VALDOSTA —
Greg Guilliams has a stable of six senior pitchers that he will call upon this season.
The Valdosta State head baseball coach knows those six horseman of pitchers will be the ultimate factor for the Blazers, who are looking to win their second Gulf South Conference championship since 2010.
“We are going to rely very heavily on those guys,” Guilliams said. “We are going to go as far as our pitching staff takes us.”
The Blazers will see how far that pitching staff will take them this year when they open their 2013 campaign today, by hosting the Comfort Suites Classic at Billy Grant Field. VSU will host the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish tonight at 6 p.m., and Lynn Saturday at 2 before closing out the weekend with a game against North Georgia Sunday at 3 p.m.
All six pitchers Guilliams and the Blazers will rely on this year were on the pitching staff last season, when the Blazers finished with a 27-19 record and no appearance in the South Regional Tournament.
Pete Whittingslow (3.68 earned run average, 6-4 record in 2012) is the team’s most productive returning starting pitcher in 2013. He will be joined by Jarod Carlton (6.35 ERA, 4-1 record in) and Nick Forgarty, who finished with a 4.86 ERA and a 2-1 record in six starts late last season.
In the bullpen, Zach John (5.34 ERA, 3-2 record) and Ben Watson (8.18 ERA, 1-0 record) will be the go-to relievers, while Benjamin Weil will be the team’s closer again this season.
In 2012, Weil made 32 appearances, all out of the bullpen, finishing with a team-leading 3.36 earned run average and 38 strikeouts. He didn’t allow a home run all year.
All together, the Blazer pitching staff is about the only thing fans will recognize from last year’s team. After all, sophomore catcher Bryant Hayman is the team’s only returning starter.
Regardless of the amount of turnover, Guilliams likes his new team and how hard the players have worked since arriving on campus.
“I think it is a challenge any time you only have one returning starter,” Guilliams said. “I think our club is still trying to learn our system. Having said that, I think they’ve worked hard and their attitudes have been good. At the end of the day, you never know until you get out there and start playing the games that count. I’m cautiously optimistic.”
With Hayman, the 2012 Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year, being the only returning starter, Guilliams said the team will look to him to make big plays at the plate. In 2012, Hayman finished the season with a .333 average, 10 doubles and eight home runs.
“He has even gotten better, especially defensively,” Guilliams said. “He is going to hit in the middle of our order and he has got to be a guy that produces offensively for us if we want to be a good club.”
Of the new additions, Guilliams said that he and his assistant coach, brother Todd Guilliams, have changed their recruiting strategy and have started to locate players that aren’t always looking to hit home runs, but can rather play solid defense and run the bases in a more efficient manner.
“Our recruiting has changed,” Guilliams said. “We’ve tried to get back to more team speed, we’ve tried to be a more defensive ball club. That was an issue with us last year. So we have tried to address that, but I guess the proof will be in the pudding when we start playing.”
Among the Blazers’ athletic recruits are two members of the Valdosta State football team. Outfielder Cooper Lemonds and pitcher Dom DeMasi, both of whom were on the baseball team last year, were both on the 2012 national championship football team, something Guilliams is proud about, even though they may be a little behind in baseball.
“I think they are a little behind, however they are both athletically gifted where they can do both,” Guilliams said. “Those guys can get caught up...Certainly, those guys bring an aura of successful with them. Those guys expect to win and hopefully that will rub off.”
Following this weekend’s tournament at home, the Blazers will have a streaky schedule, playing a chunk of games on the road and at home. The Blazers will play nine of their next 12 games at home, before taking to the road for eight straight games, six of which will come against conference opponents. Then, the Blazers play 12 straight home games before heading onto the road for eight straight road contests.
“It is a good schedule if we can win,” Guilliams said. “If we don’t win it is not a good schedule. But anytime your playing at home there is a certain comfort level there. Starting the season off, I am certainly glad we are at home.”
Local Sports
Pitching to lead Blazer baseball in 2013
VSU opens season today vs. Sailfish
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VSU softball wins South Region, headed to nationals
For the third time in four years, and second in a row, Valdosta State’s softball team will play in the national championship tournament.
The Blazers won their third South Region championship Saturday, beating Alabama-Huntsville 8-3 in game three of the best-of-three series at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park. -
VSU baseball season comes to an end
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Blazers take 1-0 series lead
Angela O’Connor launched a pinch-hit two-run home run over the left-field fence, tying the game against Alabama-Huntsville in the bottom of the sixth inning, and sparking the Blazers and their fans along the way.
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Blazer baseball stays alive, beats Stillman
Valdosta State scored five runs in the first inning to defeat Stillman 6-2 in an elimination game of the NCAA South Region Tournament at UT Baseball Field Friday morning.
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Lowndes’ Harwell, Wortham sign with Valdosta State
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Blazers host respected rival UAH in Super Regional
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Unfortunately for Valdosta State and Alabama-Huntsville, who have combined to appear in four straight national championship games, they won’t be meeting in title game on Memorial Day in Salem, Va. -
Pop Warner Football coming to Valdosta
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The nationally known organization that puts an emphasis on education and developing American youth has been established in the Valdosta area and will begin playing football this August. -
Blazers lose to Delta State, fall to loser’s bracket
If the Valdosta State baseball team is going to win the South Region Tournament, the Blazers going to have to do it from the loser’s bracket.
The Blazers (33-17) dropped their first game of the tournament Thursday, falling to Delta State 4-2 at UT Baseball Stadium.
VSU will face Stillman College, which lost to No. 1 seed and tournament host Tampa Thursday, Friday at 11 a.m. to advance to the weekend portion of the tournament. The loser will be eliminated. -
Lowndes’ Willis, Breit named Region 1 Coaches of the Year
The All-Region 1-AAAAAA soccer teams were announced Wednesday and Lowndes was well represented.
Lowndes coaches Chris Willis (girls) and Jordan Breit (boys) were named the Region Coaches of the Year, after leading the Lowndes teams to region championships and going undefeated in region play. -
Vikings commit 4 errors, fall to Roswell, 5-2
The small things matter in baseball, especially in a winner-take-all game three.
On Wednesday, Lowndes’ baseball team made too many mistakes on the little things. The Vikings committed four errors that led to five Roswell runs and were eliminated in the Class AAAAAA state playoffs with a 5-2 loss to the Hornets. - More Local Sports Headlines
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