LSUE opens season with the great unknowns

The opening theme of the 2016 baseball season for the LSU Eunice Bengals could be called “the great unknown.”
“I think the most exciting thing about our pitching staff right now it is the unknown,” Bengal head coach Jeff Willis said. “The biggest question mark about our team is our pitching staff.
“We have some guys that can dominate forces and front line guys, but we are just waiting for them to take the next step,” Willis said. “If they can do that, then we will have a very good pitching staff.”
The coach said he has never had so many injuries during the fall season, which can affect the early weeks of the spring.
“We are taking an optomistic approach and move on,” Willis said of his pitchers under the direction of pitching coach Alan Orgain.
“There is no doubt the talent level is there with our pitchers,” the coach said.
“They just need to move to the next level.
“When they take that step it could rival one of the better pitching staffs we have had,” he said.
Sophomore Erin Baldwin (Barbe High) will the Friday night starter to open the season, according to the coach.
“Erin had a tremendous fall,” Willis said. “He was a spot starter for us last year and pitched in the world series.
“He has made a big step as a sophomore and we are excited to see what kind of season he is going to have.”
The unknown that Willis is dealing with begins with the rest of the rotation after Baldwin.
“All of our pitchers are going to pitch the first three weekends on pitch counts,” Willis said. “We will get them out there to get them game ready and see what they can do for us.”
Connor Bates, a left-handed freshman from Covenant Chrisitian in Houma, is expected to preform well.
“He had a tremendous fall for us,” Willis said. “He is not going to light up the radar gun, but he can pitch in and out and off-speed. He will bring a lot to the table.”
Redshirt sophomore Hayden Marze, a right-hander from Westminster Christian Academy, returns after recoving from Tommy John surgery.
Sophomore Clay Moffitt, a right-hander from Catholic High of Baton Rouge, started a game in the word series but has battled knee and elbow injuries.
“He is a big piece to our puzzle,” Willis said of Moffitt. “We hope to see him back to full strength sometime in February but we have to take it slow with him.”
Sophomore right-hander Evan Richardson (Dutchtown) is still in rehab and it could be at least six weeks before he could return.
Redshirt freshman Orynn Veillon, a right-hander from St. Thomas More, has also had arm issues and may not be available until late spring.
“There are a couple of different ways this can go,” Willis said. “If we get all these guys back and they all healthy, we can be a completely different team when May comes around than where we were in February or March.”
Willis said he is hopeful his other pitchers get game innings and experience during the early weeks of the season.
“We can get a lot better because of this,” Willis said. “This can be a very positive experience but we will have some growing pains.”
Sophomores Jacob Barton, a right-hander from Caldwell Parish and Nick Duthu, a left-hander from Berwick, should contribute for the Bengals this season.
Redshirt sophomore pitchers include: Travis Cliburn (RHP- Zachary), Nathan Lee (RHP- South Beauregard) and Evan Kissinger (LHP- Parkview Baptist).
Four freshmen could also be expected to perform for the Bengals including Brent Hebert (RHP - Cypress Ranch), Braxton Smith (RHP - Orange, Texas), Brian Metoyer (RHP - Natchitoches Central) and Austin Bradford (RHP - Franklinton).
The pitchers will begin with a 60-pitch count and increase to 75 pitches and then 90 pitches before settling on 100 pitches per game.
“We have to keep everybody healthy,” the coach said. “And with those pitch counts, the other guys will throw so they can get developed before the playoffs.”
LSU Eunice opens the season on Jan, 29 against North Lake.