2011 Stetson Baseball Media Guide

Page 11

2011 2011 Season Season Outlook Outlook the ball hard and can be intimidating. He has been slowed by a nagging injury in the preseason yet should be ready to help the team as the season progresses. Rounding out the 2011 staff is redshirt freshman Justin Pickens (Sanford, Fla.), Kevin Lindheim (Naples, Fla.) and Lee Cheneler (Longwood, Fla.). Pickens has been throwing better this year and will likely earn some appearances out of the pen. Lindheim will be featured mostly as an infielder and DH, yet may see some time on the mound, and Cheneler is a young lefty who is a smart pitcher that will likely spend the season developing his craft.

Player of the Year. Last season he hit .352 with 10 doubles, six triples and three home runs in 43 games even though he was hampered by a nagging hand injury for much of the season. Crews started and played in 51 games at second base last season batting .283 and finishing second on the team in home runs with nine. Lashley led the team in home runs in 2010 with 11. He earned a spot on the A-Sun All-Freshman Team as well as being named a Freshman All-American. Lashley played shortstop for most of last season, yet is a natural corner infielder. He will see time at first base and third base in 2011.

CATCHERS

Also competing for time in the infield will be Trey Blackman and Kevin Lindheim, as well as sophomore Nathan Cox (Naples, Fla.) and freshman Thomas Kelly (Arlington Heights, Ill.). Blackman swings a bat that can not be ignored and thus will see some time at first base, as well as behind the plate and as DH. Lindheim is a twoway player who will see some time on the mound, yet will likely focus more on backing up infield positions due to his solid hitting. Cox is an excellent fielder who will back up Crews at second base and Kelly is a shortstop by trade who will be the primary backup at third base as well.

Quarterbacking the team once again this season will be All-Conference and All-America candidate Nick Rickles. The junior out of Loxahatchee, Florida is entering his third season as Stetson’s primary backstop. He is a solid hitter and an outstanding defensive catcher with an

Infielder Mark Jones is a serious A-Sun Player of the Year candidate in 2011.

ton played in 17 games last season with four starts. He batted .333 with eight hits and an RBI. Blackman comes to Stetson from Tallahassee, Community College. He is an excellent hitter who will work his way into the lineup on a regular basis as a first baseman and DH, as well as behind the plate. Campbell is a converted infielder who redshirted last year and has made tremendous strides in his new position. Maskolunas is the consummate team player who does everything he is asked without hesitation or complaint. He played in nine games as a sophomore with one start and picked up one hit in 10 at bats. Masko will be responsible for managing the bullpen and getting his relievers game-ready.

OUTFIELDERS The outfield is another location that Coach Dunn will have difficulty finding playing time for all the talent he has on hand. Re-

INFIELDERS

Nick Rickles will be on the Johnny Bench Award Watch List once again in 2011.

above average arm from behind the dish. Offensively as a sophomore he hit .280 with three home runs, 18 doubles and 36 RBI. He has worked hard adding weight to his frame over the summer and is ready for another successful season handling the pitching staff. Backing up Rickles will be sophomore Brad Carlton (Arcadia, Fla.), junior transfer Trey Blackman (Altamonte Springs, Fla.), redshirt freshman Kyle Campbell (Lakeland, Fla.), and junior Ethan Maskolunas (Lakeland, Fla.). Carl-

The Hatters come into the 2011 season with an abundance of experienced and talented infielders who can all hit well. The only problem Coach Dunn should have will be finding playing time for each of them. Coming out of preseason it looks like the core infield will consist of Ben Carhart at third base, junior Mark Jones (Bunnell, Fla.) at shortstop, redshirt junior Robert Crews (Port Charlotte, Fla.) at second base, and sophomore Ryan Lashley (Lake Worth, Fla.) at first base. Carhart will also see time at first base and on the mound. Jones will return to the position he played in high school and the position for which he was recruited two seasons ago. He is a tremendous athlete, and above average hitter and a preseason candidate for A-Sun

ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Robert Crews was second on the team in home runs last season with nine.

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‘05

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‘07

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