Carson baseball preview

Carson's veteran double-play combination is Gunnar Hogan, left, and Julio Zubillaga. Photo by Ronnie Gallagher, Salisbury Post.

Carson's top two pitchers are Mitch Galloway, left, and Jesse Park. Photo by Ronnie Gallagher, Salisbury Post.

Three of Carson's stars are, from left, Zach Grkman, catcher Tyler Freeze and Weston Snow. Photo by Ronnie Gallagher, Salisbury Post.

The 2010 Carson Cougars are, front row, from left: Kyle Youngo, Jesse Park, Gunnar Hogan, Julio Zubillago, Tripp Cross and Zack Grkman. Second row: Zach Gragg, Caleb Scrackengast, Kyle Bridges, Weston Snow, Patrick Bearden, Tyler Freeze and Avery Bostian. Third row: Coach Chris Cauble, Josh Martin, Gavin Peeler, Sam Williams, Justin Morrison, Joseph Basinger, Mitch Galloway, Jonathan Barringer and assistant coach Bill Elliott.

By Ronnie Gallagher

rgallagher@salisburypost.com

CHINA GROVE — Chris Cauble knew this could be a good season at Carson as soon as the last game of 2009 ended in a first-round playoff loss to T.C. Roberson.

"After the game, we hopped on a bus and went to McDonald's," he recalled. "The kids actually started talking about how they wanted to finish more at the top to get a home (playoff) game. The coaches didn't need to say it."

With the returning talent, a home playoff game isn't out of the question. A total of 14 Cougars are back. Twelve started at least once.

"All of the teams at Carson this year have blossomed a little bit," said Cauble, whose 2009 team finished 15-10. "That's a lot of work by the staff and the players. After the success everyone else has had, we want to move to that next level."

It all starts with pitching because that's the question mark. Jesse Park will be the key.

"He'll definitely be our ace," Cauble said. "We need him to have a big year."

Park is a finesse pitcher with a good fastball, curveball and changeup. He has shown more zip on his fastball.

Park made a statement early, throwing a one-hitter over six innings in a season-opening win against Northwest Cabarrus.

"Having a great first outing against Northwest was good for us and him," Cauble said. "It will give him confidence."

When someone labels sophomore Mitch Galloway as "Carson's big right-hander," they mean it. He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 300 pounds.

Galloway came up last year and finished 2-1. He is the No. 2 starter.

"He's probably one of the hardest throwers," Cauble said. "He needs to be able to throw strikes and keep it in the zone and not walk anyone."

Justin Morrison has parlayed a great Junior Legion summer into mound time. The senior lefty might have the best curveball on the team.

"We just need him to throw strikes," Cauble said.

Junior right-hander Gavin Peeler already has a save against J.M. Robinson and is apparently over arm troubles from last season when he had a cyst removed from his upper biceps muscle. He relies on location.

Peeler allowed one hit and struck out three over three innings against the Bulldogs.

"If he can throw like he did against Robinson, he can make us much better," Cauble said.

Other pitchers include sophomore righties Josh Martin and Ethan Free, junior Avery Bostian and senior Tyler Freeze.

"Martin has been a pleasant surprise with his demeanor on the mound," Cauble said. "He's like, 'I'm going to throw this. You can't hit it.' "

Pitching is pretty much where the surprises end. Everyone else is expected to produce.

Freeze is a four-year starter at catcher who is coming off an all-county, all-conference season in which he hit .385 with seven doubles and four homers. He led the team with 20 RBIs.

"He has really grown," Cauble said. "The first couple of years, he was kinda tentative, but he believes he belongs there now. He plays with a lot of confidence."

Zack Gragg and Sam Williams will back him up.

Carson has arguably the best and most experienced double-play combination in the NPC in junior shortstop Gunnar Hogan and senior second baseman Julio Zubillaga.

Zubillaga is a four-year starter who will bat second. He hit .395 in 2009.

"He's always been money," Cauble said. "He turns a mean double play. But where he's improved is that he's developed into one of our better hitters."

Hogan is a three-year starter and returning all-county player. He hit .372 last year with eight doubles.

"The thing that impressed me is that he's taken the weight room seriously," Cauble said. "You can tell by his arm strength and how the ball comes off the bat."

At the corners are a pair of first basemen (Weston Snow, Kyle Bridges) and third baseman Patrick Bearden.

Bearden is a returning starter.

"He has a lot of confidence after the year he had," Cauble said. "He's a hard-nosed, athletic kid. I'm looking for him to drive in a bunch of runs."

Snow battled arm trouble last year but has made the transition to first. He could move to the outfield with Bridges playing first.

Kyle Youngo is a backup at second, while Galloway and Martin can play third.

Gragg is slated for left field, senior Zack Grkman is in center and senior Caleb Srackangast is in right.

Grkman is the team's leadoff man. He stole seven bases and batted .369 last year.

"He's an infielder by trade, but we moved him because of his speed," Cauble said. "Being a defensive back in football, he possesses a lot of the skills needed in center. He's scrappy and runs extremely well."

Gragg saw limited action last year while recovering from an ACL injury.

"He's in the lineup because he possesses a very good stick," Cauble said. "He's one of the fastest kids on the team. It surprises me how much his knee has improved since last year."

Srackangast was actually the team's leading hitter last season (10-for-21, .476). In one six-game stint, he hit .600.

He'll bat ninth, but as Cauble said, "He'll give us speed at the bottom of the lineup."

Other infielders include junior Tripp Cross, whom Cauble says, "runs like a deer." Jonathan Barringer, Williams and Peeler will see time there. Peeler is one of the fastest Cougars.

Burly junior Joseph Basinger is scheduled to be the designated hitter. Like Gragg, he has fought knee problems.

"He seems to be healthy, finally," Cauble said. "He has been on base more than anybody so far."

Going into Wednesday, Carson was 3-0. In a win against Robinson, Basinger was 2-for-2. Against Cox Mill, he was 3-for-3.

"He has amazing power," Cauble said.

The players realized this could be an amazing season as soon as last year ended.

"For the first time in school history, the leadership of the senior class is very dominant in practice and games," Cauble said. "We were down 7-1 to Robinson and won 9-7. They never got scared. They believe they can come back from any deficit."

It's a confident baseball team.

"We'll put as good a defense on the field as anybody we play," Cauble said. "I feel like, 1-through-9, there's not an easy out."

Carson made the playoffs in its debut season of 2007. The Cougars had a better record the next year but missed out. Last year was the loss to T.C. Roberson.

"This year, we'd like to win a conference championship and go deep in the playoffs," Cauble said.