Feb. 7, 2008

Added pitching depth and returning speed combined with a handful of talented newcomers has the UAB Blazers looking to match their fourth place finish in Conference USA in 2007 and has them eyeing their fifth straight trip to the C-USA Championship.

UAB finished 2007 with an overall record of 25-33 and 12-12 in Conference USA after it rallied to win five of its last six regular season games, including two over 29th-ranked and NCAA Tournament participant East Carolina. Five position starters from last year's squad return this season and 11 of the team's 16 pitchers from last season are back to help lead the team back to the upper echelon of Conference USA.

"I hope we can repeat with a 12-12 record in Conference USA," said second-year UAB head coach Brian Shoop. "I think we've taken baby steps in the right direction (since last season). Our work ethic is better, our attitude is better, our buy-in is better and our family atmosphere of caring about one another is better. I believe we've taken small steps in the right direction, but it's still a work in progress."

One obstacle facing the Blazers in 2008 is the task of replacing five starting position players, including All-Conference USA First Team members J.R. Bond and Danny Sawyer.

"I think last year's senior class will be a difficult group to replace," Shoop said. "Grant (Addison) got us two big wins down the stretch and Steven (Turner) numerically didn't have a great year but he was such a weapon to have. Then the position starters hit one, three, four and five. We have talented guys replacing them this year, but those guys had good years last year so time will tell."

Of the team's 16 newcomers, eight are freshmen, one is a sophomore and seven are juniors. Shoop is excited about the talent and potential of his new group as four (Beau Pender, Luke Stewart, Austin Taylor, Digger Towe) have been previously selected in the MLB Draft and two (Stewart - Georgia, Benji Waite - Samford) already have Division I experience.

"There is always a learning curve and time factor when you're playing new guys," Shoop said. "Very few come in and have no hiccups and that's even for guys that were here last year but didn't play. Cody (McMurry) hasn't played competitively for quite a few months and we're counting on him to play a huge role."

The Blazers were able to impose their speed on teams in 2007, setting a school record with 25 triples in addition to stealing 81 bases, the fifth-highest total in program history. With a system that relies heavily on bunting, doubles and stolen bases, Shoop said that if it stays healthy, speed could be a viable resource for his club this season.

"If Phil (Bell) is healthy then speed will be a real strength for us," Shoop said. "I'd like to have a balanced attack so we can attack the game offensively. I like to have some guys who have good strike zone discipline and I want guys who can run and bunt. But you can't do it all like that - you have to have guys who can swing the bat and split the gaps and leave the park occasionally."

Defense was a major point of emphasis for Shoop and his staff during fall training after the Blazers led Conference USA with 110 errors in 2007.

"Defensively I'm not real sure where we are yet," Shoop said. "We have a chance to be good in the middle at short and second. Behind the plate, Allen (Aubin) has moved back to his natural position where he is most comfortable. I hope we are improved defensively, but again, time will tell."

The Blazer bullpen improved in virtually every statistical category from the previous campaign last season and Shoop said he's been impressed with the progress of his returning arms and likes the potential of the new ones.

"We've added some arms and I think a lot of guys have taken great steps forward," Shoop said. "Kyle (Roberson) probably had the most impressive fall. I believe we are improved on the mound and when you play a good schedule like we do, there is such a fine line between winning and losing, but I think we are going in a good direction."

Catchers
With the departure of first-team All-Conference USA catcher Danny Sawyer due to graduation, there are big shoes to fill behind the plate in 2008. Looking to provide battery mate services behind the plate this season are juniors Allen Aubin and Brint Hardy.

Aubin started in 25 games last season playing primarily at second base where he boasted a .313 on-base percentage. Hardy started in 38 games in the outfield last season, which is where Shoop would prefer to keep him in 2008.

Also in the mix behind the plate are redshirt freshman Andrew Manning and sophomore Kevin Cope.

"Allen is ahead behind the plate," Shoop said. "Andrew and Brint are both in the mix. We really don't want to take Brint out of the outfield because he is very good out there. Kevin Cope is back to being almost fully healthy which will be good."

Junior transfer Digger Towe was expected to provide extensive services behind the plate this season, but will be sidelined while he recovers from injury. Towe hit .346 with six home runs for Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College in 2006.

Infielders
As the Blazers look to continue to improve defensively they will fill the infield with both experienced and inexperienced talent. Senior Ryan Keedy will start at first base where he started in 55 games last season. The southpaw hit .333 with four home runs and 33 RBI in 2007, while leading the team in walks (42) and on-base percentage (.457).

"Ryan is our guy at first," Shoop said. "He's a guy that will hit third and we are really comfortable with him as our leader. He is a different guy this year. He has been the leader we want him to be and has just been everything we'd want out of him so I think we are better at first this year with the same guy."

Backing Keedy up at first will be senior Billy Lichtner and freshman Devin Hamilton. Lichtner played in 21 games last season and had an on-base percentage of .385. Hamilton, a standout from Harrison High School in Acworth, Ga., committed no errors in his senior season.

"We have a lot of depth at first," Shoop said. "Billy will have an opportunity to DH and be a pinch hitter. Devin is a freshman who could be really good. He needs some time to get stronger and play behind a guy that he can learn from so I think this year will be really good for him."

Second base was the least concrete position for the Blazers last season as both Tyler Rollin and Aubin got more than 20 starts at the position. This season, the Blazers are excited about their young middle infield prospect Nick Crawford being their every day second baseman. At 5-7, 145 pounds, Crawford adds desirable speed and athleticism to the middle infield. A standout at Evangelical Christian in Cordova, Tenn., Crawford was a three-time West Tennessee All-Region selection.

"I think we are improved at second," Shoop said. "Nick is a really good player. Everybody liked him coming out of high school but passed on him because they thought he was too small. I think they all missed out and we've really benefited from that."

Returning at shortstop is sophomore Jonathan Merritt who hit .294 with 32 RBI and 13 steals last season. Merritt led the team with a .364 average in Conference USA play to earn him C-USA All-Freshman Team recognition.

"Nick and Jonathan are two very talented players who will start in the middle for us," Shoop said. "They are both small but very talented. We may have the smallest middle infield in the country."

Backing up Crawford and Merritt in the middle will be junior Ben Drust who hit .331 with 20 RBI last season at John A. Logan (Ill.) Community College.

"Ben will serve as the third middle infielder and we'll need him because you can't go through a season with just two guys in the middle. Ben wants to be a coach one day and he has that coach's mentality where he's a good leader."

Third base may be the biggest question mark for the Blazers heading into the season as sophomore Luke Stewart, a transfer from Georgia, and redshirt freshman Andrew Manning have both demonstrated the ability to start at the position. Stewart hit .274 with two home runs and 10 RBI for Georgia last season while playing primarily at first. Manning spent last summer playing with the Sanford River Cats and was selected to the Florida Collegiate League All-Star Game.

"Luke and Andrew will compete at third and we'll just have to wait and see who emerges as the front runner there," Shoop said.

Outfielders
The Blazers return a pair of talented and veteran outfielders at the corner positions in senior Phil Bell and Hardy. Starting in center will be junior Cody McMurry.

Bell is the team's leading returning hitter having batted .336 with 37 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 2007. Bell also led the team in sacrifice bunts with 10 before going on the play with the Hyannis Mets in the Cape Cod Summer Baseball League. Hardy hit .265 in 2007 and led the team in stolen bases with 18.

McMurry transferred to UAB from Shelton State Community College last season, but was ruled ineligible after the fall semester. McMurry was an Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) All-Region First Team selection at Shelton State.

Junior Austin Taylor, a transfer from Holmes (Miss.) Community College, is also expected to be in the lineup either as an outfielder or designated hitter. Taylor hit .346 with a combined 50 RBI in his two seasons at Holmes.

"We have four outfielders who we believe are ahead going into the season," Shoop said. "Hopefully Phil will be healthy and Cody is a guy that we will look to to replace J.R. (Bond) and hit in the middle of our lineup. Austin is a new guy who had a tremendous offensive fall. He's a good combination guy who doubles and can run, but he still has to learn to defend better."

Others looking to earn time in the outfield will be a pair of freshmen in Bradley Hicks and Danny Volk. Hicks played for Lloyd Skoda at Faith Academy High School in Mobile, Ala., while Volk was an all-conference selection at Tonganoxie High School in Tonganoxie, Kan.

"Bradley and Danny are both great workers and we look forward to watching them continue to develop."

Pitching
Though the Blazers improved in nearly every statistical category on the mound in 2007, Shoop is still looking to see improvements from his more experienced bullpen.

"Last year, we were 10-4 on Fridays, 5-8 on Saturdays and 4-11 on Sundays," Shoop said. "We have to improve on Sunday's and in mid-week games and that is completely dependent on pitching depth and hopefully that has improved."

Eleven pitchers return from 2007 and five very capable new arms have been added to the mix. Expected to lead the Blazers on the mound again this season are senior Brandon Wallace and junior Mitch Kloskowski.

Kloskowski served as the team's primary Friday night starter in 2007, compiling a record of 5-5 with a 3.84 ERA and 52 strikeouts. Wallace appeared in 21 games last season, earning four saves with a 4.71 ERA and 24 strikeouts, while not giving up a single home run or triple.

"Mitch is our No. 1 guy again and I think you have to put Brandon as our No. 2 again," Shoop said. "They will both have a ton of innings in some capacity. There is still a lot of competition going on and there is a lot of uncertainty as to what everyone's roles will be."

Sophomore left-hander Shay Crawford is another returning starter looking to have another strong year. Crawford was voted to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team after earning four wins in 13 starts on the mound in 2007.

"Shay returns and he threw a lot as a freshman and threw really well at times and struggled at times," Shoop said. "He'll play a huge role again, we're just not sure if it will be as a starter or out of the pen."

Junior right-hander Kyle Roberson is back after making several mid-week starts in 2007. Roberson shined during fall training, leaving the Blazer coaching staff very optimistic about his 2008 campaign.

"Kyle had a great fall and was the most impressive to us so he is certainly going to get an opportunity to pitch and succeed," Shoop said.

Leading a large contingent of relievers is junior right-hander James Oliver who led the club with 22 relief appearances in 2007, earning one win and one save, while boasting a 4.20 ERA.

"James is exactly what you want in terms of character out on the mound," Shoop said. "When he fails, he immediately starts rooting for his teammates and he's just not blown away by failure, he's ready to get back out there. His arm strength has improved and he just has the right makeup for a pitcher."

Junior Beau Pender is a talented new right-hander who came to UAB from Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College. A 45th round draft pick by the New York Mets in the 2006 MLB Draft, Pender has spent the past year recovering from an arm injury and will slowly get acclimated to being a front-line arm for the Blazers.

"Beau we signed to be a weekend guy before he got hurt," Shoop said. "We'll have to wait and see how his injury unfolds, but if he is healthy then I think he's a legitimate weekend guy and I think that before it's all said and done he will be just that. He's got a power breaking ball and throws with a really nice angle."

Another talented newcomer is junior left-hander Johnny Volk who came to UAB from Allen County (Kan.) Community College where he was a first-team All-Jayhawk Conference selection.

"Johnny is really unorthodox and has a good arm from the left side and had a very good fall," Shoop said. "He could start or relieve so we'll have to wait and see what role is best for him, but I expect him to pitch a lot."

Two freshmen that are expected to provide solid depth on the mound are Blake Huddleston and Trey Vice who showed great promise in the fall. Huddleston was a Birmingham News All-State selection at Cullman High School in Cullman, Ala. and can also be used as a middle infielder. Vice had a stellar career at Westbrook Christian in Wellington, Ala. where he had a career ERA of 0.82.

"I think Blake and Trey will both be in the mix," Shoop said. "I think they will both be very good Division I players in time. Trey throws from the left and Blake has a late-sinking running fastball and there is a real place for that."

A trio of seniors in right-handers Dustin Colburn and Brandon Flaherty and left-hander Paul Jones are also expected to log a great deal of innings this season. Colburn earned three wins on the mound last season, while Flaherty made 21 relief appearances and held an ERA of 3.42. Jones saw limited action in 2007, logging 9.1 innings.

"Dustin pitched a lot last year and we are hoping for him to have a better year this season," Shoop said. "Paul is another left-hander who threw a ton of strikes in the fall which was a huge emphasis for us.

"Brandon had a good fall as well. He has a really good changeup and has improved it and gained confidence in it. He's a good athlete on the mound and can field his position really well."

Other arms looking to get time on the mound this season are sophomores Robert Brewster and Mikael Saway who are each trying to rebound after injury plagued seasons in 2007.

Senior Rodney Wodson, junior Benji Waite, a transfer from Samford, and freshman Jeff Younger will also be vying for innings on the mound.

Schedule
UAB's 56-game schedule in 2008 is once again one of the more challenging and appealing slates in the country. With the season start date pushed back to Feb. 22 this year, the Blazers will play 15 games during the first 20 days of the season.

Ball State will come to Young Memorial Field for a four-game series to open the season Feb. 22-24. One major highlight of the team's non-conference schedule is a road trip to Hawaii where the Blazers will play at Hawaii-Hilo (March 8-9) and at Hawaii (March 11-12).

"We scheduled the trip to Hawaii almost immediately when I got here," Shoop said. "The kids are excited about it. I treat that trip a little differently than other trips. Certainly we will be there to win but I do give the guys more free time there and for a lot of the kids it's a once in a lifetime event."

The team will open Conference USA play March 21-23 at Memphis before returning home the following weekend to square off with Tulane Mar. 28-30.

In addition to Tulane, the Blazers will host league series with Houston (Apr. 18-20), Marshall (Apr. 25-27) and Southern Miss (May 15-17).

"If somebody wants to see good college baseball and they live in Birmingham they don't have to travel very far," Shoop said. "Conference USA is one of the premier league's in the country so we are going to get four of the better teams in America in here each season."

Additional road series include trips to Rice (Apr. 11-13), East Carolina (May 2-4) and UCF (May 9-11)

"One of the more attractive things we have to offer in recruiting is that we play a great schedule," Shoop said. "We play in great cities and in some fantastic venues and we are fortunate enough to be well budgeted and are able to stay in nice places and eat really well so our kids get a fun, big-time Division I baseball experience."