CaneSport.com - Morris talks fall; football player may play baseball

November 20, 2009

CaneSport.com Staff

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The baseball team is wrapping up fall ball.

And coach Jim Morris weighed in on what he's learned about his team.

"The thing I like about it - I feel we're more athletic now," he said. "We have more team speed, and that'll help us. Speed is one thing that helps you offensively and defensively. Speed on defense also helps your pitching, because you'll catch more balls. That's one thing I really like - we're more athletic.

"I feel good about the club. It's young. But I feel good about the team. I'm very excited. But, and I'll say `but' as many times as you want, at the end of the day you have to pitch. We have to get the pitching done. If (Eric) Erickson and (Chris) Hernandez can be our one-two and we figure out our three-four guys and get solid bullpen, we should be very good."

* Chris Hernandez missed the last two weeks of fall drills with a leg injury - he was hit by a foul ball but will be fine for the spring.

"We'd have liked him to pitch, of course, because he took the summer off," Morris said. "He'll be fine come the spring."

Of the progress of Erickson after the former ace missed last year due to surgery, Morris said, "Well, he pitched just a few innings, but what he's pitched reminds me of Eric Erickson, that's the best way to put it. It just looked like Eric pitching again, which is a great thing to say."

Who is the No. 3 starter likely to be behind Hernandez and Erickson?

"that's wide open," Morris said. "The 3, 4, 5 slots, we'll determine that before the season."

The team used David Gutierrez as the closer this fall.

"Right now that's what we're looking at, and he wants to be in that role," Morris said. "You have to have a good closer if you're going to be good."

Taylor Wulf could also fit in as a closer or a setup man.

"He's been a starter and closer in junior college, has been a setup man for us," Morris said. "He's getting healthy from surgery (he didn't pitch this fall). His rehab's going really well. He has more time before he starts throwing - in December he starts throwing in the pen."

* Morris said football freshman DB Jamal Reid may come out for the team.

"It depends how he does in school," Morris said. "Coach (Randy) Shannon and I talked about him. He wants to play and was told he can play as long as he does everything he's supposed to be doing athletically and academically. I know he can run, and we'd love to have a football player. In fact, I'd love to have an open tryout and have all the (football) skill position guys that can run.

"I presented that to coach Shannon, let me keep two or three guys. And they'd probably end up being pro baseball players, to be honest with you. I want to try them out, a one-day tryout. There's no question some of those defensive backs, running backs, split ends can be a very good baseball player. Like Phil Buchanan, he was a very good centerfielder."

Reid is an outfielder.

"If he comes in, football will be his number one priority," Morris said. "It's not an easy thing to do. To play both sports you have to be a pretty special guy to be athletic enough to compete at the level we need you to compete and make sure it doesn't take away from one sport or another."

Past two-sport baseball/football players were T.J. Prunty, Dan Smith and Kenard Lang.

Glenn Cook was a football player drafted for baseball last year.

"I had no idea (he could play baseball)," Morris said. "Neither did coach Shannon. Neither of us realized it. One of the scouts remembered him from high school; he's an outstanding athlete."

* Yasmani Grandal led the team in hitting this fall.

"He's had a very good fall," Morris said. "I think he's shown some leadership out there, too, which is very important."

* Who of the youngsters has shown him the most?

"Most of our guys have had good falls, the young guys," Morris said. "They're athletic. Maybe Chris Palaez, a junior college guy. He's been really good. But he's more advanced than some other (new) guys because he's played more - he's a junior. A few new guys pitching and position wise are going to help us."

Morris also singled out freshman Michael Broad, saying, "He's a very good pure hitter. He's going to be a very good hitter for us."

* The biggest position battle coming out of the fall?

"I think first base is wide open," Morris said. "I don't know who is going to be at first base."

In the mix at the position is Rony Rodriguez, and Ryan Perry. And Scott Lawson (who plays second base) is also getting some work there.

"I play guys at a couple of position so we can be more flexible in the lineup, and down the road it helps him that he can play more than just one position," Morris said.

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