College baseball is just around the corner, and North Carolina A&T head coach Ben Hall and the #DiamondAggies have been putting in a lot of work to prepare for their inaugural Big South Conference season.
The Aggies open their 2022 campaign at home in a three-game series against Dayton. The first game is at 4 p.m., Friday, February 18, inside historic World War Memorial Stadium. Big South head coaches projected A&T to finish 10th in the league’s preseason poll released late January.
“This time of year is always an exciting time,” said Hall. “We work so hard for so long, and our guys have been going at it since August. Every year is something new, but the excitement and anticipation for the season are always the same.”
There is a lot of turnaround on the roster with 21 letterwinners lost, including six of the seven top hitters from last season.
Letterwinners Lost
“There was a lot of turnover on our roster after the 2021 season, mainly due to graduation of a large group of COVID seniors,” said Hall. “So, while there are a lot of unknowns going into the season, we do have some guys back we expect to take the next step.”
Some familiar names to Aggie Nation will not be suiting up on the diamond this season. A&T lost their entire infield from last year, including outstanding defensive catcher Ryne Stanley. Also gone is the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament MVP and first baseman Zach McLean.
In addition, the Aggies also lost second baseman Tony Mack, third baseman Justin Williams and shortstop Dustin Baber. Williams was one of the most improved hitters in the MEAC last season, and Baber ended his career as a .306 hitter in an Aggies uniform.
The Aggies will also look to replace two of their starting outfielders in Camden Williamson and Justin Rodriguez. Williams and Rodriguez both had first-team all-conference seasons last year, and altogether, the group accounted for 307 starts and roughly 65 percent of A&T’s hitting production.
Pitching also suffered some significant losses, starting with two-time MEAC preseason pitcher of the year, Michael Johnson. Fellow weekend starters Cole Parks and Ethan Chavis are also gone. All-MEAC closers Evan Gates and Leon Davidson also departed.
The starting trio combined for 161.1 innings pitched and 133 strikeouts in 20201. The closers amassed 65.1 innings pitched and 93 strikeouts.
Letterwinners Returning
Despite the losses suffered at the end of last season, there are a few bright spots. Thirteen letterwinners from 2021 will return to War Memorial Stadium (#TheWar) this year.
Junior outfielder Cameran Brantley, who played in 50 games with 48 starts in 2021, will be returning. Last season, Brantley proved to be a disciplined hitter, finishing 21st in the country in walks drawn (46). He also sported a .277 batting average with 46 hits, including five home runs and 24 runs batted in.
Some of Brantley’s most impressive showings last season were a 5-for-5 day at Elon that featured a double, an RBI, and a run scored on March 13. He also went 2-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI and two runs scored against Florida A&M on April 16.
Excellent defensive shortstop Alex Reyna saw a lot of action as a freshman, playing in 33 games with 24 starts. He spread 18 hits across 83 at-bats for a .217 average with two doubles and six RBI. He also posted a .972 fielding percentage in the middle infield. His best game was a 3-for-4 performance with an RBI on March 12 against Elon.
University of South Carolina transfer Xavier Bussey will return to #TheWar after his inaugural season in AggieLand. Bussey played in 21 games with 16 starts last year and batted .233 average with 14 hits across 60 at-bats. His lone home run came against Power Five opponent Baylor on April 3. He also had a .317 slugging percentage and .299 on-base percentage with three walks and garnered a .974 fielding percentage in left field.
Sophomore outfielder TJ Ash is back after playing in 29 games with 16 starts as a true freshman. He batted .364 with a double and RBI over that span in a weekend at Elon to earn conference rookie of the week. In addition, ash impressed with his defensive play committing just one error for a .970 fielding percentage, primarily in center field. He got off to a quick start in his young career, going 3-for-4 with a double and RBI in his second career game on Feb. 21 against College of Charleston.
Redshirt sophomore Noah Lea returns in 2022 after being utilized as a pinch-runner last season. He scored one run against archrival North Carolina Central on May 1.
“Cam Brantley and Xavier Bussey both expect to have big years for us,” said Hall. “Cam played a lot more last year and had a solid season but has shown growth in his game. X missed a lot of time with injury last season, so he’s healthy and motivated and has had an outstanding offseason. TJ and Alex are both guys who bring a lot to the table, and their growth and maturity took a big step over the last couple of months.”
A few key pitchers are also making their way back to East Greensboro.
“The pitching staff is where we lost the most experience, so that is where we see the most turnover,” said Hall. “I’ve spoken about it all offseason – with change comes opportunity – so I’m excited to see what some of the transfer arms and freshman can bring to the table.”
Junior southpaws Peyton Winebarger and Daniel Carter will bring some welcomed experience to the staff this year after throwing for a combined 55 innings in 2021. They also combined for 53 strikeouts. Winebarger has primarily been a closer in his career. Carter served as a middle reliever last season.
“Experience starts with Peyton,” said Hall. “He is the best he’s been in his career, and he had an outstanding summer. I expect him to go out and have a great season. Daniel is going to be a great story. He struggled last year but got out and worked at it this summer, and this fall into spring has been outstanding. He’s come into his own, made necessary adjustments, and just found that confidence, and I expect him to have a big season.”
NCCU Eagles Turned A&T Aggies
With the cancelation of NCCU’s baseball program, players with remaining eligibility needed to find new homes, and two of those, catcher Chet Sikes and infielder Cort Maynard, did not have to look far.
Sikes (So., 6-foot-0, 185, High Point, N.C.) had a memorable freshman year as an Eagle, garnering MEAC rookie of the year honors. He made 34 starts, with 31 as a catcher. Sikes batted .304 with a .421 slugging percentage offensively. He had 11 multi-hit games with seven doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI. He also gunned down nine runners attempting to steal a base during the year.
“Chet had an outstanding freshman year and has been even better through our offseason,” said Hall.
Maynard (r-Jr., 6-foot-0, 185, Charlotte, N.C.) also had a standout year for NCCU last season and has a second-team All-MEAC second-team selection to show for it. He batted .282 with 42 hits, including six doubles, two triples, six home runs and 23 RBI. As a corner infielder, Maynard also had a .911 fielding percentage. His best game came against A&T on April 11 when he went 2-for-3 with two home runs, five RBI and two runs scored.
“Cort is your prototypical leader, does-everything-right guy,” said Hall. “He works and maximizes everything out of his game. He flourished this summer in the Appalachian League. He established himself quickly once getting to our campus this fall as a leader and frontline performer.”
Other Notable Transfers/Newcomers
This offseason, A&T was hot on the recruiting trail trying to fill out their roster and landed some big-time transfers and incoming freshmen.
“We need just about all of them to come in here and serve a role to help us win,” said Hall. “In our program, the best player plays, and coming off a disappointing season last year means competition. There are no guaranteed spots. Every guy on this roster started in August in the same place. So go work for and earn your role. If you are consistent and can get the job done, you have a good opportunity to play.”
Camden Jackson (So., 6-foot-0, 180) was a first-team All-Region 10 player at Pitt Community College last season. He was also a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American after batting .342 with seven home runs. Jackson also had 32 RBI and 43 runs scored. His best game came on March 24th when he went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, five RBI and four runs scored in a 13-10 win over Barton College JV.
“Camden Jackson had an outstanding fall offensively,” said Hall. “He is a high-contact hitter and super aggressive. He brings a lot of value to the group offensively.”
Anthony Hennings (r-Jr., 6-foot-0, 190) was a teammate of Jackson’s at Pitt Community College and will provide a young roster, especially the infield, with some much-needed experience and leadership. At Pitt last season, Hennings played in 33 games and turned in a .304 average. He compiled 23 RBI with two home runs and 28 runs scored throughout 2021. His best game came on March 4 when he went 3-for-3 with a triple, a home run, four RBI and three runs scored in a 13-2 victory over Bryant & Stratton College.
“Anthony Hennings has brought a good mature quality to the infield,” said Hall. “He works hard and has a lot of confidence.”
Tyshawn Barrett (Gr., 6-foot-0, 220) and Alec Seaton (Gr., 5-foot-9, 185) came over to AggieLand from William Peace for their final year of eligibility.
Barrett was the 2021 USA South player of the year and first-team all-conference member. He played in 18 games with 18 starts and had a .391 batting average with four doubles, six triples and 18 RBI. He also drew eight walks and swiped 13 bases.
Meanwhile, Seaton was a second-team all-conference selection after breaking the regular-season hits record at William Peace in 2019 (35). He and Reyna look to complete the Aggies middle infield at shortstop and second this season after Seaton turned 14 double plays and had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 2021. He also tallied a .371 batting average with a .497 slugging percentage and 32 RBI.
Canyon Brown (Fr., 6-foot-1, 185) is a catcher out of Ormond Beach, Fla., that coach Hall is excited about. He was a first-team All-Area selection and a Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) All-State selection. In addition, perfect Game ranked him as the ninth rated catcher in Florida. Brown played in 16 games as a senior and tallied a .245 average with 12 hits, including five doubles, two triples and seven RBI.
Logan Jarosz (r-So., 5-foot-10, 180) is a right-hander coming from Pitt CC. He made 11 appearances for the Bulldogs in 2021 and threw 14.1 innings. He turned in a 3.77 ERA with 13 strikeouts and just 10 hits allowed.
Jake Delisi (r-So., 6-foot-0, 175) comes to East Greensboro from King University, where he made seven starts in 11 appearances last season. In his conference, he finished the year in the top 12 for ERA (6.43) and compiled 36 strikeouts in 49.0 innings pitched. Delisi was also teammates with Maynard in the Appalachian League this past summer.
“Jake Delisi is another transfer arm that is growing week in and week out,” said Hall. “I expect him to serve an important role as the season progresses.”
Jaheim Brown (Fr., 6-foot-1, 175) and Jackson Hull (Fr., 5-foot-11, 185) are two incoming freshmen arms that excite the staff.
Brown comes to A&T by way of Louisburg High School, where he made seven appearances with five starts as a senior. He compiled a 0.61 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched to go with 74 strikeouts. Brown also accrued three wins throughout the year and had two separate outings with 14 strikeouts. In addition, he had four double-figure strikeout games as a senior.
Hull is out of Carroll County High School in Virginia and was a two-way player in high school, also playing in the infield. Hull earned Three Rivers District Player of the Year and first-team All-Region 3D honors. In the batter’s box, Hull dominated with a .542 batting average and led his team in hits (26), triples (3), home runs (3), runs (23), on-base percentage (.593) and slugging percentage (.896) in just 13 games.
He was equally dominant on the mound, too, with a 3-0 record in four starts with a team-leading 1.29 ERA. Hull pitched 21.2 innings and struck out 37 batters while walking just nine.
“There are some more guys in there that have it; we’re just working hard to get it where we need it,” said Hall. “There will always be a couple of guys that surprise you as the spring goes on and will serve an important role through the grind of a 56-game season.”