Sports > February 21, 2008

By Jeff Merski | Senior writer

The Wake Forest Demon Deacon baseball team looks to improve on its run to the championship game of the ACC Baseball Tournament and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007. The team will kick off its season on Feb. 22-24 against Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.

“We’d like to get back to the ACC tournament but be a higher seed,” Head Coach Rick Rembielak said. “I think we’re better than an eight seed but we need to go out and prove it.”

The team returns 22 players from last year’s team, including four starting pitchers and all nine starters in the lineup. Amongst these players are junior first baseman Allen Dykstra, who led the offense last season by hitting .310 with 18 home runs and 60 RBIs, and starting pitchers Ben Hunter, Garrett Bullock and Charlie Mellies.

The biggest transition this year will be in the bullpen with junior Brad Kledzik moving from the starting rotation to take over the closer role for Josh Ellis, who graduated and was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks last spring.

Additionally, sophomore pitchers Phil Negus and Alex Wiesner look to fill in the middle relief role that Eric Niesen filled for much of last season before leaving after his junior season to pitch in the New York Mets organization.

Around the infield, the Deacons look to start Dykstra, senior second baseman Andy Goff, junior shortstop Dustin Hood and junior third baseman Tyler Smith, giving the Deacons a good combination of power and hitting for average from these positions.

In the outfield, junior Evan Ocheltree and seniors Ben Terry and Brett Linnenkohl look to start, but there are others looking to compete for playing time.

“There’s a lot of competition in the outfield this year,” Rembielak said.

Senior Austin Jones returns the plate catching with senior infielder/designated hitter Willy Fox looking to build off of a strong 2007 campaign.

However, there are many players, both returning and incoming, looking to compete for playing time this season.

“We have a lot of options and can go with the guys playing the best at a particular time,” Rembielak said.