Bama Baseball Team Opens Preseason Practice
1/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama baseball team opens preseason practice on Monday as preparation resumes for the 2005 college baseball season.
After two weeks of individual drills and weightlifting, the Crimson Tide will resume team drills the next three weeks and scrimmage each of the next three weekends in preparation for the season opener at the University of Hawai'i in Honolulu on Feb. 10, 2005.
The main priority between now and the season opener is to develop a stronger pitching staff, which includes a rare four-game series against Hawai'i to open the year.
"The priority will be to develop a pitching staff and be able to tell you that these are the guys that are going to pitch, and I think we have the numbers to do it," Alabama head coach Jim Wells, who opens his 11th season at the Capstone this season, said. "Coming out of the fall, like we told our team, there was not any separation between the guys.
"We will also go back to team drills. We've been working individually on hitting and pitching for three months. We will go through team offense and team defense."
Obviously the pitching staff will be built around sophomore left hander Wade LeBlanc, the 2004 National Freshman of the Year and 2005 preseason All-American.
"The main thing is developing an order to your pitching staff after the No. 1 spot," Wells added. " With the health of (sophomore left-hander Brandon) Belcher now being able to throw live for the first time or in a game situation.
"I think getting your one through eight, or one through 10 in the pitching staff established is important. It is also important to know how you will go about the first weekend on the mound as opposed to who is going to play first base or center field."
LeBlanc was 8-4 last year with 2.08 ERA and set single-season school records for a rookie in innings pitched, strikeouts, wins and complete games.
Wells also said that as many as eight guys were battling for spots in the pitching rotation, one that posted the best earned run average in the Southeastern Conference last year.
Sophomore left-hander Brandon Belcher, senior left hander Brent Carter, junior right hander T.J. Large and sophomore right-hander Trey Shields will open camp in a battle for the final two spots in the weekend rotation as well as the midweek starter.
Belcher missed the entire fall while recovering from off-season surgery to remove bone spurs from his left elbow.
"After we get past LeBlanc, we could name five guys to pitch the next day and five guys to pitch the next day. I'd like to go in feeling good about this guy pitching on Saturday, this guy on Sunday and this guy on Tuesday or Wednesday and this guy in relief. We are not 100 percent there yet, but then again, no probably no one else is either."
It appears that Alabama will open the season with two talented freshmen right-handers in its bullpen, including Josh Copeland and David Robertson, a native of Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide bullpen will also have the services of junior right-hander Matt Downs, who was a two-way player for the Tide last year, but will concentrate only on pitching this season.
Alabama has seven other candidates that could fill a role in the bullpen this season.
While Wells is working on a pitching order on the mound, it appears that the everyday lineup is almost set heading into the 2005 season.
Alabama's opening day lineup includes 11 players that started at some point during the 2004 season. The list includes senior first baseman Zac Welch, senior second baseman Allen Rice, senior infielder Rocky Scelfo, sophomore infielder Greg Paiml, junior third baseman Evan Bush, senior outfielders Gabe Scott and Matt Grooms, sophomore outfielders Emeel Salem and Michael McCallister and catchers Charlie Lyons and David Ferazza.
"I don't think there have been many years, and especially recently, where you could just reel off and feel pretty good about a starting nine," Wells said.
Two newcomers have made an immediate impact with the Crimson Tide and are expected to be in the opening day lineup.
Junior Kody Valverde, who was a First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection at the University of New Orleans the last two seasons, will likely open the season as Bama's everyday catcher.
Freshman Cale Iorg, a talented infielder from Knoxville, will likely be the opening day shortstop for Alabama.
Joining Valverde and Iorg on the infield are Welch at first base, Rice at second base and Bush at third base. The outfield will consist of Scott in left field, Salem in center and McCallister in right.
Scelfo and Paiml will also battle for playing time and are considered by Wells as valuable members of the squad because of their versatility. Scelfo can play all four infield positions, the outfield and DH, while Paiml can play second, short and third.
Alabama will practice on Monday beginning at 9 a.m. because of the University holiday. The normal practice time will be 2 p.m. each day and all practices are open to the public. The Crimson Tide is expected to hold its first intrasquad game of the preseason later this week.
