New bats, arms and gloves look to be surprise in Big South Conference
By Patrick Budd
The first day of practice for High Point University head baseball coach Craig Cozart was almost like being a teacher on the first day of grade school.
New names, new faces and a fresh beginning.
His team of 35 guys took the field on Jan. 28 for the first official day of full-practice, something 25 of them didn’t do a year ago.
“There’s a lot to be decided in the next couple of weeks of practice, that’s for sure,” said Cozart, who is entering his fourth season with HPU.
The Panthers will look to put aside a injury-filled, 24-32 overall season from a year ago, and improve on its first round loss in the Big South Conference tournament.
Perhaps 21 new players from the monstrous recruiting class will bring them better luck this season and get the Panthers to where they want to be.
“We have yet to establish ourselves as a program, we want to be in that conversation of elite teams in the Big South,” Cozart said, “This season I feel that we can do that with a whole new set of guys.”
The Panthers graduated eight key players last May, including two players that were selected in Major League Baseball’s first year player draft. Catcher Kyle Mahoney signed with the Los Angles Angels, and pitcher Cody Allen went to the Cleveland Indians.
But with the addition in two junior college all-American pitchers, in Jon Carlson and Malcolm Clapsaddle, the loss of last season’s studs may have minimal impact.
“The best thing about our team this year is our depth, and that’s something we didn’t really have last year because of injuries; it’s going to be a great advantage because of all the possible roster movement,” Cozart said.
Craig Cozart, head coach of the HPU baseball team.
Cozart admits that the team is very young, and inexperienced, but he noted that it will play as another great advantage when other teams go for a scouting report.
Only two seniors are listed on the roster this year – Sal Pezzino a utility player that played every infield position last year, and Nick Schumacher, a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen.
“Our ultimate goal is obviously a championship,” Schumacher said, “But we want to take it one game at a time and finish as one of those top four teams in the conference, especially since we are hosting the Big South tournament this year.”
Schumacher had a 3.31 ERA in 21 appearances last season as a key off-balance, middle-reliever.
Perhaps the most experience the Panthers have for the 2012 season is in the bullpen with Adam Pratson, John Maloney, Kyle Wigmore, and Jaime Schultz.
Schultz, who was sidelined all last season because of elbow surgery, will assume the closer position this year after a monstrous freshman year. He posted a 2.70 ERA with 68 strikeouts, good enough to earn him a spot on the all-Big South second team. His power out of the bullpen will be a strong force in late games for the Panthers this season.
“Last season when an opposing team put its closer in at the end of the game, we had nothing to counter that with,” Cozart said, “This season we have plenty of role-playing guys that will be able to finish off games.”
In a conference with powerhouse teams in Coastal Carolina, Liberty and Radford, Cozart emphasized how important pitching will be when it comes time for conference play.
“The league has elevated this season, it’s becoming one of those elite baseball conferences, many improved arms with strong rotations is what we are up against this season,” Cozart said of the Big South.
The Panthers were projected to finish eighth in the Big South preseason polls that came out on Jan. 24; a projection that Cozart and his players find to be an unfair assessment as a team.
“A lot of teams are going to be surprised when they come to play us,” Clapsaddle said, “It’s an unfair assessment for our team and if they were out here watching our practices they would think otherwise.”
Offensively, HPU will put a totally transformed lineup on the field with only three returning starters. Ryan Retz, right-fielder, Zach Tessier, first-basemen/catcher, and Pezzino will be the strong retuning bats in the lineup.
Retz, who played in all 56 games in center field last season, will move to right field to make room for Sean Wilson, a two-hole hitter with plenty of speed. Retz will be the likely three-hole hitter after leading the team with homeruns last year, and posting a .288 batting average.
Newcomers include third basemen Ryne Rush, a freshman from Asheboro, N.C., and shortstop Willie Medina, a junior-college transfer that will likely bat leadoff.
“There has been a lot of competition within our practices throughout the fall and in the weight room, that’s always a good thing to have on your team, especially when trying to fill so many vacancies,” Cozart said. “There will be situations where starters will be on the bench this season, because our bench players will be a better matchup.”
Expectations for the team have been set high knowing the team has an advantage at the end of the season with the Big South tournament being held at Willard Stadium.
“I’m expecting this year to be the best season HPU has ever had,” Pezzino said.
Fifteen of the first 17 games are at home for the Panthers, as they welcome in a variety of opponents, including Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, and Elon. The Panthers will also be tested on the road playing big schools such as Missouri, North Carolina- Chapel Hill, and Virginia.
“We play some quality opponents this year from all different conferences,” Cozart said, “But that’s part of our philosophy, to test ourselves on the road and early in the season in hopes it will prepare ourselves for later during conference play.”
After a difficult season last year with unexpected injuries and tough stretches, HPU seems as if they are as optimistic as ever in the fourth year in the Cozart-era.
The team will open up its season against Army with a weekend series, Feb. 17-19.