DII Report: GAC DII baseball 2023 preview
Southern Arkansas made it to Cary, N.C. last year. Who stands in its way to repeat in 2023?
I hope you have been enjoying the DII baseball fall reports and season previews. With the season already creeping so very close, today, we turn our attention to the Great American Conference.
Southern Arkansas was a handful for everyone last year, making a deep run in the DII tournament. The Muleriders have a good amount returning and look like a team sitting in the top five of my soon-to-be-released Power 10 rankings.
Problem for the Muleriders is the GAC looks stacked this year. There may be some sneaky good teams in this part of the country, so let’s take a look.
2022 GAC DII baseball final standings
Southern Arkansas
Head coach: Justin Pettigrew
Returning player to watch: Brett McGee, C. In a lineup of hitters that can make consistent contact and has plenty of pop, McGee brings a solid blend of both with good defense at behind the plate.
Pitcher to watch: Jeremy Adorno, RHP. The reigning national pitcher of the year is coming off a 15-0 season. He throws 90-94 mph with his fastball and has a low to mid-80s wipeout slider. Adorno has a four-pitch arsenal with good command of a change and curve as well.
Newcomer to watch: Mikey McGinnis, 1B/OF. Coach describes him as a very dynamic offensive player with gap-to-gap power. Pettigrew also mentioned Mikel Howell, a 6-foot-8 righty who sits 88-92 with a plus changeup and breaking ball.
Under-the-radar player to watch: Micah Burke, LHP. Burke transfers from Navarro College where he pitched primarily out of the pen.
What Coach Pettigrew said: This group has played in and won a lot of big games. Our experience in the lineup and on the mound will be key to our success in 2023. We will have a dynamic offense with a good blend of power and speed, a deep pitching staff with quality arms from top to bottom, and a versatile defensive squad. We look for big things from this group.
Henderson State
Head coach: Cody Hooten
Returning player to watch: Greyson Stevens, 1B. Stevens, a big lefty hitter, owns many Reddies records and may have a few more before it is said and done. He has become a solid contact hitter, improving each year and showing a big improvement in power last year.
Pitchers to watch: Andrew Howard, RHP. Howard was a sharp reliever last year that Hooten thinks may be able to sneak into the weekend rotation. He sits 88-92 with a plus-plus slider. Also watch out for Ryan Galvan (sits 82-84, high spin rate, great pitch ability per Hooten) and Cade Tucker (sits 87-90, plus secondaries).
Newcomer to watch: Luke Rice, 1B. A big left-handed hitter was a JUCO All-American.
Under-the-radar player to watch: Luke Farrar, IF/OF. Farrar is coming off a forgettable season in which he lost his job. However, Hooten has seen him get back to form this fall and the former JUCO All-American could breakout in 2023.
What Coach Hooten said: I feel like we have an even more talented group this year. We have a very talented group of pitchers, and we are anxious to see our lineup in action. However, I think Division II baseball is at an all-time high as far as talent goes, so it will be tougher to be great than it has ever been. We play a tough schedule and are in a great conference, so we are excited for the challenge ahead of us. It is vital for us to transform from talented to good very fast. I can't wait to see these young men compete and represent our institution this season.
Harding
Head coach: Patrick McGaha
Returning players to watch: Cody Smith, OF, and Coulton Doyle, IF.
Pitcher to watch: Will Roguske, RHP. According to McGaha the transfer from Illinois State’s pitch ability is off the chart. He has the velocity, but secondary pitches may be his better weapons.
Newcomer to watch: Seth Johnson, UTIL. The Troy transfer will start in right field and hit in the 2 or 3-hole with the potential to hit double-digit home runs. He may also be the Bison closer this year. Coach feels he and Smith could be the big power duo he’s been waiting for since coming to Harding.
Under-the-radar player to watch: Davis Welch, RHP, and Sebastian Martinez (transfer from Quincy), C.
What Coach MCGaha said: I really like our hitters. This group has a chance to be our most offensive team since 2011. If our pitching staff can stay healthy I think this group will surprise some people in our region.
Southeastern Oklahoma State
Head coach: Zach Crabtree
Returning player to watch: Reid Rice, 3B. There are eight solid returners in this lineup, but Reid, a First-Team All-GAC a season ago, stands out with a nice blend of contact and power.
Pitcher to watch: Cole Canuteson, RHP. Another spot where the Storm sees a ton of experience is the rotation. Canuteson is a big strikeout guy, with a three-pitch mix including a fastball that sits 88-92.
Newcomer to watch: There are 10 notable transfers added to this roster, which, if only half make a big impact, paired with all the experience, the Storm could be a breakout team in 2023.
Under-the-radar player to watch: John David Muse, IF. A right-handed hitting true freshman who had an outstanding fall.
What Coach Crabtree said: “If we can stay healthy and our guys keep the main thing the main thing — being great teammates and winning — we have a chance to have a really good ball club. We are extremely excited about our group of student-athletes and can’t wait to get going. We know that the GAC is going to be loaded this year with 8-10 quality ball clubs. We look forward to competing each week in such a balanced competitive league.”
Ouachita Baptist
Head coach: Luke Howard
Returning player to watch: G. Allen, IF and Dustin Bermudez, UTIL.
Pitcher to watch: Cooper Timmons, RHP. Timmons sits 88-90, with a three-pitch mix (adding a slider and change to his fastball). His best attribute per Howard, though, is his competitive nature.
Newcomers to watch: Michael Quinones, IF/C, and Teddy Webb, LHP.
What Coach Howard said: We have a team that has some experience on the position player side and are talented, but some inexperience on the mound. The team showed a lot of toughness and resilience last year and with a lot of the same players back in 2023, we are hoping to build on that going into this year.
Oklahoma Baptist
Head coach: Chris Cox
Returning player to watch: Dan Pruitt, 1B. Pruitt is the reigning GAC player of the year and an All-American. He has already been drafted once in 2019 by the Detroit Tigers.
Pitcher to watch: Jake Hamilton, RHP. Hamilton sits 89-93 and mixes in a slider and changeup. I’m excited to see his fastball which Cox describes as a true swing-and-miss pitch with high-spin rate and deception.
Newcomer to watch: Ryan Turbeville LHP. Tuberville is a JUCO transfer that sits 88-91 with a solid four-pitch mix. He can change speed well and struck out 93 last year.
Under the radar player to watch: Brek Galbreath, RHP. He sits 88-90 and commands the secondary stuff. Can strike people out, it seems like he’s ready to breakout.
What Coach Cox said: A veteran group returning on the position side of things, that garnered many accolades a season ago. A pitching staff that has key pieces returning to go along with a recruiting class that we're really excited about on the mound.
THE DII NATION PODCAST
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