Louisiana Tech will open its 2024 season at home against Northern Colorado on Friday night.
The Bulldogs missed out on an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2019 after finishing 28-31 overall in 2023. I think it’s fair to say that the season was an obvious disappointment.
What is on tap for 2024? Let’s take a look.
Tech was picked to finish 3rd in Conference USA by the coaches in the preseason. D1 Baseball has Tech picked to finish 3rd as well behind DBU & Liberty, but they believe Liberty & Tech are interchangeable.
The Schedule
- Tech will play 32 home games in 2024, 19 of the first 28 games will be at the Love Shack. Great opportunity to get off to a strong start.
- Tech does not play a true road series until March 28th at FIU.
- Schedule Highlights: vs Kent State on Feb 23-25, Battle at the Ballpark on Mar 1-3, vs Xavier on Mar 5-6, vs Southern Miss on Mar 8-10, @ LSU on Mar 19, @ Arizona Apr 12-14, @ DBU Apr 19-21, vs Sam Houston Apr 26-28, vs WKU May 10-12, @ Liberty May 16-18
- Tech will host the Conference USA Tournament on May 22-26 in Ruston
Offense
Key Returners (2023 Stats listed)
C Jorge Corona - .282, 9 HR, 35 RBI
1B Dalton Davis - .290, 15 HR, 58 RBI
2B/DH Ethan Bates - .270, 16 HR, 38 RBI
3B Logan McLeod - .304, 1 HR, 29 RBI
LF Adarius Myers - .265, 4 HR, 25 RBI
CF Cole McConnell - .336, 9 HR, 76 RBI in 2022 (Suspended in 2023)
RF Brody Drost - .208, 10 HR, 31 RBI
SS Will Safford - .208, 3 HR, 17 RBI
C/DH Karson Evans - .205, 2 HR, 11 RBI
Key Newcomers (2023 Stats listed)
SS Kasten Furr - UNO Transfer, .277, 7 HR, 33 RBI, 1 E in 255 chances at SS
2B Mike Ballard - Eckerd College Transfer, .375, 7 HR, 41 RBI
Freshmen to Watch
INF Colton Coates
INF Reid Snider
INF Jake Smith
DH/1B Hutson Guinn
3B/1B Grant Comeaux - Redshirt Freshman
Projected Starting Lineup
C Jorge Corona
1B Grant Comeaux
2B Mike Ballard
3B Logan McLeod
SS Kasten Furr
LF Adarius Myers
CF Cole McConnell
RF Dalton Davis
DH Ethan Bates
- The lineup is old, every player in it is in at least his 4th year of college outside of Comeaux.
- I’m pretty confident that it’ll be Furr, McConnell, Davis, Bates, Corona in the top 5 in the order.
- I don’t think it’s totally set in stone that Comeaux will be the opening day 1B, which opens up some options.
- Drost can play RF, Davis comes to 1B.
- Safford will be the opening day CF, McConnell has 4 more games of suspension remaining.
- The freshmen are going to get a chance, point blank. Too much noise surrounding those four for them not to. Coates is a switch-hitting middle infielder that can play some outfield as well. Guinn has been compared to a YOUNG Steele Netterville. Lots of power, lots of Ks at this point in his development. Jake Smith is the son of a coach, top 15 players in the state coming out of HS. Snider is a corner infielder that has been pretty impressive as well. Lane Burroughs also mentioned that Cade Patterson has been playing really well.
Pitching
Key Returners (2023 Stats listed)
Ethan Bates - 4-3, 10 saves, 3.02 ERA
Caden Copeland - 1-0, 5.91 ERA, he’s been 91-92, good slider
Ryan Harland - 0-5, 5.98 ERA
Isaac Crabb - 0-1, 6.75 ERA
Reed Smith - 4-4, 7.96 ERA
Greg Martinez - 0-5, 8.00 ERA, has been up to 96 this spring. Lots of folks raving about his recent performance. Likely starts as a middle reliever early on and will have to earn more innings.
Nick Fraginals - 1-1, 9.78 ERA, has developed a 2-seam that’s enhanced his development from a season ago, also starting to see his velocity come back.
- Obviously, it wasn’t a great year on the bump in 2023 which is why you’ll a BUNCH of new faces on the mound in 2024.
- Grant Hubka is back from injury and has been throwing the ball well.
Key Newcomers (2023 Stats listed)
RHP Turner Swistak - Tennessee Transfer, DNP in 2023, he’ll be 88-92 with a big time curveball
RHP Sam Brodersen - Wingate University Transfer, 4-2, 5.20 ERA
RHP Brenton Thiels - West Alabama Transfer, 5.18 ERA in 33 innings
RHP Blake Hooks - JC Transfer, 3.35 ERA in 35 appearances at JC
RHP Nate Crider - JC Transfer, 2.77 ERA in 26 IP, 50 K, 92-93, wipeout slider
RHP Will Melby - UCF Transfer, DNP in 2023
LHP Luke Nichols - JC Transfer, he’ll be 87-91, really good sinker/change-up guy
LHP Connor Nation - JC Transfer
Freshmen to Watch
RHP Hayden Harmon - up to 94 in the fall, physical right-hander that has a bright future
LHP Reece Tarini - lives 85-87 right now, commands all of his pitches, 12-6 curveball guy
- Might be tough for the freshmen to get innings early on, especially with so many new faces.
Pitching Notes
- Turner Swistak, Caden Copeland, Luke Nichols, and Reed Smith likely make up the starting rotation, in that order. Smith is likely the midweek guy, he’s had a strong off-season.
- Crider, Brodersen, and Bates will be at the back-end of the bullpen. Their the high leverage guys in the bullpen.
- The other guys are fighting for innings in the middle, more matchup dependent.
Questions?
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