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SEATTLE - (Feb. 14) With opening day just around the corner, Seattle University baseball is ready to get its season started. Head Coach Donny Harrel is entering his eighth season leading the program and has his guys primed to make another run at the Western Athletic Conference title.
After finishing with a program best 37 wins and a regular-season WAC title in 2016, expectations are high. In a vote of the league’s nine head coaches, the Redhawks were picked to win the WAC again this year, but the team has its sights set on a higher goal. Their 2016 season ended unceremoniously with a 4-0 loss to Utah Valley in the WAC Tournament championship game.
“We didn’t get into a regional, so that loss to Utah Valley puts a chip on our shoulder going into 2017,” said Harrel. “Our main focus will always be to win the conference itself, we raised our goal from 35 wins last year to 40 wins this year, we want to raise our RPI as well as knock down that final door and win the conference tournament.”
The Redhawks have a good chance to accomplish these goals with the team that the coaching staff has put together. They are led by a pitching staff which features three players selected to the Preseason All-WAC Team. Nick Meservey highlights the trio, earning the preseason WAC Pitcher of the Year selection after posting a 2.32 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 81.1 innings in 2016. Starter Tarik Skubal and reliever Connor Moore were also named to the team.
As has been the philosophy with this coaching staff in the past, pitching and defense will win them games. Seattle U start the season with Janson Junk on the mound and are excited to see what freshman Nathan Bonck, who was named the 67th on the 2019 MLB Draft Top 100 Prospects list by PerfectGame.org, has to offer.
“We came in wanting a deep pitching staff to help protect guys like Meservey and Skubal. Our pitching staff will dictate our success,” Harrel said.
The offense is going to go under some changes after losing a lot of big bats last year.
“We’ve got some shoes to full with a couple draft picks being lost in (Brock) Carpenter and (Michael) McCann and our two-time MVP Sheldon Stober,” said Harrel. “We’re going to rely heavily on Griffin Andreychuk and Sean Sutton, who have taken on a leadership role. Sutton hit .337 and was an All-WAC pick and is just a catalyst.”
This is a team bringing 10 freshman onto the roster, so returning players will play a big role on the team providing leadership and experience. Returners like Kyler Murphy, Jack Reisinger, and Dalton Hurd will be counted on to fill this role and help the offense.
“Coming out to a game you will see us play hard,” said Harrel. “We are a relaxed group, but our intensity level is good during the games. The guys are really coached up. We had some of the top hitting and defensive stats last year. You should see us have fun, play hard, respect our opponents and have great character, and act the same way in a win as a loss.
“It’s time to get back to work.”
The Redhawks open the 2017 season with a four-game homestand against SIU Edwardsville, beginning Friday, Feb. 17 at Bannerwood Park. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 5 p.m. A doubleheader will follow on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. while the series concludes Sunday at 11 a.m.
Check back to goseattleu.com throughout the week as we continue to break down the 2017 roster in advance of Friday’s season opener.