By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó South Rowan American Legion baseball coach Michael Lowman caught hail on Friday.
ěIt was hailing rocks,î said Lowman, who was ready to practice but instead watched Mother Natureís angry venting from the safety of his car.
Hopefully, the weird weather wasnít a dire omen for a South team that will be missing many of last seasonís stars when it begins its season at home tonight at 7 p.m. against High Point.
It was just about all sunshine for Lowman in 2010 when South stormed to the best record (26-8) in the programís 15-year history and won the regular season title in the Southern Division of Area III for the first time.
Eventual state champion Kernersville finally knocked South out of the playoffs in the third round.
With standouts such as Julio Zubillaga, Blake Houston, Patrick Bearden, Tyler Freeze and Randy Shepherd missing, few are predicting a South repeat, but Lowman believes his team can challenge again if things fall into place defensively.
ěAs a coach youíre always optimistic going into a new season,î he said. ěI do like our pitching and I think weíll probably score enough runs. Iím just not sure about our defense right now. Weíve got a crowd at second base, and our outfield is pretty unsettled.î
Houston, the center fielder, and second baseman Zubillaga were gold-glove types at premium defensive positions last summer as well as .400 hitters.
Maverick Miles, who was a freshman at High Point this year, played right field for the Legion team last summer and probably will move to center.
Thereís no doubt Miles has been the greatest offensive force in program history. He belted 10 homers, drove in 58 runs and batted .473 last summer.
Miles already owns Southís career records for hits (163), doubles (26), triples (nine) and RBIs (121). He enters this season tied with Shepherd for the most career homers (18) and needs to cross the plate four times to break Ryan Bostianís record for runs scored.
Another returning big bat is shortstop Gunnar Hogan, a Catawba signee. The Carson senior hit .336 with six homers and 35 RBIs last summer.
Also in the middle of the lineup will be Joseph Basinger, a veteran who shared catching duties with Freeze last summer. Also a Carson senior, Basinger hit six homers and knocked in 28 runs for the 2010 Legion team.
Cory Deason and Jacob Dietz are coming off strong high school seasons for South Rowan High. Dietz, a Belmont Abbey signee, is playing Legion ball for the first time and is pencilled in as the starting third baseman.
Deason didnít play much last summer before breaking his hand in a game at Mooresville, but heís been the biggest surprise of Lowmanís workout sessions.
ěThe way heís swung the bat, Cory has to be in the lineup somewhere,î Lowman said. ěHeíll have a lot of roles.î
Deason will get DH at-bats and will back up Dietz at third. He could be in the mix in left field, plus heís the backup catcher. Basinger will need nights off when the weather gets steamy and the back-to-back-to-back games pile up.
South will benefit again this summer from the presence of Northwest Cabarrus junior Weston Smith. Smith was one of Northwestís top two pitchers and has power at the plate.
Smith batted .286 for the Legion team last year with 17 RBIs in just 63 at-bats. Heíll play first base a lot and is a DH candidate.
Key newcomers are Carson first baseman Kyle Bridges and West Rowan outfielder Patrick Hampton.
Bridges, who will play at Lynchburg, doesnít have power, but heís a quality defender at first base and a lefty hitter who makes contact. Bridges, who played for the Kannapolis Legion team last summer, also is working in the outfield.
Hampton, a Catawba football signee best known as Westís all-county tight end, is a lefty hitter with some power. He walks a lot, competes like itís a football game and is good defensively. He played center field for West and could start in one of the outfield corners for Lowman.
Second base is the biggest mystery. Dylan Goodman, the starting shortstop for South Rowan High; Parker Hubbard, the regular second baseman for South, and youngster Connor Bridges, who played mostly third base for Carson, are the candidates.
Hubbard played Legion last summer and hit .229 in 35 at-bats. The younger Bridges, Kyleís brother, was impressive in a limited role for Carson. Goodman has surprising power and good speed and could also help in the outfield.
Lowman envisions a starting rotation of Smith, South right-hander Matt Miller and veteran southpaws Dylan Walker and Jesse Park, with South righty Preston Penninger the No. 5 starter and a key guy out of the bullpen.
ěI like Preston out of the pen because I know what Iíll get,î Lowman said. ěHeíll throw strikes.î
Penninger also could get some swings. He led South Rowan High with 19 RBIs.
Smith, a strapping right-hander, was 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA last summer and is a college prospect who will compete in this summerís State Games.
Miller was 3-0 with three saves for the Legion team in 2010 and was South Rowan Highís ace this spring. He also swings the bat with authority and is one more candidate to play left field.
Walker pitched some this year at Catawba Valley Community College. He was 7-1 in Legion ball last summer, tying the program record for victories in a season.
The crafty Park was 5-1 last summer with a 3.72 ERA. He didnít pitch in college this year but plans to play at Pfeiffer next season.
On paper, the starters look stout. Pitchers who accounted for 20 of last seasonís 26 wins are back in uniform.
The bullpen is the question mark. Lots of arms are needed for a long Legion summer.
ěBut we do have an experienced rotation that should give us a chance,î Lowman said. ěAnd our schedule has been scaled back a little bit.î
Also expected to contribute are South Rowan Highís Jordan Kennerly, Bubba McLaughlin and Spencer Matlock, Carsonís Dylan Atwell and Westís Ethan Wansley.
The date for submitting final 18-man rosters has been moved back to June 23.
South is scheduled to open tonight at home with a non-league game against High Point.
ěWeíll be able to play it if we donít get any more rain,î Lowman said.
Or hail.