Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
New-Look Staff Hoping to Keep MT on Right Track
2/7/2020 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — After taking a major step forward on the mound last season, Middle Tennessee's new-look pitching staff might be in line for another dose of improvement this year.
Head coach Jim Toman didn't keep secret what he most needed to fix when he took the job last offseason. He had to find a way to get people out more consistently.
Before Toman's arrival, Middle Tennessee went four straight seasons giving up more than five runs per game, including having one of the worst team ERAs in the country in back-to-back years in 2017 (7.58) and 2018 (6.47).
In Toman's first year at the helm, the Blue Raiders lowered their ERA more than a run and a half per game over the previous season, down to 4.87, their lowest since 2014.
Now in his second go-round, Toman is hoping it drops even further with an influx of talented arms.
"Our assistants did a really good job bringing guys in," he said. "I think, when we have our 35 guys nailed down, we'll have something like 25 new guys … that's a lot of new guys.
"It'll be different offensively, defensively and pitching-wise. It'll definitely take time to figure out all the names."
The Blue Raiders' rotation is shaping up to be spearheaded by two newcomers and junior left-hander Peyton Wigginton, who's started 22 games the last two seasons, including a team-high 14 last year. He was the only Raider pitcher to throw a complete game in 2019, doing so twice, and led the team with 84 innings pitched and 79 strikeouts.
Junior transfers Aaron Brown and Justin Medlin are the frontrunners right now to take spots alongside Wigginton. Brown, a right-handed Mt. Juliet, Tennessee native who spent his freshman season at Vanderbilt, had a 9-3 record and 3.56 ERA in 96 innings last year at State College of Florida. Medlin, a lefty who hails from Ripley, Mississippi, was a two-way star the last two seasons at Itawamba Community College (MS), helping the Indians to a No. 2 national ranking last year with a 2.48 ERA and 7-1 record.
"I think we have three legitimate starters who could start on Friday night for any team in our league," Wigginton said. "Justin brings a competitiveness and fire to the mound, and he's so fun to watch. … Aaron is always painting the bottom of the strike zone and has the most unbelievable changeup I've ever seen.
"We are so, so excited to see what we can do."
Middle Tennessee will likely use a bit of a rotation for its midweek starts, at least early in the season, while Toman and his coaching staff identify roles.
Junior Zach Keenan, redshirt sophomore Josh Young and senior David Zoz each made starts for the Blue Raiders a season ago but also have proven value in the bullpen. Graduate transfer Walker Armstrong also started 18 games the last two years at Cal-State Northridge, and he'll join a large group of new newcomers trying to make a name for themselves.
The Blue Raiders have 11 new pitchers, not counting Brown and Medlin, who will compete for innings with returners senior Scheldon Paulk, junior John Dowless and redshirt freshman Zac Pearson. That also doesn't include two-way players Hunter Sullivan, Brycen Thomas, DJ Wright, Luke Vinson and Daniel Freeman, who are fighting for playing time both on the mound and in the field.
"We have options," Toman said. "When you add all of them together, I think we have 20 guys to choose from, and last year we were dipping into about 10 or 11.
"We play 56 games, so you need to use 10, 11, 12 pitchers and keep them fresh all year."
If Toman did anything this offseason, he definitely built depth in the pitching staff, just out of sheer numbers alone.
He's banking on a number of those new names stepping in and contributing in a big way, even if the numbers aren't exactly there right off the bat. MT plays a tough schedule, starting Feb. 13 with a road trip to North Carolina, which has been ranked as high as 13th in the preseason.
With so many new pitchers, roles will have to be defined as the season goes. Toman hopes to have most of his answers by the time Conference USA play rolls around in mid-March.
"We're still trying to develop some of our roles, and it might take some time to determine who gives us the best chance to win on the weekend and in the midweek, too," he said. "Sometimes it's hard to figure out whether you should start a guy or put them in the bullpen or make them your closer."
Pay attention to the names, Blue Raiders fans, especially in the first few weeks of the season. There will be plenty of new ones on the bump.
