2018 Baseball Season Preview: Pitchers and Catchers

1/29/2018 10:04:00 AM | Baseball

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – With Opening Day set for February 16 at Regions Field, each week we will take a look at the Blazers. This week we focus on the pitchers and catchers.

"I think the key to any team in America, and the key to our team, is the pitching staff," head coach Brian Shoop said. "Conference USA has graded out fifth and sixth of the 32 leagues in America as the toughest league, so this a great baseball conference. You better be really competitive because you're going to have to be weekend after weekend.

In 2014, when we won 35 games and finished second in the league which is a big deal, Chase Mallard made all 15 of his starts, Chase Luna made all 15 of his starts, Johnny Lieske made 14 of his 15 so we had our best guys on the mound weekend, after weekend.

Last year we lost Tyler Gates the week before the season and then we had eight different guys start on the weekend. Garrett Whitlock was lights out on Friday for three straight weekends and then went down. Tanner Graham was lights out for his first two starts on Saturday, went down. We ended up moving Thomas Lowery from closer to Friday starter and he was great but when we got down to sixth, seventh and eighth starter on Sunday we just couldn't get people out consistently.

We need to stay healthy, so there's some chance in this. We lost three pitchers in the draft, I would think that's unusual, and that's a lot for a mid-major. That being said I think we have enough, we have a good group of arms but we need to stay healthy and they need to pitch to their potential. If we can pound the strike zone with movement and make opponents earn their way to runs then I think we're back to a competitive team.

On the catching side, Stephen Dobbs is back as our number one and he will be a key to our deal. Our other three are Nathan Anthes, Jim Jeffries and Christian Waltman who are competing for that second spot which is critical because you cannot catch one-guy 56 games. You need two guys sharing the load and is yet to be determined who that will be."

Tyler Gates | RHP | Redshirt Junior | Northport, Ala.
Gates redshirted in his inaugural season with the Blazers in 2017 after being sidelined due to a preseason injury.

Shoop on Gates:
"Tyler missed all of last year with elbow surgery. We had projected him to be in our weekend rotation until literally the week before the season started and the elbow popped. He had to have another surgery this fall so he hasn't pitched in forever, but he is making great progress. We are incredibly hopeful that he will play a role on this team and we are a better team if he does. He is Thomas Lowery tough and he brings so many things to be the table if he can get out there. I just think it will be a little bit before the end of the season that he is able to pitch again but we will be better as soon as he does."

Jim Jeffries | Catcher/1B | Sophomore | Mokena, Ill.
As a sophomore in 2017, Jeffries made nine appearances and made three starts late in the season. He hit .200 with two hits and one RBI.

Shoop on Jeffries:
"Jim is a sophomore catcher from right outside of Chicago and is an outstanding receiver, pitchers love him and his teammates love him. He is in the mix to catch this year but there is a quite a few that are so that is going to unfold who will get the brunt of our time."

Kevin Davis | RHP | Sr. | Brewton, Ala.
Davis, older brother of fellow Blazer Kyle Davis, joins UAB has a graduate transfer from Auburn. He saw action in 12 games on The Plains, picked up his first career win against Alabama A&M on Feb. 25, 2014 and posted a 5.40 ERA as a freshman.

Shoop on Kevin Davis:
"Kevin is a graduate student here at UAB who just last Friday was accepted into the Florida Physical Therapy School which is one of the top five PT schools in the country. Kevin had some arm issues at Auburn but hopefully he is healthy enough to help us. Whether he is not, he helps us because he is so mature and he is such a high character person that we are better just by being around him."

Ian McWilliams | RHP | Fr. | Hendersonville, Tenn.
McWilliams was a four-year letterwinner at Beech High School where he posted a 4-2 record with a 2.13 ERA as a junior and senior. He was rated the No. 38 overall prospect in Tennessee, the No. 21 right-handed pitcher and was a 20th round draft pick by the New York Mets in the 2017 MLB Draft.

Shoop on McWilliams:
"Ian was drafted of course by the New York Mets, turned down a lot of money to come to school and we are thankful he did and I believe with all of my heart that it was the right decision. He will get a lot better under Coach Hopper and will sign a professional contract in the future for a lot more money. With that said, how much he will pitch as a freshman is something only time will tell. I could see it going either way but he has a bright future at UAB and I think a big future in professional baseball."

Luke Eigsti | RHP/OF | Jr. | Scottsdale, Ariz.
Eigsti, a utility player who played a substantial amount in the outfield in 2017, made seven appearances on the mound as a sophomore. He pitched 6.0 innings allowing nine hits and picking up four strikeouts.

Shoop on Eigsti:
"Luke is in his third year here. He is an outfielder as well as a pitcher. We dropped his delivery down last season to give us a different look and that is a big change that takes a while to get used to. I would say just now he is getting a feel, his velocity is picking up, he is getting more and more of a feel for a slider from down in the underarm slot which is going to make him a weapon for sure. He is also competing for an outfield position for us and we will have to see how that unfolds, but he is another amazing, high character, young man that we are excited to see in our program."

Ryan Wesson | RHP | Jr. | Baldwyn, Miss.
Wesson spent the previous two season at Northeast Mississippi Community College where he posted an 11-6 record over two seasons. He appeared in 28 games with 20 starts and posted a 3.09 ERA while striking out 143 batters over 125.1 innings pitched.

Shoop on Wesson:
"Ryan is a junior college transfer that Coach Josh Hopper was so excited when he signed up with us last year. Ryan had a great fall for us and he is right at the top of our rotation. Whether he will start on Friday, Saturday or Sunday or be a key component out of the bullpen, we are not sure but he is the type of pitcher that has succeeded here. He is a strike thrower with multiple pitches and is a good athlete on the mound so he is going to play a big role."

Ryan Ruggles | LHP | Sr. | Sheffield, Ala.
Ruggles, a three-year letterwinner for the Blazers, was named to the 2015 Conference USA All-Freshman team. As a junior he totaled 49.2 innings, the fifth most on the team, appearing in 15 games with 10 starts. He finished second on the team in strikeouts with 49, including fanning a career-high seven in an 8-4 win at WKU on March 18.

Shoop on Ruggles:
"Ryan is a senior who made the All-Freshman team in 2014 but has not had the success he is capable of as a sophomore and junior. He is one of the keys to this season. We need him to pitch to the level that he is capable of pitching at. He went off and pitched in the Valley League this summer and was the best pitcher on his team and made the All-Star Team. He is super capable and we need Ryan to have a consistent, big year for us."

Tanner Graham | RHP | Jr. | Killen, Ala.
After making the second most starts on the team as a freshman in 2016, Graham battled injury in 2017 to pitch 11 games with seven starts as a sophomore. He totaled 23 innings with 16 strikeouts, including nine against Creighton which were the most K's in a game by a Blazer in 2017.

Shoop on Graham:
"As a freshman Tanner was the Opening Day starter and that is a lot to put on a freshman. His confidence went backwards and it has taken him a while to recover that. He pitched in the Cape Cod League this past summer and I think he proved to himself that he can get the best hitters in the country out. We think he will pitch at the top of our rotation, but again I do not know if it will be as a Friday, Saturday or Sunday starter but he will play a huge role. He is one of the keys to our season and we need him to pitch with confidence. He has a chance to play professional at the end of his career here."

Carson Jones | RHP | Sr. | Moulton, Ala.
Jones made an immediate impact in his first season on campus appearing in a team-best 20 games. He finished with a 3-5 record coupled with a 5.68 ERA over 52.1 innings to go along with 38 strikeouts and a team-high five saves.

Shoop on Jones:
"Carson is in his last year and could start, but probably will start out of the back of the bullpen. He is a power arm that has some swing and miss type stuff in there. If you are in the back of the bullpen that means every time you touch the mound you are in a big, big situation so he will be a key component to our season because he is going to encounter so many close games and is going to pitch big innings for us. Again, so many kids fit into this but I do not know how you find a nicer young man off the field. We need him to transition from that into a bulldog assassin when he is on the mound."

Matthew Calvert | LHP | Jr. | Springville, Ala.
Calvert saw his role increase as a sophomore posting career highs in appearances (15), innings pitched (21.2) and strikeouts (22). The lefty made his first career start in a Tuesday night matchup at Alabama.

Shoop on Calvert:
"Matthew Calvert, so proud of Matt. He walked on here two years ago and this is his third year. He has developed into one of our leaders. He is mature, he has matured in the classroom, he has matured off the field and on the field. He is a left-handed pitcher from Clay-Chalkville that is ready to play a big role. He has earned a scholarship here. I think of Matt Calvert and I think this is what you want development to look like in a person in every area. People might remember last year when he proposed on Regions Field before the game and that is a pretty neat story as well."

Troy Cordrey | RHP | Fr. | Helena, Ala.
Cordrey, a local product from Helena High School, was a 2017 State Champion. He was tabbed the 6A State Title MVP after recording six strikeouts and no walks. Additionally, he was rated as the No. 27 overall prospect in Alabama and No. 12 right-handed pitcher according to Perfect Game.

Shoop on Cordrey:
"Troy was the Pitcher of the Year in 6A, helped his team to a state championship at Helena and he is a local product. Troy's dad works on campus so we really had a good lead in recruiting. It came down to Mercer and UAB and we are really thankful he picked here. He is similar, in many ways, to guys that have done really well here – he can sink a fastball with movement at the bottom of the zone. If I had to tell you why we have won, we have won with that type of pitcher and infield defense and he fits that mold. Because of that, he has got a chance to get some meaningful innings in his freshman year. He has a bright future here."

Christian Waltman | Catcher | Fr. | Semmes, Ala.
Waltman, a Semmes, Ala. native, hit .331 with 41 RBI and had a .427 on-base percentage in four years on the varsity squad at Faith Academy. He garnered 2017 5A First-Team All-State honors as a senior, was the 2013 Rookie of the Year and played in the 2016 AHSAA North/South All-Star game. Waltman was rated the 87th overall prospect in Alabama and ninth best catching prospect according to Perfect Game.

Shoop on Waltman:
"Christian we had an in with because his brother Trey pitched here from 2009-11. Trey is still in Birmingham and finishing up Dental School at UAB so now he gets to watch his younger brother. That is just a successful family and I suspect Christian is going to do the same thing. He was one of the better catchers in our state at Faith Academy, they played for the state championship last year and he led the way. He is one of three young men competing for the second catching position. I think his best days are down the road, but he has good days coming."

Stephen Dobbs | Catcher | Sr. | Hoover, Ala.
Dobbs joined the Blazers in 2017 and found an immediate spot in the lineup appearing in 46 games with 40 starts. At the plate he hit .235 with 14 runs scored, four doubles, two triples, 19 RBI and 14 walks.

Shoop on Dobbs:
"Stephen is a senior catcher and he will enter the season as our number one behind the plate. He has the ability to shut the running game down, has the ability to handle the pitching staff and has the ability to be a very competitive at bat. He had a good summer and we need Stephen to take a step forward in leadership with the mantle of a senior. He is going to play a big role for us as our number one catcher."

Sylvester Toe | RHP | So. | Douglasville, Ga.
Toe made eight appearances on the mound as a freshman throwing 10 innings of work allowing 14 hits and fanning six batters. He knocked a single in his lone plate appearance of the season.

Shoop on Toe:
"Sylvester is a monster at 6-3, 230. Last year he tried to pitch and hit, which he did in high school, but we have converted him full time to the mound so he can concentrate on that as we have determined that is his future. We talk about looking the part of a Division I athlete and that would be Sylvester. He is another gentle giant, like Carson Jones, he wants to be a pediatric neurosurgeon. He shadowed a doctor this summer and they loved him over at Children's Hospital. He is just about as gentle of a person as he can be but we are trying to transition him to be an assassin on the mound. If he can take that mentality and throw strikes, he can be dominant."

Isaiah Gonzales-Montoya | RHP | Jr. | Denver, Colo.
Gonzales-Montoya was tied for the third most appearances on the team in 2017, primarily coming out of the bullpen. He was dominant to begin the season holding a 0.69 ERA through his first five appearances, allowing just a single run over 13 innings. He was the pitcher of record in UAB's win over No. 5 Auburn allowing just one run over 3.1 innings of work.

Shoop on Gonzales-Montoya:
"Isaiah is a senior for us, pitched a lot in his junior year. He is another guy that can sink the baseball and can fill the strike zone. He just got engaged this fall and has a great life ahead of him. He is certainly in our top six arms, he is going to log a ton of innings for us. We are not sure his capacity yet, but he is a key player for us."

Riley Davis | RHP | Fr. | Helena, Ala.
Riley, the one Davis on the team not related to another one, is a local product from Helena High School. He holds the AHSAA record for most consecutive scoreless innings pitched at 35.2 as he helped the Huskies to the 2017 6A State Title. Davis was tabbed as the No. 72 prospect in Alabama and No. 34 right handed pitcher according to Perfect Game.

Shoop on Riley Davis:
"Riley was a teammate of Troy Cordrey at Helena and they were the top two pitchers. Riley logged a lot of big innings and had a really good fall for us. We are not certain that he will see a lot of innings for us in his freshman year, but I think he could see some and we are thrilled he is here. I think he will help us big-time down the road."

Bailey Smith | LHP | Jr. | Springville, Ala.
Smith comes to UAB after spending 2017 at Lawson State Community College where he appeared in 15 games throwing 36.0 innings with 43 hits allowed and struck out 25 batters.

Shoop on Smith:
"Bailey walked on this fall as a transfer from Lawson State. He was a double transfer and his grades were fine, but he did not graduate from Lawson so this is a redshirt year for him. He is a typical left-handed pitcher, not overpowering but can throw pitches for strikes. He was an outstanding high school pitcher at Springville. This season will be a developmental year for him."

Will Battersby | LHP | Fr. | Hoover, Ala.
Battersby is another local product on the squad having played at Spain Park High School. He held a 2.12 ERA with 61 strikeouts and picked up six wins as a junior en route to being named to the 2016 AHSAA All-Star Team and All-Over The Mountain Team. He was rated the No. 70 overall prospect in Alabama and No. 6 left handed pitching prospect.

Shoop on Battersby:
"Will went to Spain Park, and he was its number one pitcher. He is a slender 170 pounds who has the frame to be 6-2, 200 one day. As he gets stronger everything will improve. His velocity will improve but he a has long, loose, free delivery that could be very good in Division I in time."

Kyle Davis | RHP | Jr. | Brewton, Ala.
Kyle Davis, brother of fellow Blazer Kevin, made nine appearances in 2017 with one start. He tossed 15.1 innings adding eight strikeouts and just 13 hits. His .241 opponent batting average was the best mark on the team. In his lone start of the year he hurled a season-high four innings and with four strikeouts.

Shoop on Kyle Davis:
"We stumbled upon Kyle the summer after he graduated high school. He had been on everyone's recruiting list and then got hurt so everybody backed off of him. We lost some guys in the draft so we stumbled upon Kyle late. He was battling back through injury through his first two years and he might be ready to take off, he has potential through the roof. A lot of times when you have surgery sometimes the last thing to come back is command and control on the breaking ball but this fall he showed signs of it all coming back and if it does he will play a big role for us. He is Kevin's brother and I think it is really neat that they can go to school together. It is easy to get people mixed up because we have five Davis' on our roster right now, but this guy stands out at 6-3, 240 with a power arm. He also is an engineering major here, which I do not know how many people realize how hard it is to be a college baseball player and an engineering student at UAB but is succeeding in both."

Ty Harris | LHP | Jr. | Rogers, Ark.
Harris is a transfer from Crowder Community College where he pitched as a sophomore appearing in 13 games with 12 starts. He recorded a 7-3 record over 65.0 innings pitched with 75 strikeouts for an average of 10.4 per game. Prior to Crowder he pitched at Arkansas where he appeared in seven games throwing 4.2 innings.

Shoop on Harris:
"Ty was a great late pickup. We lost three pitchers in the draft last year and we were able to get Ty late. He started his career at Arkansas and went to Crowder College last year. He might have been the surprise of the fall and jumped right to the top of our staff. We have not decided whether to start him or pitch him out of the bullpen. We had both with Thomas Lowery and he was great at both. I could see Ty doing both, but at this stage he is definitely in our top-six and he is going to be a huge factor on the success that we have this season."

Cole Whitman | LHP | So. | Pelham, Ala.
Whitman spent his freshman season at East Mississippi Community College where he made 12 appearances with nine starts. Over 42.1 innings of work he gave up 39 runs on 45 hits with 49 strikeouts averaging 10.4 strikeouts per game.

Shoop on Whitman:
"Cole has three years of eligibility. We actually recruited him out of Pelham High School and he we was recruited by everybody. He picked Mississippi State, got hurt, had surgery and went to East Mississippi. We got him the second time around. Cole is 6-3, 210 and the potential is off the charts. His command has been slow to return but once it does he has swing and miss stuff. If the command comes this year, he will help us this season. His time is coming and we are thrilled to have him. He will be great for us in due time."

For more information on the UAB baseball team follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).