2023 Team Previews

Chattanooga State     Cleveland State     Columbia State     Dyersburg State     Jackson State     Motlow State     Roane State   Southwest TN    Volunteer State     Walters State

 
 
 
 
Chattanooga State CC
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
 
1 Charlie Smith - So. - RHP - Signed Memphis - Bulldog on the mound and was 11-1 last year. 
2 CJ Morro - So. - 2B - Nicholls State - Led team in BAvg last year and looks to build on that.
3 Cade Chamlee - So. - 3B - Very good defender and offense has come on quite a bit
4 Brody Ballou - Fr. - CF - Extremely talented defender and top of the order hitter.
5 Scotty Dean - Fr. - C - Very talented hitter and defender
6 Billy Skripac - Fr. - RHP - Very good arm and showed competitive fire this fall
7 Cooper Longron - So. - LHP - Was 5-0 last year and has shown better stuff
 
2024 TEAM OUTLOOK:  Coming off of a great year last year, we have a large bunch of true freshmen and going to have to "mature them" pretty quickly.  Charlie Smith, CJ Morro, Cade Chamlee and other Sophomores look to lead a talented bunch and hopefully, we can gel at the right time again!
 
Offense: We struggled this fall.  A bunch of true freshmen trying to figure things out tends to lead to this.  Chamlee, Morro are the centerpieces but Ballou, Dean and Jonathan Vigoa look to add talent along with many others who should be main parts of a diverse offense.
 
Defense: We return 3 of our 4 starting infielders ( Chamlee, Conor Linkfield, Morro ) and were pretty solid last year.  The outfield will be all new but with Ballou in CF, they should be athletic and hopefully fully-functional.  Catching could be a real strength as Dean and Vigoa are very, very good.
 
Pitching: This is where we showed much more depth in the fall.  Smith should be one of the best in this region for sure and Longron and Zach Lear came on this fall really well.  Newcomers Nick Falla, Reid Leonard, Donovan Peebles, Billy Skripac and Carter Whitefield should play big parts with plus stuff.
 
Overall outlook: We are hoping to get our feet under us early and offensively find our footing.  February is going to be a lot of growth and then hopefully hit March and 3 straight conference weekends on the road ( following a home opener with Dyersburg! ) running and keep our heads above water.
Cleveland State CC
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
 
1 Bryson Trammell: LF returning sophomore who is talented player who will need to lead our offense. He hit 4 hr last years as he dealt with injuries and only played in 38 games.
2 Riley Orr C SO: Returning sophomore who led the team in hitting with a .392 batting average with 7 doubles and 32 rbi's.
3 Cooper Casteel LHP SO: Returning sophomore All -Conference pitcher after going 6-2 last year. Committed to Lee University
4 Andrew Kribbs RHP SO: Andrew won 3 games along with 2 saves as he moved from closer to starter last year.
5 Austin Breedlove RHP SO: Transfers is from Bossier Parrish Community College where he won 4 games last year.
6 Evan Goins 2B; freshman infielder who has had a solid pre-season, strong lefthanded hitter.
7 Cannon Stafford C So: sophomore catcher who hit .290 last year, who has committed to West Georgia University
 
2024 TEAM OUTLOOK:
 
We enter the 2024 season after a disappointing 2023. We return three starting position players as well as two weekend starters. We will to continue to get better as the season moves along. We will need to have our pitching staff be consistent and efficient, as well as guys able to adapt in their pitching roles. Offensively our line-up will need to be continue to grow and be able to be clutch when the game is on the line. 
Offense: We feel like our line-up can be balanced with a mix of speed and some guys who are able to add extra bases to the offense. Our line-up will need to continue to grow throughout the season
 
Defense: Our defense will need to be steady everyday, allow teams only three outs per inning and be able to turn the double play to get out of innings.
 
Pitching: As always the pitching staff will need to lead the team, With only an handful of returning starters and relieves the new additions will play a part in any successes we can have this year.
 
Overall outlook: We  look forward to the 2024 season, we will have a competitive non conference schedule as well as the always competitive TCCAA schedule. We hope to improve over last year by winning a few more 50/50 games. That will take pitchers making pitches, hitters coming up with the crucial at bat and making the play when the game is on the line.
Columbia State CC
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
 
1 Charlie Davis - INF - Belmont Signee - Near .400 Hitter as Freshman. Plays the game hard and has above average bat to ball skills. Can do a little of everything at the plate.
2 Jaxon Diamond - INF - Murray State Signee - Middle of order bat as a Freshman that has some gap-to-gap pop. Looking at Jaxon and Charlie to lead the charge offensively.
3 Cole O'Brien - RHP - Righty that continues to get better and better. Shows fastball command at times with the slider becoming a very good pitch. 45 innings as a freshman. Will need his freshman experience to carry over to have a good year.
4 Eli Henderson - RHP - Eastern Michigan Signee - 3rd-year guy who has been in the fire a ton in his career as a Charger. 3 pitch mix with feel to throw in any count.
5 Dylan Kazee - LHP - Austin Peay Signee - Minimal innings as a freshman due to an injury. Will look to have a much bigger role in 2024. Has a chance to be a high innings guy. 
6 Dylan King - RHP - NC A&T Signee - Right hander that threw significant innings as a freshman and made a big jump since 2023 season. Upper 80s FB that will touch 90 quite a bit. Off speed continues to improve to real stuff.
 
2024 TEAM OUTLOOK
Offense: Outside of the couple guys mentioned above, the offense has some question marks. Will need 3rd year players Blake Merwin and Braxton Baird (Milligan Signee) along with Gattis Henley (SO) to fill in the gaps. Will need to limit strikeouts and run the bases well to succeed.
 
Defense: Should be solid with a lot of flexibility between positions. Anchored by 2 sophomores behind the plate, Wyatt Heidle and Abner Rodriguez.
 
Pitching: Looks to be the strongest phase for the Warhorses. Older arms (Garrett Sims, Nick Neighbours and Jackson Reed) with a good mix of young hurlers that will give us options out of the stable. IF a few arms continue to improve, step up, and become serviceable... The green team will be just fine as the season progresses.
 
Overall outlook: With a first-year head coach navigating the waters, look for the Chargers to continue with a pressure offense that will look for chances to scratch runs. If the guys in green can win the trip to first base and cut down on strikeouts that have hurt them in the past, then they will find some success. On the flip side, the pitching will need to steer clear of the free bases and force hitters to put the ball in play and allow for defense to play clean and make routine plays. The Chargers will need to own their roles and play within their abilities to win ball games.
 
Dyersburg State CC
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
 

 

Jackson State CC
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
 
 
  Motlow State CC
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
 
 
Roane State CC
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
All Players UNCOMMITTED AT CURRENT TIME (1/29/2024)
(All Caps ARE PLAYERS TO WATCH, EARLY IMPACTERS)
C’s- GORDON, Winters, COLLINS (OF) , Victor, Wilson, Larrea, T. Davis
1B’s- DETTWILLER, Lowery, C.MARTIN (OF), Parsons, Pierce
INF- SANCHEZ-HARRIS, Denton, CARUSO, WHITAKER, Buck, Abdulla, Bly, Boyd, Pierce, Edwards, Landa
OF- PARK, Martin, J. Davis, YATES, Webb, J. Carroll, Loduca
(Many flexible to other def positions)
RHP- OLIFF, PARK, Denton, Pointer, Glapa, Edwards, Medley, Henard, Sharp, Parsons, Brune, Knotts, Yates, Lowery, Ellis, Mabrey, Copley
LHP- Robinson, Glenn, B.Carroll
 
2024 Outlook:
Offense: Martin, Sanchez-Harris, Dettwiller, Denton, Park are guys that I forsee being everyday guys most of the way through. I think we have a strong mix of Size, Strength, Speed, and Scrappyness. There are so many guys vying for playing time and roles. There is enough depth, work ethic, and care-level to collectively keep the group driven this year.
 
Defense: Our mission is to be the most fundamentally sound group. Every team and every coach wants that but we've tried to prioritize that in our preparation accordingly. The biggest part for our squad will be the focus by each individual in the defensive position they are put in. We have many guy who will see time at multiple positions. Although, that is exciting it brings challenges in playing fundamental baseball consistently. I love my group and I believe they are up to the task. We will push the envelope to get them there day-by-day as season progresses.
 
Pitching: We have 18 different guys that can potentially step on the bump for us this spring. The challenge will be gaining experience and defining roles as the season goes on. I'm hoping our older guys like Park, Oliff, Glapa, Medley, Robinson, Glenn, Ellis, Pointer can carry us early and then allow the young gunslingers to gain expensive experiences mid-way all growing towards our arms feeling their best as we settle in for a late season run.
 
Overall outlook: From what I know now, It seems this team will be setup to have alot more success than team's in recent past for a number of reasons: A full year training and recruiting while having an indoor training facility. A schedule that features 31 home games in comparison to only 18 last year. What does a successful season look like? We'll be able to discuss that at the end. Until then, I'm going to push our group to work day-by-day and have a passionate spark about getting to play this game. We'll struggle and we'll grow but we'll be playing our best baseball at the end.
Southwest TN CC
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
 
1 RHP/3B Hayden Collins (Eastern Kentucky)
2 RHP Jeff Tiw (Eastern Michigan)
3 1B/C Bryce Turner (2023 All TCCAA)
4 LHP Peyton Charles
5 C Copeland Bradford
6 SS Connor Brinkley
7 RHP/1B Brayden Stewart
8 RHP Ryan Neilson
 
2024 TEAM OUTLOOK
 
Offense: The offense will look a little different than the dynamic group that we had in '23. This year's group has some similarities to that record setting offensive group, but just needs to prove consistency at this level. We have good strike zone discipline, but just need our young guys to settle into roles & figure out how to play the game the right way. 
 
Defense: This is probably the most versatile group I've had in 7 years here defensively; we have a lot of guys who can play a lot of different positions. We are pretty solid behind the plate, with Bradford & Ashe (starters from 2023) back again to handle our pitching staff. We'll have new everyday starters at every position on the field besides Shortstop & our catchers, but we had a good fall defensively once guys settled into our system.
 
Pitching: Pitching definitely has a chance to be our strength in 2024. Easily the deepest staff I've had in 7 years here. We don't have the dominant top-end starters like a Brumley or a Dixon that we had last year, but we have 10-12 guys that I think can give us very competitive innings each time they take the mound for us. Heading into Florida, we have 4 starters, 4 piggyback /mid relief guys, and 4 closers that I think will give us a chance in each of the first 5 weekends of the season (all 4 game weekends for our non-conference).
 
Overall outlook: Looking forward to seeing what this group can do. It will be interesting to see if we can build off a great '23 season. We have tried to install the thought process for our guys that 2023 was great... but it's now in the past. All we can control is our daily work and staying locked into the present and that will dictate how our 2024 will look. We have a great group of student-athletes in our program, but they need to prove to themselves that they are capable of making 2024 a memorable season. We have another challenging non-conference schedule to get our guys prepped for the conference season.
Volunteer State CC

Players to Watch in 2024

Sophomore Logan Molnar (Independence) is the lone starting position player to return, having started 24 of 29 games at SS. Molnar hitt .348 before going down with an injury in mid-April.

Sophomore infielders Landon Lutterman (Knox Catholic), Brody Melton (Tullahoma), Corbin Overbay (Sevier Co.), and OF Drew Webster (CPA), had limited action in 2023, but are talented enough to step in to starting roles.

Sophomore transfer OF’s Reggie Cooper (Cleveland St/Stewarts Creek) and Stephen Bell (Alderson Broaddus/Ravenwood) have experience and showed defensive ability and speed during the fall season.

R/S freshman Walker Strange (Lipscomb/CAK) and R/S sophomore Kanon Lewis (Roane St/Beech) at DH or corner infield should add pop to the lineup.

Returning R/S freshmen OF Reed Muschinsky (Bradenton, FL), IF/C Drew Plummer (Summit), IF/OF Zach Zimmerle (Hendersonville), and DH Thedrick Harris, Jr. (John T. Overton) hit well in the fall and could push for AB’s or starting roles.

Sophomore Catcher Christian Dunn (Blinn CC/Dyersburg St/Collierville) and R/S freshman MIF Brady Knepper (Cumberland/Greenbrier) transferred after the Christmas break and will compete for playing time.

Sophomore LHP Parker White (Knoxville West) earned 2023 2nd Team All-Conference as a Starting Pitcher (4.06 ERA) while leading the team with 5 wins as a weekend starter. He was also 3rd on the club with 12 starts.

Sophomore LHP Caleb Pica (John T. Overton), an early signee to Lipscomb University, has increased his velo and will be counted on as a weekend starter. In 2023, Pica had a 1.50 ERA in 24 IP and led the team with 14.6 K/9.

Sophomore RHP Noah Eatman (Parrish, FL) and sophomore LHP Caiden Johnson (Huntsville, AL) will also compete for a weekend starting role. Last year, Eatman was 4th on the club in IP (28) and finished with a 3.86 ERA in 14 appearances. Johnson sat out 2023 but will look to improve on his freshman campaign in 2022 when he led the Pioneers in K’s (37), was tied for starts (9), and was 2nd in IP (37.2).

Sophomore RHP’s Noah Ward (Knoxville Catholic) and Brett Dowling (Green Hill) had a handful of appearances each in 2023, but will be counted on from the bullpen this year to eat up innings or possibly close out games.

Freshman RHP Trent Miller (Greenbrier) is coming off injury his senior year of high school. If he stays healthy, he could move in to a starting role if the need arises.

Sophomore transfer RHP Ryan Murphy (Lincoln Memorial/Clarksville), who enrolled in January, is working toward a later debut due to arm discomfort, but could be a real find.

2024 Team Outlook

A lot of experience was lost due to graduation. Seven of eight new starting position players are needed along with two weekend starters, a couple mid-week starters, several relievers, and a closer. Pitching could be a strength again for the Pioneers, after leading the conference in 2023 in ERA, if we can stay healthy and throw strikes. New Pitching Coach Sam Folks hit the ground running after being hired in January.

The ability to play defense and score runs is a question that will need to be answered by several returning players that either red-shirted or did not play many meaningful innings. Several transfers and freshmen arrived in August and a couple transfers in January could make a huge difference toward the team bettering their 2023 seed (#6) heading into the conference tournament. New Volunteer Assistant Coach Shane Kemp will help Head Coach Jim McGuire with offense and defense along with handling base coaching duties.

 
Walters State CC
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024
 

The talent for the Senators starts with the sophomore class, as Walters State brings back four starters in the field and three arms that threw significant innings in 2023. Those seven players, along with four others that saw playing time at some point during the past two seasons, are vastly important if the Senators want to make a run this season. 

I think it’s greatly important,” Shelton said. “You can do it with freshmen, but the freshmen are going to have growing pains at some point. You can ask some of our sophomores about that, who struggled in the tournament last year. That was nothing but them trying to do too much. Now, they know how to deal with it and can help the younger guys get through struggles. That’s what baseball is. Every baseball player goes through a slump but for the good players it’s only a couple of at-bats.” 

Leading those returning players is third baseman Deniel Ortiz. Ortiz was All-TCCAA First Team last season after hitting .383. He had 16 home runs and 55 RBIs, as well as finishing with a .538 OBP. “Deniel has every tool imaginable that makes you think he’ll be a professional baseball player one day,” Shelton said. “He’s come a long way. He’s matured a lot and has worked his tail off to continue to get better. I’m excited to see what he can do this year.” 

 

Other returning starters for Walters State include Keaton Ray in left field, Kurtis Reid at shortstop and Jarrett Martin at catcher. Last season, Reid hit .340 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs. Martin was just as good with 14 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .347 batting average, while Ray finished with a .327 average and seven home runs and 39 RBIs. Both Reid and Martin were All-TCCAA First Team members last season. “I think they’ve all matured mentally on the baseball field,” Shelton said. “It can be tough as a freshman. This game is designed to beat you down. The mental side of things is so important for a baseball player. Going into their sophomore year, these guys now know what it takes to be successful at the college level.”

 

Other returners in the field for Walters State include Miles Smith and Zion Taylor. Smith played in the field last year but is a two-way guy that could see a lot of action on the mound in 2024, throwing it 95 miles per hour at times. Meanwhile, Taylor will be an important part of the outfield after driving in six runs last season. Returning on the mound for the Senators are three guys that saw bullpen action in 2023 but will start the season in the rotation. Karson Bonaparte saw the most action last year, throwing 33.1 innings and allowing just eight earned runs while striking out 44 batters and finishing with a 5-0 record and recording three saves. Meanwhile, Taz Butler threw 30 innings and gave up 11 earned runs while striking out 40 batters and Johnny Stevens threw 8.2 innings and allowed four runs while striking out 13.

“We’re trying to transition those three guys into starting roles this season,” Shelton said. “The good thing about them is that they’ve all shown the ability to pitch out of the bullpen, if needed. Our roles on our pitching staff could be very fluid this year. And that’s what I want because when you get late in the season, you may ask a guy to start one day but throw in relief a few days before.” Other returning pitchers this season are Ryan Bender and Luke Ferguson. Bender threw 5.1 innings last season, while Ferguson pitched 11.2 innings in 2022 and struck out 15. 

As for new guys in the field, Shelton said Andrew Grande will play at first base, Logen Sutton at second base and Jack Vogele and Taylor Harris splitting time in the outfield. Brantley Bamberg will DH for the Senators, as well. Along with those guys, Shelton said the Senators have some depth that he feels comfortable putting in at any time. Some of those players include Jack Torbett, Cade Hitson, Carson Cabbage and Ethan Bosely. Shelton also hopes to get Atticus Goodson back at some point this season, a player who had a phenomenal fall before going down with an injury. “We have some other guys behind them that are capable and provide good depth and can come in at any moment and give us some depth,” Shelton said. “I’m excited about our offense this season.” 

On the mound, Shelton said the pitching staff is one of the deepest he has had. Along with the five returners, Shelton pointed out Manning West, Gage Peterson, Drew Horn, Ethan Walker, Aiden Robertson, Tyler Welch, Logan Quales, Rowan Park, William Wexler, Matthew Porchas, Adam Jamison and Luke Beam as guys that can make an impact. Nate Conner and Walker Morgan, along with Smith, are two-way players that could see time on the mound, as well. “We’ve got some arm depth this year,” Shelton said. “This may be one of the deeper pitching staffs that we’ve had. I feel we can go 12-15 arms deep, and there’s not that big of a dropoff. We’re going to have the ability to throw a lot of guys and see who handles which situations better. There’s not a ton of separation in terms of talent between our No.1 guy and our No.15 guy. We’re pretty fortunate this year to have the talent that we have.”

As far as the schedule goes, it’s a tough one for Walters State. The Senators play four games with No. 14 Gaston College, two games with No. 15 Florence-Darlington Technical College, four games with Georgia Highlands and two games with Chipola. That doesn’t include a strong conference schedule, as the Senators host Motlow State, Chattanooga State, Volunteer State and Dyersburg State and go on the road to Columbia State, Jackson State, Southwest Tennessee, Roane State and Cleveland State.

 

“I really feel like it may be one of our tougher schedules that we have put together,” Shelton said. “I feel like this is a group that needs to be challenged, especially early in the year. It gets us prepared for conference play because I feel like our conference is going to be really good this year. It’s just all a progression. You want to play a challenging schedule in the fall to get you ready for the spring. Then, you want to play a challenging schedule in the early spring to get ready for the conference.”In terms of goals, it’s always the same for Shelton and the baseball program. That goal is to not only get to Grand Junction and the NJCAA JUCO World Series but to win the whole thing. “Obviously, we’re going to have to overcome a lot of good teams to get there,” Shelton said. “There’s nine teams in our conference that want the same thing that we do. You have to get through that conference and then beat the best Georgia team. Our goal is to always get there and win the whole thing. We’re going to give everything we can to win the whole thing this year, but it’s one step at a time.” The Senators season is scheduled to begin this weekend on the road at USC Salkehatchie. First pitch for Friday’s game is slated for 2 p.m., with Saturday’s doubleheader to start at 12 p.m. "I really like the makeup of this group and the professionalism,” Shelton said. “They seem very goal oriented. The ones that are back have a chip on their shoulder that last season ended so abruptly. Hopefully they rise to the occasion and have a good year.”