UT MARTIN BASEBALL IS LOCKED AND LOADED TO START THE 2020 SEASON WITH SOME FRESH FACES

A year removed from the University of Tennessee at Martin's historic season, the Skyhawks baseball program is reloaded with a fresh set of faces to make their way back to the OVC tournament.

Last year the Skyhawks had their minds set on history as head coach Ryan Jenkins took the helm for his first full year (came in as an interim coach for the final 18 games of the 2018 season). They didn't disappoint as the baseball club tied a single-season record for Division I victories at 25. They boasted a unique cast, but in the end, all that mattered was coming together for the end result as they claimed four of the last five during the regular season. This allowed them to claim the final available spot in the OVC baseball tournament.

Senior outfielder Jordan Stoner led that team as he claimed leadership over many of the statistical categories from the batters box. Now that Stoner, along with other senior leaders, graduated, UT Martin is looking for a options from their youth. With one of the best-recruiting classes the program has seen, that opportunity is available for coach Jenkins.

"I think for us each day is just getting better," coach Jenkins said. "If We have the development with our pitchers and our offense, if we continue to get just a little bit better each day, the results will take care of themselves."

The recruiting class from last season features an assortment of both transfers and now current freshmen. It has given the UT Martin coaches chances they never had before to dabble with various lineups to find that flow of success. Last season, the team featured 33 players, now with 16 of those players gone 21 have come to take their place, giving the Skyhawks a full gameday roster of 35.

Every position is up for debate heading into the season, but what isn't debatable is the talent of their young core. Headlining the group of freshmen is three players that are currently projected as starters for the Skyhawks. They sit as followed: Christian Hall in the outfield, Nate Self at third base and Eric Steensma as a starter in the four-man rotation. Hall is explicitly viewed as a possible leader of the team as he was ranked the No. 2 outfield prospect in the State of Alabama coming out of high school. Self isn't far behind as he made an easy trip from Sikeston High School to attend UT Martin. There he posted a .442 batting average to match his 11 home runs in his two-year career, which lead him to be ranked the No. 5 third baseman in Missouri. While Steensma wasn't thought of as a powerhouse prospect like the other two, his numbers speak for himself as he posted a 2.15 ERA with a 6-1 record in 2019. Regardless, UT Martin will need to see these young guys to replicate their success at the Division I level to win ball games.

"We have a very young group, my expectation for those guys is just to get better every day, you can't put to much weight on those young guys," Jenkins said. "The thing for them is they have to develop on a daily basis; a lot of them haven't been put in the fire; none of them have played Division I baseball, so its a different experience."

It isn't just the freshmen that are set to impact the Skyhawks, but half of the success will have to come from their new transfers. In right field, junior Houston Wright seems to be a heavy set favorite to be batting clean-up. The junior came to Martin from Spartanburg Methodist College. At Spartanburg, Wright combined for a .371 batting average, 19 home runs and 90 RBIs in his 100 game career. Along with his impressive statistics, Wright was named an NJCAA All-American in 2019.

Joining Wright as possible players to take those open spots in the lineup are the junior Andruw McKenzie and the sophomore Jack Culumovic. While McKenzie is by trade an infielder that focuses mostly on second base, Culumovic is set to move around a little more. Culumovic is a utility player/infielder that tends to stay in the field and is set to be moved all around the diamond.

Regardless of what role each player is playing, the young guys will start their Division I career by facing some of the best of the best. After a three-game series with St. Louis University and a one-game stint against Alabama A&M, the Skyhawks will face a real test in the South Alabama Invitational. There they will start against the University of Indiana, the Hoosiers last season claimed the Big Ten regular-season title with a total record of 37-23. After an early test, the Skyhawks will have to deal with a periodic matchup against SEC opponents, including the College World Series participants, Mississippi State. Jenkins knows that these games will test everyone, but all eyes are on how the young guys react to this level of competition.

"One thing is the atmosphere you take a guy that has never played Division I baseball game, and you take him to Oxford, Mississippi (Ole Miss), and there are seven thousand people there its a different ball game," Jenkins said. "It will start to shine a light on where we need to develop, and it will also eliminate guys that have anxiety on the baseball field."

While the young guys will have their chance to hit the mound and the batters box, the veterans are in charge of helping them transition to Division I. The senior class is smaller on the offensive end as Sean Dixson straps up for his final season at Skyhawk Park. Dixson is the most likely candidate for the leadoff position as he poses the most significant threat of reaching base quickly after slashing .276 last season. Two four year players will lead the pitching staff this year as Sam Folks and Winston Cannon both wrap up their time with UT Martin. Cannon has especially made is impact known as he sits second in school history for career starts, 38, and third in strikeouts, 191. Reliever David Hussey will also be seeing his two-year career finish up as he heads into his senior season.

Out of all the classes, it is the junior class that is the defining unit for the Skyhawks. Catcher Blake Davis, first baseman Ethan Whitley and shortstop Casey Harford are all set to renew their roles in the starting lineup. This is Davis' third year as a starter after only not starting one game in his career for UT Martin. Whitley returns as the home run leader from a season ago, when he bashed 10 out of the park. Harford is the most dynamic of the three as he placed second among almost all batting categories behind Stoner, while also leading the team with 45 RBIs.

While those three guys have made their impact known at Skyhawk Park, relief pitcher Nick Wohlbold has established a national brand for himself. The right-hander was named the first preseason All-American in school history, as well as being the only preseason All-OVC selection for the Skyhawks. These honors came after Wohlbold was one of the two selections for the Second Team All-OVC after last season (Stoner). Wohlbold ranked 11th in the NCAA with saves at 13, which was also a school record. His ERA of 3.03 led the team last year, which meant every time he came to the mound with a lead, it was almost a guaranteed win.

"It's always great to have a guy you can trust on the backside of a baseball game," Jenkins said. "I think anytime you have a guy that is throwing out the bullpen... the biggest thing you can ask for is consistency. When we put him in the baseball game, we know what we are going to get out of him, it's a certain type of mentality to pitch in high-pressure situations like he does."

With a reasonably inexperienced team, there is a decent amount of unknowns heading into the season. Coach Jenkins knows this but understands their talent as he sets his sights high in his third year at the helm.

"The expectation is what it is, and that is to win the OVC," Jenkins said. "Our league is a bid league; if we want to play in the NCAA regionals, we have to win our league, for me, we need to start developing guys and got to make sure these guys understand how to play."

UT MARTIN BASEBALL IS LOCKED AND LOADED TO START THE 2020 SEASON WITH SOME FRESH FACES

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Players Mentioned

Winston Cannon

Jack Culumovic

Blake Davis

Sean Dixson

Sam Folks

Christian Hall

Casey Harford

David Hussey

Andruw McKenzie

Nate Self

Eric Steensma

Jordan Stoner

Ethan Whitley

Nick Wohlbold

Houston Wright

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