Jan. 22, 2002
If there is one thing Baylor baseball head coach Steve Smith knows about his 2002 squad entering the season, it's that he doesn't know much of anything.
"There are an endless amount of possibilities on this team," Smith said. "The only question that was answered in the fall is that there are more questions. We watched the young guys play for three weeks, did some evaluating and walked away knowing that we've got some good guys to work with. Now, we're gonna go work with them."
Okay, so there is one thing Smith knows about his team.
"The team will be fun to coach because of its versatility," Smith said. "We have just enough experience to build around. We can put a lineup out there that is all veterans, or one that is a 50/50 split of veterans and younger guys."
That versatility will come in handy, as only one position is 100 percent locked down, junior Chris Durbin will start in center field. Several other players are very likely to have spots in the line-up, but what position they will play is, as of now, undetermined.
"We have a good core of guys to build around when you consider Mike Huggins, Chris Durbin, David Murphy, Tim Hartshorn and even Paul Richmond as being guys who were very productive last year," Smith said. "They bring a lot of experience to the table, they know what it takes to compete and win at this level. I feel we will be building around those guys."
On the infield, junior Mike Huggins and junior transfer Eric Errante have each worked out at multiple spots. Huggins, who has played first base for the Bears the past two seasons, played third base for much of the fall. Errante, a versatile infielder who was originally penciled in at second base, has also seen time at third this fall. Both players are probable starters somewhere in the infield come spring.
"Eric Errante is the only junior college player new to the team this year," Smith said, "He has been exceptional for us at second base all fall, he can definitely play there. We will give him looks at third base to see if there is a possibility there, too."
Other possibilites for the middle infield are senior Mark Saccomanno, sophomore Trey Webb and freshman Paul Witt.
"The middle infield is pretty competitive. Mark Saccomanno is still rehabbing from his shoulder surgery, so he's not in the picture right now," Smith said. "We've got Trey Webb, who played sparingly last year but had a very good summer and continues to improve. He's got competition from Paul Witt, an incoming freshman. He's an exceptional athlete, one of the best we've had in a couple of years. He can run, he throws well, and he swings the bat. Those guys are probably the two leading candidates at shortstop, in addition to Saccomanno when he is healthy."
In competing for corner infield spots, Huggins and Errante will be joined in the mix by sophomore Jared Clements (first base) and freshman Michael Griffin (third base). The Bears' top two catchers, junior Paul Richmond and freshman Josh Ford, could also see time at first base in order to get both bats in the lineup.
"Catcher is one of the key spots on the field where both players are still relatively untested, with Richmond and Ford behind the plate," Smith said. "Ford is a true freshman who, at this point, will probably have to be in the lineup because of his offense."
Turning to the outfield, Durbin is a lock in center, while sophomore David Murphy is the leading candidate for one of the two corner outfield spots once he returns from a broken hand. Whether Murphy plays left or right field could hinge on who fills the third opening in the outfield. The list of possible third outfielders includes seniors Tim Hartshorn and Steve Dorneman, junior Ross Bennett, Witt, and perhaps even Huggins. According to Smith, performance early in the spring will dictate those choices.
"I'm hopeful that a guy like Steve Dorneman will bounce back from an off year as a junior offensively," Smith said. "I'm also hopeful that Ross Bennett will continue to improve defensively so we have more options to get him in the lineup, because he's a pretty good hitter."
In contrast to the question marks surrounding the lineup, the Baylor pitching staff is as settled as one could expect. Junior Steven White and senior Justin Taylor return to fill the top two places in the rotation. Potential third starters include senior Kyle Edens, junior Jared Theodorakos and freshman Trey Taylor, a second-round draft pick out of high school who spurned the pros to attend Baylor.
"Obviously Steven White and Justin Taylor return as two of our three conference starters from last year," Smith said. "Guys like Jared Theodorakos, Paul Thorp, Kyle Edens and Zane Carlson all have had a ton of experience. I feel pitching is a strong point for us. The four freshman pitchers we've brought in are all capable of making a contribution pretty quick, so our staff should be pretty deep."
The Bears' bullpen will depend heavily on junior closer Zane Carlson, the Baylor career saves leader, and 2001 all-conference selection Paul Thorp. With Edens, Theodorakos and Trey Taylor competing for only one spot in the rotation, the two pitchers from that group not in the starting rotation will also be looked to for relief help.
"We have as much experience in the bullpen as we ever have had here, having lost only one pitcher from the entire staff," Smith said. "But all our freshmen pitchers will probably be factors at some point, they will probably all get an opportunity to contribute."
Smith and his staff will depend on the veteran pitching staff and the versatility of the lineup to replace the solid production lost from departing lettermen Trevor Mote, Josh Scott, Matt Williams and all-America catcher Kelly Shoppach.
"Obviously when a guy has a year like Kelly, he won a lot of games for us last year, offensively and defensively," Smith said of the second-round draft pick. "But we've lost guys like that almost every year. Kip Wells, Jason Jennings, Jon Topolski, Charley Carter, Eric Nelson... It's just an inevitable part of the process. While they are gone, all of those players, Kelly included, have left an impact on the program that remains. The confidence, the work ethic, the leadership... They instilled that in a lot of guys."
In 2002, the team's focus is set on reclaiming the Big 12 Conference title and on advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 1978.
"This will be a team that is talented enough to compete for the Big 12 Championship," Smith said. "The league will be as good as ever. Our hope is not only for Baylor, but for the league to make a bigger impact nationally. We play with the conference championship in mind, but also with getting to the regional, advancing, and becoming the first team from our league to win a game at Omaha."
Smith may not know who will play where this season when it comes to positions, but Smith can tell you where he wants his team to be playing come June. He's hoping Bear fans will join him in a trip to Omaha for the College World Series.
