2016 Creighton Baseball: Position Preview

Fifty-degree weather. The ground wet and sloppy from the melting snow. Valentine’s Day weekend come and gone. In the Midwest these are signs of one thing … baseball season! Ed Servais’ Creighton Bluejays open things up on Friday night in California. They’ll take on 2008 national champion Fresno State in a three-game series to kick off opening weekend.

The Bluejays have the majority of their roster returning from a 32-19 season in 2015. For the second straight season they advanced to the Big East Tournament championship game, but despite playing on their home field, they once again fell short of advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Early talk out of spring workouts is that they haven’t forgotten that missed opportunity, and they are determined to make sure it doesn’t happen for a third year in a row.

Creighton returns their entire starting outfield from a year ago, and their entire starting infield led by Preseason All-Big East selection at first base in senior Reagan Fowler. The lone departure is catcher Kevin Lamb, who graduated last May. They also have their entire weekend rotation back, including Preseason All-Big East performers in senior Matt Warren and sophomore Rollie Lacy. The back end of their bullpen also returns in 2016 with senior Nick Highberger, sophomore setup man Ethan DeCaster, and junior closer David Gerber ready to close out games again for the Bluejays.

Creighton was picked second in the preseason poll by the Big East coaches. Last season’s regular season and conference tournament champion St. John’s got 34 points to top the poll while the Bluejays came in one point behind the Red Storm to sit in second place. Creighton will have to wait until the final weekend of the regular season to get their long-awaited rematch with St. John’s when they meet up for a three-game series in Queens, NY, in what may decide who wins the Big East regular-season title in 2016.

Starting Pitchers

Projected Weekend Rotation:

• Matt Warren (Sr., RHP, 2015: 5-2, 2.83 ERA, 37 SO, 10 BB)
• Rollie Lacy (So., RHP, 2015: 6-1, 2.66 ERA, 47 SO, 22 BB)
• Keith Rogalla (So., RHP, 2015: 4-2, 3.66 ERA, 37 SO, 21 BB)

Other Potential Starters:

• Austin Groth (Jr., RHP, 2015: missed season recovering from Tommy John surgery)
• Connor Miller (Sr., RHP, 2015: 4-3, 2.44 ERA, 32 SO, 15 BB)
• Austin Stroschein (Jr., RHP, 2015 w/Johnson County CC: 9-2, 4.08 ERA, 62 SO, 11 BB)
• Ty Ramirez (Fr., RHP, 2015 w/Greendale HS: 6-1, 0.72 ERA, 95 SO)
• Taylor Elman (Sr., RHP, 2015: 2-1, 5.28 ERA, 18 SO, 8 BB)

Ed Servais probably isn’t losing much sleep over his starting pitching situation coming into this season. With his entire weekend rotation returning he’ll be able to deploy his arms and pick up where he left off with them in 2015. Senior right-hander Matt Warren will get first crack as the team’s Friday starter spot to begin the season. He emerged as the ace of the staff as a sophomore in 2014, earning a First Team All-Conference honor when it was all said and done. He was named the Preseason Co-Pitcher of the Year in the Big East in 2015. He got better as the year went, finishing with just 10 walks in 60 and 1/3 innings on the mound.

Sophomore right-hander Rollie Lacy followed Warren’s path in 2015, emerging as the team ace throughout the season en route to a First Team All-Big East selection. He led the team in strikeouts (47) and innings pitched (74.1) while posting an impressive 2.66 earned run average in 18 appearances. Sophomore righty Keith Rogalla will round out the weekend rotation after a strong debut season in 2015.

Candidates to take the mound for mid-week games are senior Connor Miller, junior Austin Groth, and two newcomers in junior right-hander Austin Stroschein and freshman right-hander Ty Ramirez. Miller was a workhorse out of the bullpen for the Bluejays in 2015. He only started one game, but still finished fourth on the team, logging 44 and 1/3 innings while posting the third-lowest earned run average on the team. Former weekend rotation starter Austin Groth bolsters the mid-week options as he returns from Tommy John surgery that kept him out for all of 2015. Senior righty Taylor Elman also brings plenty of experience as a starting pitcher to round out an experienced starting staff.

Ed Servais on newcomers Austin Stroschein & Ty Ramirez, and Austin Groth’s return from injury: “Ramirez has a live arm. He’ll be anywhere from 89-91 MPH. He’s got a pretty good feel for a breaking ball for a young pitcher. He appears to be a pretty competitive kid, a kid from Wisconsin, a kid who played football. He kind of gets the competitive part of it.

“Stroschein was a very good pitcher at the junior college level. He’s a 6-foot-3 right-hander who has a chance to pitch with some leverage. He has the potential to be a three-pitch guy with a breaking ball and a change-up. He pitched a lot at the junior college level, so hopefully that experience will help him get acclimated to Division 1 baseball.

“Austin is finally comfortable. I think it takes a while for these guys coming off of Tommy John to cut it loose. They kind of are very tentative in their delivery. Here recently in the last several weeks I think he’s cutting it loose. He still has the same sink he had when he was a freshman and sophomore — he’s kind of sinker/slider kind of guy. I think his velocity, which has been playing at about 87 or 88 right now, I think is going to get up to about 90 or 91 when he’s in mid-season form. All the pitchers are probably down a mile or two right now just because they’re not in good pitching shape quite yet.”

Relief Pitchers

• Nick Highberger (Sr., RHP, 2015: 5-2, 1 SV, 2.92 ERA, 21 SO, 18 BB)
• Ethan DeCaster (So., RHP, 2015: 3-2, 2 SV, 2.73 ERA, 21 SO, 6 BB)
• Connor Miller (Sr., RHP, 2015: 4-3, 2.44 ERA, 32 SO, 15 BB)
• Sam Norman (Jr., LHP, 2015: 0-0, 5.40 ERA in 6 appearances)
• John Oltman (Sr., LHP, 2015: 0-0, 17.36 ERA in 13 appearances)
• Will Bamesberger (Sr., LHP, 2015: 0-0, 6.00 ERA in 18 appearances)

Closer

• David Gerber (Jr., RHP, 2015: 0-2, 9 SV, 1.69 ERA, 30 SO, 8 BB)

Nearly everyone returns for Creighton’s bullpen. Setup man Ethan DeCaster and closer David Gerber had breakout seasons in 2015 and will once again be in line to finish off games for the Bluejays in 2016.

After recording nine saves and posting an earned run average of 1.69, Gerber begins this season on the Stopper of the Year Watch List which recognizes the best relief pitchers in Division 1 baseball. Senior Nick Highberger returns as the school’s all-time leader in earned run average, and with an improved breaking ball he should be able to record more strikeouts.

The group of left-handers in the ‘pen include breakout candidate Sam Norman as well as seniors John Oltman and Will Bamesberger, who are expected to bounce back after struggling throughout the season in 2015.

Ed Servais on Nick Highberger’s improvement and Sam Norman’s expanded role: “Nick Highberger coming off of his summer is throwing every bit as hard as he did last year. He has developed a breaking ball now to go with his fastball, which is something he’s worked hard on the last two years. He really found it this summer, and I think you’ll see a few more strikeouts out of Nick.

“I like our left-handed bullpen. Last year we didn’t get quite as much out of John and Will as we had hoped. The big surprise out of that left-hand stuff is Sam Norman, the big 6-foot-4 left-hander. We changed Sam’s slot, he dropped it down a little bit, and he’s been as good as we want anybody to be from the left side.

“I think John is going to bounce back and have the year he had two years ago. I think we’re going to get some mileage out of Will, but the new addition to that whole process will be Sam out there. I think Sam is going to be a big lift for us. He’s a guy who’s been a part of our program for four years, but we really haven’t found a niche for him. I think we did now.”

Catchers

Projected Starter:

• Keith Oren (So., RHB, 2015: .295 OBP, 2 2B, 21 RBI, 2 SB)

Reserves:

• Michael Emodi (R-Fr., RHB, 2015: sat out due to redshirt)
• Matt Gandy (Sr., LHB, 2015: .330 OBP, 5 2B, 1 3B, 14 RBI, 1 SB)

With sophomore Luke Horanski sidelined while he recovers from back surgery, the question mark only harder to answer for Creighton. The only position with no veteran returning from last season isn’t lacking in talent, however. Former Florida Gator, Keith Oren will most likely start behind the plate for the Bluejays after spending the 2015 season at Polk State College in Winter Haven, Florida. Another newcomer by the name of Mike Emodi, a Creighton Prep product who redshirted in 2015, will also compete for playing time behind the plate.

Senior Matt Gandy is capable of catching should Oren and Emodi struggle or get injured, otherwise he’ll see most of his playing time as the team’s designated hitter.

Ed Servais on the situation at catcher without Luke Horanski: “Luke is out with the back situation, so we’ve got Keith Oren who came in from Polk State, a junior college out in Florida. Keith started his career at the University of Florida. He’s a real good catch and throw guy, and he just has a real good feel for the game. I think he’s played a lot of baseball coming in from Florida.

“Mike Emodi is a young man from Creighton Prep. He transferred from St. Cloud State after one semester. He’s a big man. Both he and Keith throw really well, so I think we’re going to have a chance to slow people down with their running game. Neither one of them have played a lot at this level, but we feel really good about our catching situation if those guys can get acclimated to the speed of the game sooner than later.

“We have Matt Gandy there too. Matt is a much improved defender compared to last year. We all know what he can do with the bat, but he’s much improved defender, so we have three catchers that we feel pretty good about. It’s important that you have depth at that position.”

First Basemen

Projected Starter:

• Reagan Fowler (Sr., LHB, 2015: .404 OBP, 10 2B, 1 3B, 36 RBI, 1 SB)

Reserves:

• Shane Coker (Fr., LHB, 2015 w/Athens HS: .694 AVG, 28 RBI)

Manning first base for a fourth season in a row is Millard South grad Reagan Fowler. A career .324 hitter with 83 runs driven in over his first three seasons, Fowler is the most decorated player on the Bluejay roster. He has a First Team All-Big East performer each of the last two seasons, and was named Big East Co-Player of the Year in 2014. After battling injury last season, he is once again healthy and poised to be a dangerous run producer near the top of the lineup.

Ed Servais on Reagan Fowler: “Well, Reagan is healthy first of all. He wasn’t healthy for about the second half of the year last year ever since about the middle of March. He fought through it, he played as best he could, but he wasn’t running very well last year and he adapted his swing a little bit to compensate. He’s been healthy all fall, all spring here, and we expect what we saw out of Reagan a couple years ago to appear this year.”

Second Basemen

Projected Starter:

• Ryan Fitzgerald (Sr., LHB, 2015: .357 OBP, 13 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 3 SB)

Reserves:

• Bryce Only (Jr., RHB, 2015 w/Iowa Western Community College: .320 OBP, 9 2B, 1 3B, 22 RBI, 2 SB)

After moving over to second base in 2015, giving way to Nicky Lopez at shortstop, senior Ryan Fitzgerald had a breakout season in 2015. He set career marks across the board offensively and in the field. His .437 slugging percentage and 35 runs batted in were each second on the team, and his 13 doubles and four home runs led the team, and earned him an All-Big East Second Team selection last season.

Fitzgerald will get the majority of the playing time at second base, but if he ever needs a break Ed Servais has newcomer Bryce Only as a utility man at second and third base to spell some of his infielders. Between second, third, designated hitter, or any of the corner outfield spots, it sounds like Only is a jack of all trades and someone Servais wants to get into the lineup at some point.

Ed Servais on Ryan Fitzgerald: “We think Fitz might have had the best fall of any player this season. He really has adapted well to that position. He’s much more comfortable compared to last year when he was converted from a shortstop. Fitz has got to hit in the middle of our order. We expect some good things out of him offensively.”

Ed Servais on Bryce Only’s potential role: “Bryce Only is the transfer who is going to play a little bit of third and a little bit of second. Bryce had a good year at Iowa Western last year. He started his career at Nebraska actually as a freshman. I think he’s a very talented guy. We just have to find a position for him where he can best help the team, whether that’s in the outfield or the infield I’m not sure.”

Shortstop

Projected Starter:

• Nicky Lopez (Jr., LHB, 2015: .321 OBP, 3 2B, 6 3B, 21 RBI, 7 SB)

The man with the strongest arm and one of the most athletic defenders on the roster is junior Nicky Lopez. In his second season as the starting shortstop, Lopez could emerge as a leader on a team filled with veterans due to his energy in the dugout and skills in the field.

A big summer at the plate has the coaching staff expected a jump in his offensive production as well. If he hits in that No. 2 hole again this season and becomes more of a gap to gap threat with the bat he could help make a difference for a team that is looking for more consistent offensive production than it got a year ago.

Ed Servais on Nicky Lopez: “Nicky is really a solid defender and knows how to play the position. His arm appears to even be stronger than it was last year. He’s a stronger individual period than he was last year, and we expect Nick to make a big jump offensively. He did last summer and we think that will carry over into this spring.”

Third Basemen

Projected Starter:

• Harrison Crawford (Sr., RHB, 2015: .440 OBP, 5 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 5 SB)

Reserves:

• Bryce Only (Jr., RHB, 2015 w/Iowa Western Community College: .320 OBP, 9 2B, 1 3B, 22 RBI, 2 SB)

Though he’s not the best defensive third baseman Ed Servais has ever had, senior Harrison Crawford is suitable enough at the corner and plenty dangerous at the plate to warrant a spot in the starting lineup.
His 10 errors last season were the most on the team, but at the plate he led the way with an .879 OPS and tied for the team lead with five triples. As his first season in a Creighton uniform wore he became one of the top run producers on the club, and that isn’t expected to be any different this season.

Ed Servais on Harrison Crawford’s development: “Harrison Crawford is a guy that really has not played a ton of baseball. He came from the junior college, but he had not played much in high school. You could tell early on last year that it was a learning experience for him, but the more he played the better he played. I expect him to add a little bit more power to his game this year. He’s probably added about 10 pounds, so he’s a little bit more physical player than he was at this time last year. He’s a much more confident defender at this stage compared to last year.”

Outfielders

Projected Starters:

• Left Field – Brett Murray (Sr., LHB, 2015: .351 OBP, 10 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 2 SB)
• Center Field – Daniel Woodrow (Jr., LHB, 2015: .360 OBP, 8 2B, 5 3B, 20 RBI, 21 SB)
• Right Field – Kevin Connolly (Jr., RHB, 2015: .379 OBP, 3 2B, 2 3B, 18 RBI, 13 SB)

Reserves:

• Riley Landuyt (Jr., RHB, 2015 w/Johnson County Community College: .383 OBP, 18 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 58 RBI, 7 SB)
• Brennan Hammer (Jr., LHB, 2015 w/Heartland Community College: .415 OBP, 8 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 53 RBI, 10 SB)

Offensive production isn’t much of a concern with the group of outfielder expected to compete for spots in the lineup. Center fielder Daniel Woodrow led the team with 21 stolen bases and five triples as the table-setter in 2015. Fellow junior Kevin Connolly wasn’t far behind him as he swiped 13 bags last season. Senior Brett Murray has been one of the top run producers on the team in his time at Creighton. His 47 runs batted in over the last two years are behind only Reagan Fowler and Ryan Fitzgerald for the best on the team.

Newcomers Riley Landuyt and Brennan Hammer are expected to add some pop to this group and may even get chances at designated hitter if they aren’t in the field. Where this group will need to make strides in 2016 is in the field while still providing that speed and power combination throughout the batting order.

Ed Servais on Brett Murray and Riley Landuyt in left field: “Brett has been off and on a two-year starter for us, and appears to be a little bit more settled right now in what we need from him. I think we’re going to be able to hit him in a more conducive spot for him — either sixth or seventh.

“Riley was a very good offensive player at Johnson County. Like most new players, how quickly he adapts to Division 1 pitching we’ll be seeing here shortly.”

Ed Servais on Daniel Woodrow’s development in center field: “We really expect some big things out of Woody this year. He gives us a real true leadoff hitter, a real true speed guy. He’s maybe the fastest or the second fastest player in our league. We think he’s going to be able to steal more bags than he did last year, which hopefully leads to more runs scored than last year.

“The biggest area of improvement for Woody I believe is in the outfield defensively. He’s trying to take over for Mike Gerber, and you could tell last year that Woody was not as sure of himself playing out there as he appears to be this year. He’s a much more confident player than he was last year.”

Ed Servais on Kevin Connolly and Brennan Hammer in right field: “Kevin had some really good moments for us last year. He gives us a tremendous speed component. Brennan gives us that typical left-handed bat. We expect greater things out of Kevin than we got last year with last year being his first year as a regular at the Division 1 level. He also had a good summer, so we’re hoping he builds on that.

“Brennan is a typical left-handed hitter. We have so many of them that’s going to be the only thing. We could run out eight left-handed hitters if we wanted to in our lineup. He’s a pretty consistent hitter. We’ve seen a lot of improvement out of him from the fall. He came in in the fall and I think was a little overwhelmed, but now we’re seeing much better performance out of him here since they came back from Christmas.”

Designated Hitter

Projected Starter:

• Matt Gandy (Sr., LHB, 2015: .330 OBP, 5 2B, 1 3B, 14 RBI, 1 SB)

Reserves:

• Riley Landuyt (Jr., RHB, 2015 w/Johnson County Community College: .383 OBP, 18 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 58 RBI, 7 SB)
• Brennan Hammer (Jr., RHB, 2015 w/Heartland Community College: .415 OBP, 8 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 53 RBI, 10 SB)
• Bryce Only (Jr., RHB, 2015 w/Iowa Western Community College: .320 OBP, 9 2B, 1 3B, 22 RBI, 2 SB)

The Bluejays found the answer to their questions at designated hitter with Matt Gandy’s emergence during the second half of the season. The senior is back and expected to pick up where he left off from the left side of the plate provided he isn’t needed behind the dish in the field over newcomers Keith Oren and Michael Emodi.

Gandy drove in 14 runs in 33 games and proved to be a tough out for opposing pitchers, only striking out 13 times due to his disciplined approach and knowledge of the strike zone. If Gandy finds himself in a slump or getting a spot start at catcher, newcomers Riley Landuyt, Brennan Hammer, and Bryce Only could also see some time at DH. While it’s good to have options, the designate hitters spot in the lineup will be Gandy’s to lose given his prior production in that role.

Ed Servais on Matt Gandy: “Matt will be our number one option out there. He has a chance to be a really good offensive player. He really proved that in the second half of the season last year, and he’s really picked up where he left off. I like his aggressive approach to hitting. We don’t have enough of that. We’ve really floated with a lot of different designated hitters over the last several years. Matt will be given a lot of opportunities. It will be nice to settle in on a primary guy back there, and I think he’s likely to be that guy.”