Baseball Position Battles: Part 2
As promised, here is the second half of my position battle review for the Husky baseball team.
The Husky outfield may have a very different look from last year. Left fielder Joe Meggs, son of Coach Lindsay Meggs, led the team in both batting average and on-base percentage last year and should be in the lineup on a consistent basis again.
After Meggs, there are several guys bidding for the final two spots in the outfield. These possibilities include senior Caleb Brown who hit just .167 in an injury plagued season last year. Brown had a solid previous year however, hitting nearly .300 with four homeruns and 29 rbis.
Brian Wolfe and Will Sparks are two other returning Huskies that saw limited playing time last year that will have shots for starting roles this year.
Over the offseason, Coach Meggs brought in two junior college transfers, Jayce Ray and Mac Acker, who will also be in the mix. Ray is a prototypical leadoff man and was recognized on a national level at Santa Rosa College; he could be an instant difference maker in the Husky lineup. Lastly, catcher Chase Anselment started 39 games in right field last year and is another option for the coaches this year.
The Husky pitching staff has seen some changes over the offseason. Two of their four main starters from last year, Jacob Clem and Geoff Brown, graduated leaving two open spots in the Husky rotation.
There are four returning Huskies who will bid for those coveted starting spots. Sophomore Zach Wright seems like a frontrunner to fill one of those starting spots. As a freshman last season, Wright threw over 33 innings and got one start in the process of posting a team leading 2.43 ERA and allowing batters to hit just .189 against him.
Two more sophomores, Jeff Brigham and Tyler Kane, who threw 51.1 and 41 innings last year respectively, got lots of time on the mound last year and are contenders for spots this year. Another returning Husky that could challenge for a spot in the starting rotation is junior Adam Cimber who had a 3.16 ERA last year in 37 innings of work. He also didn’t allow a single homerun and walked just nine batters on the mound.
Due to all of the depth at the starting pitcher position, even the two returning starters, Austin Voth and Aaron West, will have to compete to keep their spots.
Some incoming pitchers will also make bids for the rotation this year. Junior college transfer George Asmus was a 24th round pick in the MLB draft last year, while incoming freshman Jared Fisher was chosen in the 26th round. Also pay attention to junior left-hander Mac Acker who posted an impressive 1.49 ERA at Columbia Basin Community College last year.
There are a lot of Husky pitchers that could end up starting on the bump this year, and the depth at the position will provide a lot of competition throughout the season.
I don’t know about you guys, but I am excited for opening day on the 17th of February. This team has a lot of options and depth at every position on the field and should be fun to watch.