Blair Field in Long Beach is usually the perfect venue for the start of a baseball season, given the beautiful weather southern California is known for this time of year.
But with this weekend’s forecast including four inches of rain on Friday, the team will instead pack up and head to Norman, Oklahoma. So, what started as a joking way of comparing weather in Long Beach and Norman became a real issue of whether or not the series could be played at Blair Field.
“We started looking into the weather here,” Dirtbags head coach Troy Buckley said. “It became really problematic and you factor that in with all the saturation that we have — we do have some issues with the drainage [at Blair Field] and if we get a deluge of rain it’s really difficult to move out.”
Last year, the Dirtbags finished 38-22 (15-9 in Big West play) which was good enough for runner-up in the Big West and earned the team an at large bid into the NCAA College Baseball Championships. At the Coral Gables regional, LBSU advanced to the final against Miami, but fell short to the No. 3 overall seed in the tournament on June 5.
“It definitely left a bad taste in our mouths,” junior pitcher Darren McCaughan said. “We were an inch away, so this offseason was really built around getting further than we did last year.”
Thanks to the strong showing in the regional, as well as the number of returners the Dirtbags have in their arsenal this season, the team received respect from major college baseball ranking websites. Baseball America has the Dirtbags as the No. 20 ranked team in the country heading into 2017.
“We still have to take care of what is in front of us every single day,” head coach Troy Buckley said. “We don’t get too excited about [the rankings].”
The Dirtbags have a plethora of returning players from last season who make up a strong core of veterans on both sides of the ball.
McCaughan, 2016 Big West Pitcher of the Year, and senior Dave Smith give the starting pitching rotation some valuable experience pitching in big games.
“I’ve just tried to be there for guys when they need someone,” McCaughan said. “I want to lead this team in the right direction and set a solid foundation for what we want to do this season.”
Other names Buckley mentioned when it comes to this year’s starting rotation are junior John Sheaks and freshmen John Castro and Matt Fields. Sheaks pitched at Saddleback College last year, posting a 7-2 record with 3.03 ERA and 56 strikeouts. Fields is a homegrown product from Lakewood High School, where he struck out 64 batters over 58.1 innings in his senior campaign.
“The staff is capable of a lot of great things,” junior catcher David Banuelos said. “I know they are going to be out there competing every single pitch.”
Additional options for the rotation include junior college transfer A.J. Jones and freshman left hander Ryan Mauch. Both pitchers are currently nursing injuries but will be key additions to the team. Mauch was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 32nd round of the 2016 MLB draft out of high school, but did not sign a contract with the team.
Offensively, senior first baseman Daniel Jackson will be a major piece in the Dirtbags’ lineup. Jackson, who missed the first 18 games of the 2016 campaign, hit .321 with six home runs and 34 RBIs in 2016, helping him receive Second Team All-Big West honors. Coach Buckley plans to feature Jackson in the leadoff spot to start the season.
“DJ is very versatile,” said Buckley. “He gives us our best at-bats and he’s our best hitter.”
Following Jackson, LBSU has a group of returners that can hit for power to fill in the rest of the line up. Juniors Brock Lundquist, Luke Rasmussen and Banuelos all have experience and will be power threats to opposing pitchers.
“Our offense is going to be able to help our pitchers out a lot this year,” Banuelos said. “We have guys that can do a lot of damage one through nine. Even off the bench we are very deep this year.”
Even with the number of returners on the Dirtbags roster this season, there are some key positions being filled in by some fresh faces. LBSU had four players selected in the 2016 MLB first year player draft, including shortstop Garrett Hampson, who was drafted in the third round by the Colorado Rockies. Junior college transfer Markus Montelongo is set to succeed Hampson at shortstop.
“It feels just like home here,” Montelongo said. “These guys here are my brothers and they’re already treating me like family.”
Montelongo transfers from South Mountain College in Phoenix where he had a .356 batting average, scored 41 runs and stole 19 bases his sophomore season. Given his exceptional junior college statistics and fundamentally sound defensive tools, he will be a welcomed addition for Dirtbags fans who have enjoyed a long history of outstanding shortstops.
“I’m just here to play my game,” Montelongo said. “If I start thinking too much about [expectations] it’s going to take me away from what I do.”
The bullpen is another area where the Dirtbags were affected by last year’s draft. This year’s young group of relievers will have to learn as the season goes on in order to seal victories for the starters.
“The bullpen guys are going to have to grow on the job,” Buckley said. “There is going to be some ebb and flow as far as where we find roles for guys in the bullpen.”
As for the closer position, LBSU has two strong options in sophomore Chris Rivera and redshirt senior Josh Advocate. Rivera led the Big West in saves last season with 13 and Advocate had a 3-0 record out of the bullpen last season with a 1.74 ERA in 21.0 innings.
“Rivera has done it before and he’s gotten better in these last couple of weeks,” Buckley said. “Advocate has been very consistent for us. He hasn’t pitched at the end of the game but I think he’s mature enough to be able to do that.”
The Dirtbags’ schedule can be considered tough by most and there are several key matchups that will affect the team’s national ranking.
One of the biggest blips on the Dirtbags’ radar this year comes March 14, when Texas Christian University travels to Blair Field. TCU is currently the No.1 ranked team in the nation.
“It’s a tough schedule, but we set it,” Buckley said. “We’re always trying to play good teams. We want to get things figured out by the time conference starts and these games will help with that.”
Once conference begins, the Dirtbags will have to deal with defending Big West champions Cal State Fullerton May 25-27. The Titans were 36-23 and had a 17-7 conference record in 2016.
“The number one goal this year is to win the Big West Conference,” Buckley said. “If you do that, then you don’t have to worry about the at-large selection [for the NCAA tournament] and you have a really good chance at hosting a regional [tournament].”
It is safe to say that this Dirtbags ball club has potential to be one of the best fans have seen in years. On paper, they have the elements necessary to put together a successful season and make another appearance in the NCAA tournament.
When asked how to describe this group in one word, shortstop Markus Montelongo replied: “Relentless.”
The Dirtbags get the 2017 season underway Feb. 17-19 at the University of Oklahoma for a three-game series against the Sooners.