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No matches found.Lancers open today
Wine optimistic about pitching staff
Key losses
C Gabe Brown
SS Tyler Edwards
2B Clayton Daniels
3B Casey Johns
LHP Andrew McDonald
Key returners
RHP Justin Godette
RHP Scotty Ginn
1B Jonathan Redd
3B Ty Eason
LF Wes Brantley
Top newcomers
RHP Jesse Sykes
RHP Tyler Kinney
C Sam Remick
C Trent Murray
C Stephen Whedbee
C Sam Barber
1B Trey Denning
1B Grant Cain
SS Josh Harris
SS Brett Corbett
SS Brandon Tant
2B Kyle Smith
2B Steve Hartley
3B Charlie Parsons
OF Tyler Lapp
OF Stephen Butt
OF Will Sanderson
OF Tyler Tant
LCC 2012 baseball shedule
2/4 CRAVEN CC* 1 p.m.
2/11 WILKES CC* 1 p.m.
2/12 WILKES CC noon
2/15 LOUISBURG COLLEGE 1 p.m.
2/18 SURRY CC* 1 p.m.
2/19 SURRY CC noon
2/25 ALLEGANY COLLEGE OF MD.* 1 p.m.
2/26 ALLEGANY COLLEGE OF MD. 11 a.m.
2/29 PITT CC 1 p.m.
3/3 DANVILLE CC* 1 p.m.
3/4 DANVILLE CC noon
3/6 at N.C. Wesleyan JVs 2:30 p.m.
3/10 at Rockingham CC* 1 p.m.
3/11 at Rockingham CC noon
3/14 at Pitt CC 3 p.m.
3/17 BRUNSWICK CC* 1 p.m.
3/18 BRUNSWICK CC noon
3/20 ^ORANGE COUNTY CC* 5 p.m.
3/21 ORANGE COUNTY CC 1 p.m.
3/24 at Southeastern CC* 1 p.m.
3/25 at Southeastern CC noon
3/26 ^SUNY-SULLIVAN CC 6 p.m.
3/27 SUNY-SULLIVAN CC* 1 p.m.
3/28 ^PITT CC 5 p.m.
3/31 at Stanley CC* 1 p.m.
4/1 at Stanley CC noon
4/4 ^CCBC-CATONSVILLE 1 p.m.
4/6 at College of the Albemarle 7 p.m.
4/7 COLLEGE OF THE ALBEMARLE* 1 p.m.
4/14 ^NEW RIVER CC* 4 p.m.
4/15 ^NEW RIVER CC 12:30 p.m.
4/18 at Louisburg College 5 p.m.
4/21 at Patrick Henry CC* 1 p.m.
4/22 at Patrick Henry CC noon
4/25 at Pitt CC 7 p.m.
4/28 at Catawba Valley CC* 1 p.m.
4/29 at Catawba Valley CC noon
5/5 at Wake Tech CC* 1 p.m.
5/6 at Wake Tech CC noon
5/11-15 Region X Division II Tournament**
5/25-31 NJCAA Division II World Series***
Home games in CAPS
Bold: Region X game
^at Grainger Stadium
**at Morehead City
*** at Enid, Oklahoma
Sitting in the third base dugout at Lenoir Community College’s Lancer Field on an unseasonably pleasant afternoon, Stony Wine goes over his roster in his head.
He reels off the names on his fathoms-deep pitching staff and struggles to recall those of some of his position players.
It’s hard to fault the seventh-year coach’s memory; nearly his entire lineup is new.
Wine and the Lancers open the 2012 season today at 1 p.m. with a home doubleheader against Craven Community College.
LCC’s strength as things get under way, undoubtedly, will be pitching. Only one member of the weekend rotation, left-hander Andrew McDonald, departed, and righties Justin Godette and Scotty Ginn return.
But the Lancers lost starters at six positions from a team that went 32-12 last season, creating multiple preseason battles to plug the holes.
The pitching staff, which includes a slew of newcomers hoping to fill bullpen roles and make midweek starts, is reason enough for Wine to be optimistic.
“I think we’re deepest this year, as opposed to any other year that I’ve been here, as far as quality and being able to bring a guy in who can do the job,” he said, adding that his team “underachieved” last season. “In the past, it’s been like we’ve got three pitchers, and he’s got to stay out there as long as he can.
“I’m an offensive guy,” he continued, “but it’s my belief that in baseball, the name of the game is pitching and defense.”
Freshman right-handers Jesse Sykes and Tyler Kinney are among the pitchers who have caught Wine’s eye as he and assistant coach Charles Tilghman begin to mold the staff.
The Lancers’ biggest loss on offense was All-American catcher Gabe Brown, who hit .451 with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs last season to earn Region X player of the year honors before moving on to the University of West Virginia.
First baseman Jonathan Redd, third baseman Ty Eason and left fielder Wes Brantley, from South Lenoir and North Lenoir, respectively, are among the returning players competing for jobs with a host of promising new faces.
Charlie Parsons, a sophomore third baseman who transferred from Franciscan University after the Ohio school dropped its baseball program, will be in the mix for playing time. Grant Cain, a 6-foot-8 freshman first baseman, could inject pop — or, at least, the size of a power forward — into the lineup.
The Lancers, perennial contenders for the Region X title, enter the season ranked 11th in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II poll.
“I think that’s an adequate assessment of where we are,” Parsons said. “I feel like we can build on that. With the things we have in place, I feel like it’s shaping up to be a pretty good season.”
Ginn, a North Lenoir product who pitched for the Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League over the summer, believes the pieces are in place.
“Right now, we’ve got all the talent,” he said. “All we’ve got to do is have the chemistry to get there. Chemistry is pretty much the main thing we need right now.”
Wine, who has overseen multiple improvements to the Lancers’ home field in recent years, is working on it. He said he plans to juggle various lineups early and continue to use a mix of players throughout the season to keep his backups fresh.
How good the club will be remains to be seen, but Wine was quick to point out that LCC, which will play six home games at Grainger Stadium, has reached the World Series every other season in recent years.
“I think we’ll be successful,” he said. “We’ll be highly competitive. I don’t want to go out on a limb and say we’re going to win it all because in baseball, if you do that, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. But I feel good about this being an even year.”
David Hall can be reached at (252) 559-1086 or at dhall@freedomenc.com.
