Baseball Release - 2002 Outlook - Guilford College

Guilford College Baseball 2002 Season Outlook

If recent history holds, Guilford's baseball team is due for a trip to the four-team Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Baseball Tournament this season. The Quakers have reached the postseason event in alternating years of Coach Gene Baker's four-year tenure. Baker expects 17 letterwinners and eight starters back from last year's 15-24 unit that missed the league tourney with a 4-12 conference mark.

The key to Guilford's third trip to the ODAC Tournament in five years and its sixth overall hinges on pitching. The 2001 unit lost four of its top five pitchers from the previous season, including staff ace Chad Coward '00, a 14^th-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Quakers struggled with their control, which resulted in an 8.57 team earned run average (ERA) and school records for wild pitches and hit batsmen. Baker and assistant coach Adam Taylor focused their efforts on recruiting pitchers and three new hurlers are expected on the Quakers' roster in 2002. How the new arms develop and produce will likely determine Guilford's fortunes.

While pitchers struggled last year, the Quakers' offense flourished. Guilford smashed school records for team batting average (.324) and stolen bases (102) in a season. Brad Franklin recorded the third-highest average in the program's long history (.423) and many other players enjoyed the finest offensive season of their careers. Senior Steve Danis broke Tony Womack's '92 standard for stolen bases in a season and Guilford's career steals mark. Senior Zach Whicker tied the school doubles mark and needs three two-base hits to become the Quakers' career leader.

Since most of the offensive firepower returns in 2002 and since Guilford has ranked among the ODAC's top hitting teams in Baker's four years, it's reasonable to expect another solid season at the plate. The pitching staff graduated its top two pitchers of a year ago in Eric Pelletier '00 and Chris Millsap '00, but could get a boost with the return of right-hander Joe Dooley. Dooley spent the 2001 season at Division I George Mason after beginning his college career at Guilford. His return plus the addition of some live-armed rookies could give the Quakers' staff the talent needed to return to the ODAC elite.

Here's a preview of the 2002 club by position:

Pitcher: Dooley's healthy return will certainly make a difference. The senior has been clocked in the low 90-miles per hour and went 3-1 with a 4.85 ERA for George Mason last season. Senior Anthony Ramakis looks to bounce back from a sluggish junior campaign and regain the form he showed in 2000 when he notched five wins as the Quakers' top midweek starter. The coaching staff looks forward to working with sophomores Michael Idol and Ciahnan Miller during the fall after both players missed last year's fall season. While the veterans have additional experience, there are no guaranteed spots on the pitching staff and each of the three new pitchers will have ample opportunity to compete for playing time this fall.

Catcher: Expect two-year starter Nick Black behind the plate after missing all of the 2001 campaign with a fractured wrist suffered days before the start of the season. A career .328 hitter and a solid fielder, the junior handles pitchers well and will surely help the Quakers' newcomers adjust to the college game. Whicker moved from outfield to behind the plate for the first time in five years and performed admirably. He enjoyed his best offensive season and held his own behind the plate. While he will likely return to the outfield, Whicker gives Guilford some versatility in the event of injury or a busy schedule. Junior transfer R.J. Marks and freshman Jeff Ebert of Honesdale (PA) H.S. also figures into the catching mix.

Infield: Perhaps Guilford's most experienced position on the field, Guilford's infield features a pair of all-conference players and three two-year starters. Junior first baseman Luke Kempton is one of the region's top fielders and hit .359 last year, a 101-points improvement over his rookie season. Franklin's prowess at the plate earned him the starting second baseman's job midway through the year, which he parlayed into second team All-ODAC honors. Junior Zach Morgan, who can play either second base or shortstop, has started 79 of 80 games in his career and has a .300 career batting average. Senior Tim Huie, (pictured) a second team all-leaguer in 2000, was hampered by a sore hamstring last year, which limited his offensive and defensive production. A healthy Huie and hard-hitting junior Andrew Duffy give Guilford solid depth at third base. Senior Chris Francis and sophomore Nick Harvey provide middle infield depth.

Outfield: Danis and sophomore A.J. McCauley give Guilford one of the league's fastest outfields. Danis led the league in steals as a junior, while McCauley ranked sixth in steals and hit .358 en route to second team All-ODAC laurels. Whicker's return to the outfield could move McCauley to right, although Whicker has starting experience at both positions. Junior Matt Webb, who hit .367 with 18 walks as a left-handed designated hitter a year ago and improving classmate Gabe Staub also play in the outfield.

The Quakers will be put to the test right away as Guilford's four of Guilford's first six games are against opponents from the rugged Dixie Conference, including 2001 NCAA Championships participant Methodist. Emory, another NCAA participant, returns to Guilford's schedule for the first time since 1996. The 16-game ODAC slate features doubleheaders with defending tournament champion Bridgewater and regular-season champ Virginia Wesleyan. Guilford has two games scheduled against Roanoke, which will field its first varsity baseball team in 2002 and be eligible for the league tournament the following year.