Hounds get ready for season

PORTALES — Veteran Eastern New Mexico University baseball coach Phil Clabaugh said there’s one potential alibi the Greyhounds won’t have this spring.

ENMU, which opens the season against New Mexico Highlands today in a two-day event hosted by UT-Permian Basin, has five fifth-year seniors out of 11 and seven fourth-year juniors out of 10 on its roster.

“We don’t have the youth thing to fall back on,” said Clabaugh, beginning his 18th season since restarting the baseball program at ENMU in 1992. “We have guys who know how to play.”

ENMU went 26-26 last season, including 19-21 in the Lone Star Conference South Division. The Hounds missed out on the last of six LSC tournament berths by finishing one-half game behind Texas A&M-Kingsville, which then went on to win the championship.

Pitching is always a question mark at this level, but Clabaugh believes he’s got more available arms than in the past. In fact, senior right-hander Evan Orsak (5-5, 7.01 ERA) and senior left-hander Seth Clabaugh (4-5, 9.21), the coach’s son, are scheduled to go from the starting rotation to the bullpen.

Another of last year’s starters, senior right-hander Thomas Green (6-3, 6.34), is out indefinitely with a torn ACL suffered while playing basketball.

“Probably the biggest negative this spring is losing his moxie, his poise, his ability to pitch in pressure games,” said Clabaugh, who is hopeful Green can come back sometime this spring. “It hurts us.”

Senior righty Ismael Solis (4-6, 6.41) returns to the rotation and is scheduled to be joined by senior transfer Matt Aragon, senior Tyler Doughty (1-1, 7.26, two saves) and junior Russell Campbell, all right-handers. Doughty pitched mainly out of the pen last spring.

Seth Clabaugh and 6-foot-4 freshman Jared Wilson are the leading candidates to close for coach Clabaugh, who thinks the staff may go as many as 12 deep.

The everyday lineup features quite a bit of experience, starting with senior Freddy Carmona (.397, 8 HRs, 47 RBIs) and junior Paden Vendrely (.400, 3, 35) behind the plate. Both spent time at designated hitter when not catching last season.

“I think we have a pretty good squad,” said Carmona, who transferred to ENMU last season from Ranger (Texas) College. “I think our pitching’s a little stronger. This team has a lot of depth, and that’s a big difference from last year.”

Seth Clabaugh (.356, 2, 31) will see his main duty at first base this season, with junior Sean Cruse (.328, 0, 22) moving from shortstop to third, sophomore Kevin Thompson at shortstop and sophomore Chris Eaton, who played mainly first base last season, at second.

Senior Danny Martinez and juniors Garrett Cook, Brian Pruitt and Carlos Marrujo are primary backups.

The outfield is led by senior left fielder Clayton Young (.340, 3, 48), with junior Matt Chavez and Jeremy Johnson in center and junior Ethan Wagner in right. Senior Steven-Lopez Barela should also see time in the outfield.

“Our outfield is fast,” Carmona said. “We can go with a group that has a lot of speed, and Wags just provides a lot of power for our offense.”

Former West Texas A&M coach Mark Jones has joined Clabaugh as his assistant this season, allowing him to delegate duties a bit more. Jones spent 14 seasons at WT, the last eight as head coach.

“He’s been very well-received,” Clabaugh said. “He’s got a very understated coaching manner.”

The Hounds were picked for eighth out of 12 teams in the LSC’s preseason poll. Each team plays a four-game series against the other 11 for a total of 44 LSC games.

“I think we’re definitely in the mix,” said Carmona, whose 81 hits last season broke the previous school mark held by Dallas McMann. “It just depends on how we come out. We want to try to win the first game of series.”

Clabaugh said the Hounds’ near-miss a year ago has provided some incentive.

“This group of kids has really taken that to heart,” he said. “We’ve tried to work hard with our kids this year about living in the ‘now.’

“I really believe they put that preseason poll out there for sportswriters so they have something to write about. As I look at our league, any one of the 12 teams could wind up in the tournament.”

ENMU BASEBALL

Schedule

February

1-2 — at UT-Permian Basin tournament (1 vs. New Mexico Highlands, 9 a.m., and vs. UT-Permian Basin, 1 p.m.; 2 vs. New Mexico Highlands, 9 a.m., and vs. Sul Ross State, 1 p.m.); 6 — Wayland Baptist (2), 1 p.m.; 8 — at Wayland Baptist (2), noon; 13 — Northeastern State (2), 2 p.m.-x; 14 — Northeastern State (2), 1 p.m.-x; 20 — at Southeastern Oklahoma (2), 11 a.m.-x; 21 — at Southeastern Oklahoma (2), 11 a.m.-x; 27 — Cameron (2), 2 p.m.-x; 28 — Cameron (2), 1 p.m.-x.

March

6 — at Tarleton State (2), 2 p.m.-x; 7 — at Tarleton State (2), noon-x; 13 — at Texas A&M-Kingsville (2), 4 p.m.-x; 14 — at Texas A&M-Kingsville (2), noon-x; 20 — Angelo State (1), 6 p.m.-x; 21 — Angelo State (2), 2 p.m.-x; 22 — Angelo State (1), 1 p.m.-x; 24 — New Mexico Highlands, 6 p.m.; 27 — Abilene Christian, 6 p.m.-x; 28 — Abilene Christian (2), 2 p.m.-x; 29 — Abilene Christian, 1 p.m.-x; 31 — at New Mexico Highlands, 2 p.m.

April

3 — at Southwestern Oklahoma (2), noon-x; 4 — at Southwestern Oklahoma (2), 11 a.m.-x; 10 — East Central (2), 4 p.m.-x; 11 — East Central (2), 1 p.m.-x; 17 — at Central Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m.-x; 18 — at Central Oklahoma (2), noon-x; 19 — at Central Oklahoma, noon-x; 24 — West Texas A&M (2), 4 p.m.-x; 25 — West Texas A&M (2), 1 p.m.-x.

All times Mountain. x-Denotes Lone Star Conference games.

Roster

3 Matthew Chavez, Jr. OF, Albuquerque; 4 Garrett Cook, Jr. IF, Albuquerque; 5 Freddy Carmona, Sr. C, San Antonio; 6 Chris Eaton, So. IF, Albuquerque; 7 Daniel Martinez, Sr. IF, Albuquerque; 9 Paden Vendrely, Jr. C, Deming; 10 Ryan Pruitt, Jr. UTIL, Joshua, Texas; 12 Matthew Aragon, Sr. RHP, Albuquerque; 14 Sean Cruce, Jr. IF, Clovis.

16 Clayton Young, Sr. OF, Canyon, Texas; 17 Evan Orsak, RHP, Andrews, Texas; 18 Thomas Green, Sr. RHP, El Paso, Texas; 19 Justin Cotton, So. RHP, Dallas; 21 Seth Clabaugh, Sr. IF/OF, Portales; 22 Ismael Solis, Sr. RHP, Anthony; 23 Richard Urban, Sr. C, Clovis; 24 Jared Wilson, Fr., RHP, Roswell; 25 Steven Lopez-Barela, Sr. UTIL, Alamogordo.

27 Kevin Thompson, So. INF, La Canada, Calif.; 31 Mike Medina, So. INF, Las Cruces; 32 Carlos Marrujo, Jr. UTIL, Roswell; 33 Mitch Wolfe, So. INF, Litchfield Park, Ariz.; 34 Jeremy Johnson, Jr. OF, Roswell; 35 Russell Campbell, Jr. RHP, Sachse, Texas; 37 Doug McIntyre, So. RHP, Houston; 44 Ethan Wagner, Jr. OF, San Antonio; 51 Tyler Doughty, Sr. RHP, Pampa, Texas.

Coach: Phil Clabaugh (18th season). Assistant coach: Mark Jones.