Radford University is ready for another season on the diamond. Today, we break down the team’s roster, beginning with the battery.
Head coach Joe Raccuia’s 2018 roster consists of 18 pitchers (11 right-handed, seven left-handed) and three catchers. Of the 18 pitchers on staff, only seven are upperclassmen. The three Highlander catchers are made up of one sophomore and two freshmen.
The Highlander staff got stronger as the season went on in 2017, finishing third in the Big South with a 3.09 conference ERA, walking only 63 batters in 212.1 innings. Radford recorded 188 punch outs in league games. Overall, Radford finished fifth in the league with a 4.54 ERA, striking out 440 batters to rank third. Holding opposing batters to .263 batting clip, Radford only yielded 182 free passes to rank second.
“Our opening weekend rotation may be the guys that keep those spots, but that remains to be seen. It’s a new year and new pitching staff,” Raccuia noted. “We’ve got some frontline guys that are brand new and not use to certain roles. There are also some guys at the backend of the bullpen that will take on a new role.”
Radford’s weekend rotation will look completely different in 2018 as Friday starter Zack Ridgely will miss the season with Tommy John and Saturday starter Danny Hrbek now with the Kansas City Royals minor league system. The Highlanders will also be without Sunday spot starter and closer Kyle Zurak, who selected by the New York Yankees in the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
“It’s interesting. We have a quantity of pitching and will be able to carry some innings,” Raccuia said. “It’s just a matter of guys being able to pitch in spots they haven’t before and taking the next step.”
Ryan Sande is slated to take the ball on Friday nights as he served as the Sunday starter a season ago. The junior finished with a 3.97 ERA in 2017, while turning in a 2.05 clip in league action, allowing only five earned runs in 22.0 innings. With runners on base, Sande held opposing bats to only a .220 average.
“Sande has grown up, learned how to compete and challenge hitters. Through that process, his fastball has picked up a couple of ticks because of his confidence and his off-speed pitches are better,” Raccuia noted. “Hopefully this is the role he envisioned of having as a junior and he’s earned it to start the year.”
Cameron Fritz appeared in 17 games last season, earning three spot starts, including the Big South Tournament semifinal game. He finished with a 4.31 ERA and tied for bullpen high with four wins. His best start came against UNC Asheville in the semifinal game, allowing one run on three hits, while striking out five in five innings.
Mack Krupp has never started a game in a Radford uniform, appearing in 40 games out of the bullpen. He served in a backend role of the bullpen during the 2017 season, appearing in 21 games. Krupp’s career high in innings pitched is 2.1 on two occasions.
“Krupp and Fritz are going to be asked to do things they have not been asked to do before. They will need to amp it up a notch and provide us with quality starts,” Raccuia added. “Andrew Nardi will play a similar role as last season with spot starts and may be better than that.”
Nardi was the Highlanders’ Tuesday starter in 2017, starting nine of the 12 games he appeared in. The lefty struck out two-plus batters in seven appearances, striking out nine in his first collegiate start at Elon on Feb. 21, 2017.
Sporting a roster of 10 freshmen: Perfect Game Big South Preseason Freshman of the Year Hunter Williams, Austin Cross, Ryan Bywaters and Cody Boone will provide Raccuia with an assortment of young arms that can start or serve in various relief roles.
“We have multiple guys in the bullpen. If you take who we are starting in the first weekend and look at everybody else, we have options,” Raccuia said. “Williams, Cross, Bywaters and Boone all provide good arms; however, they are freshman.”
During their freshman seasons, Austin Gerber and Evan Threehouse earned the role of becoming the first options out of the Highlander bullpen.
Gerber finished second on the team with 24 appearances, while leading the bullpen with 54.1 innings, compiling a 4-4 record and a 3.98 ERA. In 10 Big South games, he finished 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA, limiting them to a .194 average.
Threehouse finished with a 2-1 mark and a 3.13 ERA in 20 games, striking out 38 in 37.1 frames. The righty held opposing teams to a .230 average, while limiting left-handed bats to a .211 clip. Threehouse finished with six games of three-plus strikeouts.
“Gerber and Threehouse provided us with really good innings as freshmen. They have good change-ups in which they can use against righties and lefties” Raccuia added. “The duo has the ability to pound the strike zone, while eating up two or three innings with an inexperienced starting rotation.”
Radford will have four pitchers coming off surgery over the last two seasons as redshirt-seniors Austin Ross and Kyle Palmer return for a chance at their third ring. Ross missed the 2017 season and Palmer only appeared in three games. Palmer looks to return to his old form as he turned in a 3-0 record and 2.64 ERA in 30.2 innings during the 2015 season.
“Ross and Palmer are bouncing back from injuries. They have been a part of two championship teams and provide veterans on our staff,” Raccuia noted. “We really need them to get their appearances and be able to give us 35 to 50 innings.”
Redshirt sophomore Brandon Donovan and redshirt freshman Grayson Lamb are set to make an impact as the duo return from Tommy John. Donovan appeared in two games, throwing 5.0 innings in 2017.
“Donovan and Lamb are close to bouncing back. Lamb will be ready to go this weekend and we thought that he could be a conference guy last season. Donovan will be back in around a month,” Raccuia noted. “We still have some guys coming off injuries that we think are going to carry a bunch of innings for us.”
Receiving success with Hrbek as the Saturday starter a season ago, Radford will turn to another infielder for a pitching role as shortstop Colby Higgerson will serve in the closer role. Trey Alderman will see an expanded role in the backend of the bullpen as his off speed pitches develop.
“Higgerson steps into the closer role and he’s obviously never pitched for us,” Raccuia said. “We feel that he has the stuff and makeup to finish games for us.”
Handing the 18 pitchers will be a trio of catchers as the catching crop might be the youngest Raccuia has had in his tenure at Radford. Sophomore Straton Podaras will be joined by freshmen Will Harless and Garrett Matheny.
Podaras started nine games behind the plate in 2017, appearing in 21 games total. He hit for a .244 average (10 for 41) with seven runs scored, three doubles and nine RBIs. Podaras was patient at the plate with 15 walks, while collecting six two-out hits in 12 opportunities. Defensively, Podaras had three passed balls and successfully threw out four runners in nine attempts
“Podaras and Harless will start the season as the top two catchers in that order. They both have the ability to be No. 1 type catchers,” Raccuia noted. “They need to slow the game down, see at bats, be able to block balls late in games and catch Friday and Saturday nights. I like both of their makeups in the toughness and energy levels.”
Matheny provides Raccuia will a versatile bat that could see time at different positions and in the designated hitter role early in his career.
“Matheny is one of those kids that is really athletic and a little raw defensively at different spots” Raccuia said. “Offensively, he has a chance to contribute early in his freshman season. He can really run and gives us another option in our athletic outfield.”
–RU Athletics
