Spartan Baseball Preview - Part I - Infield & Outfield
2/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 18, 2008
Michigan State Baseball Outlook Part I
Entering year three under head coach David Grewe, the Michigan State baseball team is looking to turn the corner. With all nine position player starters, including the designated hitter, returning from last year's lineup and the addition of the top rated recruiting class in the Big Ten, as rated by Baseball America, there certainly is reason for the excitement.
"I am extremely excited for the 2008 season to get underway," Grewe said. "This team is definitely the most talented that we have had since arriving two years ago. I am excited about the mix of experience and youth that we have with this group. Even more importantly, I am excited to have a team full of players that are all pulling in the same direction and working to achieve `one heartbeat', which has been a theme of ours from the start of the fall."
The Spartans return their top eight offensive players which, as a group, finished with a combined batting average of .310. The trio of senior Steve Gerstenberger, junior Kyle Day and sophomore Chris Roberts provide MSU with three tough left-handed bats in the middle of the lineup. Gerstenberger batted a team-best .368 en route to second team All-Big Ten honors. Day was one of the top offensive catchers in the Big Ten despite battling injuries throughout his sophomore campaign and Roberts was named a Freshman All-American by Ping Baseball.
The Spartans started 11 players in 2007 that were experiencing Division I baseball for the first time, all of whom saw significant playing time. Nine of those players return for the 2008 season with a full grasp of what is needed to have success. Baseball America rated this year's nine-member recruiting class as the top class in the Big Ten and one of the Top 50 classes in the country. Several players out that group will also be expected to get their first taste of Division I ball and make an immediate impact on the field.
"Our team was closer to having a breakout season last year than most people would realize by just looking at the record at the end of the year," Grewe said. "For two-thirds of the year, our team played very solid baseball. We started solid and finished very well, we just did not handle adversity as well as we needed to during the middle stretch of the season. I am confident that with the players that we have back and the experience that they gained last season, we will be much tougher this year and be able to handle adversity much better. At the same time, I don't think that you can under-value the excitement and energy that our new players have provided to the team. I am very pleased with the `make-up' of this year's team."
Here is a look at the Spartan infielders and outfielders:
Talent Around The Infield...
The infield is perhaps the Spartans' biggest strength heading into the 2008 season. Not only does the entire starting infield return from the 2007 squad, but the addition of a few quality newcomers has made for tremendous preseason competition. Gerstenberger, a native of Fort Gratiot, Mich., is perhaps the headline returnee of the group. He led the team in batting (.368), hits (77), doubles (14) and total bases (100) while starting all 51 games for the Spartans last year. He is also solid at second base, ranking second on the team with 119 assists.
Also returning to the middle of the infield for the Spartans is senior Brandon Doherty (Parkville, Mo.). The scrappy infielder hit .310 with 26 RBI and played solid defense at shortstop while making the transition to Division I baseball from the junior college ranks. Formerly a switch-hitter, Doherty hit over .450 in the season's final month after hitting from the right side exclusively.
At first base, senior Evan Friedland (Lauderhill, Fla.) returns with his slick-fielding defensive skills. A tremendous defensive player, Friedland hit .312 with 28 RBI in his Division I season. Senior Justin Potes (Adrian, Mich.) returns to the "hot corner" and has made significant improvements to his game over the past fall and off-season. Potes, who started 41 games last year, is a physical player that could provide some power to the offensive lineup to go along with his solid defensive skills. Finally, Eric Roof could again see action on the infield after starting 24 games at third base last season.
Newcomers Jonathan Roof (Paducah, Ky.) and A.J. Shindler (West Des Moines, Iowa) both performed well in the fall and will be in the mix not only for playing time, but a starting role this spring. Roof, a freshman shortstop who was drafted in the 39th round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 MLB Draft, possesses good range and excellent arm strength while showing the ability to make consistent hard contact at the plate. Shindler is a transfer from Indian Hills Community College who brings an excellent glove and very good speed to the lineup. In fall practice, he showed the ability to make the routine play as well as be a tough out at the plate. Fellow newcomers Scott Heitshusen, Jeff Holm, and Tyler Newsome could all be in the mix for playing time at first base this spring. Newsome, who was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 49th round in the MLB Draft, is a two-way player with a solid glove around the bag and is an advanced hitter.
"I am excited about the talent and the depth that we have on the infield," said Grewe. "I want our program to be built around pitching and defense. "Certainly your infield play is critical to having a good defense. I believe that our infield group is going to be tremendous this spring. We were solid there last year while basically going into the season with a whole new infield. With all of those guys back and the addition of some talented newcomers, I am excited about the options that we have going into the year with this group."
Returning Experience In The Outfield...
For much of the 2007 season, the Spartans started three players in the outfield who were getting their first exposure to Division I baseball. With all three of those players returning along with two other players that saw significant action, the outfield should be another area of strength for the Spartans in 2008. With a handful of talented newcomers joining the group, there will be plenty of competition for playing time early in the season.
Senior Dennis Jones (Warren, Mich.) will return to hold down the job in centerfield after starting all 51 games there last season. Jones hit .322 and led the team with 33 runs in his first year of Division I baseball after transferring to MSU from Macomb Community College. Roberts should again hold down one of the corner outfield spots. after hitting .331 with 27 RBI in his freshman campaign. For his efforts, the Oshkosh, Wis., native was named a Freshman All-American.
The other corner outfield spot should see considerable competition as it appears that that are a number of players that could fit into that spot. Sophomore Eli Boike (Clinton Township, Mich.) started 42 games in the outfield and hit .270 during his freshman campaign. Boike possesses tremendous raw talent and is looking to improve his consistency.
In addition to his duties in the infield, Potes could also see time in the outfield. Day will also see time in the outfield when not behind the plate. Newcomers Eckerle and Newsome will be in the outfield mix as well this spring. Eckerle brings very good speed and a solid bat to the mix. Other potential candidates to see action in the outfield include juniors Kyle Hurtt (Southfield, Mich.) and Johnny Lee (Naperville, Ill.) along with two-way players Achter, Heitshusen, Holm and Clausen.
