SAN ANTONIO — Riding the momentum of last year's torrid, end-of-season run, the UTSA baseball program enters the 2011 campaign focused on returning to the top of the Southland Conference standings.
A year ago, the Roadrunners won eight consecutive games before Central Arkansas ended the streak in the regular-season finale. Eleventh year head coach Sherman Corbett will rely on a talented mix of proven veterans and newcomers this spring.
UTSA returns several key players, highlighted by consensus Freshman All-American and Southland Freshman of the Year Ryan Dalton. The Sugar Land native, who was named preseason second-team All-Southland, tied for the league lead with a USTA freshman-record 17 home runs (t-No. 2 NCAA among frosh) and batted .305 with a team-leading 51 RBIs.
Senior right-handed closer Zach Calhoon returns to bolster the Birds' bullpen after missing the entire 2010 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Calhoon, a 2009 preseason third-team All-America, is the Southland career record-holder with 25 saves, including a program-record 13 in 2008.
The Roadrunners welcome 17 newcomers, many of which will see extensive playing time this season. Junior right-hander Jordan Langley (Sealy, Texas/Marion [Ala.] Military Institute) was ranked as the third-best newcomer in the Southland by Baseball America. UTSA also will count on contributions from freshman outfielder Riley Good (Godley, Texas/Godley HS), who projects to be at the top of the lineup, and junior backstop Colby Braddock (Cleburne, Texas/Cisco JC), a solid defensive catcher and middle-of-the-order hitter. Freshman left-hander Michael Kraft (San Antonio, Texas/Churchill HS) also will push for a weekend rotation spot.
"Coach (Jason) Marshall and Coach (Brett) Lawler did a really good job on their recruiting efforts in addressing the issues we had last year, especially with the depth of our pitching staff," Corbett said. "We have more options with our pitching staff, which is especially important late in the year."
With numerous new faces, team chemistry will be an important factor for the Roadrunners.
"This team works really hard as a group," Corbett said. "There's a lot of good guys out there, not just good baseball players, but good personalities that you want to see succeed."
The confidence of the younger players and the impact of the bullpen could be the keys to a successful season.
Pitching staff
A thin position on the Roadrunners' roster last season is now one of the team’s strengths, according to Corbett.
“Having our closers from the past two seasons back is an advantage that not a lot of teams have,” Corbett said of the return of Calhoon and senior right-hander Kevin Clarke.
The Roadrunners posted a combined 6.30 ERA a year ago, the highest-ever in Corbett's 10 years in the Alamo City.
"We should be able to reduce that number quite a bit," he said. "With our depth, we are able to put guys in better roles than we had them in last year. The way we have our pitching staff set up now, the numbers should show we have an improved pitching staff."
The return of Calhoon should mean great things for UTSA in tight ball games.
"We're looking for him to come in and take over the closer role," Corbett said. "He is a great leader and has a tremendous work ethic."
Clarke recorded a team-best 8-2 record with a 4.67 ERA and five saves in his 34.2 innings of work last spring.
Junior transfer Cody Scott (Amarillo, Texas/Midland JC), a right-hander, and freshman lefty Matt Locus (Katy, Texas/Katy HS) also will collect innings in relief.
The Roadrunners lost left-handed starter Matt Crocker, who was drafted in the 12th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Colorado Rockies.
Junior southpaw Casey Selsor returns to the rotation after a sophomore season that saw him make a team-high 13 starts (5-6, 4.71 ERA). A solid two-way player, he likely will be a weekend starter and play first base when not on the mound.
Langley and Kraft also figure in to Corbett's plans for the rotation.
Langley posted an 11-4 mark with 137 strikeouts in 140.1 innings over two seasons against junior college competition. Kraft had a stellar high school career, which led to Class 5A All-Area Most Valuable Player honors by the San Antonio Express-News.
Senior right-handers Taylor Walton and Mike Pierce also will strengthen the Birds' rotation.
Walton started six games late last season after beginning the year as a middle reliever. He recorded a 6-2 record with a 5.38 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 73.2 innings. Pierce, who will serve as a swingman, struck out 29 batters in 41.2 innings of work.
Senior left-handers D.D. Towler and Justin Martinez add depth to the rotation and provide versatility for situational opportunities in relief.
Catchers
Despite the graduation of starter Jeff Taliaferro the pitching staff should be in good hands with a pair of talented JUCO transfers – Braddock and PD McIntyre.
Braddock should receive the bulk of the playing time behind the dish. The Cleburne native is a solid defensive catcher and also will be an asset offensively.
"We're excited about having Colby back there," Corbett said. "He can lead from behind home plate, does a good job controlling our pitching staff and is really good defensively."
McIntyre will receive opportunities to catch as a left-handed bat. His older brother, Matt was an All-Southland performer for the Roadrunners from 2000-01.
"PD does a great job controlling the game behind the plate," Corbett said. "He also puts another left-handed bat in our lineup and gives us a chance to balance things out offensively."
Infielders
More than half of the 71 home runs hit by the Roadrunners last season were produced by infielders. This season, the infield will again provide some of the power with the return of Dalton, who had one of the most impressive freshman seasons ever recorded in the Alamo City.
Dalton, whom Corbett claims to have the strongest arm in the league at third base, will again man the hot corner and hit in the middle of the lineup.
"We're counting on Ryan to produce a lot of runs," Corbett said. "The reports are out on him and people are going to pitch him tougher, so he’ll need to be more disciplined at the plate in order to be just as productive as he was last season."
Former first-team All-Southland pick Lance Brown graduated following the 2010 season, leaving the shortstop position vacant. Redshirt freshman RJ Perucki will step into the middle of the infield after missing a majority of last season due to injury.
"RJ has a tremendous amount of talent," Corbett said of the Tomball native. "It will be his first time in the infield, but there's no question he can handle the shortstop position for us."
Perucki's confidence has impressed Corbett, who says he will bat in the bottom of the order.
Junior Matthew James will complete the double-play combination in the middle of the infield at second base. James is an athletic defender who last played the position in his freshman season.
Selsor returns at first base after improving across the board offensively. He hit .292 with 11 doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 27 RBIs as a sophomore. When Selsor is pitching, sophomore Jake Wood and freshman Mike Warren will fill in depending on matchups.
"All three handle the position very well," Corbett said. "When Casey is pitching, we can put Jake or Mike in based on the pitching matchup."
Wood, a left-handed hitter, had 11 extra-base hits and 19 RBIs last season.
Meanwhile, Warren was a third-team all-state selection as a senior at Alamo Heights High School last year.
Redshirt freshman Ransom LaLonde and junior college transfer Andrew Keplinger are expected to provide depth across the infield.
Outfield
The Roadrunners' outfield could be one of the top groups Corbett has coached during his UTSA tenure.
Senior right fielder Tyler Carpenter and sophomore center fielder Daniel Rockett are back and they will be joined by freshman Riley Good in left.
"This could be one of our most talented outfields, from corner-to-corner," Corbett said. "With the speed of that group, they should be able to cover a lot of ground and get to a lot of balls."
Carpenter, who boasts the top arm of the group, leads all returning Roadrunners with a .317 batting average, 11 doubles, four triples, five round-trippers and 25 RBIs.
Rockett, who tore up the Hawaii Collegiate Summer Baseball League and was tabbed MVP, emerged as the top hitter during the fall. The Sugar Land native hit five doubles, four homers and had 13 RBIs a year ago and is expected to move to the middle of the batting order.
"We're expecting his success from the summer and fall to transfer to the spring," Corbett said.
Good, a four-sport standout at Godley High School, will lead off in his first season in navy blue and orange, and Corbett thinks he is up to the challenge.
"Riley is something we haven't had in awhile as a prototypical lead-off hitter," Corbett said. “He has tremendous speed and we are looking for him to be a disruptive force at the top of our lineup this spring.”
Depth is not an issue in the outfield either, as seniors Brett Aguilar and Tommy Vukovich and sophomore Jason Mohn are capable of filling in.
