By Chris Estrada (@estradadotc ):
With baseball just around the corner and the Spartans relying on new head coach Brad Sanfilippo, all eyes turn to the players to see how quickly they can adjust to the coaching change.
This year, San Jose State is expected to finish seventh in the Mountain West according to the conference’s coaches poll.
SJSU has not had a winning record since the 2011 season when it finished nine games over .500. Last year, the Spartans finished 19-35-1 (10-18-1 MW).
It will be a mixture of veterans and newcomers for SJSU in 2018. Senior first baseman Shane Timmons enters his fourth season with the team and is one of the more dependable hitters.
Picked on the 2018 Mountain West preseason team, Timmons was one of three Spartans last year to play in every game. He smashed 10 homers and brought home 46 runs while posting a .304 batting average in 2017.
Other experienced guys in the lineup include third baseman David Campbell, center fielder Chris Williams and outfielder Brett Bautista. Bautista has spent some time on and off the lineup because of injury, but if healthy, can play a pivotal role wherever he hits.
Outfielder Kellen Strahm and shortstop Aaron Pleschner also make their return providing speed, average and durability. They were the other two Spartans to play in every game last year.
Pitching has been a problem for the Spartans since joining the Mountain West, as the team has not had an ERA under 5.5 in a season in five years.
Jake Sweich, who will probably be the opening day starter, is joined by Josh Goldberg and Zach Wallace as they all return to a pitching staff filled with new faces. Seven of the 17 pitchers are freshmen.
Freshman Walker Brinkman is one name who might get tested early on in the season. In his senior year at Heritage High School (Brentwood, Calif.), he had a 1.60 ERA with six complete games in 74.1 innings pitched.
Another hurdle for the Spartans is there coaching situation, which has been more inconsistant than their pitching over the last few years.
For most of the winter, the Spartans were without head coach Jason Hawkins and pitching coach Dean Stiles. Hawkins was put on administrative leave for allegedly holding illegal practices as reported by The Mercury News.
Stiles has reportedly resigned and became a minor league coach in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. On Jan. 29, SJSU hired Brad Sanfilippo to be the interim coach three weeks before the beginning of the season.
The Spartans can score — there is no doubt about that — but all the focus from Friday and beyond will have to be on the mound.
Catch the Spartans at Municipal Stadium on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. as they open a four-game series to kick off the season against Northern Colorado.