Photo by: Brian Blalock
Bearkat Baseball 2020 Preview: Infield
2/3/2020 11:04:00 AM | Baseball
Returners: Jackson Loftin, Luke Repka, Jack Rogers
Newcomers: Erick Davila, Anthony MacKenzie, Dee Shelton, Corbin Vines, Christian Smith
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HUNTSVILLE – The Bearkats got plenty of production from their infield in 2019, but with just one returning infield starter back from a year ago, coach Jay Sirianni's squad will has replenished that group and likes its options for 2020.
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The Kats boasted two seniors who earned all-SLC first team honors on the right side of the infield a year ago in second baseman Riley McKnight and first baseman Hunter Hearn, but with the 2020 Opening Day quickly approaching, sophomore shortstop Jackson Loftin is the lone returner back.
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As a true freshman, Loftin took hold of the starting shortstop job in late March and never gave it back. He made 30 starts there for the season, finishing with a .283 average that included a homer and a dozen RBI at the plate. In addition to providing a reliable glove in the infield's most pivotal spot, he could be primed to make a jump offensively in his sophomore campaign.
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Loftin showed some pop with the bat at times as a freshman with three doubles and a key home run at SFA in April, but should see those numbers increase in his second year on the team. Additionally, he also swiped five bags in six tries a year ago and will likely be one of the Kats' top threats on the bases this year as well.
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With three spots open for competition on the infield entering the season, the Kats will be looking at junior Jack Rogers to make the shift from the outfield to the infield as the likely top candidate to take over for Hearn at first base.
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Rogers, a former high school teammate of Loftin's at Klein Collins HS, returns after a season that saw him earn all-SLC third team honors in the outfield. A left-handed bat who possesses power to all fields, he will be one of the top returning hitters the Southland has to offer, regardless of position in 2020.
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He has seen minimal time at first base in his first two seasons, mainly playing in the outfield or at designated hitter, but if he is able to lock down that spot in 2020 it would be key for the Kats. He is coming off a season that saw him hit for a .304 average with a .541 slugging percentage, cranking eight home runs while finishing second in the league with 20 doubles.
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The other returner on the infield is Luke Repka, who could play either corner infield spot and provides another dangerous left-handed bat. He did not crack the lineup as a freshman until late in the season, but gave the Kats a spark as he started seven games at third base in the final month of 2019 and provided one of the year's more memorable moments when he delivered an opposite-field grand slam against Texas A&M for his first career hit.
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The Kats will also be looking at a slew of newcomers to help round out the infield, led by transfers Dee Shelton and Corbin Vines, along with freshman Anthony MacKenzie. Shelton, a switch-hitting middle infielder, opened his career up at Stetson in 2018 before spending the 2019 season at Hillsborough CC. He and MacKenzie, another switch hitter from Second Baptist School who the coaching staff is extremely high on, should each be in the early mix for playing time in the middle of the infield.
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Vines, meanwhile, is another key part of the mix. Able to play at either corner, he provides a powerful right-handed bat that will be key in balancing out a lineup heavy in left-handed hitting returners. A former standout at Waller HS, Vines joins the Kats from Galveston College where he was one of the Whitecaps' top hitters, driving in a team-high 36 runs with a .320 average and a dozen extra-base hits in 2019.
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Freshman Erick Davila, along with transfer Christian Smith, will also add to a deep corps of infielders. Davila brings another left-handed bat and high baseball IQ with the ability to play up the middle, while Smith is a versatile player who could also give the Kats an option in the outfield. A right-handed bat, Smith is coming off a great year at Cisco College that saw him hit .370 with seven homers and 36 RBI in 44 games for the Wranglers.
Newcomers: Erick Davila, Anthony MacKenzie, Dee Shelton, Corbin Vines, Christian Smith
Â
HUNTSVILLE – The Bearkats got plenty of production from their infield in 2019, but with just one returning infield starter back from a year ago, coach Jay Sirianni's squad will has replenished that group and likes its options for 2020.
Â
The Kats boasted two seniors who earned all-SLC first team honors on the right side of the infield a year ago in second baseman Riley McKnight and first baseman Hunter Hearn, but with the 2020 Opening Day quickly approaching, sophomore shortstop Jackson Loftin is the lone returner back.
Â
As a true freshman, Loftin took hold of the starting shortstop job in late March and never gave it back. He made 30 starts there for the season, finishing with a .283 average that included a homer and a dozen RBI at the plate. In addition to providing a reliable glove in the infield's most pivotal spot, he could be primed to make a jump offensively in his sophomore campaign.
Â
Loftin showed some pop with the bat at times as a freshman with three doubles and a key home run at SFA in April, but should see those numbers increase in his second year on the team. Additionally, he also swiped five bags in six tries a year ago and will likely be one of the Kats' top threats on the bases this year as well.
Â
With three spots open for competition on the infield entering the season, the Kats will be looking at junior Jack Rogers to make the shift from the outfield to the infield as the likely top candidate to take over for Hearn at first base.
Â
Rogers, a former high school teammate of Loftin's at Klein Collins HS, returns after a season that saw him earn all-SLC third team honors in the outfield. A left-handed bat who possesses power to all fields, he will be one of the top returning hitters the Southland has to offer, regardless of position in 2020.
Â
He has seen minimal time at first base in his first two seasons, mainly playing in the outfield or at designated hitter, but if he is able to lock down that spot in 2020 it would be key for the Kats. He is coming off a season that saw him hit for a .304 average with a .541 slugging percentage, cranking eight home runs while finishing second in the league with 20 doubles.
Â
The other returner on the infield is Luke Repka, who could play either corner infield spot and provides another dangerous left-handed bat. He did not crack the lineup as a freshman until late in the season, but gave the Kats a spark as he started seven games at third base in the final month of 2019 and provided one of the year's more memorable moments when he delivered an opposite-field grand slam against Texas A&M for his first career hit.
Â
The Kats will also be looking at a slew of newcomers to help round out the infield, led by transfers Dee Shelton and Corbin Vines, along with freshman Anthony MacKenzie. Shelton, a switch-hitting middle infielder, opened his career up at Stetson in 2018 before spending the 2019 season at Hillsborough CC. He and MacKenzie, another switch hitter from Second Baptist School who the coaching staff is extremely high on, should each be in the early mix for playing time in the middle of the infield.
Â
Vines, meanwhile, is another key part of the mix. Able to play at either corner, he provides a powerful right-handed bat that will be key in balancing out a lineup heavy in left-handed hitting returners. A former standout at Waller HS, Vines joins the Kats from Galveston College where he was one of the Whitecaps' top hitters, driving in a team-high 36 runs with a .320 average and a dozen extra-base hits in 2019.
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Freshman Erick Davila, along with transfer Christian Smith, will also add to a deep corps of infielders. Davila brings another left-handed bat and high baseball IQ with the ability to play up the middle, while Smith is a versatile player who could also give the Kats an option in the outfield. A right-handed bat, Smith is coming off a great year at Cisco College that saw him hit .370 with seven homers and 36 RBI in 44 games for the Wranglers.
Players Mentioned
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