BSB: Experience, depth should make position players better (Part 3)

(Part 3 of a 3-part series previewing the 2018 WSU Baseball Season)

As soon as former Washington State third baseman Shane Matheny, the Cougars’ leading hitter in 2017 with a .309 batting average, decided to forego his senior season and sign a pro contract with the San Francisco Giants last summer after being selected in the 23rd round of last June’s MLB Draft, WSU coach Marty Lees knew he had an impactful decision to make about the hot corner.

Lees could proceed in one of two directions – simply plug somebody else into the third base spot and keep the other three infield positions intact OR move some pieces around and insert the player he thought was the best fit for the third base position.

He chose the latter option.

As a result, sophomore Dillon Plew, who played chiefly at second base last season in a promising freshman campaign, has been moved to third and junior Justin Harrer is the new second baseman.

Lees believes Plew, who batted .293 and fielded .955 in 2017 (10 errors in 52 games), is a natural fit for third base, yet will have his hands full succeeding Matheny, specifically from a consistency standpoint. Six-foot-3, 215-pound freshman Jack Smith from Mercer Island High School is penciled in as the backup.

“Shane Matheny was, in my opinion, the best third baseman in the league last year,” Lees said earlier this week. “The transition of Dillon moving from second to third has actually helped him, and helped us. He is a better third basemen than he is a second baseman. Jack Smith has continued to get better and better every scrimmage. All he has done since he’s gotten here is hit. His skill set at third has come along. He’ll get his time somewhere throughout the year.”

As a sophomore, Plew is a better hitter than Matheny was at the same age, Lees said. In fact, Matheny batted just .226 as a sophomore in 2016 and only .207 as a freshman in 2015, so Plew is already well ahead of him in that department.

“Shane did a very good job for us for two years,” Lees said. “He went from a batting average of .207 to .309 in two years. But Dillon has done a very nice job. I think he will be a better hitter earlier than Shane was as a sophomore. That will help. Trying to understand your responsibilities at third base (compared to 2B) is different. But he has made good adjustments and he has taken a lot of time to understand the position and has embraced it.”

Harrer, who played some at shortstop a couple of years ago as a freshman, led WSU with a .509 slugging percentage in 2017, amassing a team-high 23 extra base hits. Don’t be surprised if talented freshman Mason De La Cruz from Thomas Jefferson High School in Auburn, WA, sees significant action at second by the end of the season.

“Justin has another year under his belt and he has really embraced the second base position,” Lees said. “We plan on playing him at both left and second. We have that option because Justin is such a great athlete. Mason De La Cruz could start at shortstop today and we’ll be good with it. He is a very high end defensive second baseman.

“He is probably our best second baseman, but he just needs some at-bats. His skill set (defensively) is very high. Now we’re just trying to create a skill set at the plate. He has done a very good job preparing himself as a bunter, hit-and-run, competing with two strikes and jumping on the pitches he’s supposed to. He is going to play a bunch for us. Same for Jack Smith.”

Junior shortstop Andres Alavrez batted .308 (one point behind Matheny) and fielded .943 (15 errors in 263 chances) in his first season at the major college level after transferring from Trinidad State Junior College. He has the shortstop job locked down barring an injury.

Senior James Rudkin started every game at first base last season, batting .288 with 32 RBI, but faced a challenge from JUCO transfer Wyatt Segle during preseason camp.

“Adding Wyatt has given us some flexibility,” Lees said. “James Rudkin had a tremendous year last year and never came off the field. But I think he could be an even better baseball player if he had a break now and then. Wyatt is somebody who can push him for the starting job every day.”

In the outfield, smooth-fielding Danny Sinatro (.224 BA, 1 error in 70 chances) will start in center and likely bat ninth as Lees likes his speed at the bottom of the order. However, Lees added he is “toying” with the idea of occasionally moving Sinatro towards the top of the lineup. J.J. Hancock is the right-fielder, while Blake Clanton (.248 BA in 109 AB in 2017) and JUCO transfer Dustin Yates (Spokane Falls CC) are slated to split the left field duties.

At catcher, Cory Meyer (.290 in 35 starts, 124 AB in 2017) has battled injuries since fall practice, meaning sophomore Cal Waterman (.250 in 27 starts, 88 AB) and junior Robert Teel will likely share the job for the foreseeable future.

“The catcher position between Cal and Robert is about as even as possible,” Lees said. “Cory is hurt right now. He had minor surgery on his back and hasn’t done anything for a few months. Right now, we’re preparing him to come back, but we won’t practice or play him until he is full go. Between Cal Waterman and Robert Teel, I feel very good about that catcher position.”

2018 INFIELDERS/OUTFIELDERS/CATCHERS ROSTER (17)

INFIELDERS (8): Andres Alvarez (Jr.), Justin Harrer (Jr.), Mason De La Cruz (Fr.), Ryan Ramsower (Sr.), James Rudkin (Sr.), Dillon Plew (So.), Jack Smith (Fr.), Wyatt Segle (Jr.)

OUTFIELDERS (6): Derek Chapman (Sr.), Danny Sinatro (So.), J.J. Hancock (Sr.), Blake Clanton (Sr.), Collin Montez (Fr.), Dustin Yates (So.)

CATCHERS (3): Cory Meyer (Jr.), Cal Waterman (So.), Robert Teel (Jr.)

PROJECTED OPENING DAY LINEUP:

C – Robert Teel or Cal Waterman

1B – James Rudkin

2B – Justin Harrer

3B – Dillon Plew

SS – Andres Alvarez

LF – Blake Clanton or Dustin Yates

CF – Danny Sinatro

RF – J.J. Hancock

P – Isaac Mullins (LHP)

2018 WSU BASEBALL SCHEDULE (FIRST 10 GAMES)

Fri. Feb. 16 vs. UC Riverside, 11 a.m. (at Tempe, Ariz.)

Sat. Feb. 17 vs. Nebraska, 11 a.m. (at Tempe, Ariz.)

Sun. Feb. 18 vs. Nebraska, 11 a.m. (at Tempe, Ariz.)

Sun. Feb. 18 vs. UC Riverside, 3 p.m. (at Tempe, Ariz.)

Tue. Feb. 20 at Grand Canyon, 6 p.m. (at Phoenix)

Fri. Feb. 23 at Alabama, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)

Sat. Feb. 24 at Alabama, 11 a.m.

Sun. Feb. 25 at Alabama, 7 a.m. (SEC Network)

Thu. March 1 SACRAMENTO STATE, 4 p.m.

Fri. March 2 SACRAMENTO STATE, 4 p.m.

(All Times Pacific)

2018 PAC-12 SCHEDULE (30 Games)

March 16-18 at UCLA

March 23-25 at Arizona

March 29-31 ARIZONA STATE

April 6-8 at Oregon

April 13-15 CALIFORNIA

April 27-29 at Washington

May 4-6 OREGON STATE

May 11-13 USC

May 18-20 at Stanford

May 24-26 UTAH