BLOG FMU assistant baseball coach Robbie Wilson (5-4-09)
It's hard to believe, but we have completed yet another regular season. It's been a great year for our team on the diamond, especially after we finished the season winning our final twelve games - a new Francis Marion record! Our overall record is 33-13-1 going into the conference tournament. We play Saturday morning at 9 a.m. against Columbus State in the first game of what should be a very interesting eight-team tournament. It will be interesting because it is a two-day, single-elimination tourney, the winner of which earns an automatic bid for the NCAA Regional Tournament the following weekend.
The goal of every team is to make it to that NCAA regional tournament as the winner of the six-team regional tournament goes on to the NCAA Division II College World Series and a shot to win the National Championship. We feel that we've put ourselves in a great position to receive a regional bid and will find out Monday morning whether or not we have been selected. If we are selected, it will be the third time in the past five years that we have received a regional bid. In 2006, we won that tournament and advanced to Montgomery, Ala., for a very memorable trip to the final eight.
This season has included some very memorable moments as well as some exceptional individual efforts from the players. Keon Graves currently leads the Peach Belt in batting average, hitting an astounding .441, and is in the top ten in several other offensive categories. His teammates recently voted Keon as our team MVP for the 2009 season, a well deserved award for not only a great player, but a fine young man who has been a joy to coach the past two seasons. Martin Gordon has also come on very strong lately. He has hit leadoff over the past several weeks and is hitting .426 overall with 30 runs scored. Overall the team is hitting .344, good for second best in the Peach Belt. It's been without question one of the most prolific hitting teams in the history of Francis Marion Baseball. Shortstop Barrett Kleinknecht has anchored the 3-hole for much of the year and is hitting .386 with 16 doubles, 8 home runs, and 59 RBIs, a terrific year thus far for the West Florence High School product. Senior Jared Barkdoll and junior Jacob Wallace have also been a constant in the middle of the order while splitting time behind the plate. Barkdoll, who holds several overall Francis Marion offensive records, is hitting .379 with 37 RBIs, while Wallace boasts a .343 average with 15 doubles and 42 RBIs. Throughout the year the strength of the offense has been it's consistency and depth. Alex Lee, Josh Biggers, Preston Shuey, and Colby Green have also had exceptional years at the plate among others.
While we've prototypically been a pitching oriented team, it's been fun to watch the offense come through with such an outstanding year. That being said, the pitchers have been no slouch throughout the season. Senior David Walters has been a great leader for the staff, posting a 7-3 record to this point. Several juniors have followed his lead including left-hander Jeremiah Meiners, who has come on extremely strong to post a 6-1 record. Josh Edgin and Erik Sommerville have combined to win six big games. Junior Brandon Forshee has been the dominating force out of the bullpen, pitching in 27 contests and holding opponents to a miniscule .190 average. Overall the pitchers have combined to accrue a 4.25 team ERA to this point.
As excited as we are about all this team has accomplished to this point, we're even more excited about the upcoming conference tournament and hopefully regional tournament. If we continue to play as we have been, the sky is the limit with this team. Thank you for all the support that each of you has shown us this spring. Please come out and cheer us on this weekend!
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BLOG FMU assistant baseball coach Robbie Wilson (2-3-09)
One great thing about baseball or sports in general is that you
never know what to expect on any given day. If you had told me that
our pitching staff would walk twelve and hit five batters in two
games on opening day I would have called you a liar. Furthermore,
if you had told me we would actually win one of those two games I
probably would have laughed in your face. The old saying is all
walks score. Well, in sixteen innings on Sunday we had eleven
innings where we hit or walked at least one batter. The Blazers
from Valdosta State scored in every one of those innings. Lo and
behold, in the five innings we did not issue a free base they
failed to score. That's a pretty good indication of how important
it is to throw strikes. Needless to say it was quite disconcerting
to watch our pitchers struggle finding the zone. BUT, somehow we
managed to earn a split against an extremely good Valdosta State
squad, so it's not all bad.
There were certainly plenty of positives and negatives to take away from Sunday's two contests. The most glaring negative and cause for concern was certainly the before mentioned inability of our pitching staff to force Valdosta State to hit the ball. More than once Coach Inabinet was on the top step of the dugout pleading with our pitcher to "Just give us a chance", one of his favorite sayings - a simple statement that if followed goes a long way towards succeeding in our game. Our success as a program at Francis Marion has been dependent on solid pitching, and we've always prided ourselves on throwing strikes, playing solid defense, and making the opposing team earn every thing they get. Coach clearly reminded the pitchers of that after the game and challenged them to get back to the basics of challenging hitters. We're anxious to see how they respond.
From my perspective the most positive thing to come from Sunday was the fact that our team battled back from an early 6-1 deficit in game one to win 11-7. The comeback and offensive outburst demonstrated what we have been hoping, that this team is certainly capable of being one of the best offensive teams in recent memory at Francis Marion. That comeback was only made possible by the gutsy effort of three pitchers out of the bullpen who helped stopped the bleeding and were able to give our hitters a chance to claw back into the game. Brandon Forshee was huge, coming in and pitching three dominant innings in which he struck out five. Josh Biggers and Barrett Kleinknecht did the rest. Between the three of them ,Valdosta only managed one run following the second inning.
Offensively our hitters finally got to Valdosta's starting pitcher, a very solid left-hander who shut us down for the first three plus innings. Coach Inabinet reminded the hitters that he was working them away away away. Our hitters got on the plate a bit and were able to hammer some balls the other way. Senior Jared Barkdoll had a huge day with three hits, two down the left field line and the other in "Barkdoll Alley", that huge gap in right center that he has visited so many times in his four years at FMU. Keon Graves also came up with two clutch hits, two lasers to left field. Keon also made a couple exceptional plays at third. Colby Green only managed one hit on the day but was on base four times out of the lead off spot to jump start the offense. He and Keon executed a beautiful double steal to score a key run late. Alex Lee had maybe the biggest hit of the day, a triple into Barkdoll Alley that plated two runs. He also hammered a ball to left. We're gonna see a lot of extra base hits out of Alex this season. Defensively Matt O'Rourke made the play of the day. With nobody out and the bases loaded for Valdosta, their hitter hit a deep fly ball to right which would have probably cleared the bases. Matt got a great jump on it, ran it down, made the catch and then was able to double up the runner at second who had left early. That was an absolute game changing play.
We knew Valdosta State was going to be a tough opening day challenge. They won 36 games last year and clearly have a better squad this year. All of us coaches agree that they are better than their No.21 ranking suggests with very good hitters throughout the lineup, probably one of the best catchers in the country, and an exceptional pitching staff. By the way, they have some of the classiest coaches you'll meet and are just an all around classy program. So, despite the fact that our pitchers certainly underperformed in their first time out, we were fortunate to get a game from a very good team and I think it said a lot about our team, that we were able to win despite playing far from our best baseball.
We get a few days to try and correct and improve areas before facing a big challenge this weekend. We host our annual Gerald Griffin (in honor of the former head coach at Francis Marion who has helped our current program in many ways) South Atlantic Challenge and will play games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday against three regional opponents - St. Andrews, Limestone, and Coker. Each of the three always plays us tough and it should make for some great baseball this weekend. Hopefully our pitchers are ready to throw strikes! We hope to see a bunch of you at the park. We had a great crowd this past Sunday and are always thankful for the support that each of you gives. I think our team will continue to gel and improve as roles are determined and the early season rust works itself out. We continue to be hopeful and excited for the prospects and potential of this team. This weekend should tell us a lot.
Special thanks to Jack, our batboy for opening day!
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BLOG FMU assistant baseball coach Robbie Wilson
(1-16-09)
We're barely a week into practice, but so far we as a coaching
staff have been extremely pleased with how the team has performed.
Perhaps most importantly in their minds they have survived the
annual week of morning running, this morning being their last. They
actually made it through nine "17's" this morning with a "twinkie
drill" thrown in the mix, not an easy task. If you don't know what
the "twinkie drill" is, just ask Cory Deering. They all worked very
hard with minimal moaning and groaning throughout this tough first
week. I think they are as excited to get after it in preparation as
we are.
Obviously the cold weather has made practice conditions a little difficult, but we used the nice day yesterday to get in our first intersquad and the players performed very well. I think our increased depth on the mound and in the field has made each player a little more focused because they realize there are plenty of talented guys at each position. As I watched and coached yesterday, I thought we had two competitive teams out there and while we've had some good teams here in the past few years this one has me as excited as I've been about our potential to do something special.
Most every pitcher threw an inning yesterday and although they were limited to fastballs and changeups it's becoming more and more evident that it is going to be a real battle for innings. There are legitimately five guys vying for three weekend starting jobs and a handful of pitchers who look capable of providing valuable relief innings. Again, it's very early but we're excited about the depth on the mound that seems to be there at this point. Hopefully we can stay healthy. Newcomer Josh Edgin threw his first inning off the mound at "The Cliff" and looked sharp. Several of the hitters came back to the dugout remarking that the ball was getting on them real quickly. For the most part everyone threw strikes. Freshman Drew Watcher looked sharp and his fellow freshman Blake Wrenn, while up in the zone a bit, looked as if his velocity was back up a bit. Fortunately Cory Deering came out and threw an inning after feeling a little arm discomfort earlier in the week. Forshee finally made his Patriot debut and fared well changing speeds and forcing a few ground balls.
At the plate there were a number of bright spots. Kleink and Wallace highlighted the first in typical fashion with back to back hits (much to David Walters dismay who by the way is not a fan of pitching without his slider whatsoever) to plate a run. Barrett muscled a tough inside fastball for a double and then was driven in by an opposite-field hit from Wallace. Martin Gordon was able to single off Edgin, steal second and third and then score. Martin's been very impressive on the bases so far. Freshman Tyler Boyd got in on the action offensively as well with a double and triple, both to the opposite field which he has been working hard on. Several balls were hammered for line-drive outs to infielders off the bats of Barky and Alex Lee. Cam, aka Johny Damon, had a beautiful bunt base hit as well as an opposite-field hit. Matt the Rat O'Rourke got yelled at for being 0-4 on bunt opportunities but did somewhat redeem himself with a nice hit-and-run single through the left side in addition to another single. Jeffy Felten had two really nice hits off the bench. Keon, in addition to snaring Barky's line drive, which he said was the hardest ball ever hit at him, managed to steal home off Meiners and fortunately wasn't killed by Jeff's last-second bunt attempt. Austin Smetana hit the furthest opposite field home run I've seen on our field. It wound up in the middle of the softball field. Defensively Jon Lewis Floyd made a couple nice plays and Martin made a nice sliding catch in left.
This afternoon, the Pats are keeping it indoors getting in a good workout in the weight room and a much deserved break after four pretty grueling days. Hopefully the soreness subsides by the end of the week. Kudos to all the guys for working hard in morning running and playing hard in the afternoon. Again, we're fortunate to be coaching not only a talented group but some really fine young men who are a joy to be around. It's going to be a lot of fun to see how this team progresses and performs. The potential is certainly there. As the years pass for me in coaching, I think back more and more to my playing days and what I remember are the bonds formed with teammates over the years. At the time you never think about how special those times and bonds are, how special it is being a part of a team and all that goes with it. As with many things in life, its only years later that you realize these things and reflect on them. Hopefully our players realize that this is a great group and the wonderful opportunities that they have as a team. Wins and losses aside, I think they will all have fond memories of each other and their time here at Francis Marion. Hopefully there will be a heap of wins on top of those great memories! Sixteen days until opening day.
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BLOG FMU assistant baseball coach Robbie Wilson (12-8-09)
Welcome to the Francis Marion University baseball blog. We as the coaching staff would like to use this forum to keep you updated on the happenings related to our baseball program throughout the year. Please email us with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
We're extremely excited about getting practice going the first day of classes in January. Once again our region will include many talented and competitive teams making for a challenging schedule, but we're very excited about our own team and hope that we're able to mesh together and perform well enough to contend for a conference championship. Currently we have a roster of thirty-nine players, twenty of which are junior college or four-year transfers. While we return a solid core from last year's squad that posted a record of 34-20, we have added eighteen newcomers who we feel will have a great impact on the makeup of our team.
On the mound we return the core of our pitching staff anchored by senior David Walters who led the team in wins a year ago with nine. He is complimented by starters from last year's team Erik Sommerville, who posted a record of 6-3 in 2008, and Zane Petty, who went 5-1. Other returning pitchers include Tyler Lehman, Ricky Kalgstein, Cory Deering, and Jordan Douglas. Phillip Mozingo will sit this spring as he recovers from arm surgery.
Competition for innings will be fierce as there are eleven additional pitchers vying for time. Sebie Kirkland and Brandon Purvis both red-shirted last year and had impressive fall seasons. Freshmen right-handers Jarrot Hooks and Drew Watcher and left-hander Blake Wrenn also showed glimpses of ability in fall scrimmages and will vie for time. We expect a number of transfer pitchers to log significant innings. Left-hander Jeremiah Meiners transferred in from Coastal Carolina this fall and had several impressive outings. He will contend for a starting nod. Josh Edgin, another left-hander, will join us next semester, transferring from Ohio State University as a junior. He will certainly compete for a starting role.
At this point the bullpen looks to be comprised of a number of returners previously mentioned and several newcomers. Josh Biggers, a two-way player who will also see time in the infield, impressed in several relief situations throughout the fall and will be given opportunities early on out of the pen. Shane Gebhards, a left-handed reliever from Lincoln Land Community College, also pitched well in the fall and is expected to play a big role. Another right handed reliever, Brandon Forshee, sat out most of the fall with an injury, but is expected to compete for late inning work. Barrett Kleinknect, who will more than likely be the starting shortstop, also proved he can be a factor on the mound this fall and could fill a relief role. Obviously that's a lot of quality pitchers with only so many innings to go around so we expect fierce competition. You can never have too much good pitching!
We're also as excited as we have ever been about our infield. Throughout the fall the infield played extremely well defensively which will be key for our team in the spring. At this point the middle infield will be anchored by shortstop Barrett Kleinknecht and second baseman Colby Green. Barrett shows great range and arm strength at short and Colby made virtually every play this fall at second. Keon Graves will be the man to beat at third. His athleticism and range make him a key part of our infield defense. Preston Shuey returns at first base after a stellar freshman year in which he was named the conference freshman of the year, hitting .344 with 7 homeruns and 55 RBIs. Several players have pushed these four and are nipping at their heels for playing time. Taylor Norfleet who was the starting third baseman for our 2006 World Series team continues to recover from arm surgery and showed a return to form at the plate this fall. Norfleet hit cleanup for much of the year as a freshman and is working hard to regain his starting job. He'll see some key at-bats early on in hopes of earning playing time. Before mentioned Josh Biggers, a junior college transfer who had a stellar two years at Southern Union Community College along with Colby Green, also showed flashes of being a very solid infielder this fall. He looks to earn time at second, short, or third with his steady glove. Chris Honeycutt, a left-handed hitting first baseman, came on strong at the end of last season and had some crucial hits late in the season and in the conference tournament. He'll battle for playing time at first base. Tyler Lehman, who played significant innings as a freshman at second base, will also make a push to regain playing time at second base. Another junior college transfer, John Lewis Floyd, brings a steady glove to the infield. He made significant strides offensively this fall and will compete for at-bats and innings on defense. Tyler Boyd, a freshman who showed exceptional offensive abilities at times this fall, will fight for time in the lineup, whether it be in the infield or in left field. Brooks Arnette will red-shirt this spring after transferring in from Lander.
Perhaps the most interesting position battle early on in the spring will be in the outfield as there are a number of capable players who haven't quite won a full-time starting job yet. Josh Smith returns after hitting an impressive .338 in 65 at bats last spring. Right field could be his job to lose. Alex Lee transferred in from Clemson University and looks to be a mainstay in the lineup, probably beginning the spring in center field. He has a smooth left-handed swing and has a chance to hit for average and power. Eight other outfielders will compete for jobs, all having shown glimpses of ability, but none quite taking the job as theirs. Returners include Trent Knight, Bucky Wells, Jeff Felten and Cam Asbill. Knight had 111 at bats last spring and went through several hot streaks. He ended up hitting .261. Wells and Felten fought injuries and saw limited time. Asbill hit .280 in 75 at bats. He looks for consistency offensively and in his routes defensively. Austin Smetana returns as a red-shirt freshman and shows as much power as anyone on the team. The newcomers include transfers Martin Gordon and Matt O'Rourke as well as freshman Tyler Boyd. Gordon impressed with his speed and situational hitting this fall. O'Rourke tracked defensively as well as anyone, and Boyd showed perhaps the most offensive upside as any of our younger players. It will certainly be interesting to see who makes the most of their opportunities come game time. Whoever wins those jobs, and how well they perform, will go a long way in determining our success as a team.
Behind the plate we return senior Jared Barkdoll who had a stellar junior year hitting .362 with 7 home runs and 50 RBIs. He also threw out 17 of 42 would-be base stealers. Junior transfer Jacob Wallace will compliment Jared behind the plate. Jacob brings a wealth of experience from Spartanburg Methodist College where he had a huge year offensively in 2008. Jacob will hit somewhere in the middle of the order for us. Junior Matt O'Rourke and red-shirt freshman Austin Smetana may also see time behind the plate. Junior John Davis will red-shirt this spring after transferring in from Florence Darlington Tech.
The first day of practice is just around the corner. Hopefully the guys come back from the Christmas break in great shape and ready to go as we only have a few weeks to get ready for our first game February 1 against a quality opponent in Valdosta State. It should be an exciting spring. Hopefully you will all come out and support us! Thank you for all that you do as parents and supporters of our program. We're very fortunate to have not only a very talented group of student-athletes, but also an exceptional collection of fine young men and that is a testament to the families that they have come from. We tell our recruits all the time that the best part about our program is simply the group of guys that we have and it's the absolute truth. They continually work hard in the classroom, weight room, and on the field and have represented themselves extremely well in the community. Please feel free to email me, Robbie Wilson, any questions or comments at rwilson@fmarion.edu. We look forward to seeing everyone at the park in the spring!
