Friday, February 18
Patriots Point
2:00 PM
College of Charleston
vs
Wagner
Season Preview: Cougars Return a Veteran Group With Plenty to Prove
2/17/2022 5:08:00 PM | Baseball
CHARLESTON, S.C. --- The lines have been drawn, the comforting scent of freshly cut grass fills the air and in less than 24 hours, the College of Charleston baseball team will exit the first base dugout at Patriots Point to begin the 2022 campaign.
The Cougars return a veteran roster that features 26 lettermen from last season including four starting pitchers and six position players who started at least 25 games in 2021. With 28 upperclassmen in the fold, including returning seniors Cam Dean, Tanner McCallister, Donald Hansis, Landon Choboy, Jared Kirven, Zach Williams, Connor Campbell, McLendon Sears and Tanner Steffy, Charleston will have no shortage of experience on the diamond this season as the Cougars aim to punch their first ticket to the NCAA Tournament since 2015.
"We are thrilled to get started," head coach Chad Holbrook said. "Our 2022 schedule will present some exciting challenges for our team and hopefully will attract a lot of our fans to Patriots Point! Our players are ready to get started and hopefully we can put together a great season."
On the Mound
The Cougars' weekend rotation will feature three of the most electrifying arms in the CAA led by 2022 Preseason All-CAA selection Ty Good who is expected to resume his role as CofC's Friday night starter. The Rock Hill, S.C. native compiled a 7-5 record with a 3.71 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 17 appearances last season.
Joining Good in the rotation will be freshman righthander Daniel Brooks and senior southpaw Connor Campbell on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Brooks compiled a 1.43 ERA during his senior season at nearby Bishop England High School securing multiple Player or Pitcher of the Year honors in the process. Campbell pitched his way into the Sunday role last spring finishing the campaign with a 6-4 record, 4.07 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 66.1 innings of work.
In the bullpen, Williams, junior Trey Pooser, sophomore William Privette and freshman Cole Mathis, are each in line for key roles and also could be in the mix as potential midweek starters. Williams, Pooser and Privette combined for 45 appearances and 18 starts for the Cougars last season while Mathis arrives as an exciting two-way player out of Harris County High School in Cataula, Ga.
Right-handed flamethrower Caswell Smith returns for his junior season looking to rebound from a 2021 campaign halted by injury. When healthy, Smith possesses one of the most captivating arms in the CAA. Brody Hopkins makes the transition to the mound after lighting up the radar gun in summer ball. He, along with returning inning eaters Michael Schultz and Ryan Smith, have the ability to carve out significant responsibility in the 'pen.
Joining that group are veteran newcomers Luke Vaks, Brandon Miller and Reed Parris who could slot into key bullpen roles as well. Guillermo Granier, Emmett Bice and Brooks Lucas round out an experienced pitching staff as veterans competing for innings in relief.
In the Infield
Preseason All-CAA honorees Trotter Harlan and Joseph Mershon, along with Dean, are expected to form the backbone of the defense in the infield after combining for 128 starts a season ago. Junior Luke Wood will likely begin the season at the hot corner after batting .425 and earning All-Region First Team honors at Florence-Darlington Tech in 2021. Fellow Florence-Darlington transfer JT Marr, as well as McCallister and sophomore Preston Hall, are slated to form a versatile trio at first base.
Kirven, a Preseason All-CAA selection, will combine with Marr to give the Cougars an enviable tandem behind the plate. The pair are expected to evenly split the catching duties with Choboy slated to spell the duo at times. Kirven enjoyed a stellar junior campaign batting .299 with four homers and 18 RBI; Marr launched nine home runs while batting .452 at Florence-Darlington last season.
Steffy returns as the Cougars' primary option at designated hitter after raking his way to All-CAA Second Team honors in 2021. The Chapin, S.C. native batted .333 with five bombs and 29 RBI in only 33 games a season ago. Mathis, Jaxon Weatherford, Will Baumhofer, Ben Wetenhall and Patrick Sanchez are all expected to compete for playing time in the infield.
In the Outfield
Charleston's outfield will feature an enticing mix of familiar faces and promising newcomers that possess a balanced and versatile skill set. Choboy, graduate transfer Sam Cochrane and freshman Tyler Sorrentino are slated for the majority of starts in the outfield this season with Sears and Hansis expected to make significant contributions as well.
Choboy played a key role in the Cougars' success last spring batting .300 with two home runs and 25 RBI in 24 starts. Cochrane spent the last four seasons at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. where he batted .323 with 10 home runs and 81 RBI while earning Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year accolades in 2017. Sorrentino joins the Cougars from West Essex High School in North Caldwell, N.J. where he was a three-time all-conference performer and batted .413 with 18 stolen bases as a senior.
Juniors Matt Lobeck and Sajon Belser, along with freshman Isaiah Rainge, are expected to compete for playing time and carve out key late-inning roles off the bench.
Weekend Preview
The Cougars will open the 2022 campaign with a three-game series against Wagner at Patriots Point this weekend. First pitch for Friday's series opener is slated for 1:00 p.m.
Parking Information
Fans are encouraged to take notice of the following parking information for this weekend's season opening series with Wagner. With the Carolina Challenge Cup concluding this weekend and, coupled with Mount Pleasant Soccer in full swing on Saturday and Sunday as well, parking availability, location and cost will vary on a day-by-day basis this weekend.
Friday: The surface parking lots adjacent to the soccer fields and tennis complex will be available for guests coming to baseball and softball at no charge. The grass lot behind the soccer grandstands can be utilized by fans, if needed, for overflow.
Saturday: Fans will be allowed to park in the grass lot for $10 and will also be permitted to utilize any remaining surface lot spaces at no charge. The grass lot will be overseen by the Battery parking staff beginning at 8:00 am and will be a paid option for fans attending baseball and softball.
Sunday: Sunday's parking options will return to normal operations with both the grass lot and surface lots available to everyone on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge.
The Cougars return a veteran roster that features 26 lettermen from last season including four starting pitchers and six position players who started at least 25 games in 2021. With 28 upperclassmen in the fold, including returning seniors Cam Dean, Tanner McCallister, Donald Hansis, Landon Choboy, Jared Kirven, Zach Williams, Connor Campbell, McLendon Sears and Tanner Steffy, Charleston will have no shortage of experience on the diamond this season as the Cougars aim to punch their first ticket to the NCAA Tournament since 2015.
"We are thrilled to get started," head coach Chad Holbrook said. "Our 2022 schedule will present some exciting challenges for our team and hopefully will attract a lot of our fans to Patriots Point! Our players are ready to get started and hopefully we can put together a great season."
On the Mound
The Cougars' weekend rotation will feature three of the most electrifying arms in the CAA led by 2022 Preseason All-CAA selection Ty Good who is expected to resume his role as CofC's Friday night starter. The Rock Hill, S.C. native compiled a 7-5 record with a 3.71 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 17 appearances last season.
Joining Good in the rotation will be freshman righthander Daniel Brooks and senior southpaw Connor Campbell on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Brooks compiled a 1.43 ERA during his senior season at nearby Bishop England High School securing multiple Player or Pitcher of the Year honors in the process. Campbell pitched his way into the Sunday role last spring finishing the campaign with a 6-4 record, 4.07 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 66.1 innings of work.
In the bullpen, Williams, junior Trey Pooser, sophomore William Privette and freshman Cole Mathis, are each in line for key roles and also could be in the mix as potential midweek starters. Williams, Pooser and Privette combined for 45 appearances and 18 starts for the Cougars last season while Mathis arrives as an exciting two-way player out of Harris County High School in Cataula, Ga.
Right-handed flamethrower Caswell Smith returns for his junior season looking to rebound from a 2021 campaign halted by injury. When healthy, Smith possesses one of the most captivating arms in the CAA. Brody Hopkins makes the transition to the mound after lighting up the radar gun in summer ball. He, along with returning inning eaters Michael Schultz and Ryan Smith, have the ability to carve out significant responsibility in the 'pen.
Joining that group are veteran newcomers Luke Vaks, Brandon Miller and Reed Parris who could slot into key bullpen roles as well. Guillermo Granier, Emmett Bice and Brooks Lucas round out an experienced pitching staff as veterans competing for innings in relief.
In the Infield
Preseason All-CAA honorees Trotter Harlan and Joseph Mershon, along with Dean, are expected to form the backbone of the defense in the infield after combining for 128 starts a season ago. Junior Luke Wood will likely begin the season at the hot corner after batting .425 and earning All-Region First Team honors at Florence-Darlington Tech in 2021. Fellow Florence-Darlington transfer JT Marr, as well as McCallister and sophomore Preston Hall, are slated to form a versatile trio at first base.
Kirven, a Preseason All-CAA selection, will combine with Marr to give the Cougars an enviable tandem behind the plate. The pair are expected to evenly split the catching duties with Choboy slated to spell the duo at times. Kirven enjoyed a stellar junior campaign batting .299 with four homers and 18 RBI; Marr launched nine home runs while batting .452 at Florence-Darlington last season.
Steffy returns as the Cougars' primary option at designated hitter after raking his way to All-CAA Second Team honors in 2021. The Chapin, S.C. native batted .333 with five bombs and 29 RBI in only 33 games a season ago. Mathis, Jaxon Weatherford, Will Baumhofer, Ben Wetenhall and Patrick Sanchez are all expected to compete for playing time in the infield.
In the Outfield
Charleston's outfield will feature an enticing mix of familiar faces and promising newcomers that possess a balanced and versatile skill set. Choboy, graduate transfer Sam Cochrane and freshman Tyler Sorrentino are slated for the majority of starts in the outfield this season with Sears and Hansis expected to make significant contributions as well.
Choboy played a key role in the Cougars' success last spring batting .300 with two home runs and 25 RBI in 24 starts. Cochrane spent the last four seasons at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. where he batted .323 with 10 home runs and 81 RBI while earning Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year accolades in 2017. Sorrentino joins the Cougars from West Essex High School in North Caldwell, N.J. where he was a three-time all-conference performer and batted .413 with 18 stolen bases as a senior.
Juniors Matt Lobeck and Sajon Belser, along with freshman Isaiah Rainge, are expected to compete for playing time and carve out key late-inning roles off the bench.
Weekend Preview
The Cougars will open the 2022 campaign with a three-game series against Wagner at Patriots Point this weekend. First pitch for Friday's series opener is slated for 1:00 p.m.
Parking Information
Fans are encouraged to take notice of the following parking information for this weekend's season opening series with Wagner. With the Carolina Challenge Cup concluding this weekend and, coupled with Mount Pleasant Soccer in full swing on Saturday and Sunday as well, parking availability, location and cost will vary on a day-by-day basis this weekend.
Friday: The surface parking lots adjacent to the soccer fields and tennis complex will be available for guests coming to baseball and softball at no charge. The grass lot behind the soccer grandstands can be utilized by fans, if needed, for overflow.
Saturday: Fans will be allowed to park in the grass lot for $10 and will also be permitted to utilize any remaining surface lot spaces at no charge. The grass lot will be overseen by the Battery parking staff beginning at 8:00 am and will be a paid option for fans attending baseball and softball.
Sunday: Sunday's parking options will return to normal operations with both the grass lot and surface lots available to everyone on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge.
Players Mentioned
INF
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OF
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RHP
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RHP
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LHP
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C/OF
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OF
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MI/RHP
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INF
/ Baseball
OF
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MI
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OF/RHP
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C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
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RHP/INF
/ Baseball
3B
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MI
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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RHP
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OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP/OF
/ Baseball
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