2014 Preview By Justin Maskus MSSU Athletic Media Relations The 2013 Missouri Southern baseball team took the program to heights it hadn’t seen in some 20 plus years. Winning an MIAA Championship and advancing to an NCAA Regional were definitely high points of coach Bryce Darnell’s young career at Missouri Southern, but they’re accomplishments that he hopes can become something the team competes for year in and out. “Doing that is a tough feat with as strong as our region is year in and out,” Darnell said. “We got great starting pitching down the stretch at the end of the year and that’s where it all starts. We need to keep our guys healthy and have them give us good quality starts. Timely hitting is always great to get, just like we did last year. It’s a bit cliché, but you have to pick the ball up on defense and throw strikes, and if you can do that, you’ve got a good chance to win.” The 2014 version of the Lions will be one that will see many fresh faces. Four out of five of the starting Tee Helsel is the Lions' leading hitter returning had the third-most home runs on the team with five and was fourth on the team with 10 doubles. pitchers return in Drew Noble, Ryan Bates, Payton Walker and David Reese, as well as Stephen Vaughn and Josh Engler in the bullpen, but fans coming to Joe Becker Stadium could see a new starter at nearly every fielding position in 2014. Tee Helsel returns as the lone regular starter for the Lions from a season ago. Helsel, a native of Branson High School is one of ten seniors on the Lions’ roster this year, including fellow senior Zack Steadman who started in the majority of games he played in last year. Steadman should be back in a familiar role in the outfield he saw a season ago. Darnell said he is optimistic about the team’s chances this year. “We have a lot of work to do to get where we were last year, just like everyone else, but I feel good about from a season ago. He hit .294 and where we’re at right now,” Darnell said. Pitching Walker and Bates, both returning All-MIAA players from a season ago, join Reese and Noble as four returning starters for the Lions. Walker was one of the best freshmen in the league last season as the Carl Junction native went 6-5 with a 3.50 ERA, while Bates went 8-3 with a 3.88 ERA. Noble won seven games, while Reese struck out 52 and walked just ten. Add to that group of returners, newcomers in freshmen Matt Harvey and Nathan Strobel, as well as Barton County CC transfer Skylar Hill and Darnell likes what he’s seen out of his pitching staff. “We need great things from those guys for sure,” Darnell said. “We need David (Reese) to have a better year than he did last year and we need Drew (Noble), Ryan (Bates) and Payton (Walker) to pitch like they did down the stretch for us. We need them to lead us on the mound for sure and they know that and they’re ready to do that. That’s where our success begins.” Vaughn returns after a shortened season last year that saw him carry a 2.25 ERA in just 11 appearances last season. He struck out 12 batters in 12 innings, before suffering a season-ending injury. Engler saw action in seven games, throwing ten innings for the Lions. Infielders Tee Helsel returns to the lineup after hitting .294 a season ago and finishing second on the team in home runs with five. He should return to third base to start as he did a season ago. Newcomers Brandon Weller and Tyler Whiteis could see time at third base, while a combo of Weller, Austin White and Jared Lupo could see time at either shortstop or second base. White is a freshman from nearby Webb City High School, while Weller is a transfer from Lincoln Land (Ill.) CC, Whiteis is a freshman from Branson HS and Lupo is a transfer from Pratt (Kan.) CC. The Lions will see a combo at first base in Texas Wesleyan transfer Dusty Harper or freshman Brett Graham who comes to Southern from Joplin High School. Harper is a senior that will have just one year of eligibility left for the Lions. “Tee’s (Helsel) a four-year starter for us and we expect him to hit in the middle of the order and produce runs for us,” Darnell said. “We also expect him to play his usual solid defense at third base.” 2014 MSSU BASEBALL @mososports missourisouthernlions mssulions.com 15
Missouri Southern Baseball Media Guide 2014
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