Nine months ago, the Long Beach State baseball team entered the last game of its season with a chance to move on to the NCAA tournament; all that was required was a win over rival Cal State Fullerton.
Long Beach State rode the arm of ace pitcher Shawn Stuart for six shutout innings before surrendering four runs in the seventh. The Titans eventually prevailed and advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they were eliminated in the regional round by Austin Peay.
The Dirtbags, who were picked to finish third in this year’s Big West Conference in the Preseason Coaches Poll, will be without Stuart this time around. He was selected in the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft, as were center fielder Brennan Metzger and shortstop Matt Duffy.
Even without the trio of seniors that led The Beach to within a game of the big dance last year, the Dirtbags can boast an experienced starting lineup for 2013. The Big West’s third-place team from a year ago returns six position players who started a significant portion of games in 2012. As a result, LBSU was picked to finish third in the Big West Preseason Coaches poll behind Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine.
“We have a lot of returners and a lot of experience,” head coach Troy Buckley said. “I think a lot of that is reflective on the polls … Fullerton’s got a ton back. Those guys have proven themselves, and so have our guys.”
The Dirtbags may have a lot of pieces returning in the field, but their pitching rotation is a major question mark. Three starters from 2012 (Matt Anderson, Matt Johnson and Stuart) graduated, leaving little starting experience left for 2013. To complicate matters further, returning starter and 2012 Big West honorable mention pitcher Ryan Strufing underwent Tommy John surgery in the offseason and will be out for the year.
That leaves a former reliever, a freshman and a pair of junior college transfers among others competing for the top spots. Buckley said that uncertainty in the rotation would be dealt with during the nonconference schedule as players try out different roles.
“There are some moving parts,” he said. “David Hill could end up starting; he could end up closing. [Jon] Maciel could end up starting; he could end up closing … I think this nonconference situation will be a way for us to figure out what our best roles are as we continue.”
LBSU’s pitching woes extend to the bullpen as well. Kyle Friedrichs, who accumulated 10 saves as the closer last year, will also be out for the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Maciel, who earned second team All-Big West honors pitching out of the bullpen in 2012, could be moved to the starting rotation. He figures to be competing with Hill (a freshman who was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 17th round last summer) and fellow reliever Eddie Magallon for the closing role if starting doesn’t work out.
LBSU won’t have any time to warm up against cupcake opponents as it figures out its pitching situation. Its season opener is on the road at No. 2 Vanderbilt, a team that features four Baseball America Preseason All-Americans. Two days after their trip to Tennessee, the Dirtbags will host Arizona, the defending national champion.
“We have some very tough tests, and that’s how we like to do it,” Buckley said of a schedule that also includes 2012 NCAA tournament participants Valparaiso, UCLA, Pepperdine and Fullerton. “It’s a grind, but no one stands out more than the other. I don’t want to sound cliché, but we are trying to play the game more that we’re trying to play the opposition.”
The Dirtbags will begin their relatively tough nonconference schedule on Feb. 15. They will start Big West play on March 28 with a home series against Cal State Northridge.