Veteran presence, new pieces make up 2023 No. 2 Walters State squad
MORRISTOWN, TN – Walters State returns to the diamond on Friday afternoon as they open up the 2023 season against USC Salkehatchie.
Walters State baseball coach Dave Shelton returns a handful of veterans to go along with a lot of new pieces. While inexperienced at spots, Shelton is excited about his roster and the season that lies ahead.
The Senators were ranked No. 2 in the country in the NJCAA preseason poll on Monday.
"It's been a good offseason," Shelton said. "I think we have a good group of kids that have done a good job. It's a lot of new faces in the program, but I feel like we have an extremely talented group that has worked hard. The inexperience could lead to some bumps early in the season, but it's a talented group that we're really excited about."
While the Senators do return their starting first baseman, two outfield pieces, a few bullpen arms and multiple players that started at DH last year, Shelton is also having to replace the majority of his starters and four of his top arms from last season.
The returning players from 2022 start with Landon Crumbley on the mound and Corbin Shaw at first base. Crumbley returns after going 3-0 in 17 appearances last year with a 3.16 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 42.2 innings.
Playing in 64 games last year at first, Shaw returns after hitting .311 with nine home runs and 52 RBI. Shaw had a .409 OBP and scored 50 runs.
"Landon pitched a lot of big innings for us last year and was one of our top guys," Shelton said. "We really trusted him to pitch in a lot of different situations. He's got that mentality to be successful, so we have a lot of faith in him.
"Corbin hit in the middle of the order last year, and we expect big things out of him this year."
Along with Shaw, returners in the field include Kruise Newman, Caleb Marmo, Cole McCallum and Jackson Bryan. Newman was an All-Conference player last season that hit .348 in 49 games with 13 homers and 37 RBI. Newman had a .479 OBP.
Marmo and McCallum rotated at DH last season with Marmo hitting .192 with four homers and 17 RBI while McCallum hit .309 with seven homers and 35 RBI. Bryan played in 18 games last year and hit .316 with two homers and seven RBI.
This year, Newman will start in right field with Marmo starting in center field. McCallum will bat a lot in the DH spot for Shelton but can also play in the infield while Bryan will be in the catching rotation.
As for newcomers in the field, Shelton has some serious depth. At second and shortstop, Shelton mentioned Angus Pence, Cooper Torres, Kurtis Reed and Miles Smith all rotating in. At third base, Deniel Ortiz and Pedro Pache are slated to fill that gap while Keaton Ray will fill the final spot in the outfield in left field and hit in the 3-hole spot of the lineup.
Rounding out the lineup is a four-man catching rotation. Along with Bryan, Jarrett Martin, Carter Oliff and Will Cawthon will all get time behind the plate.
"I really like our position players," Shelton said. "I think we're pretty solid throughout the lineup position player wise. We probably have as much depth in the infield that I have ever had. It's a really deep group, and that's a luxury for a coach."
On the mound, the returners from last year include Landon Slemp, Cooper Morgan, Ty Cobb and Bracken Rice. Slemp played both ways last year but will focus on pitching this season for the Senators. Slemp pitched in 12 games last year and struck out 16 in 14 innings of work, and Shelton said that Slemp's velocity is up already this year.
Morgan is a lefty from Australia who Shelton said really stood out in the fall. He threw 3.2 innings last season. Cobb and Rice both pitched in the World Series last season with Cobb throwing seven innings during the season and Rice striking out 13 in 12 innings of work.
Shelton also returns two pitchers from the 2021 season that both redshirted last year. Blake Cooper pitched in 13.1 innings in 2021, striking out 24 batters while Brayden Matthews pitched in 19.1 innings and struck out 26 and had two saves.
"We have a good nucleus of arms," Shelton said.
Along with the returning pitchers, the Senators have a good group of newcomers on the mound that Shelton expects to be beneficial.
Like his team, Shelton's coaching staff will also look a little different this year. The Senators lost four coaches but add Mike Corn to go along with Shelton and Sean Robinson. Corn comes from Columbia State where he spent the last 13 years as their head coach.
In terms of the schedule, things will be tough from start to finish for Walters State. The Senators open the season on Friday at USC Salkehatchie before taking on USC Union and Gaston College. Gaston, who won 41 games in their first season last year, will give the Senators a challenge early on.
The Senators then go to Chipola to play two games against the host, as well as games against Wallace State-Dothan and Central Alabama.
"We're playing some really good competition from the start," Shelton said. "These are all programs that have beaten us at times in the past. Playing a good preseason schedule like this is always good for you. The biggest thing you want to accomplish during this early season is to get ready for conference play."
The Senators will also play Patrick & Henry, WVU Potomac State and USC Sumter before opening up conference play in March. The conference is expected to be tough again and provide no easy weekends for Walters State.
"I don't think our conference gets enough credit for how good it is," Shelton said. "It's really good for us to face that type of competition in the conference against Hall of Fame coaches and good teams. Our kids have to understand that they have to come ready to play. It's a very challenging conference."
The goal is the same as always for the Senators as they look to make the JUCO World Series for the fifth straight season.
"We just have to keep improving as the season goes," Shelton said. "In non-conference, you prepare for conference play and in conference play, you're preparing for the postseason. It's a marathon and not a sprint. Rome wasn't built in a day. We have to work daily to get better. If we do that, I think we'll be alright."
First pitch on Friday is set for 2 p.m. The Senators will play a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 12 p.m.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics