School: Capital
Location: Bexley, Ohio
Head Coach: Ryan Grice
2009 Record: 12-26, 4-14 OAC
Returning Starters: C Zack Byers, CF Jeremy Meizlish, 3B Zach Rigney, 1B Ian Smith, SP Matt Uy
The 2007 OAC tournament runner-up finish seems like a distant memory right now. As Ryan Grice begins his tenure at Capital the Crusaders will turn to a strong core of juniors to lead a resurgence in Bexley. Will it be enough to right the ship following a last place finish in 2009? Capital fans certainly hope last season was a one year lull. Let’s take a closer look at the 2010 squad and see if we can figure it out.
The old cliché says that pitching wins championships. The 2009 OAC did little to dispel this notion as regular season and tournament champion Heidelberg posted an outstanding 3.73 team ERA. The flip side of that coin is that teams without the depth of the regional powers tend to struggle at times, especially in the always talented OAC. To illustrate this point we need to look no further than the fact that the majority of the conference (6 of 10 teams) finished last season with a team ERA north of 6.00.
Capital was part of that majority. In fact, the Crusaders posted a league worst 7.79 ERA in 2009. Ryan Grice will be looking to senior Matt Uy to lead the pitching staff in 2010. The Akron North product is the only senior on the pitching staff. Well, technically Marty Assmann is a senior pitcher, but the Crusader quarterback is a newcomer to varsity baseball. Not only that, but eight of the twelve pitchers listed on Capital’s roster are freshmen and sophomores so Uy’s duties will extend far beyond starting once a week.
Capital will likely turn to sophomore Marty Brinker to step into a full-time role in the rotation. The lefty made 10 appearances in 2009, starting five times. With a year of valuable experience under his belt Brinker will be looking to improve on his 2009 campaign which saw him go 2-1 with a 5.61 ERA. Being thrown to the wolves as a freshman will hopefully yield dividends this spring.
Beyond Brinker your guess is as good as mine. Your guess may be as good as Grice’s at this point. The Crusaders only have two other pitchers who recorded a varsity out in 2009. Aaron Dixon and Cory Vickers threw a combined 25.2 innings. All three of Dixon’s appearances were starts, but with a new head coach in place it remains to be seen whether that translates into a spot in the 2010 rotation.
Grice can rest a little easier knowing that he can pencil in three top of the order bats from 2009 in Zach Rigney, Ian Smith and Zack Byers. All three juniors hit well over .300 last season. Rigney (.326) spent substantial time in the crucial leadoff spot while Smith (.390) and Byers (.350) formed the big 4-5 punch in the middle of the Crusaders’ lineup.
Smith, an All-OAC selection in 2009, will anchor the middle of the lineup in 2010. He heads into the spring with the confidence gained from experiencing success at the collegiate level. In 2009 Smith led the Crusaders in batting average (.390), hits (57), doubles (16), home runs (3) and runs batted in (42). His batting average ranked him ninth overall in the OAC in just his sophomore season. If the Crusaders are going to be competitive Smith will need some help.
Byers certainly hit for average last season, but the junior backstop will need to become a more proficient run producer in 2010. With the loss of Marc St. John and Tommy Stevison, Byers is expected to step in to aid Smith in that role. Rigney drove in a very respectable 30 runs primarily from the leadoff spot, so that is a positive. Look for Grice to fill his vacated outfield spots with a couple guys he thinks can be offensive contributors.
I don’t know Ryan Grice. I’ve never met him. My knowledge of his coaching abilities are limited to what I’ve read. That being said, I feel very confident in saying two things. First, I would be shocked if Capital repeats its 2009 finish again in 2010. New blood in a program often reignites the players. It’s a fresh start for everyone as the slate is wiped clean. Second, with the sheer number of freshmen and sophomores that will likely play significant innings in 2010 I would all but guarantee the Crusades 2011 season will be even better than 2010. With an energetic young coach and the potential for some positive momentum in Bexley, could Capital be on the cusp of taking the next step?
Filed under: Division III
