Nevada Wolf Pack Baseball: A look ahead to 2012

The 2012 Nevada Wolf Pack baseball season has already begun.

"It's time to get to work," coach Gary Powers said this week. "We're doing everything we can to turn this around."

The Wolf Pack finished 24-31 in 2011, third in the Western Athletic Conference. It is the program's fewest number of victories in a season since the 1991 team also won 24.

Powers, though, who will enter his 30th season as head coach in 2012 just 20 victories short of 900 for his career, isn't worried about 2011 anymore.

"We are going to have a lot more competition for spots next year," Powers said. "But we have a lot of work to do."

Powers is excited about the future of Wolf Pack baseball. And when he talks about the future, all he's really talking about is 2012.

"I can't worry about more than next year or what going to the Mountain West Conference (in 2013) means," Powers said. "I haven't analyzed that yet. My whole focus right now is making us better next year than we were this year. It's important we get this thing turned around before we go to the Mountain West."

It won't be easy.

The Wolf Pack loses some very important pieces off the 2011 team. The Pack must replace three starting pitchers (Brock Stassi, Mark Joukoff and Jeremy Cole), a first baseman (Stassi), two outfielders (Waylen Sing Chow, Brian Barnett) and two relief pitchers (Mat Keplinger, Tyler Rogstad).

The loss of Stassi and Barnett guts the middle of the batting order. And while Barnett never found his rhythm as a senior, he still led the team with five homers and also drove in 28 runs and hit .267. Stassi hit for average (.360) and drove in 34 runs and led the team with a .454 on base percentage.

"He was able to salvage a pretty good season," Powers said.

Sing Chow filled a valuable role in the final month as the leadoff hitter. A seldom-used reserve outfielder his first three seasons, Sing Chow was one of the Pack's most consistent players down the stretch and finished with a .297 average, .445 on base percentage, seven doubles, 27 runs scored and 15 RBI.

"He did a fantastic job," Powers said.

Stassi, though, like Barnett at the plate, never found his rhythm on the mound. The 2010 WAC Pitcher of the Year when he went 7-4 with a 3.43 earned run average, wasn't able to even get on the mound the first six weeks of the year because of shoulder soreness. He went 2-2 with a 7.79 ERA in eight starts.

"He was never where we needed him to be physically," Powers said.

Cole, who also missed the first month of the season, had a rollercoaster season, going 4-5 with a 4.90 ERA in 11 starts.

Joukoff was a valuable spot starter, going 3-6 with a 5.10 ERA in 14 appearances (eight starts). Keplinger (0-2, one save, 6.35) was the left-handed specialist out of the bullpen and Rogstad (7.18 ERA in 19 games) was a middle reliever who gave the bullpen depth.

The loss of the seven seniors leaves the Pack with some holes to fill.

Stassi, Sing Chow and Barnett combined to hit .313 with 146 hits, 87 runs scored, 37 doubles, six triples, eight homers and 77 RBI.

Cole, Stassi, Keplinger, Joukoff and Rogstad combined to make 78 appearances (27 starts) with a 9-15 record and two saves. All five, though, battled through long periods of ineffectiveness. They combined to pitch 189 innings and allowed 245 hits, 123 earned runs and struck out 97 with 91 walks with a 5.86 ERA.

Powers already feels the 2012 team will be deeper than the 2011 group.

"We had a depth problem this year," he said.

The Pack will return six position players who started on a regular basis in 2011: left fielder Nick Melino (.303 average, four homers, 27 RBI), third baseman Garrett Yrigoyen (.257, 3, 33), shortstop Braden Shipley (.287, 1, 19), second baseman Joe Kohan (.283, 4, 34), catcher Carlos Escobar (.289, 4, 25) and designated hitter Hugo Hernandez (.248, 1, 17).

The Pack will also return three prominent pitchers who helped anchor the 2011 staff: starters Tom Jameson (6-6, 4.84) and Troy Marks (2-6, 4.21) as well as closer Matt Gardner (2-1, six saves, 1.71).

The bullpen also returns Sean Prihar, Bryan Suarez, Jayson McClaren, Timothy Culligan and Jacob Overbay. The five combined to make 51 appearances with a 4-3 record and a 6.23 ERA over 78 innings.

The Pack will return 24 players off the 2011 roster. Backup catcher Michael Turay, who hit .260 in 2011 as a junior, has left the program in search of more playing time.

The Wolf Pack, though, isn't focused on what is lost from 2011.

"We have to get kids who want to prove they belong (at the Division I level) and want to do the work necessary to accomplish that and not just say they want to do the work," Powers said.

Powers is confident the Pack has found those players this recruiting season.

"This is as good an incoming class as we've had in some time," Powers said. "My assistants (Chris Pfatenhauer, Buddy Gouldsmith and Pat Flury) have done an excellent job."

Already signed to letters of intent are outfielders Brooks Klein (Western Nevada) and Jay Anderson (Bishop Amat High in southern California), pitchers Brady Dragmire (Bradshaw Christian High in the Sacramento area), Nick Valenza (Horizon High in Scottsdale, Ariz.), Barry Timko (Serra High in San Bruno, Calif.) and Daniel Levine (Bishop Gorman High, Irvine Valley College), infielders Austin Byler (Sunrise Mountain High in Peoria, Ariz.) and Kyle Hunt (Capistrano Valley High in southern California), and catcher/ third baseman Ryan Teel (Mater Dei High in southern California).

"If all of these guys show up, we are going to be a much different team physically next year," said Powers, who said the Pack isn't finished adding to the 2012 roster. "This is as good a group of guys that we are bringing in here in a long, long time."

All nine could step right in and contribute next year, Powers said.

"This is a special group," Powers said.

Powers added that the Pack could lose a few of these recruits to the major league amateur draft, which begins on Monday. Valenza and Dragmire, Powers said, are high on most major league scouting reports. "Anderson is a big-time athlete," Powers said.

Byler is a strong, physical hitter who could help replace Barnett next year. Timko has battled injuries (knee, collarbone) in recent years but is ready to contribute.

"He has the ability to command the strike zone with more than one pitch," said Powers of Timko. "If he grows into his potential he can be a big-time pitcher."

Hunt, Powers said, could become the starting shortstop in 2012 if Shipley moves into a more prominent pitching role. Levine is a junior college pitcher who could step right into a regular role, Klein is an experienced outfielder and Teel is a talented hitter who could find regular at-bats as a backup catcher and corner infielder.

"Our young players grew up this year," Powers said. "From that standpoint alone we'll be better prepared and ready for the season next year right from the start than we were this year. We have more players who know what to expect. And these players we're bringing in will make everyone better."