Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Photo by: Brent Beerends
Pitchers Aim for Improvement Under New Coach
2/13/2018 1:00:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – There's no question which area has to improve for Middle Tennessee to take a jump in the Conference USA standings this season: pitching.
The Blue Raiders had a stellar offensive year in 2017 behind first-year hitting coach Tim Donnelly, but their poor performance on the mound essentially negated it. They finished the season worst in the league with a 7.58 ERA and 11th in opposing batting average (.307), and more Raiders had an ERA above eight (10) than under (seven).
Head Coach Jim McGuire is hoping another coaching change gives his pitchers a similar shot in the arm to what his hitters had last season.
After JP Davis announced his resignation in May, McGuire started his search for a pitching coach who could come in and get the most out of the guys already on the roster and mold a talented group of newcomers. He thinks he's found that in Caleb Longshore, a Trevecca Nazarene alum who was previously the pitching coach at Arkansas State for two years.
"I think he really is just in tune with the players," McGuire said. "He individualizes his program and can take each guy and structure their program so they'll become the best pitcher they can be. That's the biggest thing that I was looking for, was a guy who can adapt to whatever is thrown at him."
Getting the most out of the returners
One of the biggest advantages, McGuire said, to bringing in Longshore was his ability to help the returning Middle Tennessee pitchers reach their full potential.
A lot of that has started with getting each pitcher comfortable in his own skin.
"Most of these guys, and it doesn't matter if they're coming in as freshmen or the guys that're returning, I want them to understand who they are," Longshore said. "When you understand who you are, it's easier to be a better pitcher or all-around player, because you know how your stuff works or what you're successful with.
"My biggest thing has been establishing individual identities for each one of them, then taking those individual identities and putting them together in a way that's going to make us successful."
The pitching staff returns four guys who started at least six games last season – senior Jake Wyrick, juniors Carson Lester and AJ Spencer, and sophomore Grant Williams – and four other pitching-only relievers – juniors Tyler Holcombe, Carter Bair and Blake Stansberry and redshirt sophomore Andy Wright (redshirted in 2017). Position players Drew Huff and Austin Dennis will also see time again on the mound in relief roles.
While Longshore's returning pitchers had their struggles last season, accounting for a combined 8.32 ERA in 252 innings, he thinks a path to success was laid in their strikeout numbers.
The Blue Raiders' 442 team strikeouts last year ranked fifth in C-USA and were the fifth most in a single season in program history. The nine returning pitchers accounted for 50.4 percent of them, led by the left-handed Wyrick's 67.
"Stuff-wise, we want to look at if we have the ability to put guys away earlier and be a little more efficient getting deep into games," Longshore said.
The starting rotation will look a little different. Cody Puckett, Tyler Hasper and Devin Conn all started last season and are no longer in the program, and with Spencer and Williams likely to move to the bullpen, new guys could take their place.
Newcomers
A group of eight new pitchers will enter the fold this season for Middle Tennessee with four transfers – juniors Conner Bell, Ryan Scharf and Andy Rivera and sophomore Sheldon Paulk – and freshmen Zach Keenan, John Dowless, Brycen Thomas and Peyton Wigginton.
Rivera and the left-handed Wigginton have impressed as starters and could factor into the rotation from opening day, but the newcomers' presence will mostly be felt in the bullpen. That's where Longshore wants to see a lot of versatility come into play.
"That's where the roles and the identities side of it comes in," he said. "We have some guys who're going to be versatile there, a guy like Carson Lester who could start and be in the pen. I feel really good about the versatility of our guys."
The incoming class of pitchers is a diverse one. There are five righties and three lefties, and most have both started and made relief appearances in their high school or junior college careers.
All uphill from here
The versatility of the entire pitching staff will be key, especially early in the season.
Longshore and McGuire expect to have fluidity throughout the staff early, with multiple options available both for the rotation and in every bullpen role.
"By the time we get to conference, it could be different just based off what guys do well in their roles," Longshore said. "There are a lot of questions that need answering over the next couple of weeks, and we might not have all the answers by opening day."
The options available for each spot in the pitching staff will hopefully give the Blue Raiders the tools to improve on the mound this season. But, even if their stats don't make a dramatic jump in the right direction, team wins are all Longshore will worry about.
"We have to recognize that in those games where we're going toe-to-toe with some of the frontline starters in the league, we have to give our offense an opportunity to get us a couple of runs and get a win," he said. "But, at the end of the day, if we're scoring eight and giving up seven, I'm going to be happy because we're getting wins."
This is the fourth article in a series as we prepare for opening day. Go to NEWCOMERS, INFIELDERS or OUTFIELDERS to learn more about this year's Blue Raiders.
The Blue Raiders had a stellar offensive year in 2017 behind first-year hitting coach Tim Donnelly, but their poor performance on the mound essentially negated it. They finished the season worst in the league with a 7.58 ERA and 11th in opposing batting average (.307), and more Raiders had an ERA above eight (10) than under (seven).
Head Coach Jim McGuire is hoping another coaching change gives his pitchers a similar shot in the arm to what his hitters had last season.
After JP Davis announced his resignation in May, McGuire started his search for a pitching coach who could come in and get the most out of the guys already on the roster and mold a talented group of newcomers. He thinks he's found that in Caleb Longshore, a Trevecca Nazarene alum who was previously the pitching coach at Arkansas State for two years.
"I think he really is just in tune with the players," McGuire said. "He individualizes his program and can take each guy and structure their program so they'll become the best pitcher they can be. That's the biggest thing that I was looking for, was a guy who can adapt to whatever is thrown at him."
Getting the most out of the returners
One of the biggest advantages, McGuire said, to bringing in Longshore was his ability to help the returning Middle Tennessee pitchers reach their full potential.
A lot of that has started with getting each pitcher comfortable in his own skin.
"Most of these guys, and it doesn't matter if they're coming in as freshmen or the guys that're returning, I want them to understand who they are," Longshore said. "When you understand who you are, it's easier to be a better pitcher or all-around player, because you know how your stuff works or what you're successful with.
"My biggest thing has been establishing individual identities for each one of them, then taking those individual identities and putting them together in a way that's going to make us successful."
The pitching staff returns four guys who started at least six games last season – senior Jake Wyrick, juniors Carson Lester and AJ Spencer, and sophomore Grant Williams – and four other pitching-only relievers – juniors Tyler Holcombe, Carter Bair and Blake Stansberry and redshirt sophomore Andy Wright (redshirted in 2017). Position players Drew Huff and Austin Dennis will also see time again on the mound in relief roles.
While Longshore's returning pitchers had their struggles last season, accounting for a combined 8.32 ERA in 252 innings, he thinks a path to success was laid in their strikeout numbers.
The Blue Raiders' 442 team strikeouts last year ranked fifth in C-USA and were the fifth most in a single season in program history. The nine returning pitchers accounted for 50.4 percent of them, led by the left-handed Wyrick's 67.
"Stuff-wise, we want to look at if we have the ability to put guys away earlier and be a little more efficient getting deep into games," Longshore said.
The starting rotation will look a little different. Cody Puckett, Tyler Hasper and Devin Conn all started last season and are no longer in the program, and with Spencer and Williams likely to move to the bullpen, new guys could take their place.
Newcomers
A group of eight new pitchers will enter the fold this season for Middle Tennessee with four transfers – juniors Conner Bell, Ryan Scharf and Andy Rivera and sophomore Sheldon Paulk – and freshmen Zach Keenan, John Dowless, Brycen Thomas and Peyton Wigginton.
Rivera and the left-handed Wigginton have impressed as starters and could factor into the rotation from opening day, but the newcomers' presence will mostly be felt in the bullpen. That's where Longshore wants to see a lot of versatility come into play.
"That's where the roles and the identities side of it comes in," he said. "We have some guys who're going to be versatile there, a guy like Carson Lester who could start and be in the pen. I feel really good about the versatility of our guys."
The incoming class of pitchers is a diverse one. There are five righties and three lefties, and most have both started and made relief appearances in their high school or junior college careers.
All uphill from here
The versatility of the entire pitching staff will be key, especially early in the season.
Longshore and McGuire expect to have fluidity throughout the staff early, with multiple options available both for the rotation and in every bullpen role.
"By the time we get to conference, it could be different just based off what guys do well in their roles," Longshore said. "There are a lot of questions that need answering over the next couple of weeks, and we might not have all the answers by opening day."
The options available for each spot in the pitching staff will hopefully give the Blue Raiders the tools to improve on the mound this season. But, even if their stats don't make a dramatic jump in the right direction, team wins are all Longshore will worry about.
"We have to recognize that in those games where we're going toe-to-toe with some of the frontline starters in the league, we have to give our offense an opportunity to get us a couple of runs and get a win," he said. "But, at the end of the day, if we're scoring eight and giving up seven, I'm going to be happy because we're getting wins."
This is the fourth article in a series as we prepare for opening day. Go to NEWCOMERS, INFIELDERS or OUTFIELDERS to learn more about this year's Blue Raiders.
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