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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
2017 Baseball Position-by-Position Preview: Pitchers
1/31/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 31, 2017
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Florida Atlantic University baseball team will lift the lid on the 2017 season on Feb. 17. This is the first of three weekly positional previews ahead of Head Coach John McCormack's ninth season at the helm of the program.
- Today: Pitchers
- Tuesday, Feb. 8: Infielders
- Tuesday, Feb. 15: Outfielders
The pitching staff for the Owls this season will be made up of 18 players, 12 of which are holdovers from last year's Conference USA regular season champions. McCormack cites five leading candidates to make up the starting rotation, helping to offset the loss of two mainstays from last season, David McKay and Brandon Rhodes.
Junior righthander Marc Stewart and senior lefthander Sean Labsan are the two most experienced starters back. They combined to go 11-1 on the mound a season ago. Stewart, 6-0 with a 3.58 ERA, was second on the team in innings pitched with 78, behind Rhodes' 99. Labsan was fourth, with 46 frames in 11 appearances, and he went 5-1 with a sparkling 1.96 ERA. Both held opposing hitters to a .240 batting average or better.
Junior Alex House, a key member of the 2016 bullpen, is expected to move into the rotation. The 6-3 righty pitched all 23 of his games in relief, and was 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA. Similarly, Nick Swan, a sophomore southpaw who is coming off a C-USA All-Freshman campaign, will be stretched out for a starting role. Swan had 19 appearances with two starts in his debut season, posting a 3-0 record and a 3.09 ERA. Between he and House, the duo punched out 52 opposing hitters and walked just 25 total.
That quartet will be joined by junior college transfer Jake Miednik. At Walters State Community College, the 5-10 lefthander was 13-1, struck out 127 batters in 79.2 innings pitched, and was named National JUCO Pitcher of the Year.
"Those at this point look to be the five starters," said McCormack. "Stewart and Labsan have the most experience returning as both pitched in weekend slots last year. Swan had two starts and House of course was huge in our bullpen, but we'd like to see if he can make the transition into the rotation. Newcomer Jake Miednik, who was 13-1 and an All-American last year in Junior College, will look to make an impact. He gives us depth and it gives us three lefties in the rotation.
"You feel really good about the fact that with Stewart and Labsan, with 25 starts last year between them, and Swan and House, with about 20 appearances each, there's a lot of guys with Division I experience. With that being said, Miednik also had 14 starts last year and 20 starts over the last two years, so he has experience as well. I like the group as a whole and I think that they all will be successful in their own right. It's just a matter of getting these guys starts early in the year and see where things fall into place."
The Owls' bullpen will be a mix of veterans and newcomers, led by Preseason All-American closer Cameron Ragsdale. Of all nationwide returnees, the senior righty ranks second with 15 saves and shut down his opposition to the tune of a .182 batting average and just five earned runs in 28 innings pitched (for a 1.61 ERA).
While the end of the relief staff is shored up, the team will have to make up for the departure of three talented setup men, all of which signed with MLB organizations following the end of their FAU playing careers: Devon Carr, Robbie Coursel and Colyn O'Connell. McCormack has a lot of options at the ready to lead that effort.
"I think we're going to have a really strong bullpen," he said. "Ever since I've been a head coach, I've wanted a great bullpen. It shortens the games and you don't tax the starters as much. It starts with Cameron Ragsdale and his 15 saves, then you have Mark Nowatnick, who had a number of high-pressure innings last year, so he's prepared. Kyle Marman has pitched some in the past out of the bullpen; he's really taken a jump and I think he's really prepared to contribute in a big way.
"Two other returning guys, Jordan Poore and Eric Keating, both left-handed, have had very good fall seasons and that has continued into the spring. We're looking forward to them filling a vital role left by Devon Carr. And to keep our tradition of having a sidearm-righty, we have Drew Peden on staff, he'll give us an opportunity to give our opponents a different look.
"Two others that are going to help out in some form or fashion and have had good preseasons are Blake Sanderson and Nick Prather. (Sanderson) missed all of last season, he's back and looks good, and (Prather), a freshman from Indiana, has a bright future and we'll have to carve out a role for him."
McCormack's staff isn't without depth, as five more talented pitchers with impressive resumes are competing for key roles as well.
"We also have a group of newcomers - freshmen Andrew Jones, Chris Moore, Dylan O'Connell and Mike Ruff - and junior Weston Clemente, coming back from injury. I expect them all to battle for innings. It is our job to put them in position to maximize their talents."
The staff will be put to the test in less than three weeks' time, beginning with Monmouth in Boca Raton on Feb. 17. Opening Day is a 6:30 p.m. first pitch, and the Owls and Hawks will face off twice more that weekend. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-866-FAU-OWLS or visiting https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/fau/EN/link/buy/browse?i%5B0%5D=251.
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