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Conference USA has been in a period of transition over the last year, with realignment having just as much impact as the domestic league.
Eight of the 12 programs that made up the 2022 conference are now defunct: Alabama-Birmingham, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Marshall, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, and Texas-San Antonio. . Marshall, ODU and Southern Miss left for the Sun Belt after the 2022 season, and the remaining five left for the United States last summer.
Four teams remain from 2022: Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, and Western Kentucky. Dallas Baptist joined him a year ago and won the conference in his first season. He has four new teams for 2024: Jacksonville State, Liberty State, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State. And the changes aren’t over yet. Kennesaw State will be added next season and Delaware State will be added the following year.
Despite all this turnover, C-USA remains a solid baseball conference. The loss certainly had an impact, but the league should continue to be a multiple-bid league with DBU, Latek, Liberty and Sam Houston State having had a high level of success recently. For that to happen in 2024, Latek and Liberty will have to bounce back from relatively poor seasons, but there’s reason to believe it can happen.
The C-USA neighborhood is virtually brand new. But it’s worth stopping and looking around this spring.
1. Dallas Baptist (47-16, 25-5)
2. Louisiana Tech (28-31, 15-15)
3. Liberty (27-31, 16-14 ASUN)
4. Sam Houston State University (39-24, 21-8 WAC)
5. Western Kentucky (33-26, 16-14)
6. Jacksonville State University (27-30, 18-12 ASUN)
7. Middle Tennessee State (27-29, 14-16)
8. Florida International (21-34, 8-22)
9. New Mexico State (14-37, 9-21 WAC)
Player of the Year: Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State University
Yanek is one of the most well-rounded catching prospects in the country. He has a plus arm and is a good receiver behind the plate. He also batted .304/.403/.507 over the past two seasons at Sam Houston State. He has solid right-handed power and will be the center of everything for the Bearkats this spring.
Pitcher of the Year: Rian Johnson, RHP, Dallas Baptist
Johnson earned first-team all-conference honors last year after going 8-4, 4.43, with 116 strikeouts in 87.1 innings pitched. At 6-foot-6 and weighing 215 pounds, his fastball reaches 160 miles per hour and pairs with a devastating slider. He will once again lead the Patriots’ rotation.
Freshman of the Year: James Ellwanger, RHP, Dallas Baptist.
Ellwanger was ranked No. 173 in last year’s draft class and brings his top quality to the Patriots’ staff. His fastball reaches the mid-90s and he has a perfect four-pitch mix. No matter what role he settles into this spring, he’s sure to pitch significant innings at DBU.
Conference USA Team Breakdown
1. Dallas Baptist (47-16, 25-5)
Last year, DBU won all 10 conference series games and the title in its debut season in Conference USA. They almost won the double, but lost to Charlotte in the championship game of the conference tournament. The Patriots will likely have an encore in 2024.
Last season’s DBU players were a conference defensive player (Nathan Humphries, .351/.450/.644, 14 HR, 19 SB), a freshman (Grant Jay, .319/.445/.755, 21 HR) , we acquired a new guy (Ethan). Mann, .319/444/.695, 20 HR) and that trio returns as the core of the lineup. Shortstop Luke Heefner (.249/.346/.365, 12 SB) and second baseman Miguel Santos (.313/.363/.558, 15 HR, 15 SB) also return and have started each of the past two games. He is participating. season. DBU averaged 8.3 points per game last season, making it the highest-scoring offense in C-USA. It could happen again in 2024.
DBU lost six pitchers to the draft, including starter Braxton Bragg and closer Kyle Ament. But with right-hander Rian Johnson (8-4, 4.43) back at the front of the rotation, the Patriots have a strong foundation for their staff. Senior right-hander Jaron DeBerry (3-1, 5.71) and freshman right-hander James Ellwanger will follow him in the rotation. DBU will need to find some new answers in the bullpen, but there is no shortage of needed power arms.
2. Louisiana Tech (28-31, 15-15)
The Bulldogs set their first losing record since 2015 and took a step back in 2023. Led by an experienced lineup, they will likely try to make a comeback in 2024. Senior catcher Jorge Corona (.282/.387/.513) was named first team All-C-USA last season. corner infielders Dalton Davis (.290/.371/.543, 15 HR) and Logan McLeod (.304/.448/.392), and two-way standout Ethan Bates (.270/.377/ .540, 16 HR), this is a solid offensive core for Latek.
With the graduation of Jonathan Fincher, one of the greats in program history, the Bulldogs look different on the mound. Right-hander Turner Swistak could lead the rotation. He missed last season at Tennessee due to injury, but previously performed well at Pearl River (Mich.) JC. Left-hander Luke Nichols (junior college), left-hander Ryan Haaland (0-5, 5.98, team-high 29 games played) and Bates (4-3, 3.02, SV10) will also pitch in important roles. Latek ranked eighth in C-USA last season with a team ERA of 6.06. How much this performance can be improved will have a big impact on how well the Bulldogs bounce back in 2024.
3. Liberty (27-31, 16-14 ASUN)
Liberty joins C-USA after spending the past five seasons in the ASUN Conference, winning the conference tournament in 2019 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons from 2019-2022. However, last season took a step back as the Flames finished sixth in the ASUN and recorded their first losing season since 2004. Now, they have joined the new C-USA team and are expected to be one of the contenders for the championship this year. .
He will start on the mound for the Flames, led by left-hander Garrett Horn (5-5, 4.09). He’s back at the top of the rotation, and Cole Hartzler (4-1, 5.40 seconds) and Nick Moran (1-2, 6.36 seconds) have the talent to move from the bullpen to the rotation. Right-hander Trey Carter (2-1, 5.89) also returns with a team-leading number of appearances. Last season, Liberty struggled offensively, averaging 6.3 points per game (198th nationally). The Flames need to find a way to get more runs this spring, but Brayden Horton (.341/.471/.543) and Kane Kepley (.310/.457/.432, 17 SB) We need to regain that solid core. ) and Cam Foster (.272/.374/.512, 12 HR).
4. Sam Houston State (39-24, 21-8 WAC)
Sam Houston joins C-USA after a brief two-year stint in the Western Athletic Conference, where they won the conference tournament last season. The Bearkats have been a member of the Southland Conference for many years, and it was under that banner that they reached the Super Regionals in 2017, but their advancing football program led them to C-USA. They are traditionally one of the best mid-major programs in Texas and should be ready to join a new conference.
Catcher Walker Yanek (.301/.377/.549, 13 HR, 10 SB) leads the roster. He was named the WAC Tournament’s most outstanding player last season and is expected to be a top-100 draft pick. However, most of the rest of the lineup will be new, so Sam Houston will need freshmen like freshman infielders Blake Brown and Jace Martinez to step up. On the mound, the Bearcats have even more depth. They return Coltin Atkinson (9-5, 4.80) to lead the rotation and Chandler David (6-0, 2.34) to anchor the bullpen. Left-hander Marshall Wales (2-6, 5.43) will assume the No. 2 starter role and could be key to the staff’s success.
5. Western Kentucky (33-26, 16-14)
In 2023, Mark Rardin’s first season as head coach, the Hilltoppers put together their best season in more than a decade. They posted their first winning season since 2014, their most wins since 2011, and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals. The league has changed around them, but the Hilltoppers look like they can build on that success.
Started on the mound for WKU. Starting pitchers Dawson Hall (7-4, 3.58) and Lane Diouguid (2-4, 4.52) return, as does key reliever Mason Barnes (6-2, 2.95, 4SV). Jack Bennett (0-3, 7.34) is ready to take a step forward with the addition of sophomore left-hander Jacob Bimbi (Tennessee) with high-level ability. So while closer CJ Wines was drafted and top starter Devin Tebrak graduated, the Hilltoppers should once again field the top pitching staff in the conference. WKU, on the other hand, has almost completely reset its lineup. There were 10 players with 100 or more at-bats last year, but all of them are gone. The notable newcomers are shortstop Zaide Brannigan (junior college) and outfielders Caleb Marmo (junior college) and Dylan O’Connell (St. Thomas).
6. Jacksonville State University (27-30, 18-12 ASUN)
Shamcox comes to C-USA after a brief two-year stint at ASUN. Long-time members of the Ohio Valley Conference, they moved to C-USA as their football team was promoted to the highest division. Last year, they moved into a new conference after Jim Case retired after 22 seasons as head coach and former Missouri State and Southeast Missouri State coach Steve Beaser was hired to replace him. As we participate, we will do so under new leadership.
The Gamecocks took a big hit in the transfer portal after the coaching change, as four key players transferred to SEC programs. First baseman Derrick Jackson Jr. (.340/.405/.673, 11 HR) and catcher Bear Madriac (.330/.389/.490) are key returners on offense. Jacks State’s top five pitchers in innings pitched all transferred. Right-hander Alex Pipes, a junior college transfer, will take over as the top starter, while senior left-hander Will Baker (3-2, 6.35) will move from the bullpen to the rotation. A lot will be expected of the Jacks State freshman this season.
7. Middle Tennessee State (27-29, 14-16)
The Blue Raiders are preparing for their second season under coach Jerry Myers, but have to fill in after losing pitchers Eric Swan and Jaden Ham in the top five rounds of last year’s draft. There are some big holes. They return relief ace James Sells (6-5, 5.23, 6SV), as well as sophomore right-handers Ollie Aikens (2-0, 5.50) and Patrick Johnson (3-5, 5.56). Both have earned conference berths. Last season, it was an all-first-year team.
Middle Tennessee has five regulars from last season, including speedy outfielders Eston Snyder (.286/.373/.438, 17 SB) and Luke Vinson (.311/.384/.383, 12 SB). We brought the players back. Catcher Briggs Rutter (.306/.384/.430) adds more veteran experience.
8. Florida International (21-34, 8-22)
Last year, under first-year coach Rich Witten, FIU finished tied for last place in C-USA with Alabama-Birmingham and missed out on the conference tournament. The Panthers brought in a number of new recruits during the offseason, both from the junior college ranks and the transfer portal. These players will be critical to our success in 2024.
Line Guida (.366/.444/.587, 11 HR) is the team’s leading returner and finished third in the conference in batting average last season. Shortstop Alex Ulloa (junior college) is probably FIU’s most skillful player. A non-contract fourth-round draft pick out of high school in 2021, he hasn’t put everything together, but he has a big upside. Kishon Flett hit 20 home runs in junior college last season, and catcher Nelson Rivera Flores (South Florida) was solid behind the plate. On the mound, freshman left-hander Tristan Dietrich, who was drafted in the 18th round, brings a high level of pedigree. FIU finished last in C-USA in team ERA last year (7.12, 241st nationally) and needs to make a leap forward on the mound.
9. New Mexico State (14-37, 9-21 WAC)
Last season, the Aggies fell behind the eight ball early on and never got it back. After an 0-7 start, coach Mike Kirby was fired two weeks into the season. NMSU suffered his worst performance since 2015. After the season, they hired Jake Unger as their new coach. Unger spent the past four seasons as Oregon State’s pitching coach and previously held the same position at Sacramento State and North Dakota State.
Leading hitter Keith Jones II (.377/.490/.611) and senior catcher Nick Gore (.279/.362/.464) also return. Please keep an eye on center fielder Titus Dumitru (junior college) as an impactful rookie. Top starter Trajen Meza (1-7, 6.81) returns to the mound, and the Aggies have strengthened their bullpen with strong arms such as Fernando Barreda (junior college) and Hayden Lewis (Arizona).
Top 10 2024 draft predictions
1. Rian Johnson, RHP, Dallas Baptist
2. Walker Janek, C, Dam Houston State
3. Garrett Horn, RHP, Liberty
4. Nathan Humphries, OF, Dallas Baptist
5. Cole McConnell, OF, Louisiana Tech University
6. Mason Burns, RHP, Western Kentucky
7. Luke Heefner, SS, Dallas Baptist
8. Alex Ulloa, SS, Florida International
9. Travis Dumitre, OF, New Mexico State
10. Ethan Mann, OF, Dallas Baptist
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