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PREMIUM: Inside scoop on Stetson, Clemson and Mississippi State

ROGERS' TAKES: Looking back at Tuesday's action

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It’s like old times again for Stetson.

There was a time not too long ago when the Hatters were one of the better programs in the State of Florida, and arguably one of the top five mid-major programs. However, the program took steps back the last three seasons with no postseason appearances and records of 27-31, 27-30 and 26-33, respectively, in 2010,’09 and '08.

That postseason hiatus will end this season barring a collapse down the stretch.

“One thing we really preach is that we’re a blue-collar club. We don’t have any great superstars on the team, but we have a bunch of good players who want to play hard,” Stetson coach Pete Dunn said. “We’re the type of team that earns everything we get on the baseball diamond.”

The Hatters are in the midst of a campaign to perhaps remember. They began the spring with a home series sweep over Georgia, but most observers chalked up the series result as more of an indictment on the Bulldogs than a positive for the Hatters. That opinion has since shifted with the Bulldogs compiling some positive results the past few weeks, and the Hatters earning some solid wins that have them sitting at 20-5 and ranked No. 24.

In addition to the series win over Georgia, the Hatters also have beaten Florida State in midweek action and taken care of business in their first two Atlantic Sun series against Mercer and East Tennessee State. They have another shot at good midweek RPI wins with Central Florida on the docket this week.

Though the season technically still is young, there are several reasons why the Hatters have taken a significant step forward this season.

It starts with their consistency on the mound.

The Hatters had a rough pitching staff last season that finished with a 6.70 ERA. However, they’ve turned the corner this season with a 3.37 ERA with starting pitchers Lyndsey Caughel, Kurt Schluter and Will Dorsey leading the way, and Robbie Powell and Jake Boyd spearheading the bullpen.

“Caughel and Schluter were guys for us last year, but there was some limited success at times. There were times where they’d have a really good game and a not so good game,” Dunn said. “Then there’s Dorsey. Like the others, he’s gotten much better and really did a great job of maturing over the summer.”

Caughel has increased his velocity this spring, consistently sitting at 88-91 MPH with his fastball, and occasionally touching 92 MPH. However, his biggest improvement is his approach to hitters.

“He has learned this season that he can still throw strikes and let a few get off the plate to keep hitters at bay. He let hitters get too comfortable last season,” Dunn said. “He didn’t work out too well as a starter last season, but he is doing a tremendous job this year.”

Schluter has started six games and has a 1.83 ERA in 34 1/3 innings. He also has struck out 23 and walked five, and opponents are hitting .209 against him. Dorsey, meanwhile, is another guy who has matured on the mound and has a 4.00 ERA in 27 innings.

Interestingly, the Hatters are having a wealth of success on the mound despite the absence of Ben Carhart, an offensive contributor who can’t pitch this season because of arm tightness. Carhart, Dunn said, was the program’s top pitching recruit last summer and is a 92-94 MPH type of arm. Carhart is able to play in the field as long as pain doesn’t come back in his arm.

The talented two-way player isn’t showing signs of pain at the plate with a .300 average, four homers and 25 RBIs, and is one of the key leaders for a lineup that is opportunistic, but only hitting .288.

“We went into the season not knowing exactly what to expect at the plate because of the new bats. But we’ve tried to teach a different approach this spring, really doing a good job of emphasizing the short game and advancing runners,” Dunn said. “We’re not going to hit many home runs, but we’re efficient out there.”

Efficiency should be slugger Nick Rickles’ last name. The talented catcher is having a phenomenal campaign both behind and at the plate. Offensively, he’s hitting .351 with three homers and 26 RBIs. But the most impressive aspect of his game is he has yet to strike out in 94 at-bats.

Rickles, Robert Crews, Mark Jones, Jeff Simpson and Carhart spearhead the lineup.

“We changed his approach at the plate a little bit and an extra year of understanding and playing really has helped him improve,” he said. “He now knows what he is and isn’t as a player in this program. We knew he always had it in him.”

Dunn has high hopes for other hitters such as Ryan Lashley and Spencer Theisen, who started incredibly slow but have upped their averages to .231 and .228, respectively.

“Lashley has started to come around at the plate. He was below the Mendoza line a week and a half ago,” he said. “It’s important we get those guys to be productive on a consistent basis.”

Should consistency continue for the Hatters the entire spring, there’s a good chance they’ll be in the mix for an NCAA Regional host site, much like fellow mid-major Coastal Carolina has been the past few seasons.

The Hatters have a solid facility that can seat up to 3,500 spectators. But most important, they currently have a resume warranting a host site. The Hatters have an RPI of 21 with a 6-1 record vs. RPI Top 50 teams. They also have a 7-1 record vs. RPI Top 100 teams, but only a SOS of 84.

The idea of hosting a regional is music to Dunn’s ears, but with his team only 25 games into the season, he’s certainly not ready to think about the future.

After all, he’s too busy enjoying his program’s return to the limelight.

“It’s nice that people are recognizing the type of run we’ve had this season,” he said. “But that’s another thing we’ve preached. We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. We need to take things one game at a time and not worry about two games from now.”

TUESDAY

No. 4 Florida at No. 6 Florida State: The Gators got their first taste of weekend failure last weekend with a home series loss to South Carolina. Now they have the tough chore of hitting the road to face the Seminoles, a team they’re 1-1 against this season. The Gators hope starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani gets off to a fast start, while the Seminoles hope for the same from right-hander Hunter Scantling.

No. 16 North Carolina at Charlotte: The 49ers need to start taking care of business in the midweek to have a chance at an at-large NCAA bid at the end of the season. The Niners are 0-1 against RPI Top 50 teams and have a dismal 147 RPI as a result of playing a SOS of 278. The Niners already have lost to the Tar Heels once this season, and hope to return the favor.

No. 21 UCLA at No. 10 Cal State Fullerton: The Bruins and Titans will square off Tuesday night in a rematch of last year’s exciting Los Angeles Super Regional. The Bruins haven’t played particularly well this season, but are capable of getting on a roll. They will rely on freshman Zack Weiss for a solid start, while the Titans will counter with Colin O’Connell, who is out of the weekend rotation with Jake Floethe entering the weekend rotation. This is an important midweek game for both clubs.

Georgia at No. 25 Clemson: This is an important game for both teams. The Bulldogs hope to continue their winning ways after taking two of three from LSU at home over the weekend, while the Tigers hope to bounce back from a tough weekend series loss to N.C. State. The Bulldogs still need a couple of wins to get to .500 or better on the season, and a win against Clemson would help that cause and their postseason resume.

Western Kentucky at Louisville: The Hilltoppers are one of the nation’s hottest teams having won eight of their last 10 games, but could use an impressive road midweek win to bolster their postseason resume. The Toppers have a solid club with Jared Andreoli, Matt Rice and Kes Carter leading the way at the plate, while the Cardinals hope to build off their weekend series win over Rutgers with a solid midweek triumph.

No. 24 Stetson at Central Florida (2): The Hatters are one of the best stories in college baseball so far this season with a fantastic 20-5 record and an RPI of 21. They hope to earn a pair of fantastic midweek wins against Central Florida, another team with a great story this spring. The Knights have an RPI of 33 and are coming off a big road series win over Rice.

Troy at Auburn: The Tigers return home for the midweek and desperately need a solid win over Troy to get them back on track. Auburn hit the road last weekend and got swept by surprising Mississippi State. The Trojans, meanwhile, have an RPI of 17 with a 19-4 record, but still could use a road win over an SEC foe with a high RPI. Both teams would greatly benefit from a win in this one.

WEDNESDAY

Mississippi at No. 22 Southern Mississippi: The Golden Eagles will be jacked for this one as the Rebels come to town for a midweek bout. The Rebels are coming off a huge road series win over Tennessee, but could use a solid RPI win over the Eagles. USM, meanwhile, is coming off a huge weekend series win over Tulane and could bolster their already impressive postseason resume with another victory over a solid RPI club.

Elon at East Carolina: The Phoenix hopes to rebound in style from last week’s bad midweek performance. The Phoenix dropped both midweek bouts to Clemson last week and lacked offensive production. They now hope to earn a win over East Carolina, which has an excellent pitching staff. It’s an important midweek contest for Elon.

Florida International at Tulane: One of these two will be reeling entering the weekend. The Golden Panthers have struggled the past few weeks and are coming off a series loss to Western Kentucky, while the Green Wave has been good this season but is coming off a road series loss to Southern Mississippi and the news of another season-ending injury, this time to starting pitcher Kyle McKenzie. It’ll be interesting to see which team approaches the midweek better from a mental standpoint.

Kendall Rogers is the managing editor of college baseball for Perfect Game USA and has covered the sport for over 10 seasons. He can be reached at kendall@perfectgame.org