Photo by: DJ Shafer
Baseball 2022 Season Preview: Outfielders
2/14/2022 1:28:00 PM | Baseball
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats have been fortunate to have one of the top outfielders in the nation roaming the outfield for the past three seasons, but now a fresh group is set to step into even bigger roles in 2022.
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The Kats have had their share of star outfielders in recent years, such Bryce Johnson (2015-17), and Clayton Harp (2015-18), and that profile was elevated even higher a year ago when Bearkat outfielder Colton Cowser was taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft in June.
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A do-it-all center fielder, Cowser was one of the top players in the country a year ago, and on games where teammate Jack Rogers took over in left field, pundits would be hard-pressed to find a better 1-2 outfield punch in all the land a year ago.
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But with the draft pulling each to the professional ranks, the Kats will be looking to continue that long line of successful outfielders, and could be looking at another budding star in returner Clayton Chadwick.
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Chadwick is entering his third season with the Kats and is one of the top outfield prospects in the WAC for the 2022 draft, per D1Baseball.com. After playing in just one game in 2020 due to injury, he hit .275 with 16 RBI a year ago, but looks to have positioned himself for a much bigger campaign in 2022. He should shift from left field to center field this season, taking over that spot from Cowser, and brings an intriguing talent set that should see him as an impact player for the Kats this year.
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Flanking him in left field will likely be Carlos Contreras, a left-handed slugger from the JuCo ranks who should slide into the middle of the Kats' order immediately. He was a big piece of Cisco College's NJCAA World Series team from 2021, slugging 13 homers and driving in 61 runs for the Wranglers.
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Other experienced options in the outfield include Jacob Guerrero, Hayden Johnson and Jaylen Williams, all of whom come from the JuCo ranks as well. Guerrero was part of a winning pedigree at Colleyville Heritage HS, winning a state title in 2019 before spending the 2020 season at New Mexico. A right-handed bat, he spent last year at Weatherford College where he had 22 extra-base hits and drove in 50 runs for the Coyotes.
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Johnson and Williams, meanwhile, are a pair of athletic, right-handed hitting outfielders who give the Kats plenty of depth and options at any position from left to right. Johnson is a local product from Conroe who hit .338 during his time at Paris JC, while Williams helped McLennan CC win the 2021 NJCAA national title.
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The Kats also could turn to Lane Brewster, a left-handed freshman from League City, who racked up numerous honors during his prep career and is listed as one of the top 10 likely impact freshmen in the WAC by D1Baseball.com.
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The Kats have had their share of star outfielders in recent years, such Bryce Johnson (2015-17), and Clayton Harp (2015-18), and that profile was elevated even higher a year ago when Bearkat outfielder Colton Cowser was taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft in June.
Â
A do-it-all center fielder, Cowser was one of the top players in the country a year ago, and on games where teammate Jack Rogers took over in left field, pundits would be hard-pressed to find a better 1-2 outfield punch in all the land a year ago.
Â
But with the draft pulling each to the professional ranks, the Kats will be looking to continue that long line of successful outfielders, and could be looking at another budding star in returner Clayton Chadwick.
Â
Chadwick is entering his third season with the Kats and is one of the top outfield prospects in the WAC for the 2022 draft, per D1Baseball.com. After playing in just one game in 2020 due to injury, he hit .275 with 16 RBI a year ago, but looks to have positioned himself for a much bigger campaign in 2022. He should shift from left field to center field this season, taking over that spot from Cowser, and brings an intriguing talent set that should see him as an impact player for the Kats this year.
Â
Flanking him in left field will likely be Carlos Contreras, a left-handed slugger from the JuCo ranks who should slide into the middle of the Kats' order immediately. He was a big piece of Cisco College's NJCAA World Series team from 2021, slugging 13 homers and driving in 61 runs for the Wranglers.
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Other experienced options in the outfield include Jacob Guerrero, Hayden Johnson and Jaylen Williams, all of whom come from the JuCo ranks as well. Guerrero was part of a winning pedigree at Colleyville Heritage HS, winning a state title in 2019 before spending the 2020 season at New Mexico. A right-handed bat, he spent last year at Weatherford College where he had 22 extra-base hits and drove in 50 runs for the Coyotes.
Â
Johnson and Williams, meanwhile, are a pair of athletic, right-handed hitting outfielders who give the Kats plenty of depth and options at any position from left to right. Johnson is a local product from Conroe who hit .338 during his time at Paris JC, while Williams helped McLennan CC win the 2021 NJCAA national title.
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The Kats also could turn to Lane Brewster, a left-handed freshman from League City, who racked up numerous honors during his prep career and is listed as one of the top 10 likely impact freshmen in the WAC by D1Baseball.com.
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