"Ten About '10" #8: Newcomers Rounding Out 2010 Squad

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Having to replenish the roster each year because of graduation and draft selections is the nature of collegiate athletics, and the WKU Hilltopper baseball team is no exception.

Eighteen newcomers fill out the 2010 Hilltoppers, with 13 freshmen, one redshirt-freshman, one sophomore and three junior college transfers joining 19 returning players.

“We can already tell that we have some new guys who are going to be great players for us,” Hilltopper head coach Chris Finwood said. “The new guys are lucky that we have a great group of leaders who have won a lot of baseball games and understand what it takes to win.”

Playing with a group of upperclassmen that has recorded 75 wins and made two NCAA Tournament appearances in the last two seasons will allow the newcomers to learn a thing or two from players who have enjoyed plenty of success.

New infielders Chris Berry, J.P. Jackson and Andrew Zimmerman have been playing alongside veterans Matt Payton, Jake Wells and Logan Robbins each day in practice, which will benefit everybody in the long run. Matt Borgschulte can take pointers from Jared Andreoli and Kes Carter in the outfield, and Matt Ridings and Shane Cameron each have three years of experience to share with the pitching staff.

“Our older guys have led the way and showed the new guys how we do things,” Finwood explained. “That’s a big part of building any team.”

The talent level of this year’s group of newcomers is high, and many of them are competing for starting spots in the lineup and key roles out of the bullpen. The crop of freshmen includes numerous all-state, all-region and all-metro performers, as well as some who have enjoyed national success on summer teams.

Three junior college players, Monte Ketchum, Kory Petri and Scott Pedersen, will bring extra college experience to WKU in 2010. Ketchum, an outfielder, last played at St. Johns River Community College, where he hit 17 home runs in 2009, a total that led the state of Florida and was in the top five in the country.

Petri, an outfield transfer from Northwest Mississippi Community College, hit .390 with eight home runs in two seasons. He led the team to a fourth place finish in the Junior College World Series in 2007. Pedersen pitched two seasons at Kaskaskia College, helping them to a conference championship in 2009.

“Ten About ‘10” Series Continues Tuesday: The “Ten About ‘10” feature series detailing for fans 10 aspects of the 2010 WKU Hilltopper baseball team will continue on Tuesday with item number seven. A different element of the 2010 Hilltoppers will be highlighted each weekday, leading up to the start of the Fall World Series on November 5. Item number one will be revealed on Wednesday, November 4. Keep checking the website each day to find out what’s ahead for the baseball team in 2010. If you missed any of the previous stories in the countdown, you can catch up by clicking on the links at the top of the page.

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