Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Position Breakdown: Weekend rotation experienced asset
2/17/2016 4:23:00 PM | Baseball
Hoffmann, Troutt, Clements earn spots
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Starting pitching has proven to be the one facet of baseball that has not provided a wealth of headaches and questions for Middle Tennessee Head Coach Jim McGuire – at least in regard to the weekend rotation.
The weekend rotation is Middle Tennessee's most experienced asset with two senior starters back from a year ago and a promising redshirt sophomore ready to make his mark on the Blue Raider staff.
Right-hander Nate Hoffmann has earned the role as ace and will be on the mound when the Blue Raiders open the season against Indiana Friday at Reese Smith Field. First pitch is 3 p.m.
Left-hander Tyler Troutt is in the No. 2 slot and will pitch on Saturday, followed by sophomore righty Reid Clements Sunday.
"Our stability is within our weekend starters," McGuire said. "To have two senior pitchers who have pitched in the rotation is huge."
Hoffmann and Troutt were mainstays in the Blue Raider rotation down the stretch last season and entered 2016 as the front-runners for two of the three coveted spots in the weekend rotation.
"We went into this year saying two of those spots were basically Hoffmann's and Trout's to lose," McGuire said. "They were going to have to lose their spot because they pitched on weekends last year and did well. They have been the two most consistent (pitchers) since fall practice and they deserve to be pitching on Friday and Saturday."
Hoffmann earned second-team All-Conference honors for his outstanding junior campaign. He pitched in 15 games, earning 13 starts and was the staff's most effective pitcher. Hoffmann made two appearances out of the bullpen before earning a spot in the weekend rotation. Once there, he never relented.
"When Hoffmann left campus last summer he knew he had an opportunity to be the guy coming back and he never deviated from that," McGuire said. "His tremendous work ethic and drive afforded him the opportunity to put himself in this situation."
Hoffmann posted a 4-1 record with a 3.61 ERA, but his ability to keep the Blue Raiders in games and give them an opportunity to win was his greatest attribute. Middle Tennessee was 11-2 in Hoffmann's 13 starts. He allowed five hits or less in seven starts and he pitched into the sixth inning or deeper in eight starts.
"He finds ways to keep us in games and gives us an opportunity and chance to win every time out and that's the job of the Friday night starter because you are matched up against other number ones," McGuire said. "(Hoffmann) was able to keep his pitch count down and that kept him in games longer. He is not worried about being a high strikeout guy and that helps. He wants hitters to put the ball in play and let the defense work."
Troutt's ascension into the starting rotation took a different route.
Six of the first seven appearances the senior southpaw made were out of the bullpen. His eighth outing was a dynamite performance against Vanderbilt in which he allowed two runs over five innings and left the game with the lead before setting for a no-decision.
Troutt remained a permanent fixture in the rotation down the stretch, earning 10 straight starts, including six straight weekend starts in C-USA to close out the regular season. Like Hoffmann, Troutt kept the Blue Raiders in games and gave them every opportunity to win.
He allowed two runs or less in six of his 11 starts and pitched into the fifth inning or beyond six times.
"Troutt really stepped up and worked his way into that spot last year," McGuire said. "The more consistency he showed, the more opportunities he received and by the end of the year he was a consistent starter for us. He came back in the fall and never lost the drive or competitive edge to keep the job."
Middle Tennessee won four of Troutt's Sunday starts in C-USA, either winning series or completing sweeps in the process. He allowed just two runs in two other starts but the Blue Raiders failed to muster enough offense to register wins.
"(Troutt) gave us opportunities very similar to what (Hoffmann) did," McGuire said. "Troutt has some tough losses, especially late in the year. He did what a Sunday starter is supposed to do and that is getting you as many quality innings as he can. Sunday is always pivotal in conference baseball weekends."
Clements will complete the weekend rotation and won the job after heavy competition amongst several young hurlers for the third spot. Clements pitched one-third of an inning in 2014, his freshman year, and took a redshirt season in 2015. The redshirt sophomore caught the attention of his coaches by what he did when he wasn't playing.
"Clements' work ethic last year while sitting out was very good, and then he had a very good summer in the Valley League as a starter," McGuire said. "He came back and had a great fall other than out outing and he just continued to improve. Reid has earned the opportunity to start on Sundays."
Clements will be an unknown to opposing hitters early as there is no scouting report on him, but the hard-throwing righty will attack hitters and has control of an arsenal of several pitches. He had a solid fall in which he controlled some of the better bats in the Blue Raider order and pitched ahead in the count.
The weekend rotation is Middle Tennessee's most experienced asset with two senior starters back from a year ago and a promising redshirt sophomore ready to make his mark on the Blue Raider staff.
Right-hander Nate Hoffmann has earned the role as ace and will be on the mound when the Blue Raiders open the season against Indiana Friday at Reese Smith Field. First pitch is 3 p.m.
Left-hander Tyler Troutt is in the No. 2 slot and will pitch on Saturday, followed by sophomore righty Reid Clements Sunday.
"Our stability is within our weekend starters," McGuire said. "To have two senior pitchers who have pitched in the rotation is huge."
Hoffmann and Troutt were mainstays in the Blue Raider rotation down the stretch last season and entered 2016 as the front-runners for two of the three coveted spots in the weekend rotation.
"We went into this year saying two of those spots were basically Hoffmann's and Trout's to lose," McGuire said. "They were going to have to lose their spot because they pitched on weekends last year and did well. They have been the two most consistent (pitchers) since fall practice and they deserve to be pitching on Friday and Saturday."
Hoffmann earned second-team All-Conference honors for his outstanding junior campaign. He pitched in 15 games, earning 13 starts and was the staff's most effective pitcher. Hoffmann made two appearances out of the bullpen before earning a spot in the weekend rotation. Once there, he never relented.
"When Hoffmann left campus last summer he knew he had an opportunity to be the guy coming back and he never deviated from that," McGuire said. "His tremendous work ethic and drive afforded him the opportunity to put himself in this situation."
Hoffmann posted a 4-1 record with a 3.61 ERA, but his ability to keep the Blue Raiders in games and give them an opportunity to win was his greatest attribute. Middle Tennessee was 11-2 in Hoffmann's 13 starts. He allowed five hits or less in seven starts and he pitched into the sixth inning or deeper in eight starts.
"He finds ways to keep us in games and gives us an opportunity and chance to win every time out and that's the job of the Friday night starter because you are matched up against other number ones," McGuire said. "(Hoffmann) was able to keep his pitch count down and that kept him in games longer. He is not worried about being a high strikeout guy and that helps. He wants hitters to put the ball in play and let the defense work."
Troutt's ascension into the starting rotation took a different route.
Six of the first seven appearances the senior southpaw made were out of the bullpen. His eighth outing was a dynamite performance against Vanderbilt in which he allowed two runs over five innings and left the game with the lead before setting for a no-decision.
Troutt remained a permanent fixture in the rotation down the stretch, earning 10 straight starts, including six straight weekend starts in C-USA to close out the regular season. Like Hoffmann, Troutt kept the Blue Raiders in games and gave them every opportunity to win.
He allowed two runs or less in six of his 11 starts and pitched into the fifth inning or beyond six times.
"Troutt really stepped up and worked his way into that spot last year," McGuire said. "The more consistency he showed, the more opportunities he received and by the end of the year he was a consistent starter for us. He came back in the fall and never lost the drive or competitive edge to keep the job."
Middle Tennessee won four of Troutt's Sunday starts in C-USA, either winning series or completing sweeps in the process. He allowed just two runs in two other starts but the Blue Raiders failed to muster enough offense to register wins.
"(Troutt) gave us opportunities very similar to what (Hoffmann) did," McGuire said. "Troutt has some tough losses, especially late in the year. He did what a Sunday starter is supposed to do and that is getting you as many quality innings as he can. Sunday is always pivotal in conference baseball weekends."
Clements will complete the weekend rotation and won the job after heavy competition amongst several young hurlers for the third spot. Clements pitched one-third of an inning in 2014, his freshman year, and took a redshirt season in 2015. The redshirt sophomore caught the attention of his coaches by what he did when he wasn't playing.
"Clements' work ethic last year while sitting out was very good, and then he had a very good summer in the Valley League as a starter," McGuire said. "He came back and had a great fall other than out outing and he just continued to improve. Reid has earned the opportunity to start on Sundays."
Clements will be an unknown to opposing hitters early as there is no scouting report on him, but the hard-throwing righty will attack hitters and has control of an arsenal of several pitches. He had a solid fall in which he controlled some of the better bats in the Blue Raider order and pitched ahead in the count.
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