ABILENE – The Abilene Christian baseball team will start its 2012 campaign this weekend with a four-game series against Arkansas Tech of the Great American Conference. The Wildcats and Wonder Boys will face off at Crutcher Scott Field Friday at 4:05 p.m., Saturday at 2:05 p.m. (DH) and Sunday at 1:35 p.m. Live stats will be provided for all four contests via ACUSports.com.
The Wildcats are looking to rebound from an uncharacteristic 2011 campaign in which they finished a game above .500 at 24-23 and missed the postseason for the first time since 1997. ACU was particularly hobbled by a pitching staff that posted a 7.25 ERA and .327 opponents batting average, and a defense that committed 82 errors.
The offense, meanwhile, was better than average in batting .326 with seven runs scored per game, but of the Wildcats' seven everyday .300 hitters from a year ago only
Bryce Gerhardt (.390-0-15) and
Duncan Blades (.343-3-29) are back on the 2012 roster.
Missing from the team is all-region selection
Will Calhoun (.431-2-41), Tampa Bay Rays draft pick
Ian Tomkins (.306-0-20), and shortstop
Aaron Oliver (.369-1-22). Further compounding matters is the absence this season of
J.R. Roland (.360-3-31) due to injury.
Knowing there would be many holes to fill in his lineup card, 16th year head coach
Britt Bonneau and assistant coach
Brandon Stover recruited 26 newcomers, 15 of which are junior-year transfers. Possible superstars in this crop include the Los Angeles Dodgers 22nd-round draft pick
Kyle Conwell, Gold Glove-winning middle infielder Luke Meijia, hard-throwing catcher
Emmett Niland, and second baseman
Chuck Duarte, who hit .364 with 12 doubles last season for Western Texas College.
Conwell, an outfielder, hit .397 for Bellevue CC in 2011 with four home runs and 38 RBI, and led his team to the NWAACC championship. Along the way he was named first team all-league and to the all-tournament team.
Tyler Eager is one of the Wildcats' top high school recruits. As a senior at Fort Worth Christian last season, Eager batted .541 with 47 runs scored and 59 RBI, and the previous summer he helped lead his select team to the 2009 Perfect Game National Championship.
On the mound, the Wildcats return three experienced pitchers in
Brent Bray,
Aaron Lambrix and
Brady Rodriguez. Bray appeared in 17 games in 2011, winning four times with 22 strikeouts, while Rodriguez punched out 18 in as many appearances. Lambrix missed close to the whole season due to injury but is looking to return to his 2010 form, which allowed him to post a 10-0 record and make first team all-region and conference.
Among the host of newcomers expected to bolster the Wildcats' pitching staff are Oklahoma transfer
Clint Cooper, Jordan Herrera and
Sam Malchar of Wharton County Junior College, southpaw
Austin Palmer, and
Josh Stone, who should serve as the Wildcats' closer after transferring from Midland College where he finished 2011 with five saves and a 2.31 ERA for the Chaparrals.
The Wonder Boys are coming off a 2011 season in which they compiled a 32-19 overall record and placed fourth in the Gulf South Conference's West Division with a 13-6 mark. They went on to qualify for their conference tournament but were ousted on the fifth day by No. 30 Harding, 4-3.
Third baseman Nate Wilder (.342-10-41) and seven-game winner Danny Parker (42K, 6.00 ERA) are among Arkansas Tech's 24 returners, a group that also includes hard-hitting seniors Chris Reese (.335-2-29) and Landon Sullins (.323-5-39).
