2020 Baseball Season Preview - Position Players

CALDWELL, Idaho - The College of Idaho baseball team will definitely have a different look in 2020, as Shawn Humberger and his squad head into their season-opening trip to Arizona next week.
 
The Coyotes will have 25 new players on the diamond – 20 incoming recruits and five redshirts – joining 11 returners from a team that missed out on the NAIA West/California Pacific Conference Tournament.
 
"Just under 50-percent of our roster will be competing in their freshman year of eligibility and 10 of those are true freshman," Humberger said. "I'm sure there will be plenty of mistakes made early in the season and we will need to lean on the leadership of our only two seniors in (Austin) Van Horne and (Matthew) Clay.  But even with the addition of 25 new players and all the question marks that come with that, the coaching staff believes we are much more talented and have way more depth than last year's club."
 
C of I will have to replace their top-two catchers from 2019 – as seniors Jake Bowman and Chase Labbe combined to start all 51 games. Freshman Jonah Hultberg and transfer Tanner McGrath, both left-hand hitters look to have the inside track on the position. Hultberg was a two-time All-Southern Idaho Conference pick at Timberline High, hitting .515 as a junior – helping his team to the 5A state title. McGrath heads to C of I after two seasons at Big Bend CC, with the Meridian High grad hitting .521 as a senior. Junior Weston Miller will also provide depth behind the plate after splitting time between the outfield and catcher last season.
 
"At this point, Hultberg has emerged as our No. 1 catcher because of his ability to hit," mentioned Humberger. "When he's not catching, we will be getting his bat in the line-up with a spot in the outfield.  Miller and McGrath are both capable starters as well – Miller showed huge improvement this fall over his first two years wearing purple – and McGrath has fallen behind at this time because of some arm issues but we look forward to him getting healthy and competing for playing time."
 
The Yotes will return their primary starters on the left side of the infield – as senior Austin Van Horne and sophomore Alec Hopkins are back.
 
Van Horne, a four-year starter, is C of I's most versatile player – starting games at third-base, shortstop, second base, all outfield positions and on the mound during his career.  Last season, the Caldwell native led the team with 14 doubles and 25 RBI and posted a solid .952 fielding percentage.
 
Hopkins spent the bulk of his rookie season at third base, while moving to shortstop when Van Horne was on the mound. He finished with six extra base hits and 15 RBI on the year.
 
Newcomers Caden Leiblein, Ryan Nolan, Jake Denison and Ben Hansen will also push for time on the infield. Nolan has the most experience of the group, as the Twin Falls native spent two seasons at the College of Southern Idaho. Leiblein was a 5A All-State selection in Oregon at Hood River Valley High, hitting .523 with 30 RBI as a senior; Denison was a 4A All-South Puget Sound League pick at Sumner High in Washington, hitting .385 as a senior; with Hansen earning All-Western Conference honors as a senior at Cascade High in Washington.
 
Returner Carter Vieira will see time at second base, as the junior posted 10 RBI and 10 stolen bases during the 2019 season, but will be pushed by Nolan, Denison and Hansen throughout the spring. Redshirt freshmen Hayden Woods and Gerardo Madera will also push for at-bats and time at second base.
 
Competition is fierce for the first-base spot, where sophomore Drew Ochsner started 18 games in 2019 – committing just two errors in 139 chances. He'll be pushed by transfers Anthony Pannullo and Ben Dudley, along with Leiblein and freshman Tobey Summers. The 6-foot-3 Pannullo was a two-year starter at Treasure Valley CC, combining for 18 doubles and 46 RBI during his junior college career; the 6-foot-4 Dudley used a redshirt season at Pacific University after a solid prep career at Capital High in Boise; while Summers was an All-SIC pick at Ridgevue High.
 
"The return of Van Horne and Hopkins from last year should anchor the left side of the infield, but the addition of Hansen, Denison and Nolan greatly improves our infield depth to give us five guys that can be serviceable at any of the three infield spots," Humberger said.  "Leiblein's bat also makes him a viable option for depth at third base, but until his defense catches up to his offense he will see more time at first base and DH. The return of Ochsner along with the additions of Leiblein, Dudley and Pannullo make first base a strength.  All four can defend and have above-average college bat speed."
 
C of I returns experience in the outfield, as everyday centerfielder, Matthew Clay, is back for his senior season. Clay finished his first season in the Purple and Gold with 11 doubles, four home runs and 23 RBI – hitting .330 over the final month of the year.
 
Also, back in the outfield is junior Nick Mooney and sophomore Caden Jensen, with the duo splitting time last year in left field. Mooney led the squad with 14 stolen bases in 2019, with Jensen driving in five runs as a true freshman.
 
Look for fellow returners in Vieira and Ochsner to see time in the outfield, along with freshmen Hultberg and Leiblein. A third rookie, Avery Rambur, will contend for playing time, as the Magic Valley product earned All-Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference honors at Canyon Ridge High.
 
"Clay will anchor our outfield as he is a good defender and a capable middle of the order hitter," said Humberger. "Hultberg will see time out there when he's not catching, while Vieira is our best defensive outfielder but must improve on last year's offensive production to be an everyday guy. Ochsner, Mooney, Rambur, and Jensen have all proven they have the skill set to be everyday guys out there but must improve on their consistency for us to gel as a team."
 
The Coyotes open the season next Thursday in Chandler, Ariz., meeting Taylor (Ind.) in a four-game series before opening the home schedule on Jan. 31 vs. William Jessup.