By Jose Trujillo (@jAy_Ay_T):
A dismal 19-35-1 record for the San Jose State men’s baseball team led to a sixth-place finish in the Mountain West last year, and with the 2018 season just two months away, the Spartans will try and turn things around.
For this to happen, the Spartans and head coach Jason Hawkins will need senior first baseman Shane Timmons and junior shortstop Aaron Pleschner to continue the progression of their careers.
No matter how good both Pleschner and Timmons are, the Spartans will need more production from other members of the team if they want to compete in the powerful Mountain West Conference.
Here are several players to look out for this upcoming season:
KELLEN STRAHM – SOPHOMORE – OF
After transfering from Lane Community College, Strahm started 54 games for the Spartans last season, primarily in center field. He had a 16-game hitting streak in which he hit .366 during the span. Strahm led the team with 36 runs and 29 walks. His 18 steals led the Mountain West and he committed just one error in 138 fielding attempts. Strahm hit .276, which is not bad at all, but he also was second on the team in strikeouts. If he can turn a few of those strikeouts into productive outs or hits, not only will his team score more runs, but his .310 slugging percentage will improve.
JOHNNY MENDOZA – SOPHOMORE – C
The Sunnyvale native saw limited action in his first season with the Spartans. Mendoza appeared in 20 games but started 13 of them. In 47 at bats, the sophomore catcher/DH had 13 hits, nine walks and eight RBIs. His .424 obp led the Spartans and finished third behind only Pleschner and Timmons with a .383 slugging percentage. The concern is these stats are from limited playing time. At the moment, the only thing holding Mendoza back is grasping a starting position. Expect a breakout year if he can earn a regular spot on the starting lineup card.
JOSH GOLDBERG – SENIOR – RHP
Goldberg pitched 44.0 innings for the Spartans last season which put him fourth among the team’s pitchers. He took over as the team’s closer midway through the season, compiling a 4.91 era alongside 38 strikeouts and six saves, four of them having been multiple-inning saves. Goldberg is the type of pitcher the Spartans will need when they need to get out of a jam. He can strike out opposing hitters at a better rate than any other Spartan pitcher. Goldberg did have 15 walks last season, so if he can limit those, he can become one of the top closers in the Mountain West.
DAVID CAMPBELL- SENIOR – 3B
The senior third baseman played in 36 games last season and hit .282. He was sixth on the team with 37 total bags and tied for fourth with 18 walks. Campbell is a reliable player who can hit in any spot in the batting order. He had 16 RBIs in just 110 at bats last year. It would be nice to see how many runs he would drive in if he had 200 at bats. Campbell also comes into this season with a streak of reaching base 17 games in a row. He will have plenty of opportunities to help the Spartans this season and seems like a player who can continue to improve.