Countdown to Opening Day 2016: Infielders and DH
February 17, 2016 | Baseball
Pirate Nation - as we continue our three-part 2016 season preview, today we go around the horn taking a look at the infield and designated hitter.
First Base:
For the second-straight year under head coach Cliff Godwin, the infield is expected to be the strength of the team. This year's team brings a lot of depth across the diamond and the second-year skipper has plenty of pieces to move around to find the winning lineup.
Bryce Harman returns for his third season at first base where he belted seven home runs, drove in 27 and scored 35 in 2015. He started 58 games a year ago posting a .988 field percentage and recording a school record 570 putouts.
Mr. Utility Eric Tyler could also see action at first base when Godwin decides to give Harman a breather. Tyler, who played four different positions last year, started three games at first base - all early in the season. Tyler batted .268 (55-for-205) with three home runs, 11 doubles, 27 RBI and scored 33 runs.
Godwin has multiple options to look at when completing his lineup at first base as junior college transfer Ryan Littlefield and freshman Drew Piscorik could also see some action.
Middle Infielders:
One of the most important things in baseball is to have a strong group of players up the middle. We saw just how important that was last year as the Pirates made a run to the American Athletic Conference tournament title behind the likes of Travis Watkins (catcher), Hunter Allen (shortstop), Garrett Brooks (centerfield) and Charlie Yorgen (second base). The 2016 Pirates return three of those four guys including Yorgen who started all 62 games as a sophomore.
Yorgen batted .283 (62-for-219) with four home runs, 27 RBI and scored 35 runs - the third most on the club. He opened his sophomore season reaching base in 26-straight games, which was a personal best and team-high seasonal mark. In all, he reached base safely in 56 of 62 games. Yorgen, who legged out 10 bunt singles, led the AAC in sac bunts (16), while ranking fourth in assists (178) and seventh in fielding double plays.
Junior Kendall Ford will also get some playing time at second. The Chattahoochee Valley CC transfer helped the Pirates to a 91-28 two-year record that included consecutive trips to the NJCAA College World Series in Gran Junction, Colo. He batted .354 (133-for-354) with 19 doubles and 51 RBI in 122 games, while stealing 59 of 65 career bases (90.7 percent) including 42 of 44 as a sophomore.
Freshman Brady Lloyd is another player that could see action at second. The Mifflinburg, Pa. native was a three-time first-team all-conference selection, who closed out his prep career with a career-best .422 (27-for-73) average and 10 extra base hits.
Godwin has gone on the record saying freshman Turner Brown will get the opening day start at shortstop, but also said that Wesley Phillips will see extensive action against Longwood this weekend. Brown started 121 games at Whiteville High School helping the Wolfpack to a 103-18 four-year record that included four conference and three state titles. A three-time all-conference selection, Brown committed only 11 errors during his career (two as a senior).
Phillips comes to East Carolina after spending the 2015 season at Cisco College where he batted .358 (69-for-194) with five home runs, 38 RBI and scored 45 runs in 54 games. Prior to that, he played a season at Wichita State (2014) appearing in 19 games (six starts) where he batted .308 with a pair of doubles and four RBI.
Third Base:
Returner Kirk Morgan will most likely start at third on Feb. 19 against Longwood. As a sophomore, he started 36 of his 44 games at the hot corner where he batted .293 (43-for-147) with a pair of triples and 17 RBI. He ranked second on the team with 11 total sacrifices and also spent time on the mound in relief.
ECU fans will also see Tyler and Yorgen over at third as the season unfolds.
Designated Hitter:
Godwin has the luxury this season of penciling-in a plethora of guys as his designated hitter. Luke Bolka, Justin Dirden and Morgan and the left-handed options, while Ford, Littlefield, Tyler, Watkins and Dwanya Williams-Sutton are the right-handers. It all depends on who is playing what position as to who Godwin looks at.
Bolka, one of three two-way players, batted .250 (7-for-28) a year ago with a pair of home runs, three RBI and six runs scored. His biggest at-bat came in the 2015 AAC Championship Game belting a two-run homer against No. 18 Houston highlighting a five-run fifth frame, which the Pirates won 9-1.
Check back tomorrow when we take a look at the Pirate outfield.
