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Seahawk Nation 08 Offline
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UNCWsports.com Baseball Preview
[Image: 1924665_10152939421467870_82917456833062...9993efb8c7]


Catchers

http://www.uncwsports.com/news/2015/2/11...52228.aspx

Following three seasons with Drew Farber giving UNCW strong and steady efforts behind the plate, the Seahawks enter the season with a combined two games of collegiate experience between red-shirt sophomore Gavin Stupienski, red-shirt freshman Chris Gaffney and true-freshman Nick Feight.

While Stupienski may only have two games experience at catcher, he did play in 23 games last season and hit .257 with five runs batted in. He showcased his ability in the Coastal Plain League over the summer, finishing with a .342 batting average and tying for the league-lead with 66 hits and 42 runs batted in. He was second with 93 total bases for the Martinsville Mustangs.

Gaffney is a strong defensive player who showed signs of turning it around offensively during the fall and spring. Gaffney was an All-CHSAA selection and the league's Defensive Player-of-the-Year while learning the trade under the direction of long-time major leaguer John Habyan.

Feight was a first-team All-Virginia selection his junior and senior season. He concluded his career with a .448 batting average with 29 doubles and seven home runs.


Pitchers

http://www.uncwsports.com/news/2015/2/10...52218.aspx

Starting Pitchers

The Seahawks enter their first season since 2011 without two-time Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher-of-the-Year, Mat Batts, but do return three solid starters from last season.

Heading up the rotation is junior righthander Nick Monroe (1-4, 4.23 ERA), who will move into the Friday starting position after pitching in the middle and back end of the rotation as a sophomore. Monroe earned CAA Pitcher-of-the-Week honors, as well as several national player-of-the-week honors, following a near perfect game against NCAA participant Liberty. The righthander carried a perfect game into the ninth before allowing a one-out single. He then shut the game down with a double play one batter later.

Fellow junior Ryan Foster (2-3, 3.47) also flirted with a no-hitter when he held Big South Champion Campbell hitless for almost full eight innings. Foster helped bolster the staff and finished eighth in the league in earned run average. In the CAA tournament, he held Delaware to a run on five hits over seven innings for the win.

Evan Phillips, the third of three junior righthanders in the rotation, will round out the weekend rotation for the Seahawks. Phillips (2-4, 6.24) showed the ability to dominate as a sophomore as evidence of his seven innings of shutout baseball against Ohio and later in the season he fanned five in two innings of relief against North Carolina Central.

Sophomore righty Cory Gantz (3-1, 3.42) made two starts in 13 appearances in 2013 and will give the Seahawks another option on the mound as a starter. Gantz picked up wins in relief against Towson, College of Charleston and Campbell.

Bullpen

UNCW will have a stong bullpen again in 2015 with a combination of veterans and newcomers.

Junior lefthander Will Shepley is the lone returned in 2015 with a save to his credit. Shepley made 19 appearances, all in relief, and posted a 2-0 record. The southpaw limited opponents to a .223 batting average while striking out 19 in 26.1 innings.

Jared Gesell, another junior, made tremendous strides late in the 2014 season and last summer while pitching in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Gesell went 1-0 in 13 appearances and struck out 15 batters over that span.

Joining the bullpen following three seasons in the starting rotation is senior righthander Jordan Ramsey. As a junior Ramsey battled through several injuries to finish 2-4 in 12 appearances. Ramsey moved to the bullpen in the fall and show dominating ability. His last stint as a reliever came in 2012 when he pitched out of the bullpen for the Cotuit Kettleers (2-0, 3.93 ERA).

Newcomers will have an immediate impact on the staff both as starters and relievers. Possibilities include Justin Crump, Austin Easter, Josh Roberson, Clay Lockamon, Austin Magestro, Matt Maready, Whitman Barnes, Daniel Hamilton and Taylor Hyssong.
(This post was last modified: 02-12-2015 01:17 PM by Seahawk Nation 08.)
02-11-2015 04:35 PM
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Seahawk Nation 08 Offline
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RE: UNCWsports.com Baseball Preview
[Image: 1924665_10152939421467870_82917456833062...9993efb8c7]


Infield

http://www.uncwsports.com/news/2015/2/11...h=baseball


Season Preview: Infield

Corey Dick and Terence Connelly will anchor the infield in 2015. Dick, who led the Seahawks with a .315 batting average, six home runs and 38 RBI's, is healthy following knee surgery over the summer. Connelly, who has played all four infield positions during his two seasons with UNCW, will move over to third base this season.

Dick suffered a knee injury during last season and played through it. He made the most of his opportunity in the postseason to earn CAA All-Tournament honors.

Connelly (.246, 1, 24RBI) continued his hard-nosed approach to the game, setting the program record with 37 hit by pitches in just two seasons. Where he made the most progress was in the field where he cut his error total from 25 as a rookie to 11 last season.

Joining the infield lineup is red-shirt sophomore Kennard McDowell, who played his first two seasons at Spartanburg Methodist. Last season McDowell helped the Pioneers to their second straight JUCO World Series appearance in Grand Junction, Colo. A gifted fielder with range, McDowell hit .279 with 11 doubles in 2014.

Robbie Thorburn (.226, 1, 21) will make the move to second base following a season in the Seahawk outfield. Thorburn tied for the team-lead with nine stolen bases.

Junior Andy Austin has been a contributor for the Seahawks as both an infielder and outfielder. Last season he stepped in for Dick at first base and gave the Seahawks solid defense. In the CAA tournament, he helped the Seahawks stave off elimination with a big RBI single against Delaware.

Pushing for playing time as newcomers will be Brian Mims, Daniel Stack, Zach Canada and Jacob Sasser.
(This post was last modified: 02-12-2015 01:17 PM by Seahawk Nation 08.)
02-11-2015 10:47 PM
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Seahawk Nation 08 Offline
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RE: UNCWsports.com Baseball Preview
[Image: 1924665_10152939421467870_82917456833062...9993efb8c7]


Outfield

http://www.uncwsports.com/news/2015/2/11...54910.aspx

Season Preview: Outfielders

Casey Golden (.269, 4, 29) was a freshman All-America and he'll return to his centerfield position in 2015. He parlayed his tremendous rookie season into working out with Team USA last summer. Golden is a five-tool player with game-changing ability. He played in 55 games, making 53 starts and committed just one error (.993 fielding pct.) in his first season as an outfielder.

Zach Shields is another talented newcomer from the Spartanburg Methodist program. While with the Pioneers, he .353, scored 48 runs and stole 36 bases. He will help key the Seahawks at the top of the order while taking his place in rightfield.

While Robbie Thorburn is moving to the infield, junior Steven Linkous will make his home in leftfield for UNCW in 2015. Linkous moved between the outfield and infield as a sophomore and finished with a .247 batting average while swiping eight bases.

Joe Bertone and Luke Dunlap will see time in the outfield as well at the designated hitter.

Dunlap was a second-team All-CAA selection in 2014 after hitting .305 with a team-high 15 doubles. He scored 22 runs and knocked in 22.

Bertone saw action in 25 games and hit .283 with four homers, 12 runs scored and 12 knocked in.

Justin Carroll gave the Seahawks a lift late in the season and continues to make the adjustment to playing the outfield at the collegiate level. Carroll hit .208 in 24 at bats.
(This post was last modified: 02-12-2015 01:17 PM by Seahawk Nation 08.)
02-12-2015 11:19 AM
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Seahawk Nation 08 Offline
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RE: UNCWsports.com Baseball Preview
It looks like something like this will be our lineup this year:

1. Steven Linkous LF
2. Zach Shields RF (Spartanburg Methodist)
3. Casey Golden CF
4. Corey Dick 1B
5. Luke Dunlap/Joe Bertone DH
6. Kennard McDowell SS (Spartanburg Methodist)
7. Terence Connelly 3B
8. Gavin Stupienski C
9. Robbie Thorburn 2B

With Andy Austin, Bertone/Dunlap and Justin Carroll the "first guys" off the bench filling in where needed. We have a lot of "unknown" commodities in the infield backing up our starters as well, so we'll see who emerges from that group.
(This post was last modified: 02-12-2015 11:24 AM by Seahawk Nation 08.)
02-12-2015 11:22 AM
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Seahawk Nation 08 Offline
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RE: UNCWsports.com Baseball Preview
One further note. Those 2 transfers from Spartanburg Methodist are going to be real interesting to watch. Usually Charleston is the school that gets kids from those program, but in this instance, we "stole" them away, which both helps us and hurts our top CAA Baseball rival.

We've also had success starting JUCO hitters right away. Former third basemen Matt Campbell (Pitt CC) and Nate Hall (Pensacola State College) and first baseman Robbie Monday (Surry CC) come to mind.
02-12-2015 01:14 PM
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B_Hawk06 Offline
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RE: UNCWsports.com Baseball Preview
I'm still a bit surprised about Jordan Ramsey switching to the pen. I'm not complaining, as it solidifies our pen substantially, but just still have a lingering shock factor from the information. Looking forward to see how it works out.
02-12-2015 01:48 PM
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Proff Offline
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Re: RE: UNCWsports.com Baseball Preview
(02-12-2015 01:48 PM)CoastGuardHawk06 Wrote:  I'm still a bit surprised about Jordan Ramsey switching to the pen. I'm not complaining, as it solidifies our pen substantially, but just still have a lingering shock factor from the information. Looking forward to see how it works out.

I was also when the news of his movement to the pen first came out. But the more I thought about it the more sense it made. He will get a lot more appearances this way. A potential top talent on the mound will get a lot more work than just once a week.
02-12-2015 02:29 PM
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Seahawk Nation 08 Offline
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RE: UNCWsports.com Baseball Preview
Ramsey hits the mid-90s with his fastball. That's the kind of guy you want closing out games, much like Kelly Secrest did. Rather than having to save his arm in order to make it 5 innings he can be a flamethrower for 2 and be more effective. With just 2 returners, Shepley and Gesell, having experience out of the pen this can help shore us up in that department.
02-12-2015 02:35 PM
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Seahawkhoops Offline
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UNCWsports.com Baseball Preview
If you are like me and like the old W logo baseball hats lids.com still has the fitted 47 brand ones. Just got one today
02-12-2015 10:05 PM
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