Baseball season is back in full swing in Cullowhee, NC. The Catamount baseball team took on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies this past weekend and came out on top winning all three games versus the university in Michigan. The home opener revealed the addition of many fresh faces to the team.
Sophomore, Daylan Nanny, holds nothing back in terms of enthusiasm and performance on the field in the game against St. John’s on Saturday, Feburary 16. Photo by Jeremy Sasser.
In the 2018-2019 season, 13 new members were welcomed to the Catamount baseball team with only five of the players being freshmen. The other eight additions were recruited from junior college teams spanning from Illinois to Arizona. Over the course of the weekend series, eight of the new recruits got some play time that proved to be critical in the team’s victory.
Freshmen Jalen Jones, Colin Bertsch and Michael Goehrig earned a total of six runs, three hits, and five RBI’s for the team. Freshman pitcher, Davis Tyndall, gave up no hits and earned one strikeout for the team. The intimidation and rigor that comes from being the new guy on the team did not impact the players’ performance.
“It was a lot of fun, especially going out there for the first time and taking care of business,” says Tyndall.
The player’s performance during practice helps determine who takes the field on gameday. The Catamount coaching staff has coaches that specialize in specific positions. This allows players to receive specific feedback and one-on-one attention.
The weekend also revealed the baseball talents of many of the junior college transfers. Daylan Nanny, a sophomore transfer from Arizona Western College, hit a grand slam to break up a tie ball game in the late-inning during Saturday’s game.
“It was a surreal feeling. I’m just happy that I could come through for our team in a big spot late in the game. We got the win and that is what is most important,” says Nanny.
Juniors, Jacob Corn, Ty McCulloch and Jack Snyder also got some time on the mound. Corn struck out three in 2.1 innings which marked his first recorded win for the Catamounts. These pitchers make up only three of the 15 pitchers on the team.
Jack Snyder, a junior transfer from Chicago, Illinois, makes his debut as a right-handed pitcher for the Catamounts during their game against St. John’s on Saturday, Feburary 16. Photo by Jeremy Sasser.
The Catamounts have not earned a full sweep victory since their 2017 season. The crowd was electric for the home opener as attendance averaged 660 people per day. This victorious start to the season has the Purple & Gold players amped up to continue their winning streak.
“It was probably the best thing that could’ve happened to us to get the energy going. Last year, I don’t think we swept anyone so we knew we were going to bounce back and dominate this series,” says Zach Franklin, sophomore, and pitcher for the Purple and Gold.
While this was a great start for the team, head coach, Bobby Moranda, plans on getting back to work immediately according to an interview with Catamount Sports. The team will take on St. John’s University this weekend, beginning Feb. 22 at Hennon Stadium. The game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
