Baseball
2007 Preview/Recap

Trinity Tigers head coach Tim Scannell has a reputation for waving the base runner from second base to home.

The Trinity University Tigers baseball program has always been known for its intensity.

That intensity will be apparent when the Tigers open their campaign Feb. 17 at the University of Texas-Dallas in Richardson. The 2007 edition of Tiger baseball has a collection of solid pitchers, strong hitters, fast base runners and steady defensive players.

“We should be a good defensive team with the potential for very good starting pitching,” said head coach Tim Scannell, in his ninth year at the Tigers’ helm. “The offense has the potential to be effective if we improve throughout the season.”

Trinity, ranked 30^th by the American Baseball Coaches Association poll, begins its 13-date home schedule Feb. 20 by hosting the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in a non-conference game. Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series are slated for March 16-18 (Hendrix College) and April 6-8 (Austin College). Loyola University-New Orleans comes to town April 3 and Texas Lutheran is the Tigers’ final regular-season opponent April 18.

The road schedule should prove to be interesting, especially with the Desert Classic Feb. 22-24 at Peoria, Ariz. Trinity, Washington and Lee University, Whitworth College (Wash.) and Hastings College (Neb.) are the competing teams. Peoria Stadium, the spring training home of the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners, is the playing site. Included in the away schedule are games March 10-11 at Centenary College in Shreveport, La. SCAC road games include a series March 30-April 1 at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., and three days of baseball April 13-15 at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

The SCAC has developed a new format for its postseason tournament. The top four teams from each of two divisions will play a best-of-three series April 20-22 at Millington, Tenn. The four winners will then compete for the SCAC Championship in a double-elimination event April 27-29 at Southwestern in Georgetown. At stake is the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Trinity shared the 2006 SCAC title with Millsaps, marking the Tigers’ fourth conference championship. Trinity advanced to the NCAA regionals at Orange, Calif., where they beat Texas Lutheran 11-4 in the opening game. Chapman beat the Tigers 7-2 in the second game and George Fox was an 11-5 winner in the third. Trinity was competing in its third NCAA regional tournament.

The Tigers completed the season with a 34-13 record and were 16-4 in the SCAC. Coach Scannell was elected SCAC Baseball Coach of the Year for the third time. Trinity was ranked No. 26 at season’s end by the ABCA.

Four All-SCAC honorees will highlight the Tigers’ squad during the coming season.

Senior first baseman/designated hitter Nick Vera of Clute, Texas (Brazoswood), was elected to the All-SCAC and All-Region Teams. Vera batted .394 (160 at-bats, 57 runs, 63 hits, 13 doubles, eight home runs and 37 RBIs). He led the conference and was ranked No. 24 nationally in stolen bases per game (47 games, 35 stolen bases, 4 caught stealing, .74 stolen bases per game).

Blake Holman, a senior third baseman from Austin, Texas (Anderson), was chosen for the All-SCAC Team. Holman batted .333 (165 at-bats, 44 runs, 55 hits, four home runs, 38 RBIs.

An All-SCAC player in 2006 was sophomore right-handed pitcher Britton Horn of Deer Park (St. Pius). Horn was the SCAC leader, and ranked nationally with an earned run average of 1.74. He sported a 4-1 record, with one save. Horn pitched 51.2 innings and allowed 47 hits, 10 earned runs, 17 walks and struck out 36 batters.

Horn’s All-SCAC teammate was junior right-handed pitcher Drew Bignall of Wayzata, Minn. (Breck School). Bignall had a 7-2 record with a 4.02 ERA. He hurled 65 innings and allowed 58 hits, 29 earned runs, 21 walks and fanned 49 players.

The Tiger pitching staff led the SCAC with a 3.38 ERA, while opponents registered 7.50. Trinity was ranked No. 22 in Division III in strikeouts per nine innings (400 innings, 342 strikeouts, 7.7 per game).

A key returning pitcher is senior right-hander Brian Oates of Huntsville, Texas (Huntsville). Oates had a 1.93 ERA and a 4-0 record, with one save. He pitched 37.1 innings and allowed 20 hits, eight earned runs, 14 walks and struck out 39 batters. Evan Bronson, a sophomore left-hander from Midlothian, Va. (Collegiate School), went 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA.  Bronson pitched for 25 innings and allowed 28 hits, seven earned runs, four walks and struck out 15 hitters. Senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Hopkins of Galveston, Texas (Ball), went 3-2 (5.31 ERA). Hopkins pitched 42.1 innings and allowed 56 hits, 25 earned runs, nine walks and struck out 32.

Tiger hitters averaged .311 and opponents went .245. Trinity was ranked No. 15 nationally in scoring (410 runs, 8.7 per game). The opposition scored 198 runs (4.2 average). The speedy Tigers held a No. 14 ranking in stolen bases per contest (127 stolen bases, 24 caught stealing, 2.70 per game). Trinity had a fielding percentage of .956 (78 errors) to .929 (122 errors) for opponents.

Adding to the offensive punch of the Tigers is returning senior first baseman/outfielder Bobby Zabor of Austin (Anderson), who hit .294. Zabor had 160 at-bats, scored 33 runs, amassed 47 hits, seven doubles, one triple, two home runs and swatted 31 RBIs.

Sophomore infielder Jeremy Bays of Los Gatos, Calif. (Los Gatos), hit .500 (12 at-bats, three runs, six hits and three RBIs). Steven Ramos, a sophomore utility player from San Antonio (St. Mary’s Hall), batted .400 (15 at-bats, five runs, six hits, one triple and five RBIs). Senior catcher Ted Wilson of Vienna, Va. (Marshall), hit .333 (nine at-bats, three runs, three hits, one double, one RBI). Junior catcher Zach Fregosi of Tucson, Ariz. (Salpointe Catholic), batted .239 (71 at-bats, 12 runs, 17 hits, three doubles and 10 RBIs). Sophomore first baseman/outfielder Jordan Pennington of Seabrook, Texas (Clear Lake), had a .310 batting average (87 at-bats, 22 runs, 27 hits, seven doubles and 17 RBIs).

Two veteran Tiger players will provide leadership during the 2007 season. Senior catcher/first baseman Eric Samulski of New York (Packer Collegiate Institute). Samulski hit. 250 (eight at-bats, two runs, two hits, one double and two RBIs.). Andreas Verrios, a senior outfielder from San Diego (University of San Diego High School), batted .224 (76 at-bats, 21 runs, 17 hits, five doubles, one home run and 17 RBIs).

Also providing leadership is junior infielder Stosh Hoover of Phoenix (Brophy Prep). Hoover’s batting average was .190 with 79 at-bats, but he produced 15 runs, 15 hits, two doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs.

A newcomer is first-year right-handed pitcher Michael Hunter of Corpus Christi, Texas (King).

Six seniors were lost to graduation and two players transferred.

The returning coaching staff is second to none in the nation. David Smith, a former Tiger standout, returns for a third year as pitching coach. Eddie Welling is in his second season as the recruiting coordinator. Taylor Childress returns after a one-year hiatus from Trinity. J.C. Bunch, an All-SCAC player from 1998 to 2001 (career batting average of .400), played two seasons for the Texas Rangers organization.

“We have some holes to fill,” Coach Scannell concluded. “But we have talented players to fill those holes. I believe our schedule is the toughest ever. It will be a good test for us.”