Talked to Jewett before practice today.
Tulane is going with Kaleb Roper on Friday, Ben White on Saturday and Keagan Gillies on Sunday, leaving Ross Massey, my feature guy Trent Johnson and Chase Solesky out of the weekend rotation for now.
"It's really just kind of the way that they pitched (in preseason practice)," Jewett said. "Not that the other guys did poorly, but those three guys jumped out when it came to statistics and numbers and strike percentages and all those types of things."
Jewett has been high on Roper, an Arizona transfer by way of a juco, since the day he arrived.
"One it's the ability, but two it's the heartbeat, the composure, holding runners, it's fielding your position, the ability to rhythm change with his delivery," Jewett said. "That doesn't mean that he's going to win every time he's out there. That's not what I'm saying, but there's kind of an "it" factor in there I'm kind of attracted to. When you're the lead dog out of the gate on a Friday night, that's kind of an important. Friday night starters all have a little something to them, some mound presence, competitiveness and a little spirit. He fits quite a few of those."
White, a graduate transfer from Holy Cross, has an interesting history. He went 0-5 with a 3.18 ERA as a freshman, striking out 42 in 51 innings. He went 4-5 with a 3.82 ERA as a sophomore, striking out 55 in 61.1 innings while earning second-team All Patriot League honors. He got injured as a junior, requiring Tommy John surgery after pitching three times for 15 innings with a 3.60 ERA. Last year he really struggled in his return, starting five times and appearing in nine games with an ERA of 7.52. He did manage to strike out 25 in 20.1 innings, and Holy Cross made an NCAA regional for the first time since 1978, even beating Nebraska after losing its opener to top-ranked Oregon State. White pitched in relief against Oregon State and again versus Yale on the third day, giving up six hits and four runs in three innings.
Said Jewett: "He has the age, experience, strikes, the ability to throw three pitches, kind of do all those things."
Gillies, a Brother Martin product, gave up 46 hits in 35.2 innings with a 6:56 ERA over 23 appearances as a freshman. He was spotty at best, but Jewett says he is a different guy as a sophomore.
"Keagan might have made our biggest jump in terms of that freshman to sophomore year," Jewett said. "His game has just elevated. He's earned this opportunity.
"I talked to Trent and Chase and Ross and those guys that were in the running, and they still are. This is week 1. We've got quite a few five-game weeks and the rest are four-game weeks, so we are going to need all those guys for sure. And going into this weekend, it's kind of starter 1A and B because nobody's going to pitch nine unless we get 75 pitches out of somebody in nine innings. We've got almost like a two-headed monster going into it, and (Will) McAffer will be the closer.
Jewett mentioned Connor Pellerin as another strong candidate out of the bullpen, also references Josh Bates, Brendan Cellucci and Sam Bjorngjeld as possibilities. With Massey, Cellucci, Bjorngjeld and Justin Campbell, Tulane will have four available lefties in the bullpen.
As for the lineup, the starters for the opener are definite and the batting order is tentative after the first three, which are set in stone.
1) Ty Johnson LF
2) Grant Witherspoon CF
3) Matt Rowland, DH
4) Trever Jensen, 1B
5) Acy Owen, C
6) Kobi Owen, RF
7) Jonathan Artigues, 2B
8) Kody Hoese, 3B
9) Sal Gozzo, SS
The only surprise on the list is Artigues, who filled in as an emergency catcher last year, starting ahead of Alex Galy at 2B, and by surprise I mean not on merit but from what I had heard earlier in the preseason.
"That might be our best defensive (lineup)," Jewett said. "I don't know if it's our best offense,, but it's our best defense, and if you have good pitching and defense. then you're going to be in games."
No one who would be a candidate for playing time is unavailable due to injury.
Tulane is going with Kaleb Roper on Friday, Ben White on Saturday and Keagan Gillies on Sunday, leaving Ross Massey, my feature guy Trent Johnson and Chase Solesky out of the weekend rotation for now.
"It's really just kind of the way that they pitched (in preseason practice)," Jewett said. "Not that the other guys did poorly, but those three guys jumped out when it came to statistics and numbers and strike percentages and all those types of things."
Jewett has been high on Roper, an Arizona transfer by way of a juco, since the day he arrived.
"One it's the ability, but two it's the heartbeat, the composure, holding runners, it's fielding your position, the ability to rhythm change with his delivery," Jewett said. "That doesn't mean that he's going to win every time he's out there. That's not what I'm saying, but there's kind of an "it" factor in there I'm kind of attracted to. When you're the lead dog out of the gate on a Friday night, that's kind of an important. Friday night starters all have a little something to them, some mound presence, competitiveness and a little spirit. He fits quite a few of those."
White, a graduate transfer from Holy Cross, has an interesting history. He went 0-5 with a 3.18 ERA as a freshman, striking out 42 in 51 innings. He went 4-5 with a 3.82 ERA as a sophomore, striking out 55 in 61.1 innings while earning second-team All Patriot League honors. He got injured as a junior, requiring Tommy John surgery after pitching three times for 15 innings with a 3.60 ERA. Last year he really struggled in his return, starting five times and appearing in nine games with an ERA of 7.52. He did manage to strike out 25 in 20.1 innings, and Holy Cross made an NCAA regional for the first time since 1978, even beating Nebraska after losing its opener to top-ranked Oregon State. White pitched in relief against Oregon State and again versus Yale on the third day, giving up six hits and four runs in three innings.
Said Jewett: "He has the age, experience, strikes, the ability to throw three pitches, kind of do all those things."
Gillies, a Brother Martin product, gave up 46 hits in 35.2 innings with a 6:56 ERA over 23 appearances as a freshman. He was spotty at best, but Jewett says he is a different guy as a sophomore.
"Keagan might have made our biggest jump in terms of that freshman to sophomore year," Jewett said. "His game has just elevated. He's earned this opportunity.
"I talked to Trent and Chase and Ross and those guys that were in the running, and they still are. This is week 1. We've got quite a few five-game weeks and the rest are four-game weeks, so we are going to need all those guys for sure. And going into this weekend, it's kind of starter 1A and B because nobody's going to pitch nine unless we get 75 pitches out of somebody in nine innings. We've got almost like a two-headed monster going into it, and (Will) McAffer will be the closer.
Jewett mentioned Connor Pellerin as another strong candidate out of the bullpen, also references Josh Bates, Brendan Cellucci and Sam Bjorngjeld as possibilities. With Massey, Cellucci, Bjorngjeld and Justin Campbell, Tulane will have four available lefties in the bullpen.
As for the lineup, the starters for the opener are definite and the batting order is tentative after the first three, which are set in stone.
1) Ty Johnson LF
2) Grant Witherspoon CF
3) Matt Rowland, DH
4) Trever Jensen, 1B
5) Acy Owen, C
6) Kobi Owen, RF
7) Jonathan Artigues, 2B
8) Kody Hoese, 3B
9) Sal Gozzo, SS
The only surprise on the list is Artigues, who filled in as an emergency catcher last year, starting ahead of Alex Galy at 2B, and by surprise I mean not on merit but from what I had heard earlier in the preseason.
"That might be our best defensive (lineup)," Jewett said. "I don't know if it's our best offense,, but it's our best defense, and if you have good pitching and defense. then you're going to be in games."
No one who would be a candidate for playing time is unavailable due to injury.
