The usual excitement of the start of a baseball season has extra oomph this week for the Chattanooga State Tigers, who are scheduled to open against Georgia Highlands with three games Friday and Saturday in Emerson, Georgia.
The Tigers think they're going to be really good, even perhaps challenging nationally second-ranked Walters State for TCCAA and district supremacy. Even longtime coach Greg Dennis shares the optimism built on a good balance of proven sophomores and promising newcomers.
"I do see us back in that top three like we used to be," said Dennis, who goes into his 16th season at the local school with a 543-263 record and an overall junior college coaching ledger of 891-678. "We've got a really good group of sophomores - and transfers, too."
A virtually all-freshman group of Tigers last year went 34-21 overall and 13-17 in TCCAA play in 2018, and the cream of that crop has returned. That includes center fielder Sean Cheely, who stole 32 bases and batted .360 and has added switch-hitting to his repertoire - his special speed enhanced by his at-bats as a left-handed swinger.
Other key returners include shortstop Noah Fitzgerald, first baseman/catcher Chris Tyler and third baseman Ty Delancey, moved to second with the midterm arrival from the Tennessee Volunteers of Bass Cooper. Catcher/third baseman Bailey Russell transferred in from Milligan along with left-hander Garrett Hartley, the 2018 freshman pitcher of the year in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, and East Tennessee State transfer Brandon Parrott is another first baseman and a designated hitter.
Freshmen Nick Blubaugh and Branson Bowling from Woodstock, Georgia, are the projected starters in left field and right field. Blubaugh was a first-team all-state player for River Ridge High School last spring.
Hartley and Union University transfer Landon Walker, a righty with major league draft potential this year, form a formidable bullpen tandem.
One measure of the Tigers' improved strength is the starting rotation, which 6-foot-3 Jordan Power from Australia headed in a first-team All-TCCAA 8-3 season with a 3.47 earned run average. He's back and improved but may be only No. 2 for the Tigers now, behind fellow returner Kyle Nunn from Louisville, Kentucky.
"Kyle has really good stuff and wasn't roughed up much at all last year by other teams. His main problem was simply trusting his stuff and shoving it in the zone," Dennis analyzed, noting that walks and hit batsmen were the main factors in Nunn's 2-5 record and 4.18 ERA.
That seems to be resolved.
Nunn has a good curveball to go with a movement fastball up from his mid-80s mph speed of last year - thanks largely to a deadlifting and squats program that has added about 10 pounds to his 5-11 frame and power to his leg drive - and he now feels good about his changeup as well.
"I've been working on my changeup and I've got it back," said Nunn, who also feels good about the Tigers as a team.
"Compared to last year, we've worked really hard on our chemistry - on the field and in the locker room," he said. "We're really looking forward to this season."
Bryce Woody is another sophomore pitcher with top-notch potential, Dennis feels.
Dennis has two new assistants: Nick Chambers and pitching coach Drew Bowlin.
Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.