2009 University of the Cumberlands Baseball Season Preview

High standards are expected for the University of the Cumberlands baseball team. With a record of 43-16 and ranked as high as #6 nationally in 2008, you still will not hear a word about how good the season was. Making their fourth trip to the NAIA Regional Tournament in the last five years, the team entered the Tournament as the #1 seed. A 17-3 Mid South Conference record and a Regular Season Championship still do not feed the hunger of the Patriots. With a team that will return three starting pitchers from the rotation last year, expectations are high for the 2009 Patriots. Injuries and the grind of a 55 game schedule took its toll on last year’s team, especially late in the season. Look for the lessons learned in 2008 to pay dividends for this experienced 2009 team.

Pitchers

Once again, the Patriots have a very deep pitching staff that should make for a talented rotation. Returning for the Patriots is right hander Adam Blakey (Jamestown, KY) who recorded a 9-3 record with 60 strikeouts in 73 innings of work. Adam also received 1st Team All- Mid South Conference honors and was the Mid South Conference Co-Pitcher of the year. Tyler Lee (74.1 IP) (Mt. Sterling, KY) will be another Patriot with big game experience. Tyler had 11 starts going 9-3 last year and earning 1 st Team All-Mid South Conference Honors. Brandon Williams (Ashland, KY) is another starter that will return for the Patriots. Last season he was 6-1 in 9 starts with a 3.48 ERA. Brandon pitched in 72.1 innings and had 5 complete games with 2 of those being shutouts. Brandon also earned his way onto the Mid South Honorable Mention Team.

This year the Patriots bullpen will be loaded with junior talent that all have Mid-South Conference (MSC) game experience. Jeremy Taylor (Williamsburg, KY) will be the lone senior coming out of the bullpen this year. The southpaw will throw from many different arm angles and his variety of pitches could make him an asset in the late innings. Adam Blanton (Staffordsville, KY) made 15 appearances last year, 4 of those being starts. Adam was 5-1 with an ERA of 4.61. In 41.0 innings of work, Adam struck out 26. Ryan Bennett (Winchester, KY) is another Patriot out of the bullpen who has split his time between relief and the rotation. Bennett was 4-3 last year in 7 appearances throwing in 31.1 innings with 35 strikeouts. Trevor Madison (Franklin, KY) ended the season with a record of 3-0 in 5 games. Justin Blanton (Staffordsville, KY) and Trey Anderson (Lexington, KY) will round out the Patriots bullpen.

Joining an already deep staff the Patriots will feature senior transfer Cameron Ohl (Winston Salem, NC), junior transfer Bo Daves (Winslow, IN), freshman lefthander Billy Grant (Lebanon, KY), and freshman right hander Jordan Hinson (Alachua, FL).

Ohl is a transfer from Appalachian State University. The lefthander should see valuable time on the mound for the Patriots. Daves is a right hander who comes to Williamsburg from Oakland City University where he was a two way player for the Mighty Oaks. The freshmen for the Patriots are Grant and Hinson. Grant is a lefthander from Marion County and was a member of the Kentucky East West All-Star game and All-State in 07’ & 08’. Hinson is a 6’6” right hander who was part of the 2007 FCAL State Champion Team where he was selected the tournament MVP.

Outfield

The outfield returns senior 1 st team All MSC member Dylan Holt (Lawrenceburg, KY) and senior Ronnie Hawkins (Danville, KY). Ronnie is coming off of an injury that sidelined him late in the year last year, but he is expected to be ready for the season. The Patriots will miss Trevor Urbanick (Conneautville, PA) who won almost every award he could get his hands on last year. Trevor was MSC Player of the Year and All Region Player of the Year and a NAIA 1st Team All American. Other Patriots that should see time in the outfield will be Jarrod Stafford (Morehead, KY), and Kyle Cochis (London, KY).

New faces to the Patriots outfield this year are Hunter Reed (Punta Gorda, FL) and Sean Mahley (Cambridge, OH). Mahley is a transfer from Marietta College where he batted .219 in 64 at bats, with 12 runs scored on 14 hits, and had 1 triple and 4 RBI’s . Reed is a junior college transfer from South Florida CC where he hit two homeruns and had 9 RBI’s and only played in 10 games due to injuries.

Infield

Returning for the Patriots in the infield will be senior second baseman Drew Denton (Hendersonville, TN). Drew is coming off a very solid year last year. He was 1 st team All MSC and the National NAIA Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner for his defensive performance at second base. Josh Wood (Winchester, KY) is coming off a good freshman season. Wood played in 55 games and batted .256 with 40 hits and 19 RBI’s and also fielded .982 with 434 chances and 405 putouts. Expect to see sophomore Trae Balzano (Cincinnati, OH) more this year for the Patriots. Trae was 1 st team All MSC as a DH last year with a .343 average, 62 hits, 42 RBI’s and 16 stolen bases. Brett Blakenship (Jamestown, KY) is coming off a redshirt season last year but look for Brett to log some time at first this year.

New faces to the Patriots infield will be Devin Hicks (Memphis, TN), Jake Martin (Morgantown, KY), and Peyton Martin (Greenup, KY). Hicks is a corner guy with a lot of power. He comes to the Patriots from Southwest CC via Ole, Mississippi. Jake is another transfer from Oakland City and is a speedster and controls the bats well. Look for him to make a push into the lineup at some point. Peyton Martin is a freshman from Raceland High School and is a solid player and has the chance to see some valuable time.

Catchers

A couple new faces behind the plate this year for the Patriots will be Roy Garcia (Corning, CA) and Miguel Vasquez (Ponce, PR) who will split most of the time behind the dish this year. Roy is a transfer from Butte CC in California where he was 1 st team All Golden Valley with a .286 average with 6 doubles and 3 homeruns. Vasquez comes to Cumberland from Wiley College in Texas. Vasquez is a physical player with power to all fields. Look for him to make a big impact in 09.

The Outlook

Coach Brad Shelton enters his eighth season as the head man for the Patriots and expectations are high. Experienced veterans and talented newcomers make this team a conference and national contender in 2009. The team has pitching depth, team speed, solid defense, and some hitters that can drive in runs.

The Schedule

The schedule consists of competition that will prepare the Patriots for the post season. Cumberlands will play games against NAIA pre-season #7 Union College and NAIA pre-season #22 Ohio Dominican. Both are teams that were in the NAIA World Series just a year ago. Another top tier team that the Patriots will play this year is Tennessee Wesleyan; they are ranked #14 in the NAIA pre-season polls.

The Mid-South Conference will once again be strong. Campbellsville University and Georgetown College both were receiving votes in the NAIA pre-season polls. A new member comes to the Mid-South this year; St. Catharine College now appears on the varsity schedule for the Patriots. Overall this is a good schedule for the Patriots and they will be tested early and often to get ready for a deep run in the World Series.

[2008 Season Preview] [2007 Season Preview] [2006 Season Preview] [2005 Season Preview]