Paine College baseball has a very competitive outlook for the 2019 season. With no seniors on this year’s squad, sophomores will be depended upon to make an impact this season. Head Coach Kerby Marshall is putting the pieces of the puzzle together in the early stages of fall ball leading up to the coming season. For players to see some live action in the fall allows Marshall a chance to experiment and to get better. Marshall has brought in some good recruits along with returning players and some really stout transfers.
Top returners:
Richard Dixonare – utility player, he brings speed and a solid bat. Batted over .300 last season as a freshman.
Savon Doolittle – RHP will be depended upon as a top starter in the pitching rotation.
Anthony Lopez and Latek McNeil – Solid defenders will hold down the 3rd base corner.
Anthony Ellis and Emmanuel Wilson will hold down the 1st base corner and provide solid offensive power to the lineup.
Paine will have 3 transfers who will have an impact offensively and defensively.
Transfers:
David New – Sophomore shortstop from Tusculum College.
Gadiel Guzman – Sophomore outfielder from Keiser University.
Junior Xeno Daal – Sophomore outfielder from Monroe College in New York.
Lernis Williams – Sophomore catcher from Florida International University who is good NCAA Division I transfer.
The Lions had another big freshman class (19) report this fall.
New recruits to look out for:
Jaylan Davis – Utility player
Joshua Cruz – Infielder
Bryan Encarnancion – Utility player/RHP
Antonio Handley – Infielder
Amari Taylor – Catcher
Jaylin Young – Outfielder/LHP
On the mound, pitching needs to improve and Paine College will be depended and rely heavily upon redshirt freshman Dermus Strozier RHP.
Returning pitching:
Savon Doolittle RHP
Chris McKenzie RHP
Antonio Sanders LHP
Jaylan Davis RHP
Joshua Cruz RHP
Bryan Encarnancion RHP
Anthony Ellis INF/LHP
Emmanuel Wilson INF/RHP.
Fall ball’s main focus defensively is on making the routine plays in order to compete for a conference title this season. Kerby Marshall stated “we are still a very young team and mistakes will happen. It will be about how we bounce back from our mistakes and not let them keep us down throughout the game that will decide our outcomes in a lot of games. We are working very hard daily to be a top contender in the SIAC conference this upcoming season. It will be exciting.”