For the second year in a row, questions linger about the Dirtbags’ pitching staff on Opening Day.
Only this time, it’s not a matter of who will play — it’s when.
A year ago, Long Beach State had to replace its entire weekend starting rotation. Everything worked out, though, as junior college transfer Shane Carle pitched well enough on Fridays to be selected in the MLB draft and lefty Jake Stassi proved to be an equally strong Saturday starter.
Since then, Stassi has suffered a stress fracture and a tear in his ulnar colatteral ligament in his elbow, which is usually a precursor to Tommy John surgery. David Hill, a freshman who ended up being the Sunday starter last year, transferred away. Carle, of course, got drafted.
Despite the uncertainty, hope remains that the Dirtbags’ pitching staff will return to its role as a strength for the team.
“I don’t know if it’s going to carry us, but I don’t think it has a chance to be a weakness,” head coach Troy Buckley said.
Anchoring this year’s starters will be Ryan Strufing. The lefty was named an All-Big West honorable mention after a successful sophomore season in 2012, but Tommy John surgery forced him to miss the entire 2013 season.
“This is the longest break I’ve ever had,” Strufing said. “There’s a little bit of angst about it. It has been 19, 20 months since the last time I pitched.”
Strufing added his elbow is completely healthy, though, and as far as he’s concerned, it will be “just another game” when he takes the mound Friday against No. 8 Vanderbilt.
As far as the rest of the staff goes, Stassi is working his way back from the UCL tear and said his progress this week will help determine his role as the season starts, whether it be back as the Saturday starter or as an arm out of the bullpen.
“I like to start,” Stassi said. “I feel like that’s where I can best help the team, and I hope to get back to there.”
The only other pitcher with significant NCAA starting experience is southpaw Nick Sabo, who found a role as a Tuesday starter at some points last season. If Stassi becomes healthy enough to join the weekend rotation and Strufing and Sabo hold their positions, it’ll make the Dirtbags’ starting staff 100 percent left-handed.
Buckley mentioned a couple right-handed pitchers that would have a chance to start too, though. Jason Alexander and Christian Belleque, both junior college transfers, may factor into the mix once they return from their own injuries.
The goal, as always, will be to be healthy and ready to go by the time Big West conference play rolls around on March 28.
“Conference is probably what you’re looking at as far as a target date to shoot for,” Buckley said. “I’m not just saying healthy, I’m saying humming at a pretty decent level…being healthy is one thing, but you also have to be able to get the reps while you’re healthy.”
Conference play looms in the distance, but for now, the Dirtbags pitchers will have their hands full with No. 8 Vanderbilt. Strufing said there’s nothing better to test his arm than comparing against the lineup of a top-10 team.
“I would like nothing more than to face a top-10 team to see where I’m at, where I fit,” he said. “Obviously you want to keep getting better as the year goes on, so if everything isn’t where it needs to be against Vandy, then hopefully it is a couple months down the road or a couple weeks, or whatever it is, it pops into place.”