NORFOLK, Va. -- The ODU Baseball Monarchs open the 2016 season this weekend in Coastal Carolina’s Eighth Annual Caravelle Resort Tournament down in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
WHO’S UP
ODU will play the 10th-ranked NC State Wolfpack on Friday at 12:00 p.m. followed by Kent State on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. The Baseball Monarchs will close the tournament against Appalachian State on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. All three games will be played at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark.
HOW TO TUNE IN
Listen to the games live on ODU's audio stream through Monarch Media (odusports.com), with Andy Mashaw providing the play-by-play. Fans can sign up for the audio stream on the ODU website (odusports.com) for $9.95 per month.
ABOUT THE BASEBALL MONARCHS
The Monarchs finished last season with a 27-29 overall record that featured wins over defending NCAA Champions UVA and No. 8 ranked Rice. ODU advanced to the Conference USA Tournament for the second-consecutive year and saw three players earn all-conference honors at the conclusion of the season. ODU returns 18 lettermen from last year’s squad, including senior outfielder Connor Myers, junior pitcher Sam Sinnen and sophomore infielder Zach Rutherford who represented the Monarchs on the C-USA Preseason All-Conference Team.
Returning position starters include infielder Jason McMurray (.251, 7 2b, 23 RBI), outfielder Connor Myers (.302, 10 2b, 28 RBI, 20-25 SB), infielder Zach Rutherford (.317, 13 2b, 18 RBI) and outfielder Nick Walker (.276, 10 2b, 33 RBI, 12-14 SB).
Returning pitchers include lefthanders Adam Bainbridge (4-2, 2.39 ERA, 33 SO, 14 BB, 67.2 IP) and Jake Josephs (3-1, 3.89 ERA, 29 SO, 20 BB, 41.2 IP), along with righthanders Sam Sinnen (6-3, 2.84 ERA, 53 SO, 15 BB, 66.2 IP), Thomas Busbice (3-2, 4.84 ERA, 37 SO, 26 BB, 44.2 IP), Victor Diaz (3-1, 5.28 ERA, 14 SO, 3 BB, 15.1 IP) and Nick Hartman (1-2, 5.54 ERA, 41 SO, 28 BB, 55.2 IP, 5 SV).
This year’s program will also feature 11 freshmen and a pair of junior college transfers. The recruiting class was featured in a weekly “Recruiting Notebook” published by D1Baseball.com. Here is what the weekly publication said about the Old Dominion newcomers.
“Right-hand pitcher Brett Smith is an athletic 6-foot-4 former high school quarterback with plenty of upside as he spends more time focusing on baseball. Third base Seth Woodard is a mature freshman with righthanded power potential and feel for hitting. Outfielder Will Morgan has solid tools across the board but stands out most for his smooth lefthanded swing and gap-to-gap approach. Juco transfer Kyle Beam brings physicality and a strong arm behind the plate. The other juco transfer in this class, right-hand pitcher Culver Lamb, is a winner with athleticism and feel for pitching with his 86-89 fastball.”
SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
The Wolfpack’s schedule features games against 11 NCAA Tournament teams from 2015 and five of last year’s top 25 RPIs. Last season, the Wolfpack returned to the NCAA Tournament and finished one win shy of the NCAA Super Regionals. After a successful 2015 campaign, NC State enters the season ranked in three of the four Top 25 Baseball polls (#10 D1Baseball.com, #19 USA Today Coaches, #20 NCBWA).
NC State finished the regular season with a 32-20 record and advanced to the program’s first title game since 2010. The Wolfpack captured five all-conference mentions, with Jake Fincher, Andrew Knizner, and Preston Palmeiro leading the way on the All-ACC second team and Logan Ratledge snagging a third team mention. Brian Brown made the 12-man All-Freshman team. Brown also earned Freshman All-America honors from NCBWA, one of three starting pitchers nationwide.
Beginning his 20th season as head baseball coach at NC State, Elliott Avent has taken the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament in 14 of the last 19 seasons, and 11 of the last 13. Avent captured both ACC and National Coach of the Year honors in 2003.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN FLASHES
The Golden Flashes finished the season at 31-22 after a 6-3 loss in the Mid-American Conference Tournament to Bowling Green. At the conclusion of the regular season, three Golden Flashes earned All Mid-American Conference honors and the team was awarded the trophy for the MAC East Division title.
Eric Lauer and Zarley Zalewski were named First Team All-MAC while Nick Jensen-Clagg earned Second Team recognition. Lauer returns as Kent State’s leading pitcher and recently earned his second preseason All-American nod heading into the 2016 season by being named to Baseball America's Second Team. In 2015 he posted a 1.98 ERA with a 5-4 record, striking out 103 batters while walking just 26 in 86.1 innings. Lauer was the only player from the MAC to earn preseason All-America recognition.
Zalewski returns as the leading field player, after earning First Team All-Region accolades as a designated hitter after his 2014 campaign. He also earned the Second Team third baseman spot and was a First Team All-MAC selection after hitting .374 with 13 doubles, three homeruns and 32 RBI.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Appalachian State closed the 2015 campaign with a 17-36 overall record and 8-21 mark in its first season in the Sun Belt Conference. The Mountaineers rounded out the 2016 coaches’ poll by being picked 11th entering their second year in the league.
First-team starting pitcher Taylor Thurber and second-team second baseman Dillon Dobson represented Appalachian State on the 2015 all-Sun Belt Conference baseball teams. Thurber was 4-9 on the season, but finished with a 2.35 ERA, .218 opponents’ batting average, 73 strikeouts against just eight walks over 95.2 innings. Dobson hit .317 with 14 doubles, 12 home runs, 34 RBI, 43 runs scored and a .577 slugging percentage as a junior last season.
Billy Jones is in his fourth season as head baseball coach at Appalachian State University. In three seasons at the helm of the Mountaineers, Jones has coached seven all-conference performers and one of only three freshman all-Americans in Appalachian State history. Jones has recorded 68 victories as Appalachian State’s head coach, including an impressive 30-win campaign in 2013. He has also led the Mountaineers to postseason wins in two of his three campaigns, including a berth in the Southern Conference Tournament semifinals in 2013.
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday - RHP Sam Sinnen (Jr.) vs. TBA
Saturday - LHP Jake Josephs (RJr.) vs. RHP Andy Ravel (Jr.)
Sunday - LHP Adam Bainbridge (Jr.) vs. LHP Colin Schmid (Fr.)
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
02/19 | Old Dominion vs. NC State | TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark | 12PM ET |
02/19 | Coastal Carolina vs. App State | Springs Brooks Stadium | 4PM ET |
02/19 | Kent State vs. Virginia | TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark | 4PM ET |
02/20 | Kent State vs. Old Dominion | TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark | 12PM ET |
02/20 | Coastal Carolina vs. NC State | Springs Brooks Stadium | 2PM ET |
02/20 | Virginia vs. App State | TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark | 4PM ET |
02/21 | NC State vs. Kent State | TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark | 12PM ET |
02/21 | Coastal Carolina vs. Virginia | Springs Brooks Stadium | 1PM ET |
02/21 | Old Dominion vs. App State | TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark | 4PM ET |
ODU returns to Norfolk for the home opener on Feb. 23 against Norfolk State at the Bud Metheny Complex.
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