BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team will open the 2022 season and the Tony David Era by hosting Arkansas State in a three-game series this weekend. Jon McAfoos sat down with David recently to preview the season.
 
This is David's first season as head coach after spending the last 17 seasons as the program's associate head coach. Samford returns just three position starters from last season's NCAA Regional squad. Three key position players that return are third baseman Will David, outfielder Towns King and catcher Kaden Dreier.
 
"I'm a big believer in the concept of captains, named and unnamed," David said. "Those three guys are just incredible leaders and they're good players too. Your captains need to be impactful on the field as well, and not just in leadership. They're the kind of guys that are the first out (to the field) and last off. They're dragging the field, they're raking, they're doing all those things.
 
"On the field, Will and K.D. are everyday starters, really our only two that were there every day," David said. "Towns got significant playing time and obviously had an incredible finish to the year as the (SoCon) Tournament MVP and hit some big home runs there. Those guys are going to be critical for such a, not only youthful roster, but an inexperienced roster. Garrett Howe is another one that, because of an injury or two last year, got some significant playing time that will matter and help him leading into this year."
 
The starting pitching rotation will be completely new this season. For this weekend's series, right-handed pitcher Jacob Cravey, left-hander Blake Bortak and right-hander Jalon Long are slated to start each game on the mound for the Bulldogs.
 
"I use the term innings capital a lot, and we've got a lot of innings capital built up in Jalon," David said. "He's a guy that's got as good of a pitch as anybody in the league. Jalon has been really good for us, most of the time in his time here at Samford, and he's certainly ready for a weekend role. Jacob Cravey and Blake Bortak are both sophomores that got some valuable experience last year and are part of that youth movement that we need to have success. Both of those guys are true, front-line SoCon types of pitchers that throw strikes and have a chance to be electric."
 
The bullpen will see some changes this season as well. David talked about what he expects to see out of that group in the upcoming year.
 
"Gene Hurst is another guy who's battle some stuff, on and off, just staying healthy over the years," David said. "Gene is a great one, he's an older guy for us. After a rough start last year, he was incredibly consistent down the stretch, and was probably our best reliever in terms of his performance on the mound. Gene will be part of the back end, and then Carson Hobbs is another sophomore, and when the final out is recorded, right now we're planning on one of those two getting that final out.
 
"Mason McCormack is a guy that had a really good fall and a really good start of spring practices and scrimmages that will be some part of that back end," David said. "Alex Goff is a junior college transfer from a couple of years ago that didn't get a lot of innings last year. But those four guys will kind of make up the back end of the game for us."
 
David also talked about what his thoughts are for the midweek starter role.
 
"It's a plan in progress," David said. "One of the things we've done in the past that we will continue with, in a perfect world, we like to go with a younger guy that's talented there to just build up innings. And then there will be an occasional Tuesday where we throw a lot of guys. We've got some guys, Will Lynch, Michael Ross, who have had good falls and good beginning of the spring that I think will help us there."
 
This year's Samford roster will include a lot of new faces, some transfers and some high school signees. David talked about a few new faces that will see time on the field early this season.
 
"Kace Garner will be a part of the catching combination, with K.D., and will DH more often than not when he's not catching," David said. "We want to try to keep both of those guys fresh behind the plate. Joseph Salvo is another of our returning guys that will be a part of that equation. Maurice Hampton is a transfer from LSU, an incredible talent. When you play baseball and football at LSU, and football on a national level, you're really playing football and doing baseball when you have time. For Mo, the combination of COVID the last couple of springs and football, he hasn't played a whole lot of baseball the last couple of years. So, we're excited about what his potential is.
 
"Brody Westbrooks, who came in from Georgia Tech, is a right-handed pitcher who will see important innings here these first couple of weekends for sure," David said. "And then Colin Ahearn, who transferred in from Tennessee, is a left-handed pitcher that will see some time in relief that will be a valuable part of it. And then the last one is Drew Byers. Drew came in from Notre Dame as an infielder, hitter/pitcher that's really had a good start to the spring on the mound. Drew's going to have a chance to help us on the mound in relief and he has power potential at the plate."
 
Samford returns a large sophomore class as well. The talented group did not get as many opportunities last year as expected due to many experienced players returning for an extra year due to COVID.
 
"It's a talented group that we have high expectations for," David said. "It's just inexperienced. We feel like, those transfers came in late in the summer, they were needed, we had to have them, but our success is going to be told based on that 2020 class, the current sophomores, some of which redshirted last year that are freshmen now. As soon as they figure it out, we're going to have a chance to do things. Keeping those guys here this summer and keeping them together was a big part of this program, not only this year, but moving forward. I've been open about our hopes and expectations for this year, but specifically over a two-year plan. With these guys coming back and just two seniors on the roster this year and 30 of the 40 being freshmen and sophomores, it's a chance to be really special next year."
 
As always, Samford will play a tough out of conference schedule. The slate includes defending national champion Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama and Florida State. David talked about the upcoming schedule and what his team faces this season.
 
"You want the guys to be challenged," David said. "We talk all the time with team about, they're here for the Samford experience certainly, they're here to play and having playing time and enjoy the college experience, but they want to win championships and they want to compete against the best. The last time we had this much roster turnover was way back in 2013 where we lost most of the roster and had a lot of new guys. The schedule was a little more friendly that season than what we've been left with this year, but that's what the guys want. We want them to be challenged.
 
"Obviously, everyone's excited about going down to Florida State right now that second weekend," David said. "But a program like Southeastern Louisiana, who's good every year, they're a regional program, year-in and year-out. Memphis has been consistent, and they've gotten several impactful portal guys on their side of things. And then it's the defending national champions Mississippi State, Auburn and Alabama twice, so we'll find out a lot early and try to work towards being the best we can be once conference play starts."
 
Samford was picked to finish third by the media and sixth by the coaches in the Southern Conference's preseason polls. David talked about his expectations for this year's team.
 
"The reality is, if you're in the outside world and you look at it on paper, there's no reason to think that it's not going to be a struggle," David said. "The media probably picked us as high as they did just on reputation alone. When you lose what we've lost, and some guys you thought were going to be back jump ship, both in terms of the mound and position player wise, it's a complete redo. When you have so much newness and so much inexperience, you know a little bit less about the beginning. Our style of play is going to be a little different, based on the roster. We still have high hopes because, the standard is the standard and I think we're going to have a chance to compete in the league."
 
Samford and Arkansas State are scheduled to play Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Admission to the games is free. For links to follow the action online, click on the following link: 2022 SAMFORD BASEBALL SCHEDULE.


 
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