2002 BASEBALL PREVIEW

FIFTH-RANKED SEA GULLS SEEK THIRD STRAIGHT CAC TITLE
AND RETURN TRIP TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

Coming off the most successful season in the program’s history, the Salisbury University baseball team has lofty goals and expectations as it seeks another championship in 2002.  The Sea Gulls tied the school-record for wins by finishing 33-13 in 2001 while advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series and finishing fourth in the nation. Salisbury begins the 2002 season ranked fifth in the nation in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll.

Head Coach Doug Fleetwood welcomes back  five position starters, seven pitchers, and 16 lettermen from last year’s World Series squad.  Fleetwood, last year’s Capital Athletic Conference and NCAA South Region Coach of the Year, begins his second season at the helm when the Gulls host St. Mary’s on Saturday, February 16.

Head Coach  Doug Fleetwood

“Physically, I believe that this year’s team is as talented as last year’s team was,” says Fleetwood. “The question this year is do we want to get better? Are we still hungry to succeed and will we practice everyday with the goal of getting better? There are lots of expectations as we begin the year and a great challenge in front of us. If we’re still hungry for success, then we’ll be fine.”

Salisbury set or tied 14 team and individual records in 2001 while capturing its second straight Capital Athletic Conference championship and first NCAA South Region title. The Gulls finished second in the nation in fielding percentage (.972) and third in the nation in team ERA (2.59) while also compiling a .315 team batting average.  A closer look at the 2002 team:

Pitching
Salisbury returns seven pitchers from last year’s staff, which finished with a team record 2.59 earned run average.  Nevertheless, with four of last year’s top five starters graduated, Fleetwood will have a decidedly new look in the starting rotation. Senior Matt Roath (1-2, 1.93 ERA) is slated to begin the season as the number one starter. Roath, who made four starts last year and appeared in 11 games overall, averaged 9.1 strikeouts per game. He emerged during the second half of the 2001 season, highlighted by a complete-game three-hitter in the World Series. 

Junior lefthander Star Kriger, used mostly in relief during his first two seasons, will likely become the number two starter.  Kriger worked to a 1.38 ERA last year (fifth best in the nation) while posting a 3-1 record. That mark included two gems in the postseason, including one win and one save in the NCAA Tournament’s South Regional.

Freshman Scott Byers begins the season as the number three starter.  Sophomore lefthander Mac Mollet (3-0, 3.05) also has starting experience.  Sophomore Jace Carletti (1-0, 1.86), who appeared in nine games last season in relief, will likely return to that role again this year. Other returnees who will help in relief are senior Rusty Wood, juniors Sean Baird and Brian Hammond, and sophomore Steve Fredrick.

Newcomers to watch include three junior transfers - Corey Willey, Darron Jones, and Andy Phillips - as well as freshmen Brian Shipe and Mike Deavers.

“I think the overall quality of our staff, from one to 12, may be better than it was last year,” says Fleetwood. “The key will be whether or not our starters can give us the production that our starting staff did last year.” Infield The Gulls return two starters and three other experienced veterans that helped form the nation’s second strongest defensive unit in 2001. Senior SS BJ Jarrett, a four-year starter, will anchor the infield. Jarrett led the Gulls with 138 assists and 13 double plays turned last year. He also finished with a .277 batting average and was third on the team with 15 stolen bases.

Senior Robbie Robeson is one  of 16 returning letterwinners

Senior Kevin Davis returns at third base. Davis led the Sea Gulls with 10 doubles last year while adding three HRs and 39 RBI, along with a .304 batting average.  He also led the Gulls with six hits and a .400 batting average in four World Series games. Senior Robbie Robeson, a three-year letterman who saw action in 37 games last year, will also be in the lineup everyday, rotating between second base, third base and shortstop. Robeson started eight games in the 2001 postseason and finished with a .333 World Series batting average, second highest on the team.

Fleetwood is planning on starting junior transfer Aaron Ennis at first base. All-conference senior DH Andrew Colanero, who hit .350 last year with nine doubles and 29 RBI, and freshman Joey Stevens, are also available. Left-handed hitting junior transfer Rob Kassekert will also see action as the designated hitter.

Newcomers who should also contribute around the infield include junior transfer Tom Myers at second base, junior transfer Thomas Galletta and freshman Cale Shoemaker at third base, and freshman Adam Blaney at shortstop.

Freshman Andy Eisenhart and junior Jake Coleman will start the season as the top two catchers.  Eisenhart is a second-year player who did not see game action last year, while Coleman, a converted infielder, hit .231 in spot duty.  Freshmen Brian Puglise and Galen Morres add further depth at the position.

“We should be solid defensively once again and outstanding in the middle,” says Fleetwood. “We also have some versatility with several players able to play different spots. The only unsettled spot heading into the season is at first base.”

Outfield
The Sea Gulls return two starters in the outfield, led by CAC Player of the Year, leftfielder Jason Ewing. A four-year starter, Ewing led the Gulls in 11 offensive categories last year while finishing with nine doubles, 10 HRs, 43 RBI, and a .392 batting average. He set new team records for at-bats (181), hits (71), runs (55) and total bases (114) last year, and could virtually re-write the SU recordbook by the end of his senior season.

Senior Chris Keane makes the move this season from right field to center field. Keane finished with a .339 average last year and paced the Gulls with seven hits in the NCAA South Regional. Junior Pete Davidovich, who hit .250 while seeing action in 21 games last year, is slated to take over as the starter in right field.  Junior Corey Willey, who will also pitch, begins the season as the number four outfielder. Others who could see action in the outfield include freshman Dustin Johnson and pitcher Mac Mollet.

“All our outfielders run very well and cover lots of ground, which should help our pitchers also,” says Fleetwood. “Ewing is a five-tool player who has draft potential. Keane is solid and Davidovich will get an opportunity to play everyday.”

Overview
"We probably have one of the most difficult schedules in the country this year, but that’s by design,” says Fleetwood. “We want to play the best teams we can and earn our way into the NCAA Tournament. Our goal is to win the conference once again, but there’s no automatic berth to the CAC champion.

“As the defending conference and South Region champions, we’ll probably see everybody’s number one pitcher this year. We have to be prepared to stand up to that challenge. Realistically, we want to get back to the regionals. From there, anybody has a shot, just like we proved last year.”

1-31-02