Marshall University Athletics
2006 Marshall Baseball Season Outlook
2/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 3, 2006
INFIELD
Marshall returns its entire starting infield from last season: 1B Roddy Stieger, 2B Aaron Jamieson, SS Aaron Levinson and 3B Adam Frederick. Stieger and Frederick started all 50 games in 2005. Brent Mason, who started 39 games last season, will provide depth on the infield, as will Matt Helm, who had a good fall and will see time in the middle. Appalachian State transfer Jimmy Mathias (SS) and Brendan Murphy (1B) also will figure in the mix.
OUTFIELD
Adam Ptacek, the Herd's leadoff hitter and starting center fielder, is back after leading the team with a .320 batting average last year. Speedster Chris Monaco sat out most of last season with an injury, but he is healthy and expected to be a force again after swiping a school-record 40 bases in 2004. Derek Hagen and Chris Peak also return to the outfield fold this year, and they are joined by transfer Brit Vincent, who is expected to vie for the starting left field position.
CATCHING
The Herd is stocked at the catching position. Nick Wolle and Tommy Johnson, who shared catching duties last year, are both back, as well as senior Rich Russell, who sat out all but nine games of 2005 with an injury. Russell earned a spot on the Johnny Bench Award watch list prior to last season. Johnson was stellar last year as a freshman, batting .308, fourth on the team. Freshman Clay Maddox also will be in the mix, although he is expected to see action in the outfield.
PITCHING
All but two of Marshall's pitchers from last year return for 2006, including the Herd's top three starters - Chris Cummings, Chris Koutsavlis and Jeremy Slone. Marshall also will welcome back Brian Chrisman, who sat out last season with an elbow injury after having a stellar freshman campaign in 2004. In the bullpen, senior Brendon Bump is back after appearing in a school-record 32 games last year, while posting a team-best 3.38 ERA. Brian Knippelmeyer, Andrew Hancock and Bryson Meyers all return after competing for the Herd in 2005. Adam Dobies sat out 2005 with an injury but is healthy and ready to contribute, while Tom Ponietowicz and Andrew Blain will look to make an impact after redshirting last year. Six new pitchers line the Marshall roster, and they are expected to make a big impact on the staff. Freshmen Mike Gielarowski and Sean Holliday look to be starters in the future and Jimmy Stanley had a tremendous fall, while Adam Kuhr, Alan Gentry and Jarred Johnson are expected to provide needed depth.
100TH SEASON OF BASEBALL AT MARSHALL
The 2006 season marks the 100th year of baseball at Marshall University. The first year of organized baseball at Marshall came in 1896, and the program has accumulated a 1,110-1189-11 record during its 99 years of existence.
REED TAKES REIGNS AS PITCHING COACH
Former Marshall player and Major Leaguer Rick Reed is in his first season as the Herd's pitching coach. Reed competed for 17 years in professional baseball and was a two-time National League All-Star with the New York Mets. Over the course of his MLB career, he went 93-76 with a 4.03 ERA.
HERD DEBUTS IN C-USA
This season marks the Herd's inaugural campaign in Conference USA. For baseball, the league is comprised of nine schools: East Carolina, Houston, Marshall, Memphis, Rice, Southern Miss, Tulane, UAB and UCF. The 24-game league schedule features eight three-game series, and the top eight teams in the final league standings advance to the conference tournament.
RECORDS WATCH
Several Marshall players will look to move onto and up the school's all-time records list this season. Adam Frederick stands third on the all-time hits ledger with 180 and needs 28 hits to move into a tie for first all-time. He also enters the year sixth on the at bats chart with 537 and needs 93 to tie for first place. He also is just outside the Top 10 in games played, runs scored, doubles and total bases. With 39 career starts, Chris Koutsavlis needs six more starts to match the all-time pitching games started record. He also stands fifth in innings pitched (238.1) and needs 61.2 innings to move into the top spot. Koutsavlis is ninth in wins (12) and needs seven to tie for first. He is just outside the Top 10 in appearances and strikeouts. Chris Cummings stands 10th in pitching appearances with 46 and also needs 52 strikeouts to move into the Top 10. Chris Monaco holds third place in stolen bases (42) and is 17 shy of the top spot.
C-USA GAMES IN CHARLESTON
Marshall will play all of its home C-USA contests at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, W.Va. The park, which opened last season, is home to the West Virginia Power, a single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Marshall will welcome UCF, Memphis, Southern Miss and Rice to Charleston.
NEW-LOOK SCHEDULE
The move to Conference USA will provide Marshall with its toughest schedule in school history. The Herd battles five teams (13 games total) that competed in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, including a three-game road series at Tulane, a 2005 College World Series participant. In other contests vs. 2005 NCAA tourney teams, the Herd travels to East Carolina and Miami (Ohio) and welcomes Southern Miss and Rice, a participant in the 2005 Super Regionals. The Herd opens the season with weekend road series at Belmont and Georgia Southern before returning to Huntington for a four-game set with Buffalo during the first weekend of March. Marshall plays its first Conference USA series March 24-26 at Houston. In all, Marshall is scheduled to play 30 of its 56 games at home, with 18 to be contested at University Heights Field in Huntington.
