VIDEO: Jordan Griffin Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – In the final part of a three-part series previewing the 2021 position groups for Carson-Newman baseball, we take a look at a very talented outfield group with Jordan Griffin.
"We had a tremendous fall," Griffin said. "We didn't have a lot of people leave due to Covid issues so I feel like everyone's mindset is there. We all know we want to play and one wrong thing could cost the whole team. I think mentally we all want to play."
Every player that started at least one game in the outfield for the Eagles in 2020 is back on the roster for coach Tom Griffin to begin the 2021 season with Griffin starting 12 times in right field. Outfielders were also responsible for a dozen starts as the team's designated hitter.
"It's a very big competition every day," Griffin said. "It's like going to Alabama where there are four, five-stars and you have to bring your A-game every day. Being able to have a lot of people out there that are able to start is tremendous and brings the best out of everyone every day."
Griffin has produced 13 home runs over his first three years with the program adding 15 stolen bases going a flawless 5-for-5 as a junior. He posted two hits three times over a four-game stretch in early February including his lone homer of the year on Feb. 11 against King.
BYE BYE BASEBALL!!! @jordanicgriffin sends a solo bomb to left center.
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 11, 2020
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The group is led by Academic All-American Tyler Thompson (Gallatin, Tenn.), a preseason NCBWA All-American in 2020. Once again one of the top hitters in the country in a CoVid-19 shortened 2020 season, Thompson ranked fifth in the country in hits racking up 39 leading the team with 11 multi-hit efforts and pacing the crew with five multi-RBI outings. The outfielder produced 60 total bases in the shortened season to rank 20th in the country. Over 25 games, he posted a slash line of .379/.422/.583 with four homers, 20 RBIs, five doubles, two triples, four stolen bases and 25 runs scored
Thompson has a career slash line of .374/.453/.586 cranking 15 bombs with 79 RBIs adding 30 stole bags. A series against to-ranked Tampa sparked a hot close to the year where is had 10 multi-hit effort over the final 16 outings of the year going 32-for-68, .471, at the dish.
GOODBYE, HOME RUN!
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 14, 2020
C-N responds with a shot to dead center from @TylerThompson47.
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Charlie Brown (Seviervile, Tenn.) has been one of the best defensive outfielders in his time adding a hot bat to the mix last season. He finished fourth on the team with a .311 batting average hitting two home runs with 11 RBIs and five stolen bases and launched his first-career homer at Limestone on Feb 2, a three-run blast in the fourth going 3-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored.
Gunnar Ricketts (Hixson, Tenn.) started at least five games at all three outfield positions in his first season at Mossy Creek. He led the team in walks posting the third-best batting average in 20 starts producing a .347 average and a .457 on-base percentage driving in 13 runs and going 7-for-8 on the base paths. The left-handed hitter finished second on the team with eight multi-hit games producing hits in 17 of the 20 games on the year with at least two in five of the final 10 games of the year.
The new kid on the block in 2020, Henry Jackson (Waxhaw, N.C.), fit in comfortably to the outfield in 11 contests pacing the team with a .386 batting average piling up six doubles, seven RBIs and five stolen bases. He racked up five multi-hit games finishing the year on a three-game hitting streak going 6-for-11.
"You can't go wrong with having Tommy in the lineup," Griffin said. "You can always count on him. I think having him in the lineup gives everyone confidence. It sets you up to win a lot of ball games because you can use a lot of different combinations and they all work. No matter who you put out there we are all going to give our best and we are all able to get the job done. It's great to have that versatility out there."
Carson Kemp (Adairsville, Ga.), Zack Brook (Mount Royal, N.J.) and Ryan Potts (Dandridge, Tenn.) will get chances in various situations for coach Tom Griffin's group during a year where the team will strictly play on Saturdays and Sundays.
"Throughout the week we are going to be scrimmaging a lot," Griffin said. "We will still be getting game-like reads so we will be able to withstand the long days. We are going to have be locked in even more on Saturdays and Sundays. We will be ready by the time season comes around."
Carson-Newman is slated to start the season on Feb. 6 with the first doubleheader of the year against Limestone at 1 p.m. in the first of a four-game series against the Saints in a non-conference weekend.
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