University of Memphis Athletics
Tiger Baseball Position Preview: Outfield
Feb 12, 2015 | Baseball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - -
As the University of Memphis baseball team prepares to open the 2015 campaign on Friday against Oral Roberts, expectations are high around the Boys of Summer with eight starters and 19 letterwinners returning from a team that posted its fourth-straight, 30-win season. Head Coach Daron Schoenrock needs just two wins to eclipse the 300-win plateau as he begins his 11th-season at the helm of the Tigers' program.
"This is probably the most experienced we've been on both sides of the ball in the past four years," Schoenrock said. "Some years it works out that we have the pitching staff coming back and some years it's on the position players coming back. We lost three infielders that we relied on heavily in Drew Griffith, Ethan Gross and Zach Willis. Other than that we have the majority of the team coming back. Experience, if handled properly, can be a very big strength in college athletics. Players have to use the experiences of the past to learn from the mistakes."
Memphis returns all three starters in the outfield from last season. The Tigers finished last season in the top-five nationally in outfield assists and Jake Little will be back in right after leading the country with 12 assists a year ago. Kane Barrow returns after leading the Blue and Gray with a .319 average while Darien Tubbs will roam in center with 20 steals.
"We throw very well out there. It's a tool we pride ourselves on. All three guys that started out there last year had their arms improve as the year went on. It's very important that they understand how important that is. You like seeing high assist numbers, but it also means that teams are still running on you. We throw very well out there. It's a good weapon to possess as it can keep teams from going first to third. I expect good defensive things out of all our outfielders."
Tubbs will handle the duties in center and leadoff for the Tigers. The sophomore started 53 games last season and aims to continue to improve his game with experience. Tubbs managed to gun down three runners last year looking for extra bases.
"Darien got thrown into the mix as a true freshman. He understands the game he has to play. Freshmen tend to get overwhelmed offensively and defense becomes secondary after that. He has time to understand how the ability to make one play or not make one play can change the game. Because the pitching is so good, Darien understands that he is the quarterback of our outfield. He's a much more confident hitter now. At the plate, we'll ask him to pressure the defense and pressure the guy on the mound. He has to have a good strike-zone discipline. Regardless of how his at-bats go, he has to defend with passion and hang his hat on defense. We can be as good defensively up the middle as we've been in a long time."
After leading the country last season in assists, Little looks to become more of a force in college baseball by continuing to improve his offensive game. Little is a five-tool player that can emerge as one of college baseball's best players.
"Jake Little returns in right. He could realistically lead us in three or four offensive categories. He could lead us in stolen bases and RBI. He's a phenomenal athlete that is learning the game. He's worked extremely hard this offseason to fix some things in his swing. He's gone through a full calendar year healthy. We're all seeing Jake emerge as the player we thought he could be. We're excited to see what he can do. He's fearless on the bases and has settled in and gotten a good feel for playing right field."
Chris Carrier and Carlos Williams will be the first off the bench for the outfield. The coaching staff is excited by the potential both show and believe they can make an immediate impact on the squad.
"Chris Carrier is a guy we have pegged that can be a very good college hitter. He's made huge strides. He got thrown into a lot of tough moments as a freshman. He has home run potential and home run power. He had to revamp things and work his way back to using the field. We feel like the power will show up. He's worked very hard to improve defensively and match himself Kane, Darien and Jake. This outfield can be as good defensively as we've had in my time in Memphis. Carlos Williams is coming over from football. He's a guy we recruited out of high school that has tremendous speed. He'll probably be the best runner on campus. He's been away from the game for two years now and we're anxious to see what he can do."
The Blue and Gray open up the season on the road Friday against Oral Roberts at 3 p.m. Season tickets are available online at GoTigersGoTix.com. Stay up to date with all the latest news on the team by following on Twitter and Instagram at @MemphisBaseball.
