The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
2011 UAB Baseball Season Preview: Pitchers And Catchers
2/16/2011 12:00:00β―AM | Baseball
Feb. 16, 2011
With the 2011 UAB baseball season just days away, uabsports.com provides a look at this year's Blazer team.
This is the third in a three-part series of previews and features the UAB pitchers and catchers. Monday's preview focused on the Blazer outfield, while Tuesday's provided a look at the UAB infield.
UAB opens its season Friday in Auburn, Ala., with a 2 p.m. contest against 13th-ranked Virginia. It is the first of three games for the Blazers at the Auburn Tournament.
Pitchers
Pitching was an emphasis in the most recent UAB recruiting class. The Blazers lost 11 pitchers from the 2010 roster, including three with significant weekend rotation experience and the team's closer, but have reloaded with 11 new arms.
That's not to say the cupboard was bare on the mound. The returning pool of UAB pitchers is short on numbers but not on talent.
The Blazers return six pitchers in 2011, headlined by fifth-year senior Ryan Woolley. A two-time Major League Baseball draft pick, Woolley opted to return to Birmingham for one more year. He spent much of last season in the weekend rotation.
"Ryan is talented, and he does so much more for our team than just pitch," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "He's playing a significant role in molding our younger group. There's no question in my mind that Ryan will be pitching professionally this coming summer."
Woolley is the only returner with extensive starting rotation experience, but the Blazers also have some veterans who have seen significant work out of the bullpen.
Sophomore Ben Bullard returns after a freshman season in which he went 5-1. The right-hander finished second on the team with 20 appearances and held opponents to a .250 batting average last year.
Senior Blake Huddleston is another experienced arm. Huddleston has pitched in 47 career games, mostly in relief, and had his best season as a sophomore two years ago when he went 5-0 and led UAB in league games with a 1.93 ERA.
The Blazers also bring back seniors Trey Waltman, who pitched in eight games last year, and Mark McKinley, who is back in the mix after sitting out last season. McKinley appeared in 17 games with a 4.12 ERA two years ago. Additionally, UAB brings back redshirt freshman Mason Hutchins, who missed the entire 2010 season to injury.
"We like our guys, and we have returnees who will play a big role," Shoop said. "We have veteran guys who can play different roles. We have some good arms and some great workers."
Leading the UAB newcomers on the mound is junior college All-American Dillon Napoleon from Heartland Community College in Illinois. Napoleon was a perfect 12-0 with seven complete games and four shutouts in his final junior college season and went 19-1 on the mound over his two-year career.
"Dillon Napoleon is very athletic and talented," Shoop said. "He is going to have a significant role, and I feel like he will be in the starting rotation. We're trying to put together a staff that gives us the best chance to win, whatever that looks like."
Napoleon is just one in a crop of transfers who will look to make an immediate impact on the pitching staff. Michael Busby and Ryan Nance join the program from Hinds Community College in Mississippi, while local product David Hayes from Homewood High School comes to the Blazers from Shelton State Community College. Busby and Hayes played together for a season at Mississippi State before each went the junior college route.
Additionally, pitchers Wes Holley (Wallace State Community College), Tom Sawyer (Alabama Southern Community College) and Ruben Tresgallo (Central Methodist University) all bring collegiate pitching experience with them to UAB.
The Blazers' staff also features four freshmen in Aaron Warren (Tyrone, Ga.), Chase Mallard (Cullman, Ala.), Edwin Reyes (Madison, Ala.) and Sam Kelley (Greensboro, Ala.).
Catchers
When senior catcher Digger Towe went down with an injury 14 games into the 2010 season, it left UAB with two inexperienced freshmen behind the plate.
While the Blazers missed Towe's presence for much of last year, his absence created an opportunity for the freshman catching duo of Jacob German and Harry Clark to gain valuable experience.
The pair combined to start 39 games a year ago, so instead of having a question mark behind the plate this year, UAB has two seasoned catchers who have been through the rigors of a Conference USA schedule.
German is the more defensive-minded of the two. As a rookie last year, he topped the league in percentage of runners caught stealing. He caught 12 of 37 runners (32.4 percent) and tied for third in C-USA in runners thrown out despite splitting time behind the plate.
Clark hit .299 a year ago with a .420 on-base percentage. The left-handed hitter raised his average to .333 over the final 39 games after Towe went down to injury. He can also play first base for the Blazers.
"Losing Digger last year obviously hurt us, but what hurt us last year helps us this year," Shoop said. "We like our strong catching group. Jacob is a legitimate shutdown catcher who can control the game. Harry is a dangerous hitter who has improved as a catcher."
The Blazers have also added another catcher in freshman Tyler Mims, an all-state player from nearby Hoover High School.
"Right now it's Jacob German and Harry Clark," Shoop said. "But Tyler is going to be a significant factor and leader for the UAB baseball program in his time here."
