Photo by: Al Samuels
2017 CofC Baseball Preview: Infield/Catcher
2/14/2017 1:31:00 PM | Baseball
Outfield | Pitchers
With the 2017 baseball season opening on Friday, CofCSports.com will take a position-by-position look at this season's team.
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The 2016 season was expected to be a rebuilding period for the College of Charleston baseball team's infield corps. By seasons' end, however, the infield had arguably become the backbone of the team that included a Freshman All-American, a pair of slick-fielding middle infielders, and one of the top catchers in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Cougars enter the 2017 season with a bevy of options - particularly at the corners – in an infield unit that could well be regarded as one of the best in the conference come May. Versatile junior Tommy Richter (Wayne, Pa.) returns after splitting 53 starts between second and third base last season, and is expected to form a partnership with either Dupree Hart (Rock Hill, S.C.) at second base or Luke Manzo (Marietta, Ga.) at shortstop. Last season at the dish, Richter batted .271 with four triples, two home runs and 21 RBIs.
Manzo returns to anchor the shortstop position after making 54-of-58 starts, and laying down 15 sacrifice hits – the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound middle infielder posted one of the best fielding percentages in recent memory at shortstop last season, making six errors en route to a .978 mark in the field.
Following the departure of junior first baseman Bradley Jones in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the Cougars face an intense battle for the job. Freshman Ari Sechopoulos (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) and Riley Knudsen (Cabot, Ark.) have gone toe-to-toe throughout the preseason, and both have impressed the coaching staff with their gloves and their bats. Sechopoulos is a two-time Team Ontario honoree who batted .421 with four home runs as a sophomore; Knudsen batted .322 with 15 doubles, five home runs and 74 RBI in two seasons at Cowley County Community College.
Competition is fierce at the hot corner as well, with Clay Hunt (Fort Mill, S.C.) holding an early edge and junior Luke Morgan (New Lenox, Ill.) waiting in the wings. Hunt saw limited action during his freshman season with a home run and four RBI in 26 at-bats. Morgan brings a big bat after launching 14 home runs and hitting .399 at Iowa Western Community College last season. Hart could also see playing time at third base.
Behind the dish, Erven Roper (Easley, S.C.) returns for his senior season after catching 50 games last spring. The 6-foot, 205-pound backstop batted .263 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 34 RBIs, and is expected to anchor the Cougar battery this season.
Sophomore Danny Wondrack (Wall, N.J.) figures to see substantial playing time as well, either behind the dish or at designated hitter. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound backstop launched three home runs and drove in 11 runs in 31 appearances last season. Junior transfer Seth Wall (Georgetown, S.C.) and freshman Drake Frix (Plainville, Ga.) are also expected to log innings behind the dish.
Head coach Matt Heath on Infielders/Catchers:
"Our infield is extremely talented. Those guys are very good defensively, making routine plays. If it's hit on the ground, I feel very comfortable. We have a lot of guys that can move around the infield – namely Dupree Hart, Luke Manzo, Clay Hunt, and Luke Morgan. [Luke] Morgan could even play in the outfield if we needed him to. Tommy Richter can play all three infield positions aside from first base, so we're very versatile in the infield. At first, we have two left-handed hitters who are both solid players. We just have to figure out which one is the better bat. I'm very excited about the catching position when you have two players who are ready to be every day catchers in Erven Roper and Danny Wondrack. This is the first time in a long time we've had that luxury."
Be sure to check back tomorrow when we take a look at our pitching options for the 2017 season.
With the 2017 baseball season opening on Friday, CofCSports.com will take a position-by-position look at this season's team.
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The 2016 season was expected to be a rebuilding period for the College of Charleston baseball team's infield corps. By seasons' end, however, the infield had arguably become the backbone of the team that included a Freshman All-American, a pair of slick-fielding middle infielders, and one of the top catchers in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Cougars enter the 2017 season with a bevy of options - particularly at the corners – in an infield unit that could well be regarded as one of the best in the conference come May. Versatile junior Tommy Richter (Wayne, Pa.) returns after splitting 53 starts between second and third base last season, and is expected to form a partnership with either Dupree Hart (Rock Hill, S.C.) at second base or Luke Manzo (Marietta, Ga.) at shortstop. Last season at the dish, Richter batted .271 with four triples, two home runs and 21 RBIs.
Manzo returns to anchor the shortstop position after making 54-of-58 starts, and laying down 15 sacrifice hits – the fourth-highest single-season total in program history. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound middle infielder posted one of the best fielding percentages in recent memory at shortstop last season, making six errors en route to a .978 mark in the field.
Following the departure of junior first baseman Bradley Jones in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the Cougars face an intense battle for the job. Freshman Ari Sechopoulos (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) and Riley Knudsen (Cabot, Ark.) have gone toe-to-toe throughout the preseason, and both have impressed the coaching staff with their gloves and their bats. Sechopoulos is a two-time Team Ontario honoree who batted .421 with four home runs as a sophomore; Knudsen batted .322 with 15 doubles, five home runs and 74 RBI in two seasons at Cowley County Community College.
Competition is fierce at the hot corner as well, with Clay Hunt (Fort Mill, S.C.) holding an early edge and junior Luke Morgan (New Lenox, Ill.) waiting in the wings. Hunt saw limited action during his freshman season with a home run and four RBI in 26 at-bats. Morgan brings a big bat after launching 14 home runs and hitting .399 at Iowa Western Community College last season. Hart could also see playing time at third base.
Behind the dish, Erven Roper (Easley, S.C.) returns for his senior season after catching 50 games last spring. The 6-foot, 205-pound backstop batted .263 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 34 RBIs, and is expected to anchor the Cougar battery this season.
Sophomore Danny Wondrack (Wall, N.J.) figures to see substantial playing time as well, either behind the dish or at designated hitter. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound backstop launched three home runs and drove in 11 runs in 31 appearances last season. Junior transfer Seth Wall (Georgetown, S.C.) and freshman Drake Frix (Plainville, Ga.) are also expected to log innings behind the dish.
Head coach Matt Heath on Infielders/Catchers:
"Our infield is extremely talented. Those guys are very good defensively, making routine plays. If it's hit on the ground, I feel very comfortable. We have a lot of guys that can move around the infield – namely Dupree Hart, Luke Manzo, Clay Hunt, and Luke Morgan. [Luke] Morgan could even play in the outfield if we needed him to. Tommy Richter can play all three infield positions aside from first base, so we're very versatile in the infield. At first, we have two left-handed hitters who are both solid players. We just have to figure out which one is the better bat. I'm very excited about the catching position when you have two players who are ready to be every day catchers in Erven Roper and Danny Wondrack. This is the first time in a long time we've had that luxury."
Be sure to check back tomorrow when we take a look at our pitching options for the 2017 season.
Players Mentioned
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Saturday, May 16
Wednesday, May 13
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