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Feb. 20, 2006
OXFORD, Ohio -- If a first-year head coach were to put together a wish list for a program he was inheriting, it might include things such as: defending conference champions, two former conference freshmen of the year, five all-conference performers and three freshmen all-Americans. In the case of Dan Simonds, who is entering his first year as the head baseball coach at Miami University, that wish list is a reality. Simonds, who spent five seasons (2000-04) as an assistant at Miami, has returned to Oxford after one season as the head coach at Xavier University and has been handed a team that includes all of those things and then some.
Under the guidance of Tracy Smith, who left Miami after nine seasons to assume the head coaching duties at Indiana University, last year's RedHawks went 45-18, tying the school record for wins in a season and winning both the Mid-American Conference's regular season and tournament titles. It took the eventual national champion (Texas) to put an end to Miami's season, but Simonds is not willing to allow his club to rest on its laurels.
"We must continue to make positive strides each and every day in order to build on the tradition of this program," says Simonds. "And we can't be satisfied with what we did last week, last month or last year. We have to strive for excellence in everything we do."
To help lead the Red and White down the road to excellence, Simonds has enlisted the help of three new assistant coaches, one of whom is no stranger to Miami University. Ben Bachmann and Kevin Erminio, come to Oxford from the University of Maryland and Middle Tennessee State, respectively, while former Miami standout Jeremy Ison returns after a five-year stint in professional baseball that saw him spend time as both a player and a coach.
"This staff has a lot of experience at many different levels, and I think the players have really responded to what we are trying to do," says Simonds. "Ben, Kevin and Jeremy bring fresh ideas to the park everyday and that keeps the team energized and focused on the task at hand."
PITCHERS
The strength of this year's team is undoubtedly its pitching staff. The RedHawks return the arms responsible for 43 of the team's 45 wins from a year ago, the most in all of NCAA Division I. The staff includes two former MAC Freshmen of the Year, three all-conference performers from 2005, three preseason all-conference picks and an early favorite for conference pitcher of the year honors.
"Our pitching staff has the capability of giving us a chance to win each game," says Simonds. "They relish the challenge of competing against some of the top programs in the country."
Headlining the group is junior lefthander Keith Weiser (10-0, 2.73 ERA), a two-time first-team all-conference selection who Baseball America tabbed as its preseason favorite to earn MAC Pitcher of the Year honors. He is joined by fellow all-MAC honorees Graham Taylor (6-1, 2.71) and John Ely (10-2, 2.87), and together the trio will likely comprise Miami's weekend rotation.
Taylor, a senior southpaw, led Miami and ranked third in the MAC in earned-run average last year and brings as much experience to the mound as any pitcher in the league. Ely, a Baseball America Freshman All-American in 2005, led the conference with 108 strikeouts in 103.1 innings of work.
"It certainly is a plus to have three quality starters returning in Weiser, Taylor and Ely," says Simonds. "But the strength of our pitching staff lies in our depth and we expect our bullpen to give us quality innings throughout the season. We are fortunate to have several different options available to us."
Miami returns 17 victories from its bullpen, including sophomores Matt Erwood and Connor Graham. Erwood, a lefthander, went 6-2 last year with a 3.19 ERA, while Graham, a righthander and one of the hardest throwers in the conference, went 5-5, mostly in relief, and led the squad with four saves.
Also returning to the staff RedHawks' staff are righthanders Jeff Day and Matt Long. A freshman all-American in 2004, Day put together a solid season as a sophomore, highlighted by a dominating performance versus Ball State in the MAC Tournament.
"Jeff is going to be one of our most reliable arms," says Simonds. "He has the ability to fill several different rolls on our staff."
Long logged just 26.1 innings last year while recovering from elbow surgery, but went 1-1 with a 2.73 ERA and was selected by San Francisco in the 35th round of the 2005 draft.
"Matt is beginning to look like his old self," says Simonds. He is very close to being 100 percent and will play a major role in our success.
Two more of this year's sophomores made contributions to last year's staff. Righthander Steve Antoniotti and lefthander Bobby Oberschlake provided Miami with key situational relief all season. Antoniotti's season was highlighted by 3.0 innings of shutout baseball at Wright State when he fanned five batters.
Rounding out the pitching staff is senior lefthander Sam Shorts, who posted an 18:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2005. Shorts picked up two saves in 16 appearances last year and is one of the most experienced hurlers in the conference.
"We have a lot of experienced arms back and I feel that the leadership from our upperclassmen will be one of our strongest attributes," says Simonds.
With a young but experienced staff already in place, three new arms come to Oxford in the form or righthanders Jordan Herbert and Adam Wigley and lefthander Robert Shannon, with each having the potential to develop into frontline pitchers for the Red and White
OUTFIELDERS
The mound is not the only place that the RedHawks will benefit from experience this season. Miami returns a trio of outfielders that have combined to appear in 352 games and steal 111 bases during their careers. The group, with plenty of speed to burn, is comprised of senior Jason Brown and juniors Brandon Hillier and Ryne Robinson.
"We feel comfortable that when the ball is hit to the outfield they will track it down," says Simonds. "And their speed will create offensive opportunities for us also."
Hillier batter .344 last season and banged out a career-best 72 hits. He earned NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team honors as he hit .353 in the tournament with six runs scored and six runs batted in. Brown, who hit .347 as a sophomore, had his season cut short by a knee injury but stole 16-of-19 bases. Robinson earned second-team all-MAC honors in 2005 in both baseball and football. He led the MAC and set Miami's single-season record with 34 stolen bases last year and is the NCAA's active leader in career punt return yardage and touchdowns.
Another player that the coaching staff is excited about is sophomore Chris Niro, who is one of Miami's most versatile players. Niro hit .364 in limited action last year and also saw time on the mound.
"Chris made some great strides in the fall and winter practice sessions," says Simonds. "He has the potential to have a major impact not only as a position player, but as a pitcher as well."
Senior Will Reynolds also returns for the RedHawks and gives Simonds an experienced bat off the bench. In limited action last year Reynolds tied a career high with 10 RBIs, none bigger than his game-winning pinch-hit single versus Western Michigan in the MAC Tournament.
"Will's defensive versatility and strong lefthanded bat give us several options," says Simonds.
Also slated to be in the mix for playing time is redshirt freshman Dante DiSabato, another speedy outfielder with the ability to make things happen offensively. He is joined by freshmen Chris Nadeau, Chris Hatfield and Ben Eubank as each looks to make their mark with the Red and White this season.
INFIELDERS
The RedHawks return two of the most consistent infielders in the conference in seniors Geoff Orr and Eric Radley, who will patrol second base and shortstop, respectively, and give Miami yet another layer of experience on the diamond.
"We are as strong up the middle as any team in the league, and we are going to rely on Geoff and Eric to be leaders out there," says Simonds.
Orr hit .332 on his way to earning all-MAC honors for the second year in a row. He ranked third in the conference in RBIs (59) last year and set career highs in hits (73), runs (46), home runs (9) and stolen bases (16). Prior to the start of the 2006 season, he was tagged by Baseball America as the MAC's best pure hitter. Radley, who earned his first letter at Miami last season after transferring from Volunteer State Community College, drove in 28 runs and led the team with 11 sacrifice bunts.
The corners of the infield will be the one area where it might appear the Red and White will lack experience after losing all-conference performers Brian Canada and Paul Frietch to graduation. The solution to that problem arrived in Oxford in the form of junior Jeff Carroll, a transfer from Ohio State who will immediately step into the middle of the order and likely patrol first base.
"Jeff is an excellent defensive first baseman and has one of the better lefthanded swings on the team," says Simonds. "We will look to Jeff to produce runs and drive in some of the speedsters at the top of the order."
Also in the mix at first base will be freshman Tommy Nurre. Nurre surprised the coaching staff in the fall with his bat. He can change the complexion of the game with one swing and could see considerable time as the team's designated hitter.
The starting job at third base will be fiercely contested as a handful of players staked their claim to the hot corner during fall practice. One of the options that Simonds will have at his disposal is sophomore Evan Armitage. A utility infielder, Armitage hit .265 as a freshman while seeing time at both second and third base.
"Evan will be a big part of our offense," says Simonds. "He competes every time he steps to the plate and is one of our toughest outs."
He and freshman Jordan Petraitis will likely be given the opportunity to earn the job early in the season, with the coaching staff hoping Petraitis can be an offensive threat somewhere in the middle of the order.
"Jordan is one of the best athletes on our team," says Simonds. "We are really excited about what he brings to the table, and he should be ready to contribute from the start."
Another candidate for the job at third base is redshirt freshman J.D. Mynhier, who gives the RedHawks a strong righthanded bat off the bench and could potentially see time as a designated hitter.
In the event that any of his infielders should falter, Simonds has a stable of capable replacements in Ryan Bennett, Jeff Deighton, Brett Roberts, Blake Chaffee and Casey Worrell.
"We have plenty of options in the infield if we need them," says Simonds. "It is reassuring to know that we have some infielders capable of stepping in and helping us win."
CATCHERS
Senior Jon Franzese is poised to handle the majority of the catching this season after the departure of three-time all-MAC pick John Slone. Franzese batted a career-best .310 in 2005 and was Miami's most productive player off the bench last season, hitting .500 as a pinch hitter. Franzese has belted 12 home runs in just 177 career at-bats but will be relied upon to plate runs for the RedHawks in their defense of the MAC crown.
"Jon is one of those guys who can change the score at any time with one swing of the bat," says Simonds. "He will play a big role in handling our pitching staff."
Providing support for Franzese behind the plate will be freshman Eric Darlage, a strong defensive player with an outstanding throwing arm, and junior Dan Leonard, who converted to catching last season after spending his freshman year as an infielder.
Darlage will likely serve as Franzese's backup, while Leonard will push for time as a designated hitter and can also play third base in emergencies.
"We have a group behind the plate that will do the little things right to help us win games," says Simonds. "Jon has really developed behind the plate, and the guys we have backing him up only add to our options."
The RedHawks open the 2006 season on Feb. 25-26 when they travel to Greenville, S.C., for a three-game series with the Furman Paladins.
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