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HBCU Division I Baseball Preview
MEAC chasing Bethune; SWAC up for grabs
chuck@blackcollegebaseball.com •
View all articles by Chuck Curti
POSTED: Feb 22, 2010
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Bethune-Cookman begins 2010 having won four straight MEAC
championships and nine of the last 10, with the only interruption coming
in 2005 (North Carolina A&T).
The SWAC, meanwhile, had had three different champions the past three years, including 2008’s miracle run by Texas Southern, which was the lowest seed in the tournament.
INSIDE THE MEAC
The SWAC, meanwhile, had had three different champions the past three years, including 2008’s miracle run by Texas Southern, which was the lowest seed in the tournament.
INSIDE THE MEAC
Bethune-Cookman received all 14 first-place votes in the preseason MEAC poll
and will be the team everyone is chasing again. Tops among the Wildcats’ returning players is outfielder C.J.
Lauriello, who was voted the conference’s co-preseason Player of the
Year along with Xavier Macklin of A&T.
Lauriello was also an All-MEAC First Team selection last season after finishing third in the conference in hitting (.398). He hit four home runs, two triples, 19 doubles and drove in 36 runs.
Lauriello was also an All-MEAC First Team selection last season after finishing third in the conference in hitting (.398). He hit four home runs, two triples, 19 doubles and drove in 36 runs.
Lauriello was one of four B-C position players to be voted to the
preseason all-MEAC team along with catcher Peter O’Brien (.314-4-30),
shortstop Alejandro Sanchez (.299-2-24) and designated hitter Ryan
Durrence (.307-11-48).
Anchoring the pitching staff will be Ali Simpson. Just a sophomore,
Simpson tallied nine wins overall last year and went 5-0 in the MEAC
with a microscopic 1.09 ERA. He also struck out 39 in 33 innings of work
in MEAC games.
After B-C, the rest of the MEAC looks to be up for grabs. Norfolk
State was voted second in the preseason poll, earning 112 points.
North Carolina A&T earned 110 points in the poll, while Delaware State and
Florida A&M each earned 100.
Norfolk State returns all but one starting position player and two
of its top three pitchers from a year ago: Jason Barker and Chase
Davenport. Both pitchers posted six wins and ERAs under 5.00 in 2009.
Head coach Claudell Clark, a former pitcher, as always looked to
bolster his rotation, and he will be counting on several freshmen to add
depth behind Davenport and Barker.
Richie Salter, a 6-foot-4 left-hander from Virginia Beach, is an intriguing prospect after going 10-0 with 78 strikeouts in 63 innings at Cox High School.
First baseman Brandon Hairston leads the offense (.348-1-23) along
with Juan Herrera (.333-3-21). Returning outfielders TiQuan Griffin and
John Lynch combined to steal 31 bases in 32 attempts last season.
“I feel that our ballclub will benefit greatly from the additions
that we were able to make to our bullpen as well as to our core of
position players,” said Clark. “We also feel very confident about our
starting rotation. Our ballplayers are excited about the upcoming season
and feel like they are in a position to be extremely competitive on a
daily basis.”
North Carolina A&T went through a bit of a rebuilding phase a
year ago, but for 2010 the Aggies return six position players and two
starting pitchers. All eyes will be on Macklin as he looks for a repeat
of his outstanding freshman season.
Macklin was named to the all-conference first team last year after
hitting. .364 with 12 homers, five triples, 20 doubles and 51 RBIs. He
also posted a .673 slugging percentage.
But Macklin wasn’t A&T’s only impact freshman in 2009. Second
baseman Marquis Riley hit .340 with three homers and 21 RBIs a year ago,
while left-handers Esterlin Paulino and Nick Boles led the Aggies’
pitching staff.
Paulino led A&T with six wins and a 4.11 ERA, while Boles went 5-2 with a 5.36 ERA. The team leader will be Nick Rogers, a senior who hit 11 homers and drove in 50 runs last year.
Paulino led A&T with six wins and a 4.11 ERA, while Boles went 5-2 with a 5.36 ERA. The team leader will be Nick Rogers, a senior who hit 11 homers and drove in 50 runs last year.
“I am very confident about this team,” said coach Keith Shumate.
“They respect the game, work extremely hard, are unselfish, and believe
in each other. There are leaders on this squad.”
Florida A&M will try to nudge its way into the conference race
with a trio of preseason all-conference players: 2B Jared Jeffries, 3B
Derrick Shaw and OF Darryl Evans.
Jeffries led the team with a .438 batting average in 2009; Shaw went .373-2-20, while Evans led the team with five homers and was second on the Rattlers with 28 RBIs.
Jeffries led the team with a .438 batting average in 2009; Shaw went .373-2-20, while Evans led the team with five homers and was second on the Rattlers with 28 RBIs.
Delaware State got two players on the preseason all-conference
team: reliever Brandon Penick and 1B Abe Eubank. The Hornets will lean
heavily on these veterans as they will field a mostly new-look lineup.
Eubank hit .375 with 10 homers a year ago, while Penick had a 2.16
ERA with five saves. “It’s mostly a new team with some quality returners,” said head
coach J.P. Blandin. “It’s a hard-working group that can contend in the
MEAC.”
The remaining two MEAC programs, Coppin State and Maryland-Eastern
Shore, continue to try and work their way up to competitive status.
Coppin
State will begin its second season under head coach Mike Scolinos.
In his first season, Scolinos could barely field a full team. Now, the
Eagles have a full roster and a full pitching staff that includes five
juco transfers.
Offensively, the Eagles will once again be led by stalwart Harry
Williams.
During Coppin’s bleak stretch the past few seasons, Williams, a senior, has been a bright spot. He has been the team’s leading hitter in all three of his previous season, and in 2009 he hit a career-high .360.
During Coppin’s bleak stretch the past few seasons, Williams, a senior, has been a bright spot. He has been the team’s leading hitter in all three of his previous season, and in 2009 he hit a career-high .360.
“Coppin State goes from a team of nine players to a full-roster
team,” said Scolinos. “The team has two solid catchers in Alex Black and
(Derek) Richards. The entirely new pitching staff will determine the
extent of the success of the team.
“Overall, the question is: Will Coppin be a transition team, or a
team that is capable of challenging top Division I baseball teams?”
UMES also will have much of its success determined by its pitching.
Coach Will Gardner believes his staff has much better depth than it has
in the past, including three returning pitchers.
Offensively, the Hawks will be led by 2B Brian Chaikowsky and CF
Phil Vaughn. Chaikowsky was the team’s leading hitter at .381 (.619
slugging), while Vaughn topped the Hawks in hits (57), RBIs (30), runs
(34) and stolen bases (28).
INSIDE THE SWAC
INSIDE THE SWAC
While the rest of the MEAC tries to catch up with Bethune-Cookman,
several teams in the SWAC believe they have a shot at earning the
conference’s NCAA Tournament berth.
Last year’s champion,
Southern, has a shot at repeating with a
group coach Roger Cador said is “more talented than the 2009 team.”
James Armstrong leads the Jaguars’ returning position players after
hitting .345 with eight homers and 40 RBIs. Frazier Hall hit .338 with
two homers and 20 RBIs. The pitching staff is anchored by Jarrett Maloy,
who went 8-2 with a 3.50 ERA last year.
“We had a great recruiting class,” said Cador. “The juco players
will make an instant contribution, and the large number of incoming
freshmen will help an already experienced team.”
Southern’s win in the SWAC the 2009 SWAC tournament prevented a
storybook ending for long-time
Alcorn State coach Willie McGowan. The
Jags knocked off Alcorn in what was the finale of McGowan’s illustrious
career.
Now, the Braves are under the direction of Barrett Rey, who helped
turn Grambling into a competitive program. “I’m looking to win a championship as always,” said Rey. “There’s a
lot of parity (in the SWAC) and I’m anxious to see the east side and
what it has to offer.”
Rey is especially optimistic about his pitching staff, which is led
by senior Collin Arnold, juco transfer Steve Easter and Cedric
Pomerlee, who was taken in the 34th round of the MLB Draft by
the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007. Handling the pitching staff will be
veteran David Reed.
Offensively, the Braves are led by Josh Brumfield, Rodney Warren
and sophomore Eduardo Gonzalez. As a freshman, Gonzalez led the SWAC
with a .407 batting average while amassing 16 extra-base hits and 41
RBIs.
“You can’t say enough about him,” said Rey.
Warren hit .356 with four homers and 50 RBIs, while Brumfield, who
will also see time on the mound as a spot starter and out of the
bullpen, was .338-2-17. Outfielder Kilby Perdomo, a juco transfer, is
also expected to bolster the offense.
Grambling is now under the direction of James Cooper, a former
player for the Tigers who was drafted by the Houston Astros and played
three years in their system.
He had spent the three previous years on the Tigers’ staff as a graduate assistant and as the top assistant last year. With a senior-dominated team, Cooper expects his alma mater to be a contender this year.
He had spent the three previous years on the Tigers’ staff as a graduate assistant and as the top assistant last year. With a senior-dominated team, Cooper expects his alma mater to be a contender this year.
“We finished (2009) with a 17-37 record, and we’re looking to
improve on that this year,” he said. “There’s no reason we can’t be a
.500 team. The fact that I’m an alumni, I want to see my school do great. All
the guys who are seniors this year, I was here when they were
freshmen.”
“Cooper’s going to be all right,” said Rey. “He’s rock solid.
People better not sleep on them in the West.” Senior Mychal Roby is the Tigers’ best offensive player and coming
off a season in which he hit nine homers and drove in 39 runs.
Steve Kletke hit .331 with four homers a year ago, and Milton Barney, who Cooper calls the “best fastball hitter in the conference,” hit .308 with three homers. On the mound, Cooper will lean heavily on a pair of juco transfers: Eric Zagone and Jesus Favela.
Steve Kletke hit .331 with four homers a year ago, and Milton Barney, who Cooper calls the “best fastball hitter in the conference,” hit .308 with three homers. On the mound, Cooper will lean heavily on a pair of juco transfers: Eric Zagone and Jesus Favela.
Alabama A&M also is sporting a new head coach in Demetrius
Mitchell. Mitchell inherits a team that has made some strides over the
past couple years, and 2009 saw the Bulldogs make the SWAC tournament
for the first time in a decade.
Last year also saw AAMU’s first sweep of Alcorn State, first win
over Alabama-Huntsville and first season in which the Bulldogs beat
Jackson State twice.
“We have pitching depth, power, speed and we are capable of doing
the small things like getting runners over and hitting behind runners,”
said Mitchell.
LaDale Hayes returned to from last year after sitting out 2008 with
an injury. As a sophomore, he hit .302 with 22 RBIs and 20 extra-base
hits then rebounded last year by hitting .301 with 15 extra-base hits
and 20 RBIs.
Alabama’s other SWAC entrant,
Alabama State, posted the worst
record in the conference in 2009, going 3-20. The Yellowjackets return
Chris Davis, who led the team with a .356 batting average, Ron James
Jr., .311, a team-leading six homers and 34 RBIs, and pitcher Rannie
Fore, who went 3-3 with a 2.84 ERA.
Staying in the SWAC East,
Jackson State finished second in the
division behind Mississippi Valley. The Tigers had the conference’s best
ERA in 2009, and coach Omar Johnson will rely on his pitching staff as
well as some experienced returning players on offense to carry the team.
“We’re going to be a young team, very inexperienced,” said Johnson.
“We’re probably going to end up starting three sophomores and some
redshirt freshmen.
“It (the conference) is up in the air, but I think we’ll have a
good chance as well as some other teams.”
Center fielder Chad Hall returns after hitting .417 last year, and
Johnson calls him “the kind of player who makes things happen.” Braneric
Holmes hit .345 a year ago, and Cortez Cole has potential both with his
bat and with his legs.
“He can probably steal 40-50 bases and drive in 30-40 runs,” said
Johnson.
The pitching staff will not be as deep as last year, but Johnson
likes the arms at the top of his rotation. Quintavious Drains made his
mark primarily as a reliever last year, but he’ll get more opportunities
to start in 2010.
As a freshman, he posted a 4.26 ERA and struck out 53 in 50 innings.Righty Terrence Washington and southpaw Cortney Nelson are also expected to anchor the pitching staff.
As a freshman, he posted a 4.26 ERA and struck out 53 in 50 innings.Righty Terrence Washington and southpaw Cortney Nelson are also expected to anchor the pitching staff.
Pitching should not be a problem for
MVSU. Senior Britt Goodman
returns after his all-SWAC season that saw him lead the conference with a
1.99 ERA. Two transfers have shown promise:
Steven Barnes and Eric Dowell both have low-90s fastballs. But the most promising arm for the Delta Devils is David Braugh, a 6-foot-4 righty who, according to head coach Doug Shanks “throws the hardest of all and could be the best pitcher in the SWAC.”
Steven Barnes and Eric Dowell both have low-90s fastballs. But the most promising arm for the Delta Devils is David Braugh, a 6-foot-4 righty who, according to head coach Doug Shanks “throws the hardest of all and could be the best pitcher in the SWAC.”
Shanks also is high on freshman Kameron Stady, an all-state pitcher
from Coast Christian Academy on Gulfport, Miss. Offensively, the Devils will be led by Chris Herron, Paul Olson,
who redshirted last year, Curt Ford and Nick Faniglio.
Over in the West,
Texas Southern hopes to challenge Southern for
the division title. Under the direction of Michael Robertson for the
second year, the Tigers will have big holes to fill with the graduations
of Adam Sellers, David Arrendondo, Earnest Rhone, Charles Derkowski and
DeShaun Dillworth.
Quentin Smith hit .417 in a part-time starting role last year and
will be the Tigers’ DH. SS Ray Hernandez is TSU’s second-leading
returning hitter at .323 a year ago. Five pitchers return, but all had
limited success last year.
Still, Robertson is optimistic about the season and beyond. “The leadership is strong and the future is soaring at TSU after a
recruiting season in which we have added 14 freshmen to our 2010
roster,” he said.
“The key is how quick will our consistent play catch up with our potential. This upcoming season will be a springboard for things to come in future years in our program.”
“The key is how quick will our consistent play catch up with our potential. This upcoming season will be a springboard for things to come in future years in our program.”
Robertson’s former school,
Prairie View A&M, will be looking to
rebound this year after missing out on the SWAC tournament in 2009. The
Panthers were back-to-back SWAC champs in 2006 and 2007.
“I had a strong recruiting class this past summer that I feel is
one of the top (ones) in the SWAC,” said head coach Waskyla Cullivan.
“With 10 transfers from winning junior college programs along with two
freshmen who produced on the high school level, I anticipate all of them
making an immediate impact on our program this spring.”
PVAM does return its top two starting pitchers, Ben Blackburn and
Mark Almaguer. Outfielder Darryl Johnson, who hit .297 with a homer and
13 RBIs, is Prairie View’s top offensive veteran.
Unlike Prairie View and Texas Southern,
Arkansas Pine Bluff will
return most of its starting lineup from a year ago. But the story for
the Golden Lions will be the player who does not return.
Kevin Edwards was killed in a car accident in November, and how the
team copes with his loss, said coach Michael Bumpers, will define the
2010 season.
3B Lloyd Burchett is UAPB’s top holdover among the position
players, having hit .339 with a pair of homers and 33 RBIs in 2009. OF
Tre Austin hit .320 in spot duty last year, and Hinton Huckabee hit four
homers from his shortstop position.
The returning pitchers are led by Cornell Wyatt, who, in five
appearances last year, had an ERA of 1.69, Vincent Newton and Kyle
Jones.
INDEPENDENTS
INDEPENDENTS
The SWAC could have any number of contenders for its conference
title. In the Great West Conference, former independent
Chicago State
believes it can contend in just its first season.
“We had a spectacular recruiting season this past year and we were
able to attract some very good players to Chicago State University,”
said coach Michael Caston. “With a mixture of our returning players,
junior college transfers and incoming freshmen, look for (us) to put up
some numbers offensively and defensively.
“We will be a completely different team in 2010. We are headed in
the right direction and I feel the foundation has been set in order to
build a legitimate baseball program.”
The Cougars return their two leading hitters from a year ago:
Patrick Hernandez (.336) and Austin McDowell (.303). Also back are the
three Carpen brothers: outfielders Jonathon and Albert and infielder
Michael.
Two HBCUs will continue as independents: North Carolina Central and Savannah State. NCCU is in its fourth season since resurrecting the program and its third in NCAA Division I.
Two HBCUs will continue as independents: North Carolina Central and Savannah State. NCCU is in its fourth season since resurrecting the program and its third in NCAA Division I.
The Eagles took their lumps a year ago, winning only six games, but
head coach Henry White expects the team to improve.
“On paper, North Carolina Central baseball has made improvements in
several key areas,” said White. “Pitching was the emphasis in
recruiting. On the offensive side, (newcomers) Derrell Parker, Joe
Winecoff and Nathan Smith … will add much more punch to a line-up that
struggled at the plate.”
White’s two top pitching recruits are 6-foot-7 Drew Robinson out of
Southeast Community College and 6-5 freshman Glenn Frye.
Offensively, the Eagles return their top three hitters in Akeem
Hood (.322), Kurt Wilson (.299) and Blake Murray (.283).
Savannah State didn’t have problems offensively last season,
particularly on the basepaths, where the Tigers led the nation in stolen
bases. But this year, head coach Carlton Hardy wants his pitching staff
to catch up with his offense, and that’s where he focused a lot of his
recruiting.
“We welcomed 19 newcomers into the program, which added more depth
specifically to the pitching staff,” said Hardy. “ Pitching will be much
better than last year with the added depth.”
Starter Mike Allegretti returns after leading SSU with seven wins a
year ago, and redshirt senior Mark Sherrod returns looking to recapture
some magic from three years ago when he won his first six decisions.
Offensively, Jonathan Ross returns his .380 batting average, while
Dexter Kelley hit .318 and was one of the reasons the Tigers led the
nation in steals; he posted 33 in 41 attempts. Kelley also has pop at
the plate, evidenced by his team-leading nine homers in 2009. Darien
Campbell (17 steals) also returns.
“We the added athleticism in the recruiting class and we look to
improve our efficiency,” said Hardy. “We have great team chemistry with
this group and great leadership from the upperclassmen.”
Chuck Curti is a sports reporter for the Beaver County (Pa.) Times and a voter on BlackCollegeBaseball.com's weekly HBCU polls. He can be reached via e-mail at chuck@blackcollegebaseball.com .
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