2009 Millsaps Baseball Preview
A play at the plate in the championship game of the 2008 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament is how close Millsaps was a year ago to their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years and first since 2006.
After forcing a decisive second championship game against rival Trinity with a 10-5 win earlier in the day, the Majors surrendered four runs in the second game's final inning that allowed the Tigers to steal a 6-5 come-from-behind win and knock the Majors out of postseason play. A diving effort by TU freshman Kevin Jackson at the plate in the bottom of the ninth off a two-out, two-RBI double capped the thrilling finish for the Tigers.
On the other hand, the 2008 season had its share of memorable highlights, including Quinn Salmon's breakout weekend in the inaugural Wilson/DeMarini Baseball Classic in Jackson when he went 7-for-10 with 12 RBIs, eight runs, three homeruns (grand slam) and two doubles and Bogue's heroic performance in an elimination game at the SCAC Divisional Playoffs when he pitched four shutout innings to help Millsaps rally from a 5-0 deficit to a 6-5 win. Also, in the midst of a season-ending loss to Trinity, senior Hunter Abrams became the school's career hits leader with 240 after going 2-for-5 on the day.
2009 Season Outlook:
Eight starters and 11 letterwinners are gone from last year's 29-18 squad, including four members of the Majors' pitching staff in Travis Bogue, Jay Hollenbeck, Brandon Ingram and John David Childs who combined for a 45-15 record on the bump during their stay. Also lost to graduation were DH Derrik Boland, OF Joe Blades, 1B Quinn Salmon and SS Hunter Abrams.
“As this season approaches, our goals aren't necessarily to win this many or do this many, but to make sure we make it to the conference tournament and see what happens,” 21st-year head coach Jim Page said.
“Losing what we've lost the last two years, we'll make sure to try and improve day-by-day and continuously work hard. Based on our youth, we may have to learn a little bit more and focus more on doing the little things right first.”
Seven starters return to the field this season and a total of 21 letterwinners, together with the entire outfield, while there will be a little shakeup in the infield and on the mound.
Four of the Majors' top five hitters return with averages over .317, including two-time ABCA and D3baseball.com All-American standout Hunter Owen who batted .388 (.756 SLG%) with a school record 16 home runs a year ago and carries a 12-game hitting streak into 2009. The senior-to-be also grabbed 121 total bases, which ranked third in single-season history, and stole 23-of-26. Also returning to the starting lineup is sophomore Josh Ordeneaux who hit safely in his first 18 career games en route to a .323 clip.
Around the Diamond:
Senior Billy Murphy will move from second to short after the departure of Abrams, whereas Ordeneaux will man second if he can hold off up-and-coming freshman Todd Barnthouse. A plethora of names are in the hunt for spots on the corners and in the designated hitter spot, with Bryant Palmerton, Will Hawkins, Hayes Brian, Tyler Berry and Russ Boyd all having good fall outings. The Majors also gained a pair of transfers in the offseason that could find their names in the daily rotation, RHP Shelby Robertson from Northeast JC and 1B Andrew Evans from Gulf Coast CC.
In the Bullpen:
On the mound, Millsaps returns left-handers Tait Hendrix and Max Berry in addition to right-handers Andrew Fleming, Drew Maddox, Aaron Williams, Boomer Hudson, Phillip de Kozan, John Marshall Pemberton and Andrew Pearce. The Majors will also get a boost from redshirt sophomore Josh Conley, who is coming off a shoulder injury. Hendrix made good of his 12 starts with a 6-4 mark and 3.31 ERA, striking out a team-high 72 batters in just 70.2 innings, while Williams was 5-2 with a 3.67 ERA. They combined for five of the Majors' six complete games.
Behind the plate, expect the senior Boyd to earn the starting spot where he's been exceptional the past two seasons, while both Brian and T. Berry will likely split time.
In the Outfield:
Three-time All-American hopeful Hunter Owen will be the leader of the outfield, where he has had two breakout seasons after stepping in for standout Garner Wetzel in 2007. Owen set a school record with 23 doubles in 2007 and followed that up with a record 16 home runs in 2008. He will be joined by swift sophomores Jeremy Aliff and Tony Malaschak who started a combined 58 games a year ago and also grabbed eight stolen bases apiece. If he's not on the hill, Hendrix, a multi-dimensional player, could also be in the outfield where he hit .317 with four doubles and two bombs.
Chasing History:
Jim Page will enter his 21st season as the Majors' skipper in 2009 one win shy of 500 for his career (499-296-3). Page will vie to become the first Millsaps coach and just the 30th in NCAA Division III baseball history to accomplish the feat when the Majors open the season with the Wilson/DeMarini Baseball Classic on Feb. 6-8 at Twenty Field.
The Schedule:
Millsaps went 4-1 last year against Top 25 opponents, with a 5-1 win at No. 5 Emory on Feb. 16 topping the list. This year's schedule features more of the same, with Emory, Piedmont, Rhodes, Illinois Wesleyan and Trinity likely to be in the D3baseball.com Top 30 come opening day.
The Majors open the season on Feb. 6-8 with the second annual Wilson/DeMarini Classic in Jackson where they will once again welcome LaGrange, Rhodes and the University of the Ozarks to town. Millsaps swept the tournament last year with a 3-0 record. The conference slate will open on Feb. 14 against Hendrix, with a change in the SCAC scheduling from four weekend games to two and three. The quest for the Maloney Trophy opens on Feb. 17 at Mississippi College when the Majors travel to Clinton to open a 7-game road swing which features games at Southwestern, Emory, LaGrange and Rhodes. March features 9 of 10 mid-month games on the road before closing out the regular season in Jackson with six-straight from April 10-19.
This year's SCAC Baseball Tournament moves back to Jackson and Smith-Wills Stadium for the first time since 2002, coming to town from April 23-26.
