Season Preview #1: Infielders
1/24/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jan. 24, 2014
With the baseball season just three weeks away and closing in fast, LongBeachState.com will be posting position group previews every Friday leading up to the season. This week, we begin our three-week series with an infield preview.
Learn more about your 2014 Dirtbags over the next three weeks and join us on Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. when the Dirtbags host Vanderbilt. The entire Dirtbags team and some alumni will also be on display this Saturday at Blair Field. Admission is free to the Alumni Game and team scrimmage, which starts at 11 a.m.
Season Preview: Infielders
"The infield has the chance to be our strongest area."
Head coach Troy Buckley certainly thinks highly of the group of Dirtbags he has in the infield this year. He has two .300+ hitters returning as fourth year seniors and a highly touted freshman looking to make his debut, but that isn't what has Buckley excited about this group.
"We have versatility within the infield and we've also shown the ability to take care of the baseball," Buckley went on to say about this group's makeup.
That phrase, "The ability to take care of the baseball," came up at least half a dozen times in a conversation regarding his infielders. It has become one of the top priorities of the program heading into Buckley's fourth year at the helm.
There are four positions in the infield but Buckley talks very highly of at least six players that have a chance to earn starting positions this spring. The depth of the infield runs so deep, in fact, that it may even spill over into the outfield.
Two positions seem to be all but locked down heading into the opener on Feb. 14. Ino Patron will undoubtedly fill the spot at first base and reclaim his spot in the middle of the order. He is a three-year starter that has shown continued growth with the bat and has proved to be a solid defensive option at first.
"Patron is going to be our starting first baseman. Ino is going into his fourth year as a starter and understands that position well," Buckley commented about his veteran leader.
Patron is coming off of his best offensive season, hitting .301 in 2013 with a team-leading 30 RBI. He also led the team with 21 hits that went for extra bases. With another solid year, Patron can become the 11th Dirtbag in Long Beach State history to total 200 career hits. His defensive numbers aren't bad either. With just four errors last year, Patron posted a .976 fielding percentage.
Sophomores Jonathan Serven and Zack Belanger will be the Dirtbags next options behind Patron. Serven made the move across the infield to first base this fall after playing mostly on the left side of the infield as a freshman last year.
While a three-year starter is the obvious choice at first, it is a brand new player that has emerged as the everyday shortstop.
"At this particular point, a freshman is going to start at short. It's really nice to have a guy earn the position versus being given the position," Buckley said.
That freshman is Garrett Hampson. Hampson comes to The Beach from Reno, Nev. and was a highly touted high school prospect. His speed on the basepaths and quickness in the field have quickly drawn the eyes of the coaching staff, who see nothing but upside with one of their newest additions.
"Garrett has shown a really good ability to take care of the baseball. His instincts of understanding the speed of the game are at a very high level," Buckley said. "He'll have his growing pains, as most freshmen do, but he's a very exciting player. We are really excited about him because he has the ability to be a very dynamic player on both sides of the ball."
The other end of the double play tandem will be a bit of a moving part, at least for the first part of the year. Buckley rattles off a few names when talking about the second base position. Colton Vaughn gives the Dirtbags the most experience at the position as a senior and will likely be penciled in as the starter on opening day. He started 28 games in 2013 and hit .263. However, sophomore Alex DeGoti and sophomore transfer Zack Domingues present more options with the middle infield spots.
DeGoti made only 31 trips to the plate as a freshman with seven starts, but has shown growth over the offseason that has placed right in the thick of the competition. Domingues transferred from Cuesta College and has proved worthy on the defensive side. His left-handed bat also provides more of a balance in the lineup.
"There is some flexibility at second, which gives us the versatility to move guys around in the infield. It's going to be a positive for us," Buckley summed up.
DeGoti and Domingues will be simultaneously competing for some time at third base. Senior Michael Hill will slide back over to third for his final campaign with the Dirtbags after filling in at shortstop last season. Hill is a dynamic player that opens up opportunities when setting the defensive lineup. He could also easily move into the outfield, which will be previewed further next week.
"Michael Hill is going to play," Buckley stated with certainty. "He proved last year offensively that he is one of our best offensive threats. Where he plays will be determined on what is best for our team."
Hill had a breakout year in 2013. He hit .336 in 37 games before missing the last part of the year with an injury. He led the squad with three homeruns, legged out five triples and had 17 RBI. His .522 slugging percentage was also the best on the team.
The infield alignment can and will change as the year unfolds. The excess of infielders gives Buckley the versatility to change things up from week-to-week and even from game-to-game within a series.
"All those guys are going to play. There's not one that I mentioned that isn't going to see playing time," Buckley guaranteed.
Last year, the Dirtbags finished the season ranked seventh in the Big West in fielding percentage. With the way he talks about his infield, Buckley is envisioning a much higher ranking in the 2014 season. Improvement on the defensive end of things has become a top priority in his program.
Whether they are three seniors filling out the infield with a freshman or three undercalssmen starting with a fourth year senior, the Dirtbags expect to be a much improved team with their "ability to take care of the baseball."
Buckley has sent out a message loud and clear to his entire team. "Our first priority is taking care of the baseball. We have to play defense. It all starts on the defensive end of the ball. If everybody is taking care of the ball, that's a great problem to have. "
That message has been received with the Dirtbags and it all starts in the dirt of the infield.
