Photo by: DJ Shafer
Baseball 2022 Preview: Relief Pitchers
2/17/2022 3:05:00 PM | Baseball
HUNTSVILLE – It is not only the starting pitching that the Sam Houston Bearkats feel good about this season, but a strong and experienced bullpen that will be able to be leaned upon as the season progresses.
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The Kats return the bulk of its bullpen from a year ago, including Lance Lusk who saved nine games in 2021. He will likely make a number of starts this season, which opens up the closer role with a bevy of capable arms set to vie for it.
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One of those at the top of the list is right-hander Matt Rudis, who is coming into his second season in a Bearkat uniform after opening his collegiate career at TCU. A power arm from the right side, the Madisonville native held hitters to just a .224 average and had a save in 12 appearances last season. He could be used in a variety of roles, including as a possible option as a starter, but brings a skillset to the Kats' staff that may be best utilized as a key piece of the pen.
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Another veteran arm on the list is right-hander Alex Havlicek, a 6-5 hard-throwing righty who saved a pair of games last season and struck out 15 hitters in 16.2 innings of work. A former reliever at both Virginia Tech and Howard College, Havlicek has the tools to take hold of a late-inning role, but will likely be pushed by a number of other veteran arms such as Rudis and Cole Wesneski.
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As for Wesneski, he has been one of the Kats' most utilized arms over the past three seasons, making 37 total appearances, almost exclusively in relief. With a three-quarter delivery and natural run and sink on his fastball, he has shown a knack for missing bats, punching out 32 hitters in 34.1 innings in the past two seasons.
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The Kats could also turn to righty's Jack Driskell, Hunter Murray or newcomer Blaine Romero as options out of the bullpen, in addition to Logan Hewitt who had struck out eight hitters in 7.0 innings of work over six appearances last year before being shut down due to injury.
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Though there are plenty of arms from the right side, the Kats will be looking to get good work from lefties Gavi Coldiron and Dakota Palmer, in addition to relief appearances from arms such as Steven Beard and Braden Davis when they are not starting.
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Coldiron is coming off a successful season at Midland College where he struck out 25 hitters in 21.1 innings for the Chaparrals while Palmer redshirted in 2021 for the Bearkats, but was was ranked as one of the top prep lefties in the state coming out of Needville High School.
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The Kats return the bulk of its bullpen from a year ago, including Lance Lusk who saved nine games in 2021. He will likely make a number of starts this season, which opens up the closer role with a bevy of capable arms set to vie for it.
Â
One of those at the top of the list is right-hander Matt Rudis, who is coming into his second season in a Bearkat uniform after opening his collegiate career at TCU. A power arm from the right side, the Madisonville native held hitters to just a .224 average and had a save in 12 appearances last season. He could be used in a variety of roles, including as a possible option as a starter, but brings a skillset to the Kats' staff that may be best utilized as a key piece of the pen.
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Another veteran arm on the list is right-hander Alex Havlicek, a 6-5 hard-throwing righty who saved a pair of games last season and struck out 15 hitters in 16.2 innings of work. A former reliever at both Virginia Tech and Howard College, Havlicek has the tools to take hold of a late-inning role, but will likely be pushed by a number of other veteran arms such as Rudis and Cole Wesneski.
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As for Wesneski, he has been one of the Kats' most utilized arms over the past three seasons, making 37 total appearances, almost exclusively in relief. With a three-quarter delivery and natural run and sink on his fastball, he has shown a knack for missing bats, punching out 32 hitters in 34.1 innings in the past two seasons.
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The Kats could also turn to righty's Jack Driskell, Hunter Murray or newcomer Blaine Romero as options out of the bullpen, in addition to Logan Hewitt who had struck out eight hitters in 7.0 innings of work over six appearances last year before being shut down due to injury.
Â
Though there are plenty of arms from the right side, the Kats will be looking to get good work from lefties Gavi Coldiron and Dakota Palmer, in addition to relief appearances from arms such as Steven Beard and Braden Davis when they are not starting.
Â
Coldiron is coming off a successful season at Midland College where he struck out 25 hitters in 21.1 innings for the Chaparrals while Palmer redshirted in 2021 for the Bearkats, but was was ranked as one of the top prep lefties in the state coming out of Needville High School.
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