The High Point University baseball team is set to begin its 2018 campaign on Friday, Feb. 16 against JMU at Williard Stadium. HighPointPanthers.com will provide a four-part preview series beginning with a look at the team's starting pitchers and bullpen today. Stay tuned later in the week for a glance at the team's catchers and infield on Tuesday, a focus on the outfield and season outlook on Wednesday, and a preview of the opening series on Thursday.

HIGH POINT, N.C. - The High Point University baseball team hits the field in 2018 with high expectations following its second straight 30-win campaign, accomplishing the feat for the first time in program history. Today's first installment of the season preview focuses on the team's starting pitchers and bullpen.

STARTING PITCHERS
The Panthers return two-thirds of their weekend starting rotation from 2017 in junior Andrew Gottfried and sophomore Drew Daczkowski. A variety of arms are available for HPU to fill in the third spot.

"We've got five or six guys right now that are competing for the rotation in a four- or five-game week," head coach Craig Cozart said. "Gottfried and Daczkowski jump out at you because of their experience, but there's been a lot of competition. We're going to utilize the first few weeks of the season to see who emerges when there's another team on the field."

Gottfried, a Freshman All-American in 2016, posted a 4-3 record with a 3.86 ERA in 11 starts during an injury-riddled sophomore campaign. Despite recurring ailments, Gottfried limited opponents to a .213 average and allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of his 11 outings.

Daczkowski was named second team All-Big South in his debut season and will be counted upon as one of the top arms in the conference. In his first year with the Purple & White, he was 6-4 with a 3.29 ERA, leading the team in wins, innings pitched (76.2) and strikeouts (70). He finished the season strong with wins in four of his last six starts, highlighted by a complete game victory over Charleston Southern on May 6.

Senior Jordan Sergent made tremendous strides in the offseason and is anticipated to be one of the top contenders for the final weekend starting spot. Sergent appeared in five games (four starts) in 2017, going 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 20 innings during his first year with the program.

Sophomore Muhammed Eid, junior Cooper Jeffers, and freshman Caleb Williams will also have opportunities to earn starts throughout the year. Eid appeared in nine games in 2017, holding opponents to three earned runs or fewer eight times. Jeffers has been a reliable swingman that could also see time in middle relief after striking out 15 in 22.1 innings last year. Williams comes to HPU from Venice High School in Venice, Fla. where he posted a career 1.20 ERA for a team that advanced to consecutive state championship games in 2015 and 2016.

BULLPEN
HPU's relief corps brings back nearly every arm from a year ago minus Jeremy Johnson, who was third on the team with 17 appearances. Junior Matt Hodges and senior Rion Murrah provide a potent left-handed/right-handed punch at the back of the bullpen to help finish games.

Hodges led the team in saves (6) and appearances (24) last year while compiling a 5-1 record with a 2.74 ERA in 49.1 innings. He yielded one run or fewer in 20 of his 24 games and limited the opposition to a team-best .186 average against. Hodges capped off his breakthrough campaign with a career-high 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings against Radford in the Big South tournament.

Murrah reached new heights as well, going 4-0 with a team-best 2.23 ERA and three saves in 20 appearances out of the bullpen. He enters the 2018 season having not allowed a run in his last 18.2 innings pitched. He established a new HPU Div. I record with 11 strikeouts in relief against Campbell in the Big South tournament as part of 5.1 scoreless innings.

"(Hodges and Murrah) were absolutely special last year," Cozart said. "The intensity that they bring on a daily basis is really infectious for our staff. We have a lot of depth on the mound and it's going to begin and end with those two guys, but there's a lot of pieces around them that are going to be able to do some things that help us with our depth."

Those pieces include sophomore Joe Johnson and senior Austin Heinz, who will take on larger roles from last year. Johnson picked up three wins as a freshman while holding a 4.79 ERA in 11 appearances. Heinz, whom Cozart named as an emotional leader for the relief corps, pitched in 10 games and posted a 4.67 ERA in 17.1 innings.

Sophomores Garrett Letchworth and Grey Lyttle, redshirt-sophomore Harrison Smith, and redshirt-junior Jonny Vizcaino are also anticipated to contribute. Letchworth battled back from a tough start to his season to hold opponents to just one earned run in his final five outings of 2017. Lyttle appeared in 13 games a year ago, fifth-most among returners, and struck out 21 in 21.0 innings. Smith and Vizcaino are both junior college transfers from USC Lancaster and Palomar College, respectively.

Stay tuned to HighPointPanthers.com tomorrow for a preview of the team's catchers and infielders.

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