An Inexperienced Pitching Staff Could Hold the Key for the Cajuns – From the Bird’s Nest

This is the final part of a four part series previewing Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns baseball.  Today:  The pitching staff.

The Cajuns’ pitching staff was the hardest hit of any of the pieces of the 2014 team that finished one game away from the College World Series.

The Cajuns lost their three weekend starters, including Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Carson Baranik, regular Friday starter Austin Robichaux and senior Cody Boutte.  The three combined to go 28-6 on the season with an ERA under 3.30.

The bullpen was equally decimated, with three of the Cajuns’ top four relievers departing as well.  Matt Hicks, Ryan Wilson and Matt Plitt combined for a 16-1 record with 15 saves and a 2.47 ERA.

Those pitchers went 44-7.

When it comes to returning pitchers, it doesn’t take long to call the roll.  There are six.  Only two of them threw more than 30 innings last year.  The other four threw 42.1 innings combined.  There are a grand total of nine starts from last year returning.

The old saying is, there’s no substitute for experience.

And that means, even best case scenario, the Cajuns’ pitching staff will suffer through some growing pains, especially early in the season.  The Cajuns will have to use more pitchers pitching more innings this season.  You probably won’t see starting pitchers getting the team into the seventh and eighth inning.  Fortunately, head coach Tony Robichaux, considered to be one of the best pitching coaches in college baseball, has some talent and depth to work with.

He’ll need both.

The only thing that’s been decided with the staff is nothing has really been decided.  Right now, it appears there are five pitchers Tony likes as potential starters.  Three of them have never pitched for the Cajuns.

It’s not often you hear the Cajuns’ skipper talk highly of freshmen, but say the name Evan Guillory and Robichaux smiles.  He’s got the size (6-3, 200) to be a very good college pitcher.  He’s got three pitches and, according to Robichaux, has the “it” factor.  And, he adds, Guillory doesn’t pitch scared.  His fastball has some sink and movement, his slider and change can wind up being plus pitches for him.  I’m not going to suggest that he’ll be the opening night starter against UTSA, but I won’t be surprised if he is.

While there are other newcomers who have the stuff to start, don’t be surprised if Robichaux goes with experience, at least at first.  Greg Milhorn (5-2, 2 saves, 7.14 ERA with six starts) was an enigma last year.  He started in the weekend rotation and then went down with an injury.  He then pitched out of the bullpen and got two saves in two appearances.  But Milhorn had a blown save in his third appearance and couldn’t get anyone out the rest of the season after that.  Robichaux believes Milhorn has worked through his mechanical issues and has looked  much like the Milhorn that started the 2014 season.  He might be the key to the entire staff.

Chris Charpentier (1-0, 4.67 in 17.1 innings) got thrown into the hot grease last year in the NCAA regionals.  Called on for his first career start against Jackson State, Charpentier pitched like a veteran instead of a freshman.  Charpentier is only 5-9, 165 and isn’t going to overpower anyone.  But he pitches with confidence and as long as he keeps command of his pitches, he’ll get a lot of people out.

If Robichaux wants a lefty as a starter, Gunner Leger (6-3, 190, Fr.) will be the guy.  Leger, a high school All-American has the stuff to start.  Robichaux will elect to go with experience early, but don’t be surprised if Leger works his way up.  He also can play first base, but expect Robichaux to ask him to concentrate on his pitching, at least in the first year.  Junior Will Bacon (6-2, 210 JC-LSUE via Parkview Baptist) has the maturity to pitch like a veteran.  He, like everyone else, will need to get used to Division I hitters, but has, according to Robichaux, a “good makeup.”

Reagan Bazar (4-0, 6 saves, 2.27 ERA in 31.2 innings) is the Cajuns’ most experienced reliever and one of only two pitchers to log as many as 30 innings a year ago (Milhorn is the other.)  The 6-7 sophomore used his mid 90’s fastball to get hitters out.  But he can’t live on just the fastball, which doesn’t have a ton of movement,  and has continued to work on his breaking ball and changeup.  On days when the second pitch is working, he could be devastating.  As it was last year, command is key.

But “Big Thunder” may not be the regular ninth inning guy.  Robichaux says several pitchers could be called upon to close games.  He loves Colton Lee (5-10, 150 and that’s not a misprint), a right hander from Pearl River CC.  Lee comes from underneath and will be tough to hit because his delivery will be hard to pick up, giving hitters less time to react.  And, freshman Logan Stoelke (6-3, 185 Fayetteville, TX) will see plenty of action.  He’s got an excellent splitter and will get a lot of ground ball outs.

Returning left handers Riley Cooper and Connor Toups will likely be in the same role as a year ago:  a situational lefty who will give you anywhere between .1 and 1.2 innings of work.  Cooper was especially effective at times late in the season.  And, right hander Nick Zaunbrecher, who was mostly ineffective a season ago, will pitch out of the bullpen as well.

That’s eleven pitchers.  But Robichaux says he may throw as many as fourteen, which means you’ll probably see Dillon Moore and Eric Carter and possibly Wyatt Marks.  Trace Guidry, who Robichaux was very high on a year ago, will definitely see action if he’s healthy.

Robichaux has said baseball is a team game until a guy standing ten inches higher than everyone else hangs a breaking ball with the bases loaded.  There’s talent on this staff, but make no mistake about it:  this staff will be a work in progress for a good part of the season and there’s going to be a learning curve.  The Cajuns will play only twelve games before conference play begins.

These puppies will have to grow up fast.