Lions ready to live up to hype

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Florence, Ala. | Tuesday, May 22, 2012

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Lions ready to live up to hype

By Bryan App
Sports Writer

Jim Hannon/TimesDaily

Jake Sloan pitches at UNA baseball practice Tuesday.

North Alabama’s baseball team earned some respect with last year’s postseason run. Now’s the hard part, as this year’s Lions have to live up to it.

Coming off a third-place finish in the 2011 NCAA South Regional tournament, UNA is nationally ranked and projected as the Gulf South Conference co-favorite heading into Saturday’s season-opening doubleheader against Kentucky State at Mike Lane Field.

Returning five starters from last year’s group, the Lions are ranked as high as ninth nationally by College Baseball Lineup, 20th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and 38th by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

In a preseason poll of league coaches, UNA finished tied with defending national champion West Florida as the projected GSC favorite.

The Lions understand that with the praise also comes a bull’s-eye.

“That target is wide,” senior second baseman Michael Schmidt said. “We’re probably going to get everybody’s best pitcher, even midweek. We’ll see everybody’s best week in, week out. We have to be ready for that.

“But really a ranking is just a number. We’ve still got to go out there and play our game and execute. You know, we’re still 38th in one poll, so there are still some people out there that don’t think we’re as good as we are.”

All five returning starters — Schmidt, first baseman Josh Cyr, shortstop Josh Carpenter, third baseman J.P. LaMunyon and designated hitter Jake Sloan — were All-GSC selections last season.

Defensively, the entire infield returns, though LaMunyon has moved to center field.

Andrew Almon and Jordan Gurley, a transfer from Northeast Mississippi Community College, are competing at third, but both are expected to play early.

A part-time starter last year, Drew Parker returns at catcher. He’ll be backed up by sophomore Will Dennis and freshman Hunter Thomas, a Muscle Shoals product.

Sloan, who played some infield last season, also will move to the outfield and is expected to play right when he’s not pitching or designated hitting.

Left-handed hitter Daniel Korpi also could play right, especially against right-handed pitching, fourth-year UNA coach Mike Keehn said.

The same situation exists in left field, where Darmal Moore and Drew Humphrey could split time.

“Right now, it kind of looks like we might have a left-handed lineup and a right-handed lineup,” Keehn said. “I’ve never had that, but it’s looking that way. All those guys in the outfield can play. This weekend we’ll probably mix that outfield up and see who’s hot.”

Offensively the Lions return their Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 hitters.

“That’s nice to have, but it’s still another year,” Keehn said. “You can’t predict that they’re going to have a great year. Hopefully, they’ll improve because there are no secrets anymore. Everybody knows them. They’re going to be pitched tighter. They’re going to have to make all the necessary adjustments.”

UNA lost two workhorse pitchers but might enjoy more depth.

Gone are ace Trey Mitchell, who won 12 games last year, and reliever Casey Jones. The two combined to pitch 159 innings in 2011.

Starters Chad Boughner and Johnny Hornbuckle are back, along with Sloan and Andrew Hillis.

A group of freshmen, including Florence standout Brantley Claunch, Madison Academy product Drew Mobley and Riley Sanderson, have impressed and are pushing for playing time. Another freshman, Madison Academy’s Ben Seabrook is vying for the closer role.

“Losing guys like Trey and Casey is big, but the pitching looks really deep this year,” LaMunyon said. “Last year, we weren’t really deep in our relief pitcher. This year, we have four or five guys who can step up for us in the sixth and seventh innings when we had no bridge to our closer.”

Keehn said he’s leaning toward junior Michael Watkins, a transfer from Motlow State Community College, as the No. 2 starter, with Sloan and Drew Batchelor also in the mix, though that depends on how the search for relievers and a closer play out.

Then there’s the intangible element of team chemistry. Last year’s group cited theirs as a key to UNA’s first run to regionals since 1999.

“Last year, we were all one, but it took us longer to be like that than it has this year,” Sloan said. “This year, we came in and just jelled together. That’s a big part of being a team. For us to jell that quick is going to help us a lot.”

Keehn said he’s noticed that, too, but he’s waiting to see if it holds through the first sign of adversity. Kind of like the preseason praise his team has received.

“I think you like it because you feel like the guys earned that coming off a good season,” Keehn said. “But where you start has nothing to do with where you finish.”

“Our biggest thing right now that I’ve got to see is if we can do the little things late in the game. Can we play with enough intensity and play clean late. We have some talent; we just don’t know what this team is going to become yet.”

Bryan App can be reached at 256-740-5730 or bryan.app@TimesDaily.com.

Feb. 4 vs. Kentucky State (2) 1 p.m.

Feb. 5 vs. Kentucky State 1 p.m.

Feb. 7 vs. Martin Methodist 2 p.m.

Feb. 11 vs. Ouachita Baptist (2) 1 p.m.

Feb. 12 vs. Ouachita Baptist 1 p.m.

Feb. 15 vs. Montevallo 3 p.m.

Feb. 18 vs. Missouri Western (2) 1 p.m.

Feb. 19 vs. Missouri Western 1p.m.

Feb. 21 at AUM 3 p.m.

Feb. 25 vs. Quincy (2) 1 p.m.

Feb. 26 vs. Quincy 1 p.m.