JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – With the start of the 2021 Carson-Newman baseball season looming, the athletic communications staff has compiled a three-part series profiling the Eagles roster in preparation for the year starting with a look at the pitchers and catchers with senior right-hander Matt Bradley.
"I've experienced all different kinds of roles," Bradley said. "Last year was the first time that I really had a chance to be a starter all year. Unfortunately that was cut short. I have had an extended period of time to prepare, train and get myself prepared mentally for the same role again this year. I feel like I have yet to put a complete season together.
The majority of the pitching staff returns to the fold this year with the biggest piece missing Nick Adkins. The hard-throwing left-hander pitched in 33 games over two years fanning 56 batters over 35 1/3 innings pitched, good for 14.26 strikeouts per nine innings.
With starting pitching proving to be a bigger necessity with the format of the 2021 schedule, Bradley expects to lead the group with 15 starts through his first three years and the team holding a 10-5 mark in those games. He finished sixth in the SAC in K's per nine (10.67) and strikeout to walk ratio (4.25) and opened the year with seven strong innings fanning a season-high nine batters giving up five hits and three earned runs at Limestone on Feb. 1. The righty faced the minimum four times earning the win over top-ranked Tampa on Feb. 15 working 6 2/3 innings giving up four runs against the Spartans.
"I feel like we have a great lineup but our pitching staff has a lot to prove," Bradley said. "I have a lot to prove but [I'm working on] mainly consistency because I have had great games and bad games. It's just about staying healthy and putting that together."
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— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 9, 2020
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Brayden Coe (Bridgeville, Pa.) went 1-3 with 25 strikeouts in 26 innings over six starts in his first year at Mossy Creek. His best outing saw him fire six shutout innings fanning nine scattering three hits and three walks for his lone win of the year against West Liberty on Feb. 8
Left-hander Kyle Cagle (Fairview, N.C.) is back on the diamond after seeing his 2019 campaign cut short due to an injury that forced him to miss the entire 2020 season. Joining the lefty is another southpaw, Matt Coles (Winter Garden, Fla.). He started four times making seven total appearances in his first season at Mossy Creek and pitched a season-high 4 2/3 innings at Lenoir-Rhyne on Feb. 23 giving up two earned runs with two punch outs in a 9-2 victory.
Rounding out the rotation is Volunteer State transfer Corey Wilson (Germantown, Tenn.) and rookie Jake Wright from Gordon Lee High School. In a shortened 2020, Wilson started four games with a 4.34 ERA and 13 punch outs in 18 2/3 innings. The right-hander's best start came on Feb. 29 in a 12-2 win over Roane Staet where he worked seven innings giving up two runs on four hits.
"We have a lot of depth," Bradley said. "We have three Juco guys and all of them can pitch in Corey Wilson, Mason Mooney and Ryan Smithson. We have some new freshman, Jake Wright and Grif Hughes. There is a lot of talent on this staff, inexperience I guess in this conference. As far as Shaver goes, I played with him in high school and I knew he would back it up again. Coe has been working really hard."
The bullpen will be led by the ultimate swing man, Tyler Shaver (Dandridge, Tenn.). In a team-leading 11 appearances, he led the SAC in three categories - WHIP (0.78) good for 21st in D2, Hits per nine innings (3.38), seventh in the country and ERA (1.13), 29th in the nation. Fanning at least three batters six times. In his lone start of the year, Shaver punched out a career-high 12 over eight scoreless innings giving up two hits and three walks in a victory over Mars Hill to earn TSWA Player of the Week honors. Eight of his 11 outings of the year netted a scoreless effort finishing the season with a scoreless innings streak of 15 2/3 innings in his last three games.
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— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 19, 2020
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Adding experience to the unit, Hunter Long (Powell, Tenn.) has pitched in 34 games in two years with four wins and six saves. He paced the clubs in appearances (11), good for top 20 in the country and wins (3) and saves (2) to rank fourth in the conference in both areas. The righty picked up saves in back-to-back outings on Feb. 4 at Belmont Abbey and against West Liberty on Feb. 9.
A laundry list of newcomers and players expecting expanded roles will vie for time on the rubber throughout the season.
Behind the plate, a pair of returners and two fresh faces will get time calling the game for the Eagles. Brendan Krob (Justice, Ill.) and Harrison Travis (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) each started six games behind the dish. Krob tallied a .457 on-base percentage hitting two homers and driving in eight and Travis compiled four hits producing a flawless fielding percentage.
College of Charleston transfer Matt Parkinson (Whitesboro, N.Y.) and Spencer Bright (Iron Station, N.C.) will also get time. Parkinson last played in 2019 for Herkimer CC notching a .408 average with five homers, 29 RBIs and six stolen bases.
"We have full faith in all of them," Bradley said. "You know [coach Tom Griffin], he's going to have the right guy back there catching. They work harder than any catcher in Division II baseball or any level of baseball. They'll all get to play and it's just a matter of having chemistry with all of them."
The second part of the position previews will be released on Wednesday, Jan. 20, with a look at the infield with Micah Genter previewing a group that lost a pair of key starters.
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