Marshall University Athletics
@HerdBaseball Opens 2017 Season in Atlanta
2/16/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game Notes
Marshall at Georgia State: Live Stats | Radio
Marshall at Georgia Tech: | Radio | Video
Marshall at Kennesaw State: Live Stats | Video
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. ââ'¬" The Marshall baseball team begins its 2017 campaign this weekend in Atlanta. The Thundering Herd will play Georgia State Friday at 4 p.m. The Herd will then play No. 21 Georgia Tech Saturday at 2 p.m., and Kennesaw State Sunday at 1 p.m.
ON THE MOUND
Friday vs. Georgia State: RHP Wade Martin (1-0, 2.60 ERA) vs. RHP Bryce Conley (5-4, 5.19 ERA)
Saturday vs. Georgia Tech: RHP Jacob Niggemeyer vs. RHP Johnathan Hughes (3-1, 2.45 ERA)
Sunday vs. Kennesaw State: TBD vs. RHP Gabe Friese (6-2, 4.35 ERA)
HAVE YOU HERD?
The Thundering Herd looks to continue to build off of last season's success in 2017. Head coach Jeff Waggoner was named the 2016 Keith LeClair Coach of the Year in Conference USA following the Herd's best season in program history. Marshall finished the season with a school-record 34 overall wins and 21 C-USA victories.
Marshall returns 14 players from a year ago, including C-USA Newcomer of the Year Tommy Lane and all-freshman team selection Joshua Shapiro. The Herd also returns starters Tyler
Ratliff, Leo Valenti, Sam Finfer and Cory Garrastazu.
Lane and Ratliff received preseason recognition by D1Baseball.com. The website named Ratliff the 11th best third baseman in the country, while naming Lane the 26th best first baseman in the NCAA. Ratliff, an Alexandria, Va., native held a .327 batting average last season. He had 66 hits, 35 runs, 47 RBIs and 12 home runs. Lane, a product of Pendleton, Ore., had a .296 batting average with a team-high 13 home runs and 48 RBIs.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Georgia State has been predicted to finish in fifth place in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference, as voted on by the league coaches. The Panthers finished last season with a 24-31 overall record and a 10-20 record in the Sun Belt. GSU has all but one positional starter returning from the 2016 season, while they only have one returning starting pitcher. Georgia State's top two players to watch are senior outfielder Ryan Blanton and junior shortstop Justin Jones. Blanton was an All-Conference center fielder for the Panthers that held a .255 batting average with 20 RBIs. Jones started in all 51 games that he appeared in and batted .290 with 24 RBIs.
SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
Georgia Tech enters its 2017 campaign ranked No. 21 by Baseball America and No. 29 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). The Yellow Jackets are also receiving votes from the USA Today's Coaches' Poll. Georgia Tech was predicted to finish fourth in the Coastal Division in the 2017 ACC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll and received one first-place vote in the poll. The Yellow Jackets finished last season with a 38-25 overall record and made to the NCAA Regionals in Gainesville, Fla. Georgia Tech returns 23 letterwinners from a year ago and welcomes 12 newcomers. The team has seven positional starters and four starting pitchers returning.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Kennesaw State begins the season ranked third in the ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Owls claimed their first ever ASUN regular season title in 2016 with a conference record of 17-4. It was the winningest campaign since joining the ASUN for KSU. The Owls had three players featured on the ASUN Preseason All-Conference Team in senior pitcher Gabe Friese, junior outfielder Corey Greeson and sophomore infielder Austin Upshaw. Upshaw was a unanimous selection to the team. Kennesaw State is led by reigning ASUN Coach of the Year Mike Sansing.
#OneHerd
For all the latest information about Marshall baseball, follow @HerdBaseball on Twitter and Marshall University Baseball on Facebook.
UP NEXT
Following the three-game swing in Atlanta, the Thundering Herd will travel to Blacksburg, Va. For a midweek game against Virginia Tech. The Hokies were predicted to finish sixth in the Coastal Division in the 2017 ACC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll.
---HerdZone.com---
