OVERVIEW
After two straight trips to the NCAA Tournament and a 42-win season and conference championship in 2009, expectations are high for WKU Hilltopper baseball in 2010. Head coach Chris Finwood’s fifth Hilltopper squad will be looking to offset the losses of six position players from the 2009 team who accounted for 72 percent of the team’s home runs and 53 percent of its runs scored.
“We lost a lot of home runs off last year’s team but only half of our runs scored, which is interesting,” Finwood said.
But a solid group of returning position players and pitchers, coupled with the addition of a highly-touted recruiting class, has WKU’s sights set on a third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and another conference championship in 2010.
“We have some kids who can really run, and we will try to be more aggressive on the basepaths early this year and see how it works out,” Finwood explained. “I really believe as this season goes on we will have some kids who can be very productive hitters.”
SCHEDULE
The WKU schedule is once again loaded with challenging games in 2010, as the Hilltoppers will play 13 games against NCAA Tournament qualifiers from a year ago. The slate also features games against highly-regarded SEC foes Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Mississippi State.
“I think this is our toughest schedule yet, with our first nine games of the season against NCAA Tournament teams or conference champions from a year ago,” Finwood said. “Add Vanderbilt twice and Tennessee and Mississippi State before we open up in the league, and we certainly should be prepared to start Sun Belt Conference play.”
CATCHER
Matt Rice returns for his junior season on the Hill, one year removed from hitting .399 with 10 home runs and 72 RBI. He also put together a 31-game hitting streak through the heart of the 2009 regular season and set a school record with 101 hits.
“Having a seasoned veteran like Matt Rice is always a big plus,” Finwood explained. “He has really improved his defense the last two years, and everyone already knows about his offense.”
A trio of newcomers will back up Rice behind the plate, with Ryan Huck getting the first shot.
“Freshman Ryan Huck gets better each day and will end up being a really good catcher here before too long.”
INFIELD
Wade Gaynor and Terrence Dayleg are no longer on the left side of the infield, but Matt Payton and Jake Wells return to the right side as seniors. Payton will anchor second base, a position where he only made six errors in 2009. He also hit .307 with 12 doubles and five triples, all while battling injury at the end of the season. Wells was a staple at first base for the Hilltoppers in 2009, starting all 62 games and hitting .314 with five home runs and 49 runs scored. He made just one error in the field. A solid offseason has Wells poised to increase his power numbers in 2010.
“Payton and Wells give us a lot of experience on the right side of the infield and are doing a great job of leading this team,” Finwood said.
Logan Robbins looks to have the inside track to take over for Dayleg at shortstop, and Casey Dykes is set to inherit the hot corner. Newcomers who will compete for playing time on the infield include J.P. Jackson, Blake Crabtree and Andrew Zimmerman.
“Our middle infield will be strong again with Payton and Robbins,” Finwood explained. “Wells has been a mainstay at first base the last few years. We don’t have a lot of depth, so we are going to have to stay healthy here. Dykes and Crabtree will battle at third base, and Crabtree and J.P. Jackson will be our utility infielders.”
OUTFIELD
Matt Hightower and Chad Cregar have graduated, taking with them 30 home runs and 106 RBI. Sophomore Jared Andreoli returns, and Kes Carter will be back in the outfield in 2010 after an injury cut his freshman season short. Looking to join Carter and Andreoli in the outfield will be a pair of junior college transfers, Kory Petri and Monte Ketchum.
“With Andreoli and Kes Carter back, we feel pretty good in center and left,” Finwood said.
Freshman Matt Borgschulte and junior Chris Bullard, a linebacker on the Hilltopper football team who will be playing baseball at WKU for the first time, figure to contend for playing time in 2010.
“Kory Petri is coming off injury, and we need his bat in the lineup. Borgschulte is going to be an outstanding player and made great strides this fall. He reminds me a lot of [former Hilltopper Wade] Gaynor as a freshman.”
DESIGNATED HITTER
The designated hitter race is wide open entering the season, with a quartet of outfielders looking to compete for time in the designated hitter spot.
“Kory Petri, Monte Ketchum, Matt Bracken and Matt Borgschulte should be vying for the designated hitter spot depending on who is playing in the outfield,” Finwood said.
STARTING PITCHING
Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year Matt Hightower has departed, but seniors Matt Ridings and Shane Cameron bring 13 wins and 152 strikeouts from 2009 into 2010 and will make up two-thirds of the weekend rotation. Ridings has a chance to set multiple WKU career pitching records in his final season on the Hill. Highly-regarded freshmen Tanner Perkins and Taylor Haydel will look to contribute to the rotation, and Brian Edelen will pitch this season after sitting out 2009 after transferring.
“We feel good with Ridings and Cameron anchoring the starters,” Finwood said. “Tanner Perkins had an outstanding fall and should jump right into the rotation. Taylor Haydel also had a very good fall and should start the season as a midweek starter, and Phil Wetherell or Brian Edelen will probably be the other midweek starter.”
BULLPEN
The reliable Evan Teague is no longer around, but Bart Carter and Rye Davis will anchor a deep WKU bullpen in 2010. Carter won six games and struck out 54 in 51.0 innings in 2009, and Davis is back after an injury kept him out of last season. Joining Carter and Davis will be veteran left-hander Garrie Krueger and junior college transfer Phil Wetherell, in addition to a host of other arms.
“Our bullpen will be very strong again with Bart Carter and the return of Rye Davis,” Finwood said. “Garrie Krueger and Kes Carter will also be big contributers out of the bullpen.”
COACHING
Head coach Chris Finwood, the 2009 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, is back for his fifth season in 2010. He has compiled a 122-107 record in four seasons on the Hill. Returning as well will be associate head coach Matt Myers and assistant coach Blake Allen. Myers works with the Hilltopper pitching staff and has helped the staff to the second- and third-best team ERAs in the offense-dominated Sun Belt Conference in his first two seasons. Allen coached the WKU offense to a .330 team batting average in his first season on the Hill in 2009. The team finished in the top six of nine different team offensive categories. Casey Hamilton is back as volunteer assistant coach, and Matt Hightower moves from the playing field to the coaching staff as a graduate assistant.
2010 Single-Game and Season Tickets Now On Sale: Single-game and season tickets for the upcoming 2010 WKU baseball season are now on sale. Fans can call the WKU ticket office at (270) 745-5222 or stop by the ticket office in E.A. Diddle Arena for more information and to purchase tickets. The Hilltoppers open the 2010 season at home against Kent State on February 19.
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