A young starting lineup and a veteran pitching staff will take the field today as the Mississippi State Diamond Dawgs kick off their season on the road in Jacksonville, Fla., against the North Florida Ospreys. While unable to name a definite starting lineup, head coach Ron Polk said that won’t be a downfall for his team.
“I’ve counted up about 19 position players/hitters that could be factors this year. I don’t think I’ve had a team in a while that we could not pull the trigger on starters at this point in time,” Polk said. “But that’s somewhat good because it indicates that we have adequate depth on the ballclub.”
Senior tri-captain and pitcher Justin Pigott echoed Polk in his belief that the Bulldogs will have a lineup of strong hitters.
“Our offense is pretty aggressive and snappy. There’s a lot of tough outs in our lineup,” Pigott said. “There’s so much speed, and you’ve got to have a different approach for each guy.”
Perhaps the biggest question mark will be behind the plate after the departure of junior All-American catcher Edward Easley for the ranks of professional baseball. Easley, who contributed 12 of the team’s 51 home runs last season, started all 60 games at the backstop and had 243 at-bats.
“It’s not like we don’t have any catchers,” Polk said. “We’ve got plenty of catchers, but I’m talking about experienced people. Hopefully we can find someone who can block some balls and throw some people out.”
Five players find themselves in the running to replace Easley.
Sophomore Ryan Duffy and junior Brooks Lewis both saw late-game action in 2007 as Easley’s backups and had limited at-bats.
Community college transfer Scott DeLoach and true freshman Cody Freeman are also in the mix, while Grenada native Johnny Allen could also see playing time after a strong showing in fall scrimmages.
Junior tri-captain and pitcher Chad Crosswhite said he had gotten to know Allen during the offseason and liked his leadership abilities.
“I just like Johnny’s demeanor and the way he handles himself. He’s a leader in his own way,” Crosswhite said. “He means business, and that’s what you’ve got to have from everybody.”
After the late summer loss of Mitch Moreland to the Texas Rangers, first base will also remain a question for Polk.
Veterans Jeff Flagg and Cade Hoggard, both primary outfielders, could be the leading candidates to replace Moreland.
Newcomers Tyler Moore, a community college transfer, and Forrest Moore, a primary pitcher, also find themselves in the running.
Sophomore Brandon Turner returns to the second base position after receiving several preseason accolades. Turner primarily played shortstop last season but made the late-season switch to second base.
Polk said he plans to keep Turner at second and hopes a nagging hamstring injury will not slow him down this season.
“They’ve been working with him and trying some new things to get it better. In fact, they’ve had him taped up like a mummy,” Polk said. “But Brandon’s tight though, and his dad had a hamstring problem so it’s genetic. I never knew you could inherit a hamstring problem, but Brandon has definitely convinced me you can.”
Sophomores Jet Butler and Russ Sneed will compete for the shortstop position.
Redshirt freshman Ryan Powers will also be in the mix for shortstop and also stands as the backup for Turner.
Sophomore Conner Powers, who made last year’s all-SEC freshman team, returns to his third base position.
With 11 outfielders listed on the roster, Polk said he thinks his outfield will have plenty of depth and speed.
“If we were to put Mark Goforth, Grant Hogue and Nick Hardy all out there at one time, there won’t be a college in America that would have three quicker guys in the outfield,” Polk said. “Of course there’s no guarantee those three will ever be in the outfield together, but it might happen.”
Polk said he’s also liked what he has seen out of freshman outfielder Ryan Collins.
“He’s a gamer, and he’s quiet. He’s dropped a couple of balls in the outfield, but he’s also made some really good plays,” Polk said. “He’s just a good young player.”
In terns of pitching, the Diamond Dawgs return with several experienced arms, both in starters and out of the bullpen.
Pigott will start on the hill for the Bulldogs on Friday, while Crosswhite will be the Saturday starter. Sophomore Ricky Bowen, a 2007 freshman All-American, is the leading candidate to replace Josh Johnson in the Sunday starter role. Tri-captain John Lalor will see mostly middle-relief action.
After rehabilitating from arm surgery, transfer Jared Wesson will also be a key arm out of the bullpen, and Polk was quick to praise the junior’s skills.
“If Jared Wesson stays healthy, he’s really good,” Polk said. “Brandon Turner told me yesterday that he was better than [former Vanderbilt pitcher] David Price. He said, ‘He’s tougher on me than Price was.’ Price would throw strikes, but Jared is effectively wild, which is really good.”
Junior closer Aaron Weatherford, another recipient of several preseason honors, has also been on the radar of many professional scouts. Polk said he appreciated the interest in his closer because it gave other players a chance to show their talents as well.
“Last week, we had 18 professional scouts here to look at him. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” Polk said. “This is one of the only times for Aaron to showcase himself in front of a lot of people because they all know he’s going to pitch. It’s great to have a guy like him because the other guys who are marginal pro-drafts are going to get a chance to expose themselves to a lot of people because we’ve got a closer at that level.