Baseball Season Preview: #BirdGang ready for an encore in 2014
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 30, 2014) – After a 46-win season in 2013, a year that included a Panhandle Conference Championship and the school’s first-ever No. 1 NJCAA ranking, one might think it would be hard for Tallahassee Community College to enjoy any more success on the baseball diamond in 2014.
Yet, for the Eagles and longtime skipper Mike McLeod, Tallahassee is out to prove that last season was no fluke. There’s also a small matter of some unfinished business.
Tallahassee cruised to its sixth PC Championship a year ago but again came up short in its quest for the elusive FCSAA Championship and accompanying berth to the JUCO World Series. Still, the 2013 Eagles left quite a legacy. In addition to the aforementioned feats, they were ranked No. 1 in the FCSAA Baseball Coaches’ Poll for the final seven weeks of the season. And they swept three games in February from eventual World Series champion Central Alabama Community College.
When the 2014 Eagles debut on January 31 at the First Pitch Classic in Panama City, Fla., they will do so with a roster that bears little resemblance to the original #BirdGang. Gone are NJCAA All-Americans Trent Higginbothem and Clay Fenwick, as well as ace pitcher Nick Deckert. In fact, this year’s team returns only five players from the 2013 squad along with Bobby Rice, who redshirted last season after an All-Panhandle Conference campaign as a freshman in 2012.
The 2014 campaign will also provide another milestone for McLeod, who enters his 24th season with the Eagles just 12 wins shy of 800 for his NJCAA coaching career.
Tallahassee opens the season at 1:30 p.m. eastern Friday against Darton (Ga.) State College. At the conclusion of that game, the Eagles will turn around and play Gordon (Ga.) State College.
Tallahassee will play the same teams in reverse order on Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m. eastern.
TCCeagles.com recently sat down with McLeod to get his thoughts on the upcoming season.
TCCeagles.com: What are your overall thoughts about the 2014 season?
McLeod: I’m very excited to get this thing started. I feel like we have a strong club, despite returning only five players, four of whom are pitchers. It gives you a moment of pause because you don’t know how they’ll react with the tough competition ahead. If you look at our guys from a talent standpoint – we have good arms, good speed, guys who can play the infield. They care about each other. I feel like some good things will happen (this season).
This is an awfully bold statement, but I believe when Christian Dicks, Geremy Walton and D.J. McKnight are in outfield together, it will possibly be one of the best we’ve had in the 24 years I’ve been here. And we’ve had some good ones – Michael Saunders and Lorenzo Cain, A.J. Johnson and Brandon Jones. But these guys – their speed and ability to read the ball – they just have the ability to make plays. Any ball that stays up, at all, will be caught. They can really go get it and they work well together.
TCCeagles.com: What can we expect from the Eagles’ pitchers?
McLeod: Pitching is one of the knowns about us. We have three lefties back who pitched some significant innings (last season). Ryan Deckert and Cody Alling have some experience, and Victor Cole was the Panhandle Conference Fireman of the Year. Will Thompson is also coming back from an injury. On the other hand, we don’t have one right-handed pitcher who pitched an inning at TCC (last season). The pitching looks good on paper, but time will tell.
I feel good about our bullpen but until they do it for real…
Closing a game is the most important role on the team. We had a great one (in 2013), but I wanted Victor to develop as a starter, so we’re moving him into the rotation. It’s a different mindset from that of a closer, and he has to reinvent himself. But he’s ready for the challenge – he’s one of the best pitchers in the state.
We have a couple of underneath guys – Collin Strall and Logan Elliot – and a couple of power righties. We have five lefties – and at least one will have to give us a presence in the bullpen. When all is said and done, could we eventually go back to Victor? Yes, but I hope one or two of the other guys float to the bullpen.
TCCeagles.com: Talk about the Eagles from an offensive standpoint.
McLeod: We had a good fall, but we know the pitching will step up in the spring. We have some potential speed guys and power guys. We know we can’t strike out – we have to put the ball in play and advance people when we have the opportunity. I’m very optimistic but until you begin facing arms for real, you don’t know what you have.
TCCeagles.com: How does this team stack up defensively?
McLeod: Christian Dicks, Geremy Walton and D.J. McKnight give us some tight defense in the outfield. Up the middle, Ryne Willard is one of the premier NJCAA shortstops, but we’re unsettled at second base, with the (season-ending) injury to Chad Mabini. Bobby Rice is the frontrunner, Cole Johnson is an outstanding utility infielder and Jon Jon Burkett is in the mix. On the corners, Ricky Negron has a chance to be a top-flight collegiate third baseman, and first base is a tossup between Quincy Nieporte and Kyle Pausche. Behind the plate, Matt Olive has solidified himself as the number one catcher.
TCCeagles.com: Who are some names Eagle fans will want to become familiar with
McLeod: Ryne Willard and Christian Dicks – they are two of the best players in the country at the NJCAA ranks. The return of Bobby Rice is huge. He was an All-Panhandle Conference player two years ago. He has great experience and possesses great level-headedness. Leadership is going to be really important to our success, and those three have to be the nucleus.
TCCeagles.com: Finish this sentence. 2014 will be a successful season if…
McLeod: Our players come together and really desire the same things and that desire needs to be to win. And if we do the little things – continue to work hard to get better throughout the season.
TCCeagles.com: Where is this team’s ceiling?
McLeod: It’s pretty high. We’re going to compete for a conference championship, state tournament berth and be in the mix to win that and go to Grand Junction.
TCCeagles.com: If the season hinges on one thing, what is it?
McLeod: Staying healthy, just like always.