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Pick'em Points Update coming later today.......
7 wins and 3 losses......
Last year’s 9-8 season – interrupted by the pandemic – revealed an issue at catcher as the 49ers allowed the most stolen bases in Conference USA. Woodard said junior-college transfer Aaron McKeithan showed this past fall that he can be the solution, throwing out more than 40 percent of attempted base stealers. The former Tulane recruit will also bat in the middle of Charlotte’s lineup along with third baseman David McCabe and first baseman Will Butcher. McCabe, a 6-4, 240-pound native of Canada, has a plus arm, elite plate discipline and an emerging power. Butcher, an NC State transfer, has plus bat speed and has improved his defense at first base. Charlotte will look for additional power from right fielder Craig Keuchel, who is the team’s strongest player in the weight room and also has a big arm, and DH candidates Rafi Vazquez and Gino Groover (a highly regarded freshman who turned down $600,000 overtures to attend Charlotte out of high school).7 wins and 3 losses......
Left fielder Dominic Pilolli will bat leadoff after leading the league with 27 hits last year. He is Charlotte’s best overall player and a 2022 draft prospect. Center fielder Parker Stinnett, second baseman Austin Knight, and shortstop Jack Dragum all provide a good defense. Knight is a Tennessee transfer, Stinnett is a plus runner, and Dragum is a plus defender with a strong arm.
The pitching staff can be really good if it throws enough strikes because there’s plenty of stuff here. One key is whether Sam Grace (1-1, 2.35) can establish himself as the closer. He was up to 95 this past fall, six months removed from knee surgery. He also features a good splitter at 83-84 and quality three-quarters breaking ball at 77-78.
Bryce McGowan, Christian Lothes, Andrew Lindsey, and Austin Marozas make up what has a chance to be a stellar rotation. Woodard believes all four of them can be drafted in the top 10 rounds this June. All four of those starters have hit 95 mph, with McGowan flashing elite heat at 97 with a high spin rate. McGowan repeats a clean, simple arm action and shows the makings of three quality offspeed pitches. His slider has gotten much firmer and now flashes plus at 85-88 with late bite, and he’s added a promising power curveball at 81-82 to his arsenal. McGowan also has a much-improved changeup. The whole package makes him a potential top-three-rounds pick, and Lothes, a lefty who has reached 96, may get selected in the first three to five rounds.
Lindsey and Marozas, the top two arms among the raft of impact juco transfers Charlotte brought in last fall, are both big, physical righties who can run their heaters up to 95 mph. Lindsey also showed the ability to throw strikes with three secondary pitches, while Marozas features a plus changeup and a developing slider.
Charlotte, which had the second-worst ERA in the league last year at 6.54, sent 18 of its pitchers to train over the summer at P3 in St. Louis, and the 49ers formed a partnership with P3 that continues after players return to campus and all year long. P3 is one of the premier pitching facilities in the nation, and it will be interesting to track Charlotte’s mound improvement.
Charlotte Schedule, 2021 (RV) Baseball Schedule - Charlotte Athletics
Charlotte Roster, https://charlotte49ers.com/sports/baseball/roster
Charlotte Roster, https://charlotte49ers.com/sports/baseball/roster
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UT -5.5
Simply Reply Cover or No Cover
NO DOUBLE UP
IF PICKED CORRECTLY, 2 POINTS WILL BE AWARDED
Rules are simple and may change without notice:
1. Simply pick how the Vols will fair during the weekend series or weekday game(s)
2. Reply with Cover or No Cover
3. At the end of the season (tournaments included) a winner will be selected by their correct predictions and awarded a special prize on behalf of OldTimer and not to exceed OT's allotted budget
4. All predictions must be submitted by the 1st pitch of the 1st Game, any edits after the start of the game will result in a disqualification for that Series or Game and points will be deducted
5. You do not have to play every week, total points won will win
6. Point system may be changed at my discretion at any time
7. More rules may be added at my discretion
8. No wagering, 2021 Pick'em is for the enjoyment of the Volnation forums.
9. Disputes will be handled by a 3 person panel: Me, Myself and I
10. And stay 6' apart.......
Again, if there is an EDIT after the game starts on your post, your prediction doesn't count and points will be deducted at OT's discretion
Point System for this week:
2 Points award if picked correctly
Pick with your gut and not your heart!!! - OT
2. Reply with Cover or No Cover
3. At the end of the season (tournaments included) a winner will be selected by their correct predictions and awarded a special prize on behalf of OldTimer and not to exceed OT's allotted budget
4. All predictions must be submitted by the 1st pitch of the 1st Game, any edits after the start of the game will result in a disqualification for that Series or Game and points will be deducted
5. You do not have to play every week, total points won will win
6. Point system may be changed at my discretion at any time
7. More rules may be added at my discretion
8. No wagering, 2021 Pick'em is for the enjoyment of the Volnation forums.
9. Disputes will be handled by a 3 person panel: Me, Myself and I
10. And stay 6' apart.......
Again, if there is an EDIT after the game starts on your post, your prediction doesn't count and points will be deducted at OT's discretion
Point System for this week:
2 Points award if picked correctly
Pick with your gut and not your heart!!! - OT
