After its best season in five years,
Guilford’s baseball team returns 18 letter winners from last year’s 21-23 unit
which took second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament. The Quakers
have the added benefit of a fall season under the direction of second-year coach Gene
Baker, who took over the program in January 1998.
Baker needs replacements for last year’s three graduated seniors who leave a big hole up the middle of the field. Two-time All-ODAC pick Toshinori Sakamoto '98 played shortstop for all but five innings over the past two seasons while William Rochelle '98 was a three-year starting center fielder and leadoff batter. Catcher Wynne Scott '98 platooned behind the plate last season with Jason Rodriquez.
Baker believes the strong returning cast plus 11 new players will help Guilford remain contenders for a postseason berth. Junior third baseman Kevin Moore is back after earning honorable mention All-South and first team All-ODAC laurels. Sophomore outfielder Chris Butcher became Guilford’s first rookie team batting champ since Pittsburgh Pirate Tony Womack '92 hit .324 in 1989. Seniors Bryan Probst and Alan York are other returning offensive leaders.
Guilford returns all but one member of its mound staff from 1998, plus a class of new recruits. Junior right-handers K.C. Chambers and Chad Coward combined for 17 of the Quakers’ 21 victories last season and formed one of the league’s best starting pitching tandems. Chambers ranked 10th among Division III pitchers with 10 wins, the most in a season by a Guilford hurler since 1976. Coward notched a career-best seven wins and ranked among the ODAC leaders in earned run average (3.78) and strikeouts (86 in 85 2/3 innings). Junior Tim Lucason and senior Jeff Joyce give the Quakers pitching depth not seen since the 1993 team reached the NCAA Regional finals.
In an effort to fill vacancies at shortstop and center field, expect Guilford to experiment with new players and veterans in different positions. Depending on the newcomers, some returning players could be moved to put the best offensive and defensive lineup on the field. Probst moves from second base to shortstop while juniors John Ludington and Jerry Inman bid for the everyday second baseman’s position. Moore returns at third base, although he could surface at first base where the trio of York, Andy Reed, and Jason Davis split time in 1998.
The outfield will be faster and defensively stronger than last year. While the exact lineup depends on the new recruits, the outfield could consist of three new faces. Butcher played a steady right field last year, but Baker wouldn’t be averse to putting him elsewhere to get more speed and a stronger arm in right. Sophomore Josh Wolfe and Chambers will also vie for outfield innings.
Freshman Nick Black of Charlotte, NC, will see time behind the plate and is the team's only true catcher. Reed and sophomore Dennis Jensen, a converted outfielder, could also take tuns at catcher.
The Quakers open the season February 13 against NAIA member Bluefield College. The contest marks the first of 10 straight home games to open the season. Guilford plays 29 games at home, including 16 of its first 18 contests. In addition to the 16-game ODAC slate, the Quakers take on such nonconference opponents such as Division I Navy, Division II Gannon and Division II West Chester. Perennial Division III powerhouses such as Methodist, Greensboro and Williams also dot the Quakers' nonleague slate.