Season Preview: Cougars Poised for Postseason Run in 2019

Friday, February 15

Patriots Point

4:00 PM

College of Charleston

UNC Asheville

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Photo by: Al Samuels

Season Preview: Cougars Poised for Postseason Run in 2019

2/14/2019 3:30:00 PM | Baseball

Game Notes (PDF)

CHARLESTON, S.C. --- Jerseys are hung, lineup cards have been printed, and in less than 24 hours, the College of Charleston baseball team will begin its quest for glory as the 2019 season gets underway.

The Cougars once again return one of the most experienced teams in the nation with 26 upperclassmen on the opening day roster, including 11 seniors. Despite the departures of MLB draft picks Evan Sisk and Luke Morgan, as well as third baseman Tommy Richter and veteran bullpen arms Carter Love and Justin Baker, head coach Chad Holbrook and the Cougars have their sights set on making the program's eighth trip to the NCAA Tournament this spring.

"I think we are experienced and mature," Coach Holbrook said. "We have a lot of guys that have been part of the program for a long time, guys that have been around the block and have had success played at a high level. That gives me the most comfort going into our season. We're older, we're mature and we've been around the block which I think will breed some success as we start the season."

Pitching Staff

Junior Griffin McLarty (Buckner, Ky.) returns to anchor the weekend rotation after posting a 7-2 record with a 3.32 earned run average and a team-high 85 strikeouts in 14 starts last season. Blake Robinson (Florence, S.C.), a junior transfer from USC Sumter, and junior right-hander Austin George (Mooresville, N.C.) are expected to slot into the backend of the rotation; junior Jakob Frishmuth (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) continues to rehab from an offseason procedure and is expected to be available toward the mid-way point of the season.

Senior Nathan Ocker (Middletown, Pa.) is slated to resume his role as the Cougars' primary closer after finishing third in the Colonial Athletic Association with 10 saves last season. Senior transfer Noah Hinzman (Greenwood, S.C./Erskine), along with Florence-Darlington Tech transfers Tradd James (Sumter, S.C. and Josh Price (Dillion, S.C.) are all expected to be integral pieces in the Cougars' bullpen.

Fellow junior college transfers Trent Joiner (Huntersville, N.C./Brunswick CC) and Steven Cook (Westminster, Md./Louisburg College) will likely fill significant innings as either a starter or a reliever as well. Junior Kris Kuhn (Summerville, S.C.), sophomore Zach Williams (Marietta, Ga.), and freshmen Trey Fields (Kingsport, Tenn.) and Tanner McCallister (Roebuck, S.C.) will all compete for innings.

Infield/Catchers

The Cougars will field one of the most talented and experienced infields in both the CAA and the nation this season, a group that features a pair of three-year starters in seniors Dupree Hart (Rock Hill, S.C.) and Luke Manzo (Marietta, Ga.). Junior Ari Sechopoulos (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) is expected to receive the bulk of the playing time at first base, with McCallister slated to break camp as the Cougars primary backup at the position.

Senior Clay Hunt (Rock Hill, S.C.) and Erskine senior transfer Chaz Davey (North Augusta, S.C.) will likely split most of the reps at the hot corner. Junior Luke Stageberg (Greer, S.C.), redshirt freshmen Aaron Adams (Lexington, S.C.) and McClendon Sears (Sumter, S.C.), and McCallister are all expected to compete for playing time around the infield.

Behind the dish, senior Danny Wondrack (Wall, N.J.) is expected to resume his role as the Cougars' primary catcher after clubbing a team-high 12 home runs a season ago. Senior Seth Wall (Georgetown, S.C.), and freshmen Jared Kirven (Lexington, S.C.), Tanner Steffy (Chapin, S.C.), and Landon Choboy (Raleigh, N.C.) will compete for playing time in one of the deepest catching corps the Cougars have fielded in some time.

Outfield

The Cougar outfield will see plenty of competition for playing time from a plethora of faces both new and old. McRae will slot into the opening day lineup in left field, with junior college transfers Chris Graham (Leland, N.C.) and Cross Holfert (Laurinburg, N.C.) slated to get the nod in center and right, respectively.

Seniors Bradley Dixon (Greenwood, S.C.) and Joey Mundy (Huntington, W.Va.) are both expected to spend significant time in either corner outfield slot, with junior transfer Harrison Hawkins (Bishopville, S.C.) slated to split time between the outfield and designated hitter. Davey, Choboy, Adams, Williams, Sears, and junior Nick Rowland (Blue Bell, Pa.) are expected to compete for playing time in the outfield as well.

Weekend Preview

Charleston will open the 2019 campaign with a three-game set against UNC Asheville at Patriots Point. The Cougars and Bulldogs meet for the first time since 2012 when UNC Asheville took two-of-three in a weekend series in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. First pitch is set for 4:00 pm on Friday, with scheduled start times of 12:00 pm on Saturday and 1:00 pm on Sunday.