PREVIEW: UMO baseball faces challenging, demanding schedule

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 3, 2017 9:59 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- Need a new job?

Head out to the University of Mount Olive baseball complex.

Carl Lancaster may officially fire himself as schedule maker after this season.

The Trojans face six teams who are ranked in either or both of the Collegiate Baseball and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II preseason polls. Three teams -- Lander, USC Aiken and Catawba -- participated in the 2016 Southeast Regional along with Lancaster's squad.

Lander and Franklin Pierce (No. 7 CB/No. 9 NCBWA) advanced to the College World Series in Cary.

"Those are the only games I could get, for real," insisted Lancaster, who begins his 31st season Saturday when the Trojans launch their 2017 campaign with a three-game weekend home series against Lander, ranked 28th by Collegiate Baseball and a preseason vote-getter by NCBWA.

"People just don't stop and play like they used to (in the past). The northern teams coming south go down to Florida now. I think this is the toughest schedule we've ever had."

Some D-I coaches wouldn't be this brave.

Within an 18-day stretch, UMO will play four nationally-ranked teams. The Trojans head to Florida for contests against preseason-ranked Florida Southern and 2016 South Region runner-up Delta State. They'll return home for a three-game set against Aiken, which lost just one starter from a year ago.

Then comes a Feb. 22 road date at Catawba, the 2015 CWS runner-up.

"If we can come out of this without our feelings being hurt too bad, we may be all right," Lancaster said. "That schedule is a grind. (The success) depends on how quickly they mature. We're going to lose some ballgames, but that happens when you're playing the quality of competition we're playing.

"I think we're better than we were last year, I honestly do. Then again, our competition overall throughout the entire schedule is better than last year."

Enter the Trojans' bullpen thoroughbreds.

Austin Hutchison, Brighton Hudson and Bruce Zimmerman combined for 24 of the team's 33 victories a year ago. The trio worked a total of 287-plus innings and retired 254 opposing batters on strikeouts.

Their combined ERA? 3.38.

Lancaster expects East Carolina transfer Zack Mozingo and JUCO product Zach Venarro to eat some innings in relief. He hopes the duo can shut down opposing teams, which has been Mount Olive's recent Achilles' heel.

"In a few weeks, we might have to make some adjustments in our rotation, but it will be nice to have two arms out of the back end to come out later," Lancaster said. "No question, I think this year we have legitimate guys that if we get through the eighth, they'll take the baseball and say 'I can finish this thing out.'"

There could be a third hurler to emerge from the bullpen.

Red-shirt junior Kodi Whitley is back after a lengthy absence from arm surgery. His current rehab involves two days of throwing 70 pitches in the bullpen. The 220-pound righty is between 80-85 percent healthy and has shown no signs of pain.

"If he can come back, we'll have one of the best pitching staffs that we've ever had here," Lancaster said. "We're keeping our fingers crossed."

A lot of new parts are filling gaps either in the infield or outfield. The mainstays are returning shortstop Ricky Surum and utility senior David Mayo. Mayo started and played in 53 games last season, and hit .314 with 40 RBI and a team-high 14 homers. Surum appeared in 49 games.

Covering the dish is JUCO transfer Jose Lopez. First base is open. Alvin Swoope, riddled by injuries last season, joins Surum in the middle infield. Bradley Ragan took over on the hot corner toward the middle part of last season. He could split playing time with East Georgia Community College transfer Tony Salvaggio.

The outfield?

Undetermined, says Lancaster.

"No one has taken the reigns," he said.

Winners of 13 Conference Carolinas regular-season and tournament championships, the Trojans have been picked to win the league again this season. The recognition is based on the program's consistent success, and they know that Lancaster and his staff is going to put a quality product on the diamond each spring.

"That's remarkable that those people would say that about us," said the 64-year-old Lancaster, who has compiled 1,051 career victories. "Our league is the best it's ever been, no question. We're going to have to bring our best game, be ready to compete because we're going to get everybody's best shot.

"We always do."

The schedule maker should know.