Veteran Squad to Lead the Matadors in 2021

Photo by: Shae Hammond

Veteran Squad to Lead the Matadors in 2021

3/17/2021 12:00:00 PM | Baseball

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---Back on March 12, 2020, under the direction of then first-year head coach Dave Serrano, the Matadors had raced out to a 10-5 start to the season – good enough for second place in the Big West standings – and were preparing to play a four-game home series when they were notified that their season would be canceled due to COVID-19.

The news would force the team to go their separate ways to focus on online classes and continue training on an individual bases. Following that day, it would take 11 months before the team would see each other back again at Matador Field.

After missing out on practice in the fall due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in the Los Angeles County, the Matadors returned to practice last month, refreshed and ready to make another run at the Big West Conference crown.
Dave Serrano

While the group has returned, there is a smaller preparation time than normal before the start of the season. For the first time in team history, CSUN will play a conference-only schedule of 40 games, consisting of 10 four-game series played over 11 weekends. It seems only appropriate that the Matadors will play their most unique schedule following nearly a year away from the field.

"It's been a very interesting year, not just for CSUN Baseball but for our country and our world dealing with COVID," said Serrano. "We had to approach some things differently. Obviously, our time as a team has been shortened to prepare for this season. Luckily for us, we have a team that returned quite a bit of guys that had worked with this staff last year in our first year – we brought in some talented newcomers and it's about trying to gel those two together right now."

Serrano leads a veteran-heavy group that boasts 21 letterwinners including seven returning seniors from a season ago. On the 42-man roster, CSUN has 26 upperclassmen along with 11 players that are either five-year or six-year student-athletes. A total of 19 players are new to the team including 12 true freshmen.

Pitching

The Matadors have 19 pitchers on the roster including 12 upperclassmen. The team has returned three starters from last season and six relief pitchers. A season ago, the Matadors posted a 3.42 ERA and limited the opposition to a .252 average.

"It's all going to be about the depth," said Serrano about his staff. "It's going to be new playing four-game weekend series, nine-innings each. Thirty-six innings over three days is going to be pretty taxing on any pitching staff in this conference. It's going to be about minimizing pitch counts and not hurting guys by bringing them back too much. It's going to be about the quality of what we do each day of throwing strikes and competing."

The team's weekend rotation remains intact led by junior right-hander Blake Sodersten. CSUN's Friday starter a season ago, Sodersten went 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA and a team-high 19 strikeouts. A Saturday starter, junior right-hander Blaine Traxel also posted a 2-1 record while he registered a 3.58 ERA, a save and a team-high 27.2 innings of work. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Gavin Lizik took over starting duties in the team's third week of 2020 and would go on to post a 1-1 record with a 3.86 ERA and 12 strikeouts.

Several familiar faces occupy the Matador bullpen, which include four pitchers that are five or six-year players. Returning as a closer, senior right-hander Blake Schriever was placed on the Preseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch list after posting a miniscule 0.82 ERA with eight strikeouts and four saves in 2020. Schriever also earned an All-Big West Honorable Mention in 2019. Sixth-year senior Jayson Newman has been tabbed to again play double duty as a reliever and designated hitter. Newman tossed 2.2 shutout innings last season.

Right-hander Jackson Cunningham (0-0, 1.00 ERA) and left-hander Michael Cartwright (0-1, 2.08 ERA) have returned to the team as seniors while junior right-hander Dwayne Angebrandt (2-1, 2.16 ERA) is also coming off a solid 2020 season.

Other pitchers on the staff include returning sophomore right-hander Jeremy Hassel and redshirt junior right-hander Chad Wilson. New to the team this season are junior college transfers Zuko Tillman (LHP, Chaffey College), Elias Jauregui (RHP, Chaffey College), Kyle Hoskins (RHP, Santa Ana College) and Justin Henry (LHP, Fresno City College). Joining the roster as true freshmen are Hayden Cody (RHP, Mission Viejo HS), Reed Coffin (RHP, Rancho Buena Vista HS), Aaron Rice (RHP, Aliso Niguel HS), Ryan Wentz (RHP, South Hills HS) and Cameron Hood (LHP, Verrado HS).

Position Players

This season's everyday lineup will look very similar to the squad that averaged 5.1 runs per game last spring. A total of 10 players return that started nine or more games last season. Eight players are in either their fifth or sixth year in college baseball while five were seniors last year.

"I don't think we should miss a beat from what we had last year," said Serrano. "We have a lot of the same guys back – a lot of veterans and guys that have been around in college baseball for many years. I'm banking on that to help us as a program, especially in this shortened time of preparation. We have some guys where our lineup will be formidable plus we have some guys behind them that are pushing them every day to make them better, otherwise they could take their job."

In the outfield, junior Denzel Clarke is coming off a breakout 2020 season where he led the team in batting (.400), runs (12), home runs (3) and stolen bases (5). Clarke received Preseason Big West Player of the Year accolades by D1Baseball.com.

Seniors Robert Bullard (.310, nine hits and four runs) and Blake Doremus (10 hits, six runs and two home runs) both rejoin the team in the outfield. Kai Moody (11 hits, 10 runs and four stolen bases) returns as one of only two players that started all 15 games in 2020.

The infield also has a familiar look as all four position players return along with a veteran coming off an injury.

A first baseman last season, Jason Ajamian committed zero errors in 14 games and would produce 11 hits, six RBI and four runs scored in 2020. At second base, Mason Le batted .262 with 11 hits, six RBI and five runs in 11 games as a true freshman. Carlos Arellano impressed in his first year at CSUN as well at shortstop where he finished tied for third on the team in hits (14) and fourth in batting average (.298).

Senior Jose Ruiz started all 15 games last season including seven times at third base. He tied for the team-lead in RBI (13) to go with 14 hits and a home run. Adding more depth to the infield is the returning Brandon Bohning, who missed all of last season due to injury. A junior, Bohning has started at second base and shortstop over his career, and last played in 2019 where he smacked seven home runs.

Behind the plate, Sean Skelly has returned as a graduate student. Over the offseason, Skelly was named CSUN's Big West Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Two seasons ago he also earned All-Big West Second Team honors. After batting .296 and slugging .481 in 12 games last season, Skelly earned a spot on the 2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year watch list.

Newman is expected to serve as a designated hitter in the lineup. In what is his third attempt at a senior season, Newman batted .333 with a team-high 17 hits, 13 RBI and four doubles. Newman's first senior season in 2018 was cut short due to injuries while COVID-19 sidelined his return year last season.

Other returners include utility player Dalton Vanhille and infielder Gabe Gonzalez along with catcher Alec Arnone who sat out last season due to transfer rules (UC Riverside). Added to the mix are junior college transfers in Jacob Bravo (INF/OF, Santa Barbara City College), Bobby Silvis (INF, Cypress College) and Angel Mendoza (C, Riverside City College). Joining CSUN as true freshmen are Luke Powell (OF, Capistrano Valley Christian School), Ryan Ball (INF, Trabuco Hills HS), Kevin Fitzer (INF, Aliso Niguel HS), Nathan Barraza (INF, Mission Hills HS), CJ Yogi (Utility, Millikan HS), Cory McIntyre (Utility, Sutter Union HS) and Graysen Tarlow (C, Orange Lutheran HS).

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