By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
For the first time, Catawba’s baseball team had three players drafted last June.
That event elevated the program’s profile, but Texas-sized holes were left behind. All-American outfielders such as David Thomas (Oakland A’s) and Jerry Sands (Los Angeles Dodgers) don’t come along every day in Division II.
Neither do starting pitchers of Tim Smith’s quality. Smith, now a New York Mets farmhand, won 31 games, more than any hurler in Catawba history.
“We brought in 16 new players to replace those three guys ó and it didn’t work,” Gantt said with a sigh and a chuckle. “But maybe in time. The thing is those three weren’t draft picks when they came here. They were draft picks when they left because they worked their butts off.”
Sands and Thomas were a D-II version of Mantle & Maris. They reached base in more than half their plate appearances and teamed for 46 homers, 162 runs and 149 RBIs.
Thomas, the SAC Player of the Year, broke school records for career hits, runs and triples, and Sands set new standards for homers and slugging percentage. They also were automatic stealing bases and combined to commit one error.
Their superhuman stat-sheets helped the SAC champs post a 43-18 record that included 19 wins in 21 games at cozy Newman Park. Also missing from a 2008 offense that produced 8.5 runs per game are Chad Baker, Bubba Morris, Matt Kepley and Andrew O’Neal.
Still, Catawba was picked second behind Tusculum in the preseason SAC poll. That’s partly respect for a good returning nucleus and partly respect for Gantt (402-233) and his assistant coaches.
Seven Indians ó pitchers Blake Ketner, Alex Fairweather and Tim Holmes, third baseman Craige Lyerly, shortstop Chris Ahearn, catcher Ryan Query and versatile Brett Hatley ó were named to preseason All-SAC teams.
While Catawba is counting on new faces to score runs, the pitching staff is mostly familiar. Gantt believes that’s a trend around the league.
“I believe it’ll be a pitching league this year,” he said. “The hitters left, but the pitchers are back.”
Gantt has two proven rotation rocks. The right-handed Ketner (8-3, 3.34 ERA) relies on a devastating sinking fastball. Fairweather (8-2, 3.65) is a slick southpaw.
“They both know what they do best and go out and do it,” Gantt said. “They’ve beaten a lot of people. But a key is for them not to try to win the ballgame themselves. Just give us a chance, and we’ll see what our offense can do.”
Trevor Mullins, an Appalachian State transfer, will be vital. If Mullins can be the third starter for those three-game SAC weekends, Gantt will have Holmes (5-1), who has starter’s stuff and a variety of quality pitches, available out of the pen. Nathan Furr, a 6-3 sophomore who had three saves, is expected to thrive as the closer now that he’s concentrating on pitching full-time.
Hatley (5-1, 2.08 ERA), Travis McSweeney (4-1) and Wil Huneycutt (1-1) are counted on to work seventh and eighth innings before handing the baton to Furr.
Freshmen Clay Watson and Michael Trombino, lefty Keith Carrigan and veteran Cliff Poole are in the mound mix, and several young arms could factor in.
Catawba is in good shape in the catching department, although senior Kevin McMillan (.261 batting average), the No. 2 backstop and a potential first baseman, has been slowed by a hamstring injury.
Query (.359, 10 homers, 57 RBIs) will be the starter and will bat third. When the hustling senior gets a break from the shinguards, he’ll be the DH or play right field.
Sophomore Josh Hohn, who terrorized Rowan and South Rowan Legion teams for Randolph County, transferred to Catawba from North Greenville. He provides quality catching depth, and Gantt plans to get his bat in the lineup often as the right fielder.
Freshman Greg Lawson could be the catcher of the future.
Lyerly headlines the infield. The former East Rowan star hit .390 with 70 RBIs, 14 homers, seven triples and 27 steals. He’ll be in the leadoff role, with Ahearn (.293) batting behind him.
Ahearn, a senior who transferred to Catawba from Western Carolina, dealt with hamstring issues last spring but is healthy now. He can make all the plays at shortstop, and he flies on the bases.
“The left side of our infield, with Lyerly and Ahearn, will be as quick as any in the country,” Gantt said.
Mullins, McMillan, Hatley and Joe Manser are candidates for first base. Hatley (.368) is the only lefty swinger who figures to be a regular. He’ll probably be the cleanup hitter against right-handers.
Corey Parker, a freshman from Kernersville Glenn, could make an instant impact. He’s shown Gantt he can handle second base defensively. His bat is coming along.
“He’s probably our shortstop of the future,” Gantt said.
Hohn, who started every game for North Greenville as a freshman, center fielder Zeb Link and left fielder Jake Faggart open the season as the first-string outfield.
Link (.265), a junior who starred at West Rowan, has been waiting for his chance behind great players. He’s also healthier this season.
“He hurt his left arm playing football at West and hurt it again on a slide in Legion ball, and that made it hard for him to pull his bat through, ” Gantt said. “But he’s looked good this spring, and he can really play the outfield. We’ll need him to be the police officer out there.”
Faggart, once part of powerhouse Northwest Cabarrus and Kannapolis Legion squads, is a junior shaking off rust. He transferred to Catawba from Appalachian State, where he was a designated sitter.
“Jake has our best outfield arm, but we seem to play best with him in left,” Gantt said. “He’s running well, he’s hit some balls a mile and he’s solid physically. He’ll look great in a uniform.”
As far as the freshmen outfielders, Cameron White and Spencer Cordelia have the best chance to earn at-bats.
“We should be fun to watch,” Gantt said. “We’ll pitch it and hopefully catch it. We’ll have to hit-and-run, play more little-ball, but we should scratch out some runs.”
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NOTES: Pitcher Joe Kelly will miss the season after a “Tommy John” operation on his elbow. Freshman Payne Craven is working his way back from the same surgery. … The Indians are fielding a “Devo” team that will play 16-18 games against community colleges and four-year colleges with jayvee programs such as Pfeiffer, Lenoir-Rhyne, Wingate and Belmont Abbey.