2010 Trojan Baseball Preview

Editor's Note: This is the first of a two-part series previewing the 2010 Troy University baseball team. The Trojans will open practice on Saturday, January 30, and will open the season on Friday night, February 19, against Hofstra at Riddle-Pace Field. Season ticket packages for Trojans Baseball are available through the Troy University Athletics Ticket Office.

One word that could be used to describe Troy University's baseball program since head coach Bobby Pierce first arrived in 2003 in consistency.

Consistency is defined as the ability to maintain a particular standard with minimal variation. The Trojans are the only Sun Belt Conference team to have finished in the top three in the league race every year since their arrival in the league in 2006.

That level of consistency is a hallmark Pierce takes great pride in. He has similar expectations for his 2010 team.

“The fact that our program has been able to maintain a high level of competition each year in the Sun Belt gives our players confidence as we prepare for the 2010 season,” Pierce said. “It also provides tremendous motivation each year for our players. They understand that our program has high expectations which requires a great deal of work and commitment.

“This years' team has 13 seniors that will lead the club in the right direction as we continue to build on our past success.”

Those seniors bring a wealth of experience, which bodes well for the Trojans. To maintain the level of consistency Troy has come to expect, the pitching staff will shoulder a heavy burden because of the loss of two players to the professional ranks.

Both Jason Walls and Chris Sorce were potential staff horses who would have been seniors this spring. When they both signed just before the start of the fall semester. Pierce and his staff realize that losing quality juniors to professional baseball will always be a prominent part of the program however, in this case, the timing disrupted any potential plan to recover from the losses.

“We are proud that both Jason and Chris got the opportunity to sign professionally but, unfortunately for our program, the signings took place in August, two months after the June draft,” Pierce said. “We had a plan in place to replace one, or both but, with the scholarship renewal dates as they are, we were not able to implement our plan in August, so close to the start of the fall semester.”

The positive is that the loss of Walls and Sorce provides great opportunity for the returning pitchers to move into more prominent roles this year. Here is a closer look at the Trojans' 2010 pitching staff.

Big Holes To Fill

On paper – two of the scariest words available for any coach in any sport. Often they indicate untapped potential, a forecast of possible successes to come and the promise of a new and exciting season.

Weeks before the start of the 2010 Troy University baseball season, “on paper” is all the Trojans have to go on. Until the Trojans take the field against Hofstra on February 19, “on paper” will lead most discussions about the team.

And, “on paper” the Trojans will offer up mixed signals for what the coming spring has to offer as coach Bobby Pierce enters his eighth season in charge of the program.

“As with any team looking to win a conference championship and get into post-season play, the pitching staff is going to have to lead the way,” Pierce said. “On paper, there is certainly enough talent and experience on our staff, they simply must step up and get it done. Our staff is certainly aware of the fact that it is their time and I know they are working hard each day and looking forward to their opportunity.”

Before a true discussion of the Trojans' hurlers can take place, there has to be a realization of the two missing pieces who were expected to be main cogs on the staff. Both Sorce, as the closer, and Walls, as the number two starter, were poised to return to Troy even after being taken in last June's MLB Amateur Draft when early contract negotiations broke down.

“We got hurt by the process,” Pierce said. “We had to hold on to scholarships for them because it appeared that one, or both, might be back with us. When they both signed in August, that did not leave us with an opportunity to replace them. So, we started off a little behind as far as developing the staff. However we do return several guys who do have experience at this level and have had success in our program.”

For the Trojans to bounce back from a year that saw the pitching staff post the highest team ERA, 6.32, in school history, those returning players will, almost to a man, need to have incredible bounce-back years.

One returning pitcher who is looking to build on successes from 2009 is sophomore right-hander Tyler Ray (Hoover, Ala.). The 2009 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year posted a 7-3 mark in 14 starts with a solid 4.60 ERA during a rookie campaign in which he led the team in wins, innings pitched (88.0) and strikeouts (62).

“Tyler was worn down at the end of last season and decided to take the summer off and devote that time to strength gain,” Pierce said. “He had very little preparation prior to his freshman season due to an injury he had while in high school to his non-throwing shoulder.

“We are starting to see the benefit of the work he has put in. He is a little bigger (185 pounds, up from 175) and stronger. We are confident that will translate into more durability and stamina this spring. Tyler is still a relatively young pitcher who will continue to develop physically as his career progresses.”

With Ray fully entrenched as the Trojans' Friday starter, the rest of the rotation is up in the air. Only five other pitchers return from last years' staff, and those five combined to work 109.1 innings last year, or 22 percent of the team total.

Despite the numbers on paper, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the group, which includes four seniors and a junior.

“We probably will not have the preseason pitcher of the year,” Pierce said, “but the combination of guys we do have, with the experience they have, I think matches up well with our league. My expectations for them are extremely high.”

Senior right-handers Andrew Dickinson (Decatur, Ala.) and Tim Wheeler (Florence, Ala.) have both been in the program for three years and have enjoyed success on the mound. Both entered the 2009 season off arm surgery, which was a major factor to their on-field struggles.

Dickinson posted a 2-2 record in 12 outings, but managed to pitch just 18 innings and finished the year with an even 10.00 ERA. He has not been a strikeout pitcher, but relies on command and movement, using his sinker to get ground ball outs. To be successful, he must command the ball better than he did in walking 20 batters in 2009.

“Andrew has made an adjustment in arm angle that has improved his velocity, sink and command,” Pierce said. “He has a high level of confidence going into the season because he knows he is throwing the ball as well as he ever has. His progress has been impressive and he has solidified himself as our Saturday starter.”

Wheeler also struggled in his return from shoulder surgery, posting a 2-3 record with an 8.80 ERA after consecutive seasons as a work-horse, starting 19 games and appearing in 46. He appears to be regaining the arm-strength, delivery and confidence he has shown before.

“Tim has natural sink when his slot and delivery are consistent. When he gets underneath the ball, he has a tendency to leave the ball up,” Pierce said. “We feel like he will have the sink and command back this year by getting back to full strength. When Tim is healthy, and at full strength, his sinker and slider combination is extremely effective against any hitter.”

There are two other returners waiting in the wings for a chance to get into the weekend rotation. Both senior Robby Loew (Social Circle, Ga.) and junior Drew Hull (Auburn, Ala.) had excellent fall camps and are poised to have break-out seasons. Both will have opportunities early as either Sunday or weekday starters.

“Robby was the best junior college pitcher in our state two years ago, but he did struggle some adjusting to the level of competition in our league last year,” Pierce said. “He struggled a little early, but fought back to finish strong last year.”

After closing strong, Loew has regained the confidence that made him the number one starter at Southern Union and one of the premier junior college pitchers in the state.

During his first two seasons, Hull has primarily been used as a long and middle reliever. While playing in the Metro League in Montgomery last summer, he made the switch to starter and earned the league's most valuable player award. He also dedicated himself to working in the weight room and has seen significant improvements in his strength, stamina and durability.

“The timetable for Drew to move into the starting rotation really moved up when Walls signed,” Pierce said. “I think the commitment he made to his conditioning contributed greatly to his increased confidence during the summer, which led him to being MVP of the Metro League. The challenge for Drew, as a starter, will be to focus on one pitch at a time, stay in the strike zone and force the opponent to beat his best stuff.”

The other returning pitcher from last year is senior left-hander Jordan Mathers (Niceville, Fla.), who will continue in his role as a situational pitcher.

“Jordan has made an angle adjustment that appears to be improving his overall command as well,” Pierce said. “It will be interesting to see where this will take him with his performance.”

One other hurler returns for Troy after missing all of last season following surgery. Sophomore left-hander A.J. Howard (Kinsey, Ala.) made 20 relief appearances in 2008 and will be back in a relief role this year.

“A.J. has really come back strong,” Pierce said. “He also made a slight arm angle adjustments that he feels good about and he is one of our best competitors on the mound. He gives 100 percent every day, whether in practice or a game. We knew we could count on A.J. to recover from his injury. Only time will tell us what his role will be for this spring. So far, everything looks great.”

Howard will open the season as a long-to-middle reliever, but will have an opportunity to become a late-inning guy, possibly even a closer.

While on the subject of closer, there are big shoes to fill in that role for Troy. Starting with Nate Moore in 2004, the Trojans have been blessed with great pitching at the end of games in recent years. Guys like Josh Dew, Mike Felix, Josh Storm and Sorce have given the Trojans an incredible sense of comfort in the late innings.

How good have Troy closers been under Pierce since 2003? When leading games after eight innings over the last seven years, the Trojans have a 187-4 record.

“Those are obviously big shoes to fill,” Pierce said. “When Chris Sorce signed with Seattle, we were concerned about who would fill that role, but Chase Whitley came in during the fall and has shown us he can be that guy.”

Whitley (Ranburne, Ala.) will serve in a dual role for the Trojans, in much the same manner Felix and Dew did. He will have big shoes to fill in both, replacing Gold Glove winner Brett Henry at third base while also filling the role as closer.

“Chase was a starting pitcher in junior college but, with him playing third base every day, we thought that was too much to ask of him,” Pierce said. “He is a strike thrower with all four pitches and we think he will be very valuable at the end of games.”

Another newcomer who will work late innings out of the pen this spring is Nick Ward (Katy, Texas). Ward will open the year as the Trojans setup man, but will likely find himself closing games as well.

“Nick has been a focused and dedicated worker since joining our program,” Pierce said. “We will see how he transitions to Division I baseball. Staying within himself and locating his pitches will determine his success.”

Four other newcomers will have a chance to factor in this spring. Two are left-handers, freshman Shane McCain (Ft. Pierce, Fla.) and junior Austin Woodard (Wichita, Kan.). Both will open the season as middle relievers, but could eventually move into the starting rotation, depending on their progress and the stability of the staff.

The two freshmen right-handers are Cass Abercrombie (Louisville, Ala.) and Thomas Austin (Selma, Ala.). Both had good performances in the fall and could be ready to make an impact in the spring.

“Abercrombie has a good arm and is progressing at a rapid rate,” Pierce said. “He can throw every day without issues.”

Three other new members of the pitching staff – freshmen Turner Lee (Mobile, Ala.), Ali Knowles (Freeport, Bahamas) and Ivan Carter (Irondale, Ala.) have yet to throw a pitch at Troy because of injury. Knowles will definitely not play this spring after having Tommy John surgery, and time will tell when Lee, a left-hander, and Carter will be able to contribute.

“Turner had an outstanding high school career and his future is extremely bright,” Pierce said. “He has thrown well early on this spring but will have to be patient with his opportunity due to missing fall practice.”

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