5 2012 Cal Poly Baseball Season Outlook Outfield With Crocker in the minor leagues, Haniger moving from right field to center and Allen switching to third base, it will be a new-look outfield at Cal Poly this spring. "Haniger will anchor the center field position and, like Miller, should never be taken out of the lineup," said Lee. "He's the total package in both defensive skills and from an offensive standpoint. “We have some options, a lot of different candidates, with the corner positions," Lee added. If Wise isn’t playing first base, he likely will start in right field while sophomore Matt Russell is the leading candidate for the job in left field. Armendariz will back up both corner positions. "Russell has improved more than any outfielder we have and gives us the possibility of adding another left-handed bat to our lineup," Lee said. "Wise at the other corner gives us much-needed experience offensively and defensively." Other candidates include newcomers Nick Torres (Lakewood High School), Jordan Ellis (Pacifica High School in Garden Grove) and Alex Michaels (Saint Mary's High School in Stockton). "We should be able to get Torres' bat into the lineup as a corner outfielder or designated hitter," said Lee. "Ellis and Michaels also add left-handed bats into the equation." Designated Hitter The preseason depth chart at designated hitter was topped by Armendariz, followed by newcomers Torres and Michaels, a left-handed hitter who underwent shoulder surgery during his senior year in high school "and is still not 100 percent," Lee said in January. Michaels injured the shoulder in his team's second game of the season and
missed the rest of the year. Schedule Home series against Oklahoma State, Washington, San Diego State and UC Irvine highlight the 2012 Cal Poly baseball schedule. Cal Poly will open the 2012 season by hosting Oklahoma State for a three-game set Feb. 17-19 and also will entertain Washington for three games March 9-11 and San Diego State, coached by Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, for a quartet of games March 23-25. The home Big West Conference slate includes a threegame series against NCAA super regional qualifier UC Irvine on April 5-7. Cal Poly also will host Long Beach State on March 30-April 1, Pacific on April 27-29 and UC Santa Barbara on May 18-20. “This is another challenging schedule featuring teams from a number of power conferences and a mixture of playing at home and on the road against some of the better programs in the country,” said Lee, noting series against Big 10, Big 12 and Pac-12 schools. “We’re always trying to put together a competitive schedule that will prepare us well for a very challenging Big West schedule." Cal Poly’s home midweek games will be against Santa Clara on Feb. 21, Dartmouth on March 21, Fresno State on April 17 and Pepperdine on May 1. The Mustangs host CSU Bakersfield for a three-game series May 11-13. In all, the Mustangs will play 29 of their 56 games at home and 12 games against 2011 NCAA regional qualifiers -- three-game series with UC Irvine, Oklahoma State and Cal State Fullerton, a pair of midweek games against Fresno State and a single game against San Francisco in the Aztec Invitational at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Kyle Anderson has started 23 games as a Mustang, winning six, and opens 2012 season as the team’s midweek starter.
2012 Cal Poly Preseason Depth Chart Center Field Mitch Haniger
Left Field Matt Russell David Armendariz Jordan Ellis
Third Base Jimmy Allen Ryan Drobny Evan Busby
Middle Relief Pitchers David Armendariz (R) Colton Haynes (R) Braden Young (R) Set-Up Relievers Reed Reilly (R) Taylor Chris (L) Danny Zandona (R) Closer Nick Grim (R)
Right Field Tim Wise David Armendariz Nick Torres Second Base Evan Busby Ryan Drobny Denver Chavez Nick Bruno
Shortstop Mike Miller Evan Busby Nick Bruno
Starting Pitchers Joey Wagman (R) Matt Imhof (L)
Kyle Brueggemann (R) Kyle Anderson (L)
Michael Holback (R) Andrew Bruder (R) Bryan Granger (R)
Chase Johnson (R) Michael Dingilian (R)
First Base Tim Wise Ryan Drobny Jordan Brower Tommy Pluschkell
Catcher Chris Hoo Jordan Hadlock Elliot Stewart
Designated Hitter David Armendariz Nick Torres Alex Michaels