The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
2018 Baseball Season Preview: The Outfield
2/5/2018 8:15:00 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 outfield.
"A lot of people look at the outfield as you just need hitters out there and while that is true, because we play at Regions Field you better be able to defend out there," head coach Brian Shoop said. "Going into this season it is one of my top concerns, if we are going to be able to pull this off because are kind of starting over in the outfield.
We lost one of the best players in this league in Brewer Hicklen, the highest drafted player in the history of UAB baseball who had an amazing summer in the Kansas City Royals organization. That was not a given that he was going to sign but it was only late in the spring that he kind of got over the hump. Because he had two more years to play here, and really wanted to play a year of football, there was a strong chance he was going to be back on our baseball team this year.
But with him going, it was probably the right decision for him and we are kind of starting over. We may move Tyler Tolbert out to the outfield, which he has not played but can because he is lightning fast. Jess Davis got hurt in the fall and we will see how he comes back, he is the type of defender that you want. Then you also have Zack Davis, Luke Eigsti, Cole Collins and Colton Schultz in the mix. We have also made sure that Price Visintainer, Blake Johnson and Justin Wiley have enough looks out there so that they can go out there because those are athlete runners and we have plenty of depth in the infield. We wanted to make it possible to get those guys out there if we need them so we are looking for that combination of offense and defense and I think we will have to play several games before we conclude what that combination is."
Tyler Tolbert | Utility | So. | Trussville, Ala.
Tolbert appeared in 40 games with 31 starts as a freshman on campus. His biggest impact was on the bases as he picked up 11 stolen bases on 12 attempts. He spent his summer with the Lima Locos where he was tabbed an All-Star in the Great Lakes Summer League.
Shoop on Tolbert:
"Tyler was the 2016 7A High School Player of the Year out of Trussville. He started a lot of games as a freshman and like many freshmen he found the transition from high school to college as a challenging one, lost some confidence and struggled the majority of the time. He regained his confidence playing in the Great Lakes league, was voted the fourth best pro prospect in the league, there is not a team in Conference USA that would not want Tyler Tolbert on their team. He is electric, a game changer with his speed and the energy his plays with. He could play almost anywhere on the field for us but will probably either be in centerfield or left field."
Luke Eigsti | OF/RHP | Jr. | Scottsdale, Ariz.
Along with seeing time on the mound, Eigsti started 15 games in the field for the Blazers in 2017. He batted .192 with five runs, three doubles, eight RBI and four walks. His biggest contribution came with the bases loaded as he was one of two Blazers with multiple hits with the bases loaded.
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."
Cole Collins | OF | Jr. | Cullman, Ala.
Collins began his collegiate career at Wallace-Hanceville Community College where he hit .326 with 66 runs scored and 34 RBI over two seasons. He ranked 10th nationally in plate appearances (219) and runs (46) as a sophomore.
Shoop on Collins:
"Cole I had in our camp as a freshman if you can believe that. He was one of the best hitters at Cullman High School when he was a freshman so I have always loved his swing. He was the 6A Player of the Year at Cullman later in his career. He was All-Conference for Wallace-Hanceville last year where he played for Randy Putman, who I think the world of, and we were fortunate enough to get him late. We got Cole after Brewer signed with the Royals last summer and we were fortunate that he was still available. People look at Cole and all his life he has heard that he is to small or not strong enough and he has always worn that as a badge of honor. He is a tough out and he is competing for one of our outfield spots. When he is in there, what he brings to the table is just a really high level of competitive nature. He is going to be a thorn in the other team's side."
Zack Davis | OF | RS-So. | Kearney, Mo.
Zack Davis appeared in 30 games as a freshman, hitting .182 with a pair of home runs, three doubles, eight RBI and seven walks. One of his biggest roles as a freshman was pinch-hitting as he went 4-12 (.333).
Shoop on Zack Davis:
"Zack is one of the two Davis brothers from Kansas City. He redshirted due to injury. Interestingly enough, both Zack and Jess were standout wide receivers in high school and Zack had the receiving record and then Jess broke it. When you think about what a Division I player looks like, it is Zack. 6-3, 210, strong, physical, fast, hits for power and potential is off the charts. He can do so many things well. He is not just a big guy that is slow, he is a big guy who can fly so it would help us if Zack is in the lineup a lot because he just bring so much to the table. He is competing for one of the outfield spots. It is just hard to imagine with all that is in there that he will not be in the mix. Even as sophomore, he has really developed into one of our leaders. He just does everything right."
Jess Davis | OF | Fr. | Kearney, Mo.
Jess Davis, younger brother of fellow Blazer Zack, hit .486 with seven doubles, two home runs, 13 triples and swiped 20 bases as a senior at Kearney High School. His 13 triples broke the Missouri High School State Record for triples in a season which helped his cause for being named First-Team All-State and All-Conference as a senior.
Shoop on Jess Davis:
"Jess is a younger duplicate of his older brother. He was going to have a tremendous chance to start in center field this year as a freshman after Brewer signed. He is a true centerfield, he can really run and defend and that is important with us playing 22 games at Regions Field which is a cavernous place and outfield defense is so important. He is tough and I would think that one day Jess and Zack are taking care of two-thirds of our outfield spots at UAB."
Colton Schultz | Utility | So. | Huntsville, Ala.
Scultz made 29 starts as a freshman to go along with 41 appearances. He was superb with runners on batting a team-best .370 (17-of-46). He led the team with nine doubles in C-USA play and ranked fourth on the team throughout the season in slugging percentage hitting .404.
Shoop on Schultz:
"Colton, we so need to get healthy. He came here from Brewer's high school and Coach Sharp said that Brewer and Colton were the two best hitters that he has ever had. When I think of our lineup, I think of Colton hitting in the middle of it. He can hit, hit for power, can run, can play first, outfield, DH but he has to be healthy to do any of it."
"Offensively what we are going to be able to do is be able to put nine competitive bats in the lineup," Shoop said. "We are going to be able to move the chains so to speak and put a lot of pressure on an opposing team. I have always felt like you want a balanced offense – you want some power, you would love some speed, some grinders, some strike zone discipline guys, some guys that can bunt. You cannot build an offense on one component you would like to be balanced and I think we have a chance to do that.
So much of the success of our team is that we have to get to the point where we were in 2012-15 where our kids really believed that we could and we were going to win. I am hoping we can get off to a fast start where our kids can see what they are capable of. Our coaching staff knows what they are capable of and they are capable of a lot. If we can get to that right level of mentality and toughness when we enter the year we are very hopeful of what this group can do."
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
"A lot of people look at the outfield as you just need hitters out there and while that is true, because we play at Regions Field you better be able to defend out there," head coach Brian Shoop said. "Going into this season it is one of my top concerns, if we are going to be able to pull this off because are kind of starting over in the outfield.
We lost one of the best players in this league in Brewer Hicklen, the highest drafted player in the history of UAB baseball who had an amazing summer in the Kansas City Royals organization. That was not a given that he was going to sign but it was only late in the spring that he kind of got over the hump. Because he had two more years to play here, and really wanted to play a year of football, there was a strong chance he was going to be back on our baseball team this year.
But with him going, it was probably the right decision for him and we are kind of starting over. We may move Tyler Tolbert out to the outfield, which he has not played but can because he is lightning fast. Jess Davis got hurt in the fall and we will see how he comes back, he is the type of defender that you want. Then you also have Zack Davis, Luke Eigsti, Cole Collins and Colton Schultz in the mix. We have also made sure that Price Visintainer, Blake Johnson and Justin Wiley have enough looks out there so that they can go out there because those are athlete runners and we have plenty of depth in the infield. We wanted to make it possible to get those guys out there if we need them so we are looking for that combination of offense and defense and I think we will have to play several games before we conclude what that combination is."
Tyler Tolbert | Utility | So. | Trussville, Ala.
Tolbert appeared in 40 games with 31 starts as a freshman on campus. His biggest impact was on the bases as he picked up 11 stolen bases on 12 attempts. He spent his summer with the Lima Locos where he was tabbed an All-Star in the Great Lakes Summer League.
Shoop on Tolbert:
"Tyler was the 2016 7A High School Player of the Year out of Trussville. He started a lot of games as a freshman and like many freshmen he found the transition from high school to college as a challenging one, lost some confidence and struggled the majority of the time. He regained his confidence playing in the Great Lakes league, was voted the fourth best pro prospect in the league, there is not a team in Conference USA that would not want Tyler Tolbert on their team. He is electric, a game changer with his speed and the energy his plays with. He could play almost anywhere on the field for us but will probably either be in centerfield or left field."
Luke Eigsti | OF/RHP | Jr. | Scottsdale, Ariz.
Along with seeing time on the mound, Eigsti started 15 games in the field for the Blazers in 2017. He batted .192 with five runs, three doubles, eight RBI and four walks. His biggest contribution came with the bases loaded as he was one of two Blazers with multiple hits with the bases loaded.
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."
Cole Collins | OF | Jr. | Cullman, Ala.
Collins began his collegiate career at Wallace-Hanceville Community College where he hit .326 with 66 runs scored and 34 RBI over two seasons. He ranked 10th nationally in plate appearances (219) and runs (46) as a sophomore.
Shoop on Collins:
"Cole I had in our camp as a freshman if you can believe that. He was one of the best hitters at Cullman High School when he was a freshman so I have always loved his swing. He was the 6A Player of the Year at Cullman later in his career. He was All-Conference for Wallace-Hanceville last year where he played for Randy Putman, who I think the world of, and we were fortunate enough to get him late. We got Cole after Brewer signed with the Royals last summer and we were fortunate that he was still available. People look at Cole and all his life he has heard that he is to small or not strong enough and he has always worn that as a badge of honor. He is a tough out and he is competing for one of our outfield spots. When he is in there, what he brings to the table is just a really high level of competitive nature. He is going to be a thorn in the other team's side."
Zack Davis | OF | RS-So. | Kearney, Mo.
Zack Davis appeared in 30 games as a freshman, hitting .182 with a pair of home runs, three doubles, eight RBI and seven walks. One of his biggest roles as a freshman was pinch-hitting as he went 4-12 (.333).
Shoop on Zack Davis:
"Zack is one of the two Davis brothers from Kansas City. He redshirted due to injury. Interestingly enough, both Zack and Jess were standout wide receivers in high school and Zack had the receiving record and then Jess broke it. When you think about what a Division I player looks like, it is Zack. 6-3, 210, strong, physical, fast, hits for power and potential is off the charts. He can do so many things well. He is not just a big guy that is slow, he is a big guy who can fly so it would help us if Zack is in the lineup a lot because he just bring so much to the table. He is competing for one of the outfield spots. It is just hard to imagine with all that is in there that he will not be in the mix. Even as sophomore, he has really developed into one of our leaders. He just does everything right."
Jess Davis | OF | Fr. | Kearney, Mo.
Jess Davis, younger brother of fellow Blazer Zack, hit .486 with seven doubles, two home runs, 13 triples and swiped 20 bases as a senior at Kearney High School. His 13 triples broke the Missouri High School State Record for triples in a season which helped his cause for being named First-Team All-State and All-Conference as a senior.
Shoop on Jess Davis:
"Jess is a younger duplicate of his older brother. He was going to have a tremendous chance to start in center field this year as a freshman after Brewer signed. He is a true centerfield, he can really run and defend and that is important with us playing 22 games at Regions Field which is a cavernous place and outfield defense is so important. He is tough and I would think that one day Jess and Zack are taking care of two-thirds of our outfield spots at UAB."
Colton Schultz | Utility | So. | Huntsville, Ala.
Scultz made 29 starts as a freshman to go along with 41 appearances. He was superb with runners on batting a team-best .370 (17-of-46). He led the team with nine doubles in C-USA play and ranked fourth on the team throughout the season in slugging percentage hitting .404.
Shoop on Schultz:
"Colton, we so need to get healthy. He came here from Brewer's high school and Coach Sharp said that Brewer and Colton were the two best hitters that he has ever had. When I think of our lineup, I think of Colton hitting in the middle of it. He can hit, hit for power, can run, can play first, outfield, DH but he has to be healthy to do any of it."
"Offensively what we are going to be able to do is be able to put nine competitive bats in the lineup," Shoop said. "We are going to be able to move the chains so to speak and put a lot of pressure on an opposing team. I have always felt like you want a balanced offense – you want some power, you would love some speed, some grinders, some strike zone discipline guys, some guys that can bunt. You cannot build an offense on one component you would like to be balanced and I think we have a chance to do that.
So much of the success of our team is that we have to get to the point where we were in 2012-15 where our kids really believed that we could and we were going to win. I am hoping we can get off to a fast start where our kids can see what they are capable of. Our coaching staff knows what they are capable of and they are capable of a lot. If we can get to that right level of mentality and toughness when we enter the year we are very hopeful of what this group can do."
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball) or on Instagram (UAB_Baseball).
Players Mentioned
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