2013 Appalachian State BASEBALL www.GoASU.com 2012 SoCon CHAMPIONS • 2012 NCAA REGIONAL FINALISTS
SEASON PREVIEW while sliding into home plate and colliding with Oklahoma catcher Tanner Toal in the opening game of the Charlottesville Regional. Zupcic is still recovering from the injury and the senior will be out indefinitely to begin the season. Redshirting is a possibility for the preseason allSouthern Conference selection. Despite being without Zupcic for at least part of the campaign, the outfield looks to be a strength for Appalachian once again in 2013. Preston Troutman, who hit .295 while serving as the Mountaineers' primary left fielder in 2012, will swing over to right field in 2013 to replace Tewell. Troutman's strong arm (nine outfield assists in two seasons) should be an asset as he moves from left to right. Brandon Burris, who was Appalachian State's leading hitter with a .358 average in 38 games (24 starts) last season, will get the everyday nod in left field. In addition to the lofty average, Burris displayed some pop (eight doubles and 16 RBI in 95 at-bats) and great speed (seven steals in seven attempts) as a freshman. True freshman Jaylin Davis will man the center field position vacated by Zupcic. Davis had a terrific fall and preseason for the Mountaineers and his talent and athleticism is expected to allow the Mountaineers to not suffer much of a dropoff from Zupcic at the plate or in the field. Junior John Kincaid and freshman Preston Tiller could also see action in the outfield for the Mountaineers this season. DESIGNATED HITTERS Last season, designated hitter Daniel Kassouf put together perhaps the most prolific offensive campaign in Appalachian State history, hitting .339 with a school-record 17 him runs and 66 RBI en route to being named all-America and District Player of the Year. This season, Jones is expected to fill the DH slot on more of a platoon
All-SoCon outfielder Tyler Zupcic is .340 career hitter but might miss the 2013 season while recovering from a leg injury sustained during last year’s NCAA Regional.
basis with freshmen Dobson, Tiller and Minton all challenging for at-bats in the role. STARTING PITCHING Due to graduation and a role change, Appalachian State must replace its entire weekend rotation this season. The Friday and Saturday slots in the rotation, which were held by MLB draftees Ryan Arrowood (11-0, 3.81 ERA, 93 K, SoCon Pitcher of the Year in 2012) and Seth Grant (7-3, 3.49 ERA, 69 K) last year are expected to be filled by sophomores Jamie Nunn and Jeffrey Springs in 2013. Nunn, a right-hander, made six mid-week starts and 23 overall appearances as a freshman last season, en route to a 5-2 record, 4.24 ERA, 45 strikeouts in 4.62 innings and freshman allAmerica accolades. Southpaw Springs made five starts and 12 appearances and compiled a 2-1 record and 4.80 ERA as a rookie. He is coming off a terrific summer for the Pineville Pioneers of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, when he struck out 24 in 27.1 IP and was named the league's No. 2 pro prospect. After perhaps the most impressive fall and preseason for any Mountaineer pitcher, junior transfer Sam Agnew-Wieland will fill the third spot in the weekend rotation. The right-hander went 7-3 with a 2.36 ERA, .213 opponents' batting average and 96 strikeouts in 84 innings for Middle Georgia College last season, a year after going 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA and 34 Ks in 30.2 IP at Georgia State as a freshman. Junior left-hander Chad Farmer has earned the primary mid-week starting role. Farmer has made 36 appearances in his first two collegiate seasons (all but two out in relief ) and has struck out 53 in 49 innings of work.
After earning freshman all-America honors as Appalachian State’s primary mid-week starter last season, Jamie Nunn is expected to take the reins as the staff’s No. 1 starter in 2013.
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BULLPEN One of the biggest keys to the Mountaineers' success last season was the ability of flamethrower Nathan Hyatt to close out games. However, after shattering the school record with 16 saves, Hyatt was selected by Atlanta Braves in the 13th round of last June's MLB Draft and Appalachian was left to find another candidate to slide into a line of dominant closers that dates back six seasons. In the fall, Jones decided that senior Rob Marcello was best-suited to move into the closer role. Marcello was 6-5 with a 5.31 ERA as Appalachian's No. 3 starter last season but Jones felt that working out of the bullpen best suited the southpaw both now and in the future as a professional. In front of Marcello, three more seniors — right-handers Tyler Moore and Josh Wilson and lefty Ryne Frankoff — will likely serve as the main setup men. The experienced trio has combined to make 88 appearances with 78 strikeouts in 111 innings in their careers. Frankoff was particularly impressive as a junior as he battled back from a serious early-season illness to make 19 appearance out of the bullpen down the stretch, going 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA and just 16 hits allowed to go along with 22 strikeouts in 18.1 innings. Other hurlers expected to make a contribution out of the 'pen this year include senior lefthanders Tyler Jackson and Zach Joyce and a plethora of youngsters that includes sophomore Taylor Thurber and freshmen Blake Burkett, Rob Howard, Caleb McCann, Clyde Tate and Amos Wilmoth.
Southpaw Rob Marcello has been tabbed to make the shift from weekend starter to Appalachian State’s closer this season.