Jan. 29, 2007
The Marshall Baseball team enters a new era this season, as Jeff Waggoner takes over the reigns of the Thundering Herd program. He inherits a team that returns 17 letterwinners from the 2006 squad that went 22-32 in its inaugural season in Conference USA.
This team takes on a decidedly different look than the 2006 version, with 14 newcomers that will be expected to contribute immediately. Marshall returns just two of its nine position starters from last season and also loses six key pitchers, so there are many battles ongoing to win starting slots in the lineup.
Infield
The Marshall starting infield will be completely new from last season, as all four starters have completed their eligibilities. Second-team All-Conference USA and All-Mideast Region pick Brendan Murphy will take over at first base after spending most of 2006 as the designated hitter. Murphy is once again the Thundering Herd's top power and run-producing threat after hitting .315 with 15 home runs, 19 doubles and a league-best 70 runs batted in in 2006.
Senior Aaron Jamieson, after sitting out an injury-plagued 2006, is expected to vie for time at second base with freshman Josh Valle. Jamieson is a career .312 hitter who batted .318 in 50 games during the 2005 season. Senior Jimmy Mathias, who played in 25 games with seven starts last year, and sophomore transfer Brandon Casamassima are battling for time at shortstop. Junior Matt Helm competed in 22 games last year and is looking to move into the third-base opening left by four-year starter and all-time Marshall hits leader Adam Frederick. Freshman Blake Sanders also will battle for that spot.
Outfield
Marshall returns one starter to the outfield, as senior Brit Vincent is back in right field after hitting .301 in 53 games last year. Nate Lape, a sophomore transfer from North Carolina, will share time with Vincent in right. Junior transfer Nick Damas and freshman Mason Chapman (center field) and senior Chris Peak and junior transfer Jeff Rowley (left field) are working toward starting bids in the other two outfield positions.
Catching
Junior Tommy Johnson played in 16 games with eight starts last season, posting a .382 batting average (13-for-34) despite battling injuries. He and Texas-Arlington transfer Thad Ledford are expected to get the bulk of the playing time behind the plate this season.
Pitching
Marshall returns two of its three starters from the weekend rotation. Senior righthander Jeremy Slone was the Thundering Herd's top starter in 2006, leading the team in innings pitched (88.2) and games started (15), and junior lefthander Brian Chrisman started 13 games while topping the team in strikeouts with 59.
The third starting slot is up in the air, with a host of players battling for the position. Junior Adam Dobies, one of Marshall's top midweek starters last season, is in the running for the third starting spot, along with newcomers Ryan Kiel and Tyler Gatrell and sophomore southpaw Andrew Blain, who posted the lowest ERA on the Herd pitching staff last season (2.25).
The bullpen loses several key pitchers, but returns senior righthander Nick Wolle, who possesses the strongest arm on the staff. Blain, if he is not in the rotation, gives the Herd a tough lefthanded alternative as well.
Tom Ponietowicz, Alan Gentry, Andrew Hancock, Sean Rigney and Adam Kuhr are all expected to contribute valuable innings throughout the season as well.
Marshall Unveils New Coaching Staff
The Thundering Herd is under the guidance of a new coaching staff in 2007, led by head coach Jeff Waggoner, who comes to Huntington after a two-year stint as an assistant at North Carolina State. Tim Adkins, a minor-league veteran with over 400 career starts, is the Thundering Herd's pitching coach, while Tim Donnelly, a former assistant at Kent State, is working primarily with the infielders. George Brumfield, a longtime high school head coach in West Virginia, is the volunteer assistant coach.
Preseason Honors for Murphy
After earning Second Team All-Conference USA and All-Mideast Region honors as a junior, Brendan Murphy continued to pile up the honors in the 2007 preseason. Murphy has been named a NCBWA Second-Team Preseason All-American and also is on the 2007 Wallace Award Watch List for national player of the year honors.
Lots of Newbies
Marshall has 14 newcomers for 2007, making up nearly half of the roster. The class is comprised of six true freshmen and eight transfers, including Division I-transfers Nate Lape (North Carolina) and Thad Ledford (Texas-Arlington).
The Schedule
Marshall opens its season Feb. 16-18 at Charleston Southern before beginning its home schedule Feb. 24-25 against LaSalle at University Heights Field. Marshall is home for 17 of 18 games from Feb. 24-March 18 before traveling to James Madison for a two-game series March 20-21.
Once again, the Thundering Herd will play its home games at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, W.Va. Marshall will welcome Tulane (March 23-25), East Carolina (April 13-15), Houston (April 27-29) and UAB (May 11-13) to Charleston. Marshall travels to Rice (March 30-April 1), Memphis (April 20-22), Southern Miss (May 4-6) and UCF (May 17-19) in conference play.
The top eight teams in the conference will compete May 23-27 in the Conference USA Tournament. The 2007 tournament will be held at Tulane's Turchin Stadium in New Orleans.
