Baseball | 2/1/2011 4:23:40 PM
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - After a season of close calls and near misses, the Methodist baseball team wrapped up the 2010 season with a 28-14 overall record. The Monarchs were 23-9 going into the USA South Tournament and earned the No. 2 seed after finishing with an 8-4 conference record.
Head coach Tom Austin and the team were ranked as high as No. 26 in Division III by the American Baseball Coaches Association, but after closing out the final 10 games of the season 5-5, the Monarchs were left out of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Ten lettermen return from a year ago anxious to start the 2011 campaign. The team was voted second in the USA South preseason poll, just seven points behind the 2010 NCAA World Series participants Shenandoah Hornets.
A year ago, the Monarchs hit .338 as a whole and ranked third amongst USA South teams in hitting and first in pitching with a team earned run average of 4.41. The team was shut out just once in 42 games, while picking up three shutouts their own. Methodist finished with 500 hits, reaching the 500 mark for the first time since 2002 when the team was ranked No. 1 in the country. Austin enters this season with an overall record of 957-398-9.
Pitching
The Monarchs will have to replace pitchers Kurt Kelly and Landon Jordan who finished stellar four-year careers in the Methodist uniform. Kelly led the team with eight wins last season and earned second team All-Conference honors as well as second team All-Region recognition while boasting a 2.62 earned run average. Jordan accounted for seven additional wins and a team-high 65 strikeouts.
Junior Rusty White returns this season after moving into the closer role a year ago. White racked up seven saves while also picking up three wins on the mound to earn USA South first team honors. Senior Tre' Britt will anchor the starting rotation after finishing with a 5-2 record in seven starts with 20 appearances. Sophomore Reid Berry is back with a year of experience including a win over Immaculata.
Nine pitchers join the team this season to boost the pitching staff with great things expected from the newcomers.
Infield
The Monarchs' infield is nearly intact from last season including catcher Trey Such, first baseman Tyler Younger, shortstop Brian Inghram and third baseman Shawn Lovette. Such has been picked a preseason All-American by D3baseball.com after leading the team at the plate hitting .393 with 13 home runs and 54 runs batted in. Such also provided a defensive presence throwing out 22 runners from behind home plate.
Inghram and Lovette return for their senior seasons to anchor the left side of the infield. Inghram followed up a strong 2009 season with first team All-Conference and All-Region recognition last year. He hit .375 at the plate and drove in 53 runs. Lovette tied for a team-high 13 doubles along with Younger. Lovette finished with 62 hits and a team-high 48 runs scored. Younger started every game of his rookie campaign hitting .317 for the year.
The Monarchs will look to replace Brian Halpin at second base, another first team selection in 2010. A number of new players join the team this season with opportunities including freshman Dustin Brown from Falmouth, Mass.
Outfield
Senior Tripp Lancaster and junior Matt Quick return to anchor the outfield. Lancaster is a two-year starter in center field finishing last season with 66 hits for a .365 batting average a season best 23 stolen bases. Quick earned first team All-Conference honors after hitting .374 in his first season on the varsity team.
There are multiple options to fill the third spot in the outfield. Brian Goodwin graduated last May after starting primarily in right field last season. Goodwin has moved to the dugout this year as a graduate assistant coach.
Designated Hitter
The Monarchs used a number of players in the designated hitter's spot in the lineup last year. Quick as well as sophomore Brandon Thigpen earned time in the rotation as the designated hitter. Austin will need to find a consistent hitter to step up in the role this season.
Schedule
Methodist opens the 2011 schedule at Huntingdon College in Huntingdon, Ala. Feb. 5-6. The Monarchs return to open their home slate Feb. 9 when they host Guilford. More than half of the games this season are scheduled at home for Armstrong-Shelley Field. Methodist will once again host their Diamond Invitational Feb. 18-20 and open conference play Mar. 5 at Christopher Newport University.
Austin never shies away from top competition and this year is no different. The Monarchs will take on nationally ranked No. 6 Shenandoah University and No. 21 Salisbury University this season.
USA South Athletic Conference action all leads up to the conference tournament Apr. 14-17, played in Burlington, N.C. once again. Methodist hopes to recapture conference championship success this season for the first time since 2007.
Also rejoining Austin on the sidelines this year is former player and volunteer assistant Spencer Martin. Most recently Martin served as the pitching coach for the 2010 KIT League champion Tidewater Pirates. He also served as pitching coach for Penn State Greater Allegheny this spring and previously coached the Albany Dutchman of the NYCBL.
For more information on the Methodist Monarchs this season, be sure to track the team here at www.mumonarchs.com
