Bucknell University Athletics
Baseball Opens 2016 Season This Weekend at James Madison
2/18/2016 11:07:00 AM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell baseball team is set to begin its 2016 season this weekend with a four-game series at James Madison. The Bison and Dukes will play single games on Friday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) sandwiched around a Saturday (1 p.m.) doubleheader. It will be the first meeting between the programs since 2012.
Bucknell was one of just two Patriot League teams to post above-.500 records last spring. The Bison, who were picked fourth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, will be looking to make a return to the conference postseason tournament for the first time since winning it all in 2014.
James Madison was 18-33 a year ago and is led by first-year head coach Marlin Ikenberry. Ikenberry was head coach at VMI from 2004 to 2014.
Following this weekend's series, Bucknell will travel to Cookeville, Tennessee, to play a three-game series against Tennessee Tech Feb. 26-28. It will be the first meetings between the two programs.
Probable Starting Pitchers:
Game 1: RHP Andrew Andreychik (4-5, 2.44 ERA, 43 K in 2015) vs. LHP Aaron Hoover (4-5, 6.46 ERA, 51 K)
Game 2: LHP Mike Castellani (4-1, 3.27 ERA, 28 K in 2015) vs. LHP Colton Harlow (0-4, 6.75 ERA, 36 K)
Game 3: RHP Dan Keller (0-0, 5.68 ERA, 15 K in 2015) vs. RHP Brandon Withers (2-1, 8.47 ERA, 44 K)
Game 4: RHP Connor Van Hoose (1-2, 2.70 ERA, 8 K in 2015) vs. LHP Tucker McCoy (2-3, 7.47 ERA, 23 K)
Below is a closer look at the Bison heading into the 2016 season:
In 2015, Bucknell posted a 16-10 non-conference record against a formidable schedule, was a strong 11-7 at Depew Field, had an ERA more than a run lower than its opponents, outhit and outscored its foes, and was one of just two Patriot League teams to finish above .500. The Bison will attempt to build upon those accomplishments in 2016 and return to the Patriot League Tournament for the third time in the last four years.
Fourth-year head coach Scott Heather, the 2014 Patriot League Coach of the Year, expects Bucknell to make a postseason appearance and be in the mix at the top of the always competitive Patriot League.
"We want to compete for a Patriot League title," noted the 12-year member of the Bison coaching staff. "We will play a tough non-conference schedule that will challenge us. We want to get better each week and be playing our best ball when Patriot League play rolls around. Maybe we peaked a little early last year.
"I thought we played well out of conference, but didn't play as well once league play started and lost some close games. Being the returning champion, we were the hunted and got everybody's best. We can certainly learn from that."
There are 17 members of the 2016 Bison who were part of the team that captured the Patriot League regular-season and tournament titles two years ago, and they will provide plenty of leadership for the younger classes.
"It helps that those guys have tasted the success and know what it is like to have that experience," said Heather, who was a Bison assistant for eight years before taking over the top spot in 2013. "They are motivated to get back to the postseason. We had a productive fall and one of the best offseasons since I have been here. We have seen a lot of improvement."
Bucknell has an experienced group in its lineup and in the field. All eight of the players expected to start in the field on opening day are members of the junior or senior classes. Those eight players combined to start 236 games last year, and they have 527 career starts between them.
"We have a veteran offensive group," commented Heather. "Our lineup should have a little more punch and depth this year. Hopefully the defense will be as good as we were two years ago. We will play a lot of veterans and we feel good about their improvements over the years."
Overall, Bucknell has 26 letterwinners back from last year's team.
STARTING PITCHING: For the first time since 2012, Bucknell has to replace two members of its weekend starting rotation as the Bison lost standouts Xavier Hammond and Bryson Hough to graduation. Hough was a four-year weekend starter, while Hammond was a jack-of-all-trades lefty who spent two years as a regular member of the rotation, but also pitched out of the bullpen in many key situations
While those two veterans will be missed, there is still plenty of talent remaining, headlined by senior team co-captain Andrew Andreychik. The 2013 Patriot League Rookie of the Year enters his fourth year as a conference starter, and this year he will move from pitching game one on Sunday to pitching the first game of each series.
"Andrew's role has expanded each year, and each year he has stepped up to the challenge," praised Heather, who was the team's pitching coach during his days as an assistant to Gene Depew. "He has always had great command, and this year he has added a little bit more velocity. He is a consistent pitcher who will give us a chance to win each time no matter who we are facing."
Andreychik enters the season tied for Bucknell's all-time shutout record with five during his career. His control has been impeccable throughout his tenure as a Bison, walking just 2.24 hitters per nine innings of work, the sixth-best ratio in program history.
A native of nearby Danville, Andreychik is 13-13 in his career with a 3.41 ERA, which ranks ninth in school annals. He has allowed just 167 hits in 169.0 career innings and opponents are hitting just .259 off him.
Last year, Andreychik was 4-5 with a 2.44 ERA to rank fourth in the Patriot League. He tied his career high with four complete games and was twice named Patriot League Pitcher of the Week.
The other returning member of the starting rotation is junior lefty Mike Castellani. After opening the season in the bullpen, he joined the rotation beginning with the second Patriot League series of the year. He was 1-1 with a 4.78 ERA as a starter.
"Mike has been so valuable to us out of the bullpen during his career, but he is working on building his pitch count now," said Heather. "He needs to add that third pitch. He does a good job with his fastball and throws a couple different types, but adding the full arsenal is key."
Castellani has an impressive 7-1 record in his career with a stellar 2.61 ERA. He has allowed 76 hits and struck out 48 in 86.1 career innings.
Sophomore Connor Van Hoose is one of the leading candidates to scoop up one of the remaining two spots in the rotation. The Alxandria, Virginia, native logged 6.2 innings in five relief appearances as a rookie, but impressed Heather and pitching coach Jason Neitz during the offseason.
"Connor had a great fall and has the potential to be a front-line pitcher in the Patriot League in the years to come," praised Heather. "He needs to go out there and prove it now. Connor will work to solidify his spot during the pre-conference portion of the schedule."
Two seniors (Dan Keller, Max Kra) and two freshmen (Jeff Gottesman, Jack Grabek) are also in contention to be weekend starters.
Keller, who along with fellow seniors Andreychik, Joe Ogren and Tommy Pennington, is a team captain, earned three mid-week starts last year in his first campaign back from missing a season due to injury. He struck out 15 and yielded just 16 hits in 19.0 innings of work over seven appearances.
Kra missed the early part of 2015 with an injury, but finished with 15.1 innings in nine relief appearances, five of which were against Patriot League opponents.
Kra has had varied roles over the course of his career. He was the team's closer as a freshman in 2013, made four mid-week starts in 2014, and pitched exclusively out of the bullpen last spring.
"Both Dan and Max are primed for big senior years," predicted Heather. "They will have major roles on our staff.
"All seven of the guys are good options to start. We should have good depth on the staff. Now we need to develop roles for each guy and see who rises to the top."
Heather also noted that freshmen P.J. Strahm and Christian Tailor could develop and become mid-week starters as the year progresses.
RELIEF PITCHING: Bucknell has a versatile and talented bullpen that is strong at the end of games. At the back end of the bullpen is a pair of pitchers who had sub-1.00 ERAs last year in junior lefty Danny Rafferty and sophomore righty Mike Stephens.
Rafferty, who will also be the team's starting left fielder once again, will serve as closer. He is coming off a season in which he averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning and allowed just one earned run in seven appearances.
"Danny is good at getting himself ready to pitch, even when he is playing the field," commented Heather about his two-way star. "We just have to plan ahead when going to him."
Stephens was nearly as unhittable as Rafferty as the two combined to allow just 14 hits in 29.1 innings. His 0.53 ERA was best on the team as he filled both the setup and closer role as a rookie.
One thing that makes Heather excited heading into the year is the ability for the bullpen to match up with opponent lineups. Senior Austin Zimmerman and Stephens both throw from a low angle on the right side, while junior Jack Schoenberger does the same from the left side. Heather also thinks Grabek can be tough on lefties out of the bullpen.
Freshman Hunter Robichaux and junior Tommy Gambon are the relievers with the best "stuff", according to Heather. Gambon has logged 9.1 innings of work his first two seasons and has nine career strikeouts.
Heather is also confident in the abilities of Nolan Brennan, a sophomore lefty who allowed one run over five appearances last spring.
CATCHER: A First Team All-Patriot League catcher in 2014, senior Jon Mayer returns for what promises to be a strong final campaign in Orange and Blue. The Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, native is a durable backstop who has four home runs and 57 RBIs in his career while continuing to improve behind the plate.
"Jon has been a major contributor the last two years and will need to produce in the middle of our lineup," noted Heather. "Hopefully we can find a way to spell him behind the plate and give him more rest. We are looking for more power from him this year and he showed the ability in the fall.
"Jon has been through the battles behind the plate and does a nice job. He has plus arm strength and is probably our guy with the most professional prospects. He is going to play hard and bring energy and toughness to our team."
Sophomore Aaron Fritz saw action in 12 games last year with seven starts and he will continue to serve in a reserve role. Heather predicted Fritz will work his way into the lineup on a regular basis partly due to his bat. He hit .280 in limited at bats last spring.
Left-handed hitting freshman Evan Klugerman could also see time at catcher, while also possessing the ability to play first base.
FIRST BASE: Multiple-year starter Rob Krentzman graduated last year and that has opened a starting spot for senior Spencer Stokes. Heather has tried to get Stokes into the lineup the last few years, but was unable to find an opening.
A versatile player, Stokes hit .333 last year while earning starts at first base, left field and designated hitter.
"Spencer had a great fall and is primed and ready," said Heather. "He has settled in nicely at first base. It will be nice to keep his bat in the lineup on a consistent basis."
There are a number of players also in mix at first base, including catchers Fritz and Klugerman. Sam Clark, who has played third base most of his career, could play some first, as could freshman Miles Moore.
Mayer could also play first base at times to give him a bit of a rest and still keep his potent bat in the lineup.
SECOND BASE: For the third straight year, Joe Ogren is expected to be a key player on the right side of the infield. The senior two-time All-Patriot League selection is entering his fourth year as a starter, having started in right field as a freshman in 2013.
The team co-captain was one of three Bison to start all 46 games last spring and he hit a team-best .357 to rank third in the Patriot League. He also ranked in the top 10 in the conference in eight other key offensive statistical categories, including second in both slugging and on-base percentage.
"Joe Ogren is one of the best hitters I have coached in my time at Bucknell," mentioned Heather. "He has continued to improve. He was unanimously voted captain this year and has shown leadership on a daily basis. We can always count on him to be ready to play each game. He is a clutch performer, too. We like to see him at bat with the game on the line."
Sophomore Luke Johnson, who has the ability to play second, shortstop and third, will be Ogren's primary backup, while graduate student Alex O'Neill and freshman Bruce Keenan will provide depth.
"Luke has proven he can play all three infield spots and probably had the best fall of all our infielders," said Heather. "Alex provides us with some experience. He has good defensive mobility and always finds a way to get a clutch hit for us. Bruce can play both middle infield spots. He makes all the plays. He will be in a backup role, but is a consistent player we can count on."
SHORTSTOP: Moving from third base to his more natural shortstop position is junior Mark Powell. He was the team's primary starter at third last year, but with the graduation of two-year shortstop starter Greg Wasikowski, Powell is now penciled in at short.
Powell hit .263 with one home run and 15 RBIs a year ago.
"Mark had a strong fall and has had two strong summers playing short," noted Heather. "We are looking forward to him being at shortstop on a consistent basis and reaching his full potential."
Johnson will be in the mix at shortstop along with Powell, and Keenan will both back up at shortstop as well as second base.
THIRD BASE: Junior Sam Clark won the third base spot as a rookie in 2014, but battled some injuries last year and appeared in just 20 games. The left-handed hitter still hit a strong .317 against right-handed pitching while playing mainly at designated hitter.
Clark is the frontrunner to play third base this season. Heather wants to make sure his bat stays in the lineup.
"Sam is a guy we missed once league play rolled around," mentioned Heather. "He is a big RBI guy and not having him hurt us."
Johnson and sophomore Keifer Rawlings will add depth behind Clark. Klugerman can also play third, in addition to catcher and first base.
"We have some guys on the infield who can play different positions, and are interchangeable" explained Heather. "We have a lot of left- and right-handed bats, so we can match up where necessary."
OUTFIELD: Two-thirds of Bucknell's starting outfield remains the same as last year with Rafferty penciled in left field and junior Brett Smith slated to start in center field. Senior Tommy Pennington is expected to fill an enhanced role as the starting right fielder after serving mainly as a reserve his first three seasons.
Rafferty, who has driven in 26 runs over his first two campaigns, is a powerful left-handed hitter who will also serve as the team's closer on the mound.
"Danny is going to be a major part of our offense," commented Heather. "He had a nice fall and is a great outfielder defensively."
Smith is a two-year starter in center. He joined the Bison in 2014 and has started all but one game since and has batted leadoff in virtually every contest. He enters the 2016 campaign with a streak of 90 consecutive starts.
A Second Team All-Patriot League selection and the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2014, Smith saw his average dip a bit last year, but Heather looks for Smith t0o return to the nearly .300 hitter he saw two years ago.
"Brett actually hit the ball harder as a sophomore than as a freshman, but he got out more," noted Heather. "He has continued to get stronger, so hopefully more of those go through. He is finding the holes again, has great speed and gives us a great chance to score when he gets on base."
Pennington, a team captain, finally gets his opportunity to be a member of the starting lineup on a regular basis. He has played in 54 games with 22 starts over the last three years.
"Tommy had a great fall and has solidified himself in right field," said Heather. "He will be a big part of what we do and he helps give us a very good defensive outfield."
Sophomore Chuckie Scales, who was the team's primary pinch runner last year, will back up in both left field and center field, while junior Alex Salem and freshman Miles Moore could also see some time in left behind Rafferty.
Freshman Jared Drizin and sophomore Mike Korchak will be in the mix in right field along with Pennington. Heather noted that Drizin might be the newcomer with the most potential to contribute in 2016, while Korchak has been working on his defense after mainly pitching and playing at designated hitter a year ago. Korchak has a valuable bat as he hit .290 with one home run and six RBIs in 69 at bats as a rookie.
Korchak will be the frontrunner for the DH position, although Clark, Fritz and Johnson are sure to work their way into the lineup there as well.
