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Virginia Commonwealth University’s 2010 baseball season begins in earnest on Friday, Feb. 19 at Charleston Southern in Charleston, S.C. We’re going to be breaking down the 2010 Rams position-by-position over the next few days. Here’s a look at the guys on the hill. PITCHING (2009 stats in parenthesis) The Rams will need a big year from their staff. Last season, pitching was a problem for VCU, which ranked eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 6.40 earned run average. The Rams also ranked near the bottom of the league in saves (7). “This year, versus last year, the talent level is just so much higher with the group we brought in and some of the junior college guys,” said Keyes, who will be entering his 16th season with VCU.
Junior Joe Van Meter (0-0, 6.00 ERA) will also vie for innings in late-game situations for the Rams after he emerged on the mound this summer. Van Meter, who is also the Rams’ starting third baseman, threw just three innings last season, but has a live arm. Van Meter played with the Battle Creek Bombers of the Northwoods League in Michigan over the summer, where he threw as hard as 97 mph and caught the attention of Major League scouts. “He’s got very natural ability, as far as a two-way guy,” Keyes said. “He’s probably the closest we’ve seen to Brandon Inge, as far as natural ability on the field and the mound.” Van Meter hit a team-high .347 last year with three homers and 36 RBI. Junior lefty Aaron Morgan (4-2, 6.75 ERA, 3 SV) will also be in the mix for late-game situations. Morgan saved three games a year ago and struck out 43 in 40 innings of work. Sophomore Kyle Pelchy (3-3, 6.32 ERA), a 6-2 right-hander, is another veteran arm for the Rams out of then ‘pen, while freshmen right-handers Seth Green and Jonathan Watson, as well as lefties Ryan Farrar and Brennan Huelse, will compete for relief innings. The starting staff will likely be one of the youngest and most talented in years. Freshman righty Blake Hauser, a Chesterfield, Va. native, leads the way. Hauser hit 95 mph during the fall season and was a 25th round selection of the Cleveland Indians in the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
“He’s a guy that can be pretty special,” Keyes said. Sophomore right-hander Seth Cutler-Voltz (2-3, 4.95 ERA) (above, right) will be the Rams’ most experienced starter in the mix after tossing 45.1 innings for VCU in 2009. Cutler-Voltz impressed during the fall and in offseason workouts. Redshirt sophomore Michael Graham (bottom left), a 6-7 left-hander, is another intriguing arm that could possibly find a spot in the weekend rotation. Graham throws in the 87-89 range and possesses a quality sinker. “He just needs to become more consistent,” Keyes said “He needs to command the zone and just pitch, instead of trying to overthrow.” Another highly-recruited freshman, 6-2 righty Kyle Haynes, is also expected to battle for a starting spot, although Keyes says he’ll bring the young hurler along slowly. Although they’re young, Keyes believes the Rams will be much improved on the mound this season, as they look to compete for one of four CAA Tournament spots. “Going into the year, we have a group of five or six guys we think will be starters and then six or seven that’ll be out of the bullpen side,” Keyes said. “The good thing is that there are 13 guys to pick from, where last year we had about eight. Our depth is better. I think we can put guys in roles where they can be very successful.”
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2010 VCU BASEBALL PREVIEW: PITCHING
After a year that saw him start seven games, senior right-hander Robbie Andrews (1-1, 5.56 ERA) (top left) will head to the back end of the bullpen, where he’ll compete for the closer’s role. Andrews relies heavily on a mix of fastballs and sliders and has outstanding control, walking just seven batters in 43.2 innings in 2009. This summer, Andrews played for the Forest City Owls of the Coastal Plain League, where he threw 21 scoreless innings and converted 13 saves. He limited opponents to a .152 batting average. 
Hauser is in line to nail down one of the Rams’ weekend starter spots. He also features a good breaking ball and has the potential to anchor a staff sometime in the near future. All rights reserved.
