It was nothing earth shattering, but I have no idea why my editors asked me for something and then did not run it without telling me.
Here was my starting lineup and pitching breakdown I sent to The Advocate:
C Jake Rogers
Rogers was phenomenal behind the plate last year, throwing out 33 of 57 base-stealers to lead the nation. HIs batting average improved from .202 as a freshman to .227 as a sophomore, and he more than doubled his number of walks from 12 to 26. He is looking for a similar jump in average this season.
1B Hunter Williams
Williams, Tulane’s primary DH last year, has been swinging the bat well in preseason practice and will start at first base. He also stole 16 bases in summer league play after failing to steal any for the Wave last year. Pierce is counting on him to have a big year.
2B Jake Willsey/Shea Pierce
Willsey fielded well as a sophomore but did not have much pop at he plate with five extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 137 at-bats. Pierce, a Sam Houston State transfer and David Pierce’s son, has good bat control to move runners over. A third candidate, Matt Rowland, is a defensive specialist.
SS Stephen Alemais
After sitting out almost all of the summer when he re-aggravated a hamstring injury he sustained in the Baton Rouge regional, Alemais (team-high .312 average) is healthy and poised for a huge final year before heading to professional ball. D1Baseball.com named him a second-team preseason All-America. A slick fielder, he’ll need to cut down on some careless errors.
3B Hunter Hope
Coming off a disappointing year (.230 average, 4 home runs), Hope roped the ball in fall practice. He led the team in hits as a freshman and should bounce back with much better numbers across the board as a junior, although his high strikeout total (a team-leading 73 in 2015) remains a concern.
LF Richard Carthon
After quitting football to concentrate on baseball full time in the fall, Carthon hopes it pays off in a big senior season. His on-base percentage (.355) was the second best among Tulane’s starters a year ago, and he was named to the Baton Rouge All-Regional team with five hits in nine at-bats. He gets on base by any means possible, getting hit by pitches 38 times in his career.
CF Jarret DeHart/Grant Brown
DeHart, who played at LSU as a freshman in 2014, supplies the bat and could be high in the lineup. He had 22 doubles, four triples and 16 home runs at Howard College a year ago. Brown excelled defensively through 11 games last year before getting hurt and having season-ending shoulder surgery. DeHart won’t DH often. Jeremy Montalbano has earned that role.
RF
Lex Kaplan
As long as his surgically repaired shoulder is OK, Kaplan combines surprising pop (a team-best 7 home runs last year) with an outstanding arm. Making a tremendous jump from a rough freshman season, he led Tulane in slugging percentage and walks and was second in runs and RBIs. If the arm bothers him, he also can play first base.
In The Rotation
1 Corey Merrill
Merrill might be the best pitcher ever with only five wins through two years. Getting no run support in 2014 (0-5) and minimal help last season (5-6), he returns as a Friday starter after leading the team with a 2.12 ERA, allowing 80 hits while throwing a team-best 102.0 innings.
2 Alex Massey
Masterful when he is on, Massey will start on Saturdays. He led the Wave with two complete games last year and won four consecutive weekend starts at one point. His biggest concern is control. He walked 46 in 88.1 innings as a junior.
3 Emerson Gibbs
The ultimate control pitcher, Gibbs, a Jesuit product, walked 19 in 79 innings last year and was even more sparing in summer ball. He gave up a team-high six home runs as a junior but still finished with a 2.73 ERA and is the consummate Sunday starter.
4 Patrick Duester
Duester returns as the midweek starter after leading the team with seven wins (and six losses) as a junior transfer and occasionally getting a promotion to the weekends. He is the same mold as most of Tulane’s other experienced starters—not overpowering, but effective.
IN THE BULLPEN
RP
Tim Yandel, Ross Massey, Chris Oakley, Sam Bjorngjeld
The relief roles are not as clear as the starting ones, but Pierce said he would back up starters with starters. Yandel struggled mightily after a fast start a year ago, but he has good stuff. Massey, the freshman younger brother of Alex Massey, is a lefty who impressed in the fall.
CL
J.P. France, Dan Rankin, Trevor Simms
This is the most wide open spot on the team, with the beginning of the year serving as a proving ground. France, the opening day starter as a true freshman in 2014, is coming back from injury. Rankin was up and down as a middle reliever in 2015 (19 appearances, 4.80 ERA). Simms is on his fourth school and looking for his first success.
Here was my starting lineup and pitching breakdown I sent to The Advocate:
C Jake Rogers
Rogers was phenomenal behind the plate last year, throwing out 33 of 57 base-stealers to lead the nation. HIs batting average improved from .202 as a freshman to .227 as a sophomore, and he more than doubled his number of walks from 12 to 26. He is looking for a similar jump in average this season.
1B Hunter Williams
Williams, Tulane’s primary DH last year, has been swinging the bat well in preseason practice and will start at first base. He also stole 16 bases in summer league play after failing to steal any for the Wave last year. Pierce is counting on him to have a big year.
2B Jake Willsey/Shea Pierce
Willsey fielded well as a sophomore but did not have much pop at he plate with five extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 137 at-bats. Pierce, a Sam Houston State transfer and David Pierce’s son, has good bat control to move runners over. A third candidate, Matt Rowland, is a defensive specialist.
SS Stephen Alemais
After sitting out almost all of the summer when he re-aggravated a hamstring injury he sustained in the Baton Rouge regional, Alemais (team-high .312 average) is healthy and poised for a huge final year before heading to professional ball. D1Baseball.com named him a second-team preseason All-America. A slick fielder, he’ll need to cut down on some careless errors.
3B Hunter Hope
Coming off a disappointing year (.230 average, 4 home runs), Hope roped the ball in fall practice. He led the team in hits as a freshman and should bounce back with much better numbers across the board as a junior, although his high strikeout total (a team-leading 73 in 2015) remains a concern.
LF Richard Carthon
After quitting football to concentrate on baseball full time in the fall, Carthon hopes it pays off in a big senior season. His on-base percentage (.355) was the second best among Tulane’s starters a year ago, and he was named to the Baton Rouge All-Regional team with five hits in nine at-bats. He gets on base by any means possible, getting hit by pitches 38 times in his career.
CF Jarret DeHart/Grant Brown
DeHart, who played at LSU as a freshman in 2014, supplies the bat and could be high in the lineup. He had 22 doubles, four triples and 16 home runs at Howard College a year ago. Brown excelled defensively through 11 games last year before getting hurt and having season-ending shoulder surgery. DeHart won’t DH often. Jeremy Montalbano has earned that role.
RF
Lex Kaplan
As long as his surgically repaired shoulder is OK, Kaplan combines surprising pop (a team-best 7 home runs last year) with an outstanding arm. Making a tremendous jump from a rough freshman season, he led Tulane in slugging percentage and walks and was second in runs and RBIs. If the arm bothers him, he also can play first base.
In The Rotation
1 Corey Merrill
Merrill might be the best pitcher ever with only five wins through two years. Getting no run support in 2014 (0-5) and minimal help last season (5-6), he returns as a Friday starter after leading the team with a 2.12 ERA, allowing 80 hits while throwing a team-best 102.0 innings.
2 Alex Massey
Masterful when he is on, Massey will start on Saturdays. He led the Wave with two complete games last year and won four consecutive weekend starts at one point. His biggest concern is control. He walked 46 in 88.1 innings as a junior.
3 Emerson Gibbs
The ultimate control pitcher, Gibbs, a Jesuit product, walked 19 in 79 innings last year and was even more sparing in summer ball. He gave up a team-high six home runs as a junior but still finished with a 2.73 ERA and is the consummate Sunday starter.
4 Patrick Duester
Duester returns as the midweek starter after leading the team with seven wins (and six losses) as a junior transfer and occasionally getting a promotion to the weekends. He is the same mold as most of Tulane’s other experienced starters—not overpowering, but effective.
IN THE BULLPEN
RP
Tim Yandel, Ross Massey, Chris Oakley, Sam Bjorngjeld
The relief roles are not as clear as the starting ones, but Pierce said he would back up starters with starters. Yandel struggled mightily after a fast start a year ago, but he has good stuff. Massey, the freshman younger brother of Alex Massey, is a lefty who impressed in the fall.
CL
J.P. France, Dan Rankin, Trevor Simms
This is the most wide open spot on the team, with the beginning of the year serving as a proving ground. France, the opening day starter as a true freshman in 2014, is coming back from injury. Rankin was up and down as a middle reliever in 2015 (19 appearances, 4.80 ERA). Simms is on his fourth school and looking for his first success.