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One of the biggest questions going into this season is how do you replace Christin Stewart? Offensively, I'm not sure we can. Defensively, I don't think it's as big of a deal.
If any returning outfielder could get into the neighborhood of Stew's offensive production it's senior Vincent Jackson. I don't think VJax, who only has four home runs in his career, can match Stew's power, but he has shown in the past that he can be productive.
Jackson's 2015 season was cut short after a head first slide and an injury to his wrist/hand. He was batting .321 at the time. He suffered a similar injury the year before albeit later in the season.
Typically, he's played center but depending on how things shake out, he could end up in left for the departed Stewart.
Where as the infield is going to see many new faces, the outfield has three seniors, the aforementioned Jackson along with Derek Lance and Chris Hall.
As a sophomore, Lance showed a lot of promise batting .291 but in the summer of 2014, playing in Ohio, he suffered a wrist injury. In his junior season he struggled at the plate batting only .173. He's always been a capable fielder and I'm sure Coach Serrano will give him every opportunity to earn a starting spot, but he will have to show some consistency at the plate to hold on to it. He likely gets the first crack in right field.
Chris Hall can play any of the outfield positions, no question there. He was penciled in as the lead off man last season and he got off to a woeful start. He picked up towards season's end but the adjustment from Cumberland University to SEC ball was significant. Hall had a good summer up in Alaska, batting .289 and making the All-Star Game. If he could hit the ground in the lead off spot allowing VJax to protect Senzel, well...that would be a good scenario.
There are two other returning players. Junior Jordan Rodgers and sophomore Brodie Leftridge. I discussed Rodgers in the "infield" thread, but he played right field at the end of the 2015 season because we needed another hitter in the line-up and that could be the case again.
Leftridge is a fantastic athlete and if he get's on first he will take second, just a matter of time. He's a solid fielder and he could get a shot at center because he can cover a lot of ground...quickly.
In his freshman season he struggled at the plate batting only .219. However, he was asked to bunt...all the time...and he beat out his share of throws. I don't know how many times he was allowed to swing the bat but it wasn't many and I'm of the belief, like AJ, Moberg and a few others, the offensive philosophy hurt Leftridge. The bottom line for Leftridge is that he has to hit better to get in the starting line-up and the addition of Larry "Slim" Simcox might help him more than anyone on the team. Based on last season, he's a back up to VJax in CF, a pinch runner and a guy to bring in to sac bunt situations. In college baseball, you need these guys.
Two new additions, JUCO Matt Waldren and heralded freshman Bryant Harris, could also help. Waldren was a 2nd Team All Region Selection in 2014 as a DH batting .308 for The College of Southern Nevada and again in 2015 as an outfielder. The trick for him will be adjusting to SEC pitching as it was for Hall.
As for Harris, he's the one I was worried about getting drafted and losing...we got lucky. He played at the same Georgia HS and was a team mate of VJax. Perfect Game rated him a 10 as an outfielder, highest grade possible. From PG:
He's listed as 6-3 218 now at UTSports.com and if any of the upperclassmen falter at the plate as the season wears on this kid may get a chance...may happen sooner than later.
Bottom line is that we have a good mix of veteran/new guys here and the outfield should be a strong point of this team defensively early on. Offense is the question.
Sorry it's taken so long to get this one done fellas.
GBO!!!
If any returning outfielder could get into the neighborhood of Stew's offensive production it's senior Vincent Jackson. I don't think VJax, who only has four home runs in his career, can match Stew's power, but he has shown in the past that he can be productive.
Jackson's 2015 season was cut short after a head first slide and an injury to his wrist/hand. He was batting .321 at the time. He suffered a similar injury the year before albeit later in the season.
Typically, he's played center but depending on how things shake out, he could end up in left for the departed Stewart.
Where as the infield is going to see many new faces, the outfield has three seniors, the aforementioned Jackson along with Derek Lance and Chris Hall.
As a sophomore, Lance showed a lot of promise batting .291 but in the summer of 2014, playing in Ohio, he suffered a wrist injury. In his junior season he struggled at the plate batting only .173. He's always been a capable fielder and I'm sure Coach Serrano will give him every opportunity to earn a starting spot, but he will have to show some consistency at the plate to hold on to it. He likely gets the first crack in right field.
Chris Hall can play any of the outfield positions, no question there. He was penciled in as the lead off man last season and he got off to a woeful start. He picked up towards season's end but the adjustment from Cumberland University to SEC ball was significant. Hall had a good summer up in Alaska, batting .289 and making the All-Star Game. If he could hit the ground in the lead off spot allowing VJax to protect Senzel, well...that would be a good scenario.
There are two other returning players. Junior Jordan Rodgers and sophomore Brodie Leftridge. I discussed Rodgers in the "infield" thread, but he played right field at the end of the 2015 season because we needed another hitter in the line-up and that could be the case again.
Leftridge is a fantastic athlete and if he get's on first he will take second, just a matter of time. He's a solid fielder and he could get a shot at center because he can cover a lot of ground...quickly.
In his freshman season he struggled at the plate batting only .219. However, he was asked to bunt...all the time...and he beat out his share of throws. I don't know how many times he was allowed to swing the bat but it wasn't many and I'm of the belief, like AJ, Moberg and a few others, the offensive philosophy hurt Leftridge. The bottom line for Leftridge is that he has to hit better to get in the starting line-up and the addition of Larry "Slim" Simcox might help him more than anyone on the team. Based on last season, he's a back up to VJax in CF, a pinch runner and a guy to bring in to sac bunt situations. In college baseball, you need these guys.
Two new additions, JUCO Matt Waldren and heralded freshman Bryant Harris, could also help. Waldren was a 2nd Team All Region Selection in 2014 as a DH batting .308 for The College of Southern Nevada and again in 2015 as an outfielder. The trick for him will be adjusting to SEC pitching as it was for Hall.
As for Harris, he's the one I was worried about getting drafted and losing...we got lucky. He played at the same Georgia HS and was a team mate of VJax. Perfect Game rated him a 10 as an outfielder, highest grade possible. From PG:
He's listed as 6-3 218 now at UTSports.com and if any of the upperclassmen falter at the plate as the season wears on this kid may get a chance...may happen sooner than later.
Bottom line is that we have a good mix of veteran/new guys here and the outfield should be a strong point of this team defensively early on. Offense is the question.
Sorry it's taken so long to get this one done fellas.
GBO!!!
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