BASEBALL TWITTER TAKEOVER: Senior infielder Conner Currier will help open the 2017 campaign by doing the Leatherneck Student-Athlete 'Twitter Takeover'. Currier will takeover the @WIUBaseball Twitter account on Thursday, and give an inside look on the team's preparation for the season-opening series.
SEASON OPENER: Western Illinois opens the 2017 campaign with a challenging four-game series in Starkville, Mississippi... The Leathernecks open against College World Series participant Texas Tech for two games and close out the weekend against host Mississippi State. The Bulldogs last year advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals... Western last faced Texas Tech in 2007, losing a pair of games... WIU dropped three games at Mississippi State to open the 1975 season.
SCOUTING THE RED RAIDERS: Texas Tech advanced to the 2016 College World Series and finished 47-20 overall... The Red Raiders return five starters and seven pitchers... Tanner Gardner batted .379 with 19 doubles, six triples, 55 runs scored and 35 RBI... Hunter Hargrove batted .305. He recorded 10 doubles, 28 RBI and 11 walks to just nine strikeouts... Davis Martin went 10-1 with two saves and a 2.52 ERA in 89.1 innings. Steven Gingery (68.0 IP, 3.18 ERA) and Ryan Shetter (31.1 IP, 4.02 ERA) each went 4-2.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS: Mississippi State returns four starters and 14 pitchers from last year's 44-18-1 squad. MSU begin the 2017 campaign under first-year head coach Andy Cannizaro... Outfielders Jake Mangum (.408 BA, 28 RBI) and Brent Rooker (.324, 11 HR and 54 RBI) lead among the offensive starters... Ryan Rigby (5-1, 2.25 ERA) and Konnor Pilkington (3-1, 2.08) recorded 43 and 42 strikeouts, respectively.
D1BASEBALL.COM PLAYERS TO WATCH: According to the Preseason Summit League preview by D1Baseball.com, seniors Adam McGinnis (C) and Preston Church (LHP) were two of the top 10 prospects in the 2017 MLB Draft Class... Sophomore Deion Thompson was ranked fourth of the five prospects for the 2018 Draft... True-freshman right-handed pitcher Javin Drake was one of five Impact Freshman chosen by the website.
HEAD COACH RYAN BROWNLEE: Head coach Ryan Brownlee is in his fifth year in charge of Leatherneck Baseball. His 71 wins ranks him fourth all-time in Western Illinois history... Brownlee has coached 12 All-Summit League selections, seven All-Tournament picks and seen six of his WIU players move on to play professional baseball (3 MLB Draft picks, 3 Free Agent)... He made an immediate impact for the program during his collegiate head coaching debut series in 2013 when the Leathernecks knocked off preseason ranked #1 Arkansas.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL: Western was picked to finish fifth in the Summit League preseason poll... The Leathernecks started the 2016 conference season winning their first three series, but 10 Leathernecks who started early in the season suffered injuries that forced them to miss multiple games. Western ended up 11-19 and just missing on qualifying for the postseason tournament... Junior outfielder Roman Visintine was named one of six from the Summit League as a 'Player to Watch'.
2017 PRESEASON OUTLOOK
RETURNERS IN THE FIELD: Western Illinois returns seven starters from the 2016 season, and could have two of those starters at a new position... Seniors Adam McGinnis (C), Conner Currier (1B) and Chris Tschida (UTIL) are back. Tschida started at shortstop last year, but could also see time in the outfield... Junior Roman Visintine returns to center field... Deion Thompson saw the majority of his 2016 starts in the infield, however, this year the versatile sophomore could earn a start anywhere in the infield or outfield... Sophomore Nick Schrader started 41 games at second base... Cord Church (OF), Justin Fitzpatrick (OF), Steve McShane (OF), Drue Galassi (OF), Dave Dobrinich (OF), CJ Schaeffer (C) are all returners with at least nine starts.
   "It's been really good, all of our guys came back in really good shape. We were able to jump right back into it. Mother Nature has cooperated for the most part, we've only been inside a couple of days. I feel good about where we are at and our preparation on getting everything in we need to get in. We just need to go play somebody else now. I give our guys credit, they did everything we wanted them to do over break and they came back ready to go and are excited to get the season going," said head coach Ryan Brownlee. "We've had sunny weather too when we've played outside, so we've gotten used to catching popups with the sun in your face. Those are all the small things that if you're inside a lot you cannot replace that, and you're going to have some ups-and-downs with that when you first get going. So I feel like we should not have any issues with that on Friday."
CATCHER: Led by senior Adam McGinnis, the Leathernecks return veteran leadership behind the plate... In 47 games (40 starts), he batted .262 with a team-leading nine doubles and two home runs. However, McGinnis is looking to build off his impressive summer season in the Northwoods League, as he led the Waterloo Bucks offensively (batted .296, .525 slugging percentage, 19 doubles, 12 home runs, 42 runs scored and 62 RBI in 72 games). He was named Honorable Mention Summer Collegiate All-American... Sophomore CJ Schaeffer made 10 starts and drove in four runs while scoring five times... Also behind the plate this year are freshmen Austin Emanuel and Tyler Stewart.
   "I think that's probably our strongest position with all 3 of those guys. CJ worked his way into the mix last year just because he was really good defensively. (Adam) McGinnis had a great fall and great spring. I feel like those guys are 1 and 1A because they both do such a good job. CJ is a really good athlete, he's going to play some outfield too because he has earned that. He has swung the bat as good as anyone at this point. Austin from an offensive standpoint is very advanced for a freshman. He's got a really good approach, a really good swing, but he's behind those guys defensively right now. Austin could work his way into DHing a little bit," said Brownlee.
INFIELD: Conner Currier finished second on the team batting .315 with five doubles, two triples and 22 RBI. He took over at first base (46 starts) and posted a .985 fielding percentage... Nick Schrader started 41 times last year, the majority of which at second base. Despite a .188 batting average, he still drove in 20 runs (3rd on the team) and scored 10 runs with five doubles and a home run while posting a .955 fielding percentage... The left side of the infield is shaping up to be JUCO transfers Johnathan Fleek (SS) and Mitch Ellis (3B). Both joined the Leathernecks with impressive JUCO stats and both are coming off a solid fall season... Last year, Chris Tschida and Deion Thompson both started games in the infield.
   "There's depth up the middle. You've got returning guys in (Conner) Currier and (Chris) Tschida has experience all over the field. Deion (Thompson) and (Nick) Schrader have experience all over the infield, and (Johnathan) Fleek and (Mitch) Ellis on the left side.Deion has played good at shortstop. You're not going to go through a whole season without someone getting dinged up here and there where they may need a day off. We're a lot deeper at short with Johnathan and Deion. They both can really defend. It's been an enjoyable fall and spring watching those guys play defense. As a former infielder you appreciate when a guy can really play defense. I think that's going to give us a chance to eliminate a lot of free bases, which we didn't do at times last year. I feel like our defense will be much better this year than last year," said Brownlee.
OUTFIELD: With Chris Tschida and Deion Thompson in the outfield, joining centerfielder Roman Visintine, the outfield has the most returners with playing experience... Tschida batted .296 last year with four doubles, two triples and three homers. He led the team with 27 RBI and 25 runs scored... Thompson missed 25 games last year due to an injury the second weekend of the season, but he returned to hit a team-leading five home runs in 25 games. He added 15 runs scored, 10 RBI and three doubles... Visintine ranked among the Summit League leaders with his .345 average, and led Western with a .421 slugging percentage. He knocked seven doubles and two triples, while defensively recorded three outfield assists and robbed a home run... Cord Church finished the season strong, batting .294 in 25 starts. He drove in 11 and had four doubles... Justin Fitzpatrick missed three weeks with an injury, playing in 25 games. He drove in five runs and scored three... Steve McShane tied for the team lead with two triples (both in the same game) and scored three runs. He and Church tied for the team lead with nine stolen bases each while Visintine had eight... Drue Galassi started nine of his 12 games played, but suffered a season-ending injury after a collision in a game prior to the start of Summit League play. He hit two triples and scored six runs... Dave Dobrinich started 10 games, scoring two runs and driving in two... Jimmy Perkins played in three games last year as a freshman... Alex Dorethy begins his freshman year with the Leathernecks.
   "We've done a good job recruiting athletic guys that can play multiple positions. We have a lot of opportunities for guys out there. Obviously Roman (Visintine) is going to be every day in centerfield. But you also have guys who can play center behind him. Drue (Galassi) isn't showing any ill effects from last year getting injured. Fitz (Justin Fitzpatrick) the same thing. You have Cord Church there, we played all three last year and have a lot of options. (Chris) Tschida will play in left, I think it will help him offensively… roam around out there and bang at the plate," said Brownlee.
PITCHERS: Western lost five position starters due to injuries last year, and the pitching staff suffered a similar fate. Four starters from last year missed three or more weeks of action due to injuries... Sophomore Ian Koch (Second Team All-Summit League) jumped into the rotation and eventually became the number one starter. He led Western with a 3-6 record and 66.2 innings while striking out 34. He earned a Summit League 'Pitcher of the Week' award in April... Senior Preston Church (2016 Preseason Pitcher of the Year) made five starts before suffering a season-ending injury. He went 0-2 with a 4.88 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 27.2 innings... Senior Matthew Sturchio (0-3, 4.71) moved into the starting rotation late in the year and pitched a complete game in the final weekend series... Sam Cottingham-Beard (1-2, 5.91) and J.T. Baksha (0-2, 7.2 IP) started games on the weekend last year... Senior Nate Westfahl (1-1, 4.79) led the team with five saves in his 15 relief appearances... Junior Colan Borchers (1-1, 6.85) is tops among the returning pitchers with 17 appearances last season... Sophomore Jimmy Perkins (0-3, 7.30) made three starts in his 11 games... Junior Carson Cheesman and sophomore Pete Minella, both left-handed pitchers, missed the 2016 season due to an injury... Because of injuries late in the year, outfielder (and left-handed throwing) Dave Dobrinich made three relief appearances and posted a 2.70 ERA... True-freshman Javin Drake could join the rotation... Ben Sellers redshirted last year, and Connor Rektorski (RHP) and Carter Poiry (RHP) are true-freshmen.
   "You obviously don't want to put yourself in a position like that from last year. It was tough on our staff, we were throwing a lot of guys in a role they weren't going to be comfortable in. You look at what Ian (Koch) did (Second Team All-Summit League), Sam (Cottingham-Beard) started a lot of games, Sturch (Matthew Sturchio) started a lot of games. It allowed us to get better for this year even though it didn't look like it last year. We have a lot of competition for starting spots. JT (Baksha) is back, he's throwing like he did his freshman year. Preston (Church) is now just coming back. He's going to be in the bullpen to start the year and see how he does with that. Just from an experience standpoint it's nice to have a guy in a game who has been through the wars, throw strikes, hold runners and field his position. You look at Westy (Nate Westfahl), he can close games or he can start for you. We have multiple guys we can move around but I feel good just from an experience standpoint. The new guys have come in and thrown well. You don't know until you start facing someone else but I'll be surprised if our guys don't go out and do well on the mound and do what they've done to this point," stated Brownlee.
SCHEDULE: Western will face a rigorous non-conference schedule, going up against four teams that advanced to the NCAA Regionals. Four teams finished with 40 wins last year - Texas Tech (47), Mississippi State (44), Wright State (46) and Kent State (43)... Southeast Missouri (38), Summit League foe Oral Roberts (38) and Southern Illinois (31) all finished with 31-plus wins.
   "There's a good quote I saw the other day that said, 'You can't sharpen a knife with Kleenex', which I think what our early schedule is. We're going to get better by playing better competition. I don't schedule games to not win, we're scheduling every game because I think we have a legitimate chance to go out and win that game. You look at the history of the two programs… Texas Tech lately and Mississippi State and what they've done. You look at everyone else we're playing they all have Regionals experience for the most part, except for a couple of teams, and I like that. I think it's better for us to go out and get after someone else who has been there. I think you get better by doing that," said Brownlee.
FOOTBALL/BASEBALL DUO: Sophomore outfielders Justin Fitzpatrick and Steve McShane begin their second year playing both football and baseball...
   McShane earned Second Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors at running back, finishing with 917 rushing yards (2nd most in the MVFC) and team-leading eight touchdowns. McShane was a MVFC 'Offensive Player of the Week' and Honorable Mention 'National Offensive Player of the Week' following his career-high 207 rushing yards and two touchdowns at Eastern Illinois. It was the first of his three 100-yard rushing games. He added 234 receiving yards on 23 catches and a TD in 11 games.
   Fitzpatrick played in all 11 games last season as a defensive back. He made 19 tackles on the year, 16 of which were solos, and broke up three passes. Fitzpatrick recorded a career-high seven tackles against Northern Arizona and South Dakota State.
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