, and they will get their chances, but, at the end of the day, you have to have your winners on the field.
Woods is, obviously, a winner. Troy was 31-2 last season in games Woods started and, in his athletics career, the Ozark native has 10 championship rings, including two with the Trojans. He posted a .306 average in 40 games last year and will hit in the sixth spot in the lineup this spring.
Junior college transfer Bryan Miller, who came to Troy after two seasons at Mesa Community College in Arizona, won the starting job in right field during the fall. Both he and Woods will be pushed throughout the season by senior Kevin Weidlich, who saw spot duty at both spots last spring.
Miller has a successful history of hitting at every level he has played,” Pierce said. He is a good athlete and a really good defender. He is more of a gap-style hitter.
Weidlich has continued to improve and has a great history of being a competitive hitter. Kevin is a coach's dream because he is a guy who always stays ready. He came up big in big spots every time we called on him last year.”
Two freshmen, Grant Luke and Steven Felix, will serve as understudies in the outfield. Felix, the younger brother of Mike, may also see playing time at third base and behind the plate.
The wild card in the outfield situation comes from first base. Senior Clint Robinson worked over the summer to prepare for time in right field, which may be an option for the Trojans.
I would like to be able to open a slot for our young, talented, hitter Matt Tanzi,” Pierce said. To get his bat in the lineup, at the DH spot, means that both Clint and Josh Dew have to be in the field. We have experimented with Clint in right and he has shown that he can make the plays he is supposed to make. We also know that we have Ian in center to cover if we need him.”
Dew-Robinson Combo To Provide Pop
While the Trojans will be forced to replace All-Conference performers at shortstop and third base, they also return All-Conference players at first and second base in Dew, Robinson and Edgar Ramirez. Having two all-league caliber players at the same position might sound like a problem, but not for the Trojans.
Last season, when Dew played first base, Robinson was the DH and vice-versa. The same situation will apply in 2007, but with the added twist of the talented Tanzi. The fourth piece to that puzzle is senior Matt Carlo, who is the best defensive player of the four.
Dew and Robinson will hit in the middle of the batting order for the Trojans and will be expected to provide the power and run-producing ability they showed last year. The duo combined for 25 home runs and 105 RBI in 2006.
While Pierce admits that he'd like to be able to slide Dew into the DH role more often in order to save him for his second job, that of closer, he said that the All-American brings something special to the field.
Dew is a presence on the field,” Pierce said. For whatever reason, our team just seems to play better with him on the field. I understand that, but he is also one of the best closers in the nation and he is potentially in harm's way playing first base.”
Dew starts the year out on multiple award Watch Lists and preseason All-America teams. He was also the only Trojan named to the preseason All-Sun Belt squad, as a relief pitcher, but more impressive, Dew named the preseason Player of the Year.
Robinson is the only four-year starter during the Pierce Era at Troy and, if he can avoid the nagging injuries that plagued him last spring, he has a chance to put his name at the top of several Troy career lists, including for hits.
Filling Holes on Left Side Key For Infield
The Trojans feature one of the top second basemen in the Sun Belt Conference in senior Edgar Ramirez, who earned second team All-Conference honors last spring. The Arizona native had shoulder surgery following the season and missed the fall, but is on pace to be ready for the start of the season.
Ramirez, of course, returns at second base and is one of the premier players in the conference, certainly at that position,” Pierce said. I like having Ramirez in the two hole (where he hit most of 2006), but I also like the idea of him hitting in the five hole behind Dew and Robinson. When teams try to pitch around those two he provides a solid RBI threat.”
Ramirez will be backed up by sophomore Brett Pierce, who redshirted in 2006, and Trevor Tyre, a transfer from Chipola Junior College. Tyre was recruited to compete for the job at third base, which is what he played at Chipola.
We like him better as a second baseman, but he worked at both spots in the fall and showed good instincts,” Pierce said. He will be a solid backup for Ramirez and may play some third as well.”
Sophomore Brett Henry won the open competition to replace Keel at third base in the fall. He edged out senior Ramon Orsini, who will see plenty of playing time as well. Felix also figures into the mix at the hot corner.
We are really excited about Brett Henry and his offensive potential,” Pierce said. He is a very competitive player who has waited patiently for his turn. Ramon is right there with him, but Brett has shown more consistency. There will be some opportunities for Ramon to DH some as well as play third.”
The big hole to fill in the infield is at shortstop and the jury is still out as to who will emerge as the starter to replace record-setting All-American Tom King. In addition to the offensive production King brought to the game (.411, 35 doubles, eight homers and 73 RBI) he was also a steady hand at short, where he started every game and committed only 16 errors.
Newcomer Charlie Calamia, who joins the Trojans after spending the last two years at Mesa Community College, and redshirt freshman Bart Pettus from Demopolis, Ala., battled throughout the fall for the starting job. That race continued right into January and both are expected to see playing time early in the season.
It is a very tight race,” Pierce said. More than likely we will start the season with a combination of the two. Both guys will play until things settle in and it could very well be a left-right combination that could stay that way.”
The wild card at shortstop is freshman walk-on Shohei Fujita, an international student from Japan, who joined the team this spring after a tryout in the fall.
We think he has a very bright future,” Pierce said. He is a good athlete, a switch-hitter who is good with the bat. We are going to work very hard to see where he fits in. We do plan to get him in there when we can.”
The coaching staff is reluctant to put too much pressure on Fujita early because he did not go through fall practice with the team due to eligibility issues. That being said, if he is able to meet expectations, he could fill a key slot in the batting order.
We don't know enough about him yet to know if he can be the two-hole hitter,” Pierce said. His style of play is perfect for that spot. From the left side he is like Ichiro in that he slaps the ball around and uses his speed. From the right side he sits back more and has some surprising pop.
What I don't want to do is put too much pressure on him. He may not play at all this year, but he may be our shortstop. I just want to let things happen and see where they go.”
Experience Returns Behind the Plate
The Trojans return their top two catchers from 2006 in junior Josh Blackwell and sophomore Beau Brooks. Both should again see significant time in 2007, with their combination of hitting from both sides of the plate giving Troy a lot of versatility.
What we like is they give us a left-right combination,” Pierce said. We can platoon them or we can set it up where the pitchers throw to the guy he likes to work with. We can pinch run late and have another guy to come in. There is a lot of flexibility they allow us to have.
The thing about Josh and Beau is that they are such great teammates that when one is playing, the other is his biggest fan. They are both extremely hard workers and are very competitive. They both just want the Trojans to win, and however that happens is fine with them.”
A pair of freshmen, Felix and Johnny Gunter, could also see time behind the plate. Because of his ability to play multiple positions, Felix will likely serve as the third catcher while Gunter, who Pierce says has a very bight future, may redshirt.
Trying to find playing time for him will be difficult this year,” Pierce said. When he gets going, he has the potential to be as good as the other two. In the fall, redshirting was not in the conversation for Gunter but, because of our depth, it is now.”
Strong Arms Anchor Deep Pitching Staff
The 2007 Trojans return virtually their entire pitching staff from last year, with one glaring exception. Mike Felix was the anchor for the Trojans last spring, leading the team in innings pitched, wins, ERA and strikeouts while working as both a starter and reliever.
More than once he was called in from right field early in games and asked to take it to Dew in the ninth and, time-after-time, he delivered. After the season, Felix was taken in the second round of the MLB amateur draft by Pittsburgh and took his talents to the professional ranks.
The other key loss to the pitching staff was that of coach Todd Lamberth, who had served as pitching coach for Pierce since 1999 at UAH. In his place comes Jeff Crane, who has most recently been scouting in professional baseball.
You are always concerned about players getting onto the same page with a new coach, but Jeff did a very good job of earning their respect,” Pierce said. With his experience in professional baseball he can help our pitchers grow by letting them know what it takes to succeed at the next level.”
Crane and the Trojans are blessed to have a host of experienced players returning in 2007. While no one player will shoulder the type of load Felix had, the staff will have clearly defined duties.
Our starting pitching going into this year is deeper and more talented and that is a credit to our returning pitchers,” Pierce said. What we want to do is have our five starters, our three late-inning guys and the rest will be gap guys. Those guys will get plenty of time early to move up but, once the starters start to stretch out, their opportunities will be reduced.”
The name at the top of the list of starters for the Trojans' pitching staff will be senior Clegg Snipes. The Tallahassee native returns after posting a 7-0 record in 2006. Over the summer he had a near-death experience while pitching in Arizona, the result of an asthma attack, but he returned to campus stronger and more focused than ever.
Snipes is a competitor who wants the ball every Friday night,” Pierce said. He is a sinker ball pitcher, who has worked extremely hard since the end of last season. Along with his fastball and changeup, he has added a cut fastball to his arsenal.
Snipes is ready, he is better and he's confident. He wants to be the lead guy, without being arrogant about it. He has a lot of confidence and is ready to roll.”
Snipes will be followed in the rotation again by senior left-hander Joe Hallahan. The St. Louis native missed all of fall practice due to a sore shoulder, but should be ready to take the mound early in the season, if not the opening weekend.
If he is ready, and he says that he is, then he will go in the two hole again,” Pierce said. If he is not ready, then it will be Ricky Ibarz or Ryan Ellison, and we'll have to flip a coin between the two of them because they both have strengths and either is fine with me.”
Hallahan posted a 6-3 record in 14 starts last spring with a 4.15 ERA. He was second to Felix in innings pitched and proved himself to be a consistent strike thrower.
Ibarz is a senior transfer from Texas-Pan American who had a 4-6 record last year with the Broncos while posting a 4.75 ERA in 16 starts. The left-hander recorded 100 strikeouts and, as a sophomore at New Mexico Junior College, posted a 10-1 record in helping that squad win a national title.
Ellison is a junior right-hander who showed signs of coming into his own at the end of the 2006 season with solid starts in both the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and the NCAA Regional.
Ibarz has an above average fastball and an above average changeup with division I experience,” Pierce said. When his command is right, he is dominant, which is a lot like Ellison.
In the fall, Ellison was dominant. He is ready and this is the year when he either does it, or he doesn't. It is time for him to go. We want to get both guys two or three starts prior to conference play to determine who will pitch on the weekend and who will pitch midweek.”
The fifth member of the Trojans' starting staff is Nate Duhe, a transfer from LSU-Eunice Junior College. He has been penciled in to be the Sunday starter for Troy this spring.
What we like about him is that he is a pitch guy,” Pierce said. He sees hitters and understands their weaknesses and is able to exploit them. He is a strike thrower who can mix things up and is an innings-eater. He was 13-1 on a national championship team last year and we think that if he has an opportunity to watch a team for two days he will have a better opportunity to be effective against that team.”
With five players vying for what will be, for the most part, a four-man rotation, one will eventually have to move into the role of middle relief where he will be joined by a group that will likely include right-handers Rob Brown, Tim Wheeler and J.J. Whetsel and left-hander Jonathan Sabat.
J.J. is a catch-all for us in that he can do it all with great versatility,” Pierce said. He improved quite a bit during the fall and I like the progress he has made. Brown has a fastball in the low 90s and a breaking ball similar to Ellison's and he is very competitive. Wheeler is a sinker-slider guy that we really like. He is going to have a bright future with us. Sabat has a rubber arm who can pitch every day if needed.”
Behind that group is another quartet of pitchers who will be looking to contribute. That group includes right-handers Bert Elliott, Pete Van Horn and Neal Jordan and left-handers Nolan Chestnut and Jeff Green.
Of course, the end of games will be the domain of Dew, who was named to the preseason Roger Clemens Award watch list as pitcher of the year after posting a 5-1 record with seven saves and a 2.98 ERA in 24 appearances on the mound last spring.
Josh Dew is the lead guy on this club, not just because of his ability or performance, but because he is a stable force,” Pierce said. His changeup is much better now than it was last year and, because of his dual role, he is out front as the leader of this team.”
With the pitching staff apparently set for the season, and the only true position question still unanswered at shortstop, the Trojans appear to be set for a run at defending their Sun Belt crown. The opposing league coaches apparently think they have the stuff to repeat as well, having picked Troy to win the league, but by the slimmest of margins over Louisiana-Lafayette.
That was the way things went last year and this year we get them at home,” Pierce said. For the first two or three weeks we will be looking to find the best combinations, but we should have a lot less of that because of all the returning seniors. It promises to be an interesting and fun year.”
