FredJacket
Helluva Engineer
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Next up... a wee little road trip over to Georgia St. The Panthers are 4-4 having dropped 4 in a row including being swept this weekend at Florida.
The Jackets exit February at 7-1 & enter the much more challenging month of March with this single midweek game the only thing between them & a showdown with UGA coming this weekend.
D1 Baseball's GSU breakdown:
Brad Stromdahl’s club could be ready to surprise some folks in 2022. The Panthers finished in the middle of the pack in the Sun Belt last season, and they return 97 percent of their production from that club. That should bode well … and there’s some quiet optimism around Atlanta.
The Panthers should have a strong pitching staff. Anchor righthander Ryan Watson is back for another season to command the No. 1 role in the weekend rotation. Watson had a 6.64 ERA in 59.2 innings last season, but was much better at the Northwoods League and during fall workouts, sitting 90-93 and up to 94 mph with his fastball, along with a solid slider. Veteran lefty Seth Clark also will be in the rotation, and he’s yet another guy on this staff with big-time potential. He was up to 90-92 mph with his fastball in the fall and he’s holding his velocity for longer stints. He also has two solid breaking balls and commands the zone well. LSU transfer Brandon Kaminer had a solid fall with a fastball up to 92-93 mph and commanded a solid slider that he showed with the Tigers at times last season, while righthander Dylan Matela is a big-time arm to watch. Matela has been up to 93-94 mph with his fastball and has the best spin rates on the team, while Mason Patel has a big arm and could be a huge factor if he’s healthy as the season progresses.
Offensively, the Panthers have an impressive crop of prospects throughout the lineup. Second baseman Caleb Stewart is a 70-grade runner with impressive power. He could lead off for the Panthers. Shortstop Griffin Cheney is a veteran who is Mr. Steady, outfielder Josh Smith is a former two-sport standout who’s ready for a breakout season and fellow outfielder Dalton Pearson is another breakout candidate. Pearson is a big-time defender with a strong arm, and he hit in the three-hole at times as a true freshman last season. He has impressive tools and is a high-grade runner. He will hit in the middle of the order and could rack up strong statistics. Last but certainly not least, third baseman Will Mize had a strong 2021 showing with a .290 average, five home runs and 25 RBIs, and he took another step forward in the fall. He’s also an excellent defender. Freshman infielder Jesse Donohoe will have to find his way into the lineup, but he has huge upside as well.
The Jackets exit February at 7-1 & enter the much more challenging month of March with this single midweek game the only thing between them & a showdown with UGA coming this weekend.
D1 Baseball's GSU breakdown:
Brad Stromdahl’s club could be ready to surprise some folks in 2022. The Panthers finished in the middle of the pack in the Sun Belt last season, and they return 97 percent of their production from that club. That should bode well … and there’s some quiet optimism around Atlanta.
The Panthers should have a strong pitching staff. Anchor righthander Ryan Watson is back for another season to command the No. 1 role in the weekend rotation. Watson had a 6.64 ERA in 59.2 innings last season, but was much better at the Northwoods League and during fall workouts, sitting 90-93 and up to 94 mph with his fastball, along with a solid slider. Veteran lefty Seth Clark also will be in the rotation, and he’s yet another guy on this staff with big-time potential. He was up to 90-92 mph with his fastball in the fall and he’s holding his velocity for longer stints. He also has two solid breaking balls and commands the zone well. LSU transfer Brandon Kaminer had a solid fall with a fastball up to 92-93 mph and commanded a solid slider that he showed with the Tigers at times last season, while righthander Dylan Matela is a big-time arm to watch. Matela has been up to 93-94 mph with his fastball and has the best spin rates on the team, while Mason Patel has a big arm and could be a huge factor if he’s healthy as the season progresses.
Offensively, the Panthers have an impressive crop of prospects throughout the lineup. Second baseman Caleb Stewart is a 70-grade runner with impressive power. He could lead off for the Panthers. Shortstop Griffin Cheney is a veteran who is Mr. Steady, outfielder Josh Smith is a former two-sport standout who’s ready for a breakout season and fellow outfielder Dalton Pearson is another breakout candidate. Pearson is a big-time defender with a strong arm, and he hit in the three-hole at times as a true freshman last season. He has impressive tools and is a high-grade runner. He will hit in the middle of the order and could rack up strong statistics. Last but certainly not least, third baseman Will Mize had a strong 2021 showing with a .290 average, five home runs and 25 RBIs, and he took another step forward in the fall. He’s also an excellent defender. Freshman infielder Jesse Donohoe will have to find his way into the lineup, but he has huge upside as well.
