re: Tide Baseball 31-27 (12-17)

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PITCHING
The pitching staff welcomes seven pitchers back that pitched 136 of the teams 514 innings last year. They also have redshirt freshman Dylan Ray back after missing last season due to Tommy John surgery. The returners are redshirt senior Brock Guffey, senior Jacob McNairy, redshirt senior Hunter Ruth, redshirt junior Landon Green, junior Antoine Jean, sophomore Grayson Hitt, and sophomore Eli Giles.

McNairy had the most innings, 37, of all the returners and Green led in victories with three, followed by Jean and Hitt with two each. Green and Guffey both earned two saves. The newcomers include two highly touted freshmen in Luke Holman and Ben Hess. Holman is a 6’4” right hander from Sinking Springs, PA. Hess is a 6’5” righty from Charleston, IL. Tuscaloosa native and Shelton State alum Garrett McMillan is a big, 6’4” 230 pound right hander that will also have a big role on the team. Wake Forest transfer Hunter Furtado is a 6’4” hard throwing left hander. Hagan Banks is another 6’4” freshman right hander from Plainville, GA that should garner innings as well. Trace Moore and Jake Leger are two more junior college left handed pitchers looking to help the team. Hunter Hoopes is a senior transfer from UNC Ashville with a live fastball. Brayden Gainey is a right hander that comes for Gulf Coast CC, Conner Ball is a freshman left hander from Sterrett, AL, Braylon Myers is a freshman RHP from Bessemer, AL, and Nathan Shelton is another lefty that pitched at ACA in Tuscaloosa.

The rotation could go a number of different ways and will probably change at times during the season. Some combination of Jean, Ray, Holman, Furtado, McMillian, and Hitt will likely start the three games in the opening series. Green will be the traditional closer while Guffey, McNairy, Banks, Leger, and Hoopes will be in the mix to pitch opening weekend. When Hess is back from a minor injury he will be looked at as starter and out of the pen.

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