After another strong show ing in 2011, the Longwood Lancers baseball program is hoping for more of the same in 2012. Opening day for the team is this Friday, Feb. 17 at 3 p.m. against Iona College. The team will play the Gaels again on Saturday and Sun day (both at noon) to com plete the three game series.
Head coach Charles Buddy Bolding is still at the helm of the program for his 34th year. He has 900 victories and 30 winning seasons as the pro gram's only head coach. As sistant coaches Brett Mooney and Brian McCullough are back alongside Bolding for the 2012 campaign. The team finished 2011 with a 28-18 re cord (17-9 home, 11-9 away).
Senior centerfielder Dustin Sollars returns after starting 44 of 46 games in 2011. Sol lars hit .317 with three home runs, eight doubles, 24 RBI, 32 runs and 10 stolen bases. He had 18 multi-hit games and led the team in games played. Senior Robby New man will see plenty of action as the starting first baseman for Longwood. He will also see action in the outfield. Newman got off to a fast start last season and ended up batting .308 with four home runs, 11 doubles, 25 RBI and 28 runs. He had 13 multi-hit games. He is a first-year team captain.
Much of the starting lineup for the Lancers were fresh men last season and now have a year of experience un der their belts. Back for Long wood is sophomore third baseman Alex Owens. Ow ens hit .264 with four home runs, seven doubles, 22 RBI and 32 runs in 2011. He made a big splash on opening day, hitting a home run in his first at bat.
Owens' classmate Matt Dickason is slated to start the season at shortstop. He can also split time at second base. He is a first-year team cap tain. He started all 46 games last season hitting .349 with one home run, one triple, eight doubles, 22 RBI and 28 runs. He had 18 multi-hit games and a season-best 12-game hitting streak. He end ed last season with an eight-game hitting streak. Dickason was the lead-off man for the Lancers for the duration of 2011. Defensive ly, however, Dickason needs to tidy up. He committed 30 errors last season.
Scott Burkett returns behind the plate for the Lancers. The sophomore catcher started every game last season and drove in a team-high 34 runs. Burkett hit three home runs and nine doubles and scored 24 runs. He finished the year with a .270 average. He led the team in fielding putouts (296).
Justin Lacy started the year in the designated hitter slot but may also see time at first base. He also started every game in 2011 and led the team in doubles. He batted .331 and slugged five homers and 15 doubles. He recorded 29 RBI, 29 runs and 18 multi-hit games. Sophomore Zack Mihalko (reserve first base man) is the only other return ing position player.
The pitching staff will be spearheaded by right-hand ed senior Matt Gwaltney and right-handed junior Kyler Morgan. The duo is slated to be the number one and two starters in the rotation.
Gwaltney is a first-year team captain who was 5-6 with a 4.26 ERA last season. He pitched 63.1 innings pitched and struck out 43 hitters. He made 10 starts in 13 mound appearances. Gwaltney also threw two complete games.
Morgan's totals from 2011 in clude a 4-1 record, a 2.89 ERA and 46.2 innings pitched. He struck out 26 in 19 appear ances, four of which were starts. Cory Ramsey, a sopho more right-hander, will open season as the number three man in the rotation.
Ramsey was 6-3 last season with a 3.95 ERA and 37 strike outs in 54.2 innings pitched. He started all 10 games he appeared in. Freshman lefty Brandon Vick will be a spot starter in the rotation.
Also on the pitching staff are junior left-hander Bobby Shelton, left-handed sopho more Kyle Hall, sophomore right-hander Ryan Schubert and freshmen righties Zach Jordan, Tyler Wislocki and Aaron Myers. All of them will have big shoes to fill in the bullpen after stellar ju nior Mark Montgomery was drafted by the Yankees orga nization.
