MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia second baseman Tyler Doanes and catcher Paul McIntosh were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 on Wednesday, which is good news for the Mountaineers to have those two near the top of the lineup.
The bad news is, similar to the starting rotation, Doanes and McIntosh will be two of the few with any experience back for WVU. Tevin Tucker manned shortstop as a freshman last year and is back for his second season, while Kevin Brophy played a good bit at third base and returns for his senior year.
McIntosh, a junior, added a lot of pop in the batting order as a designated hitter, but will slide into the starting catcher spot.
Otherwise, many fresh faces will sprinkle the lineup, at least to start the season, which begins Feb. 14 at Jacksonville.
“Just like you built it, you’ve got to rebuild it the same way,” coach Randy Mazey said. “You’ve got to try and recruit good players, teach them how to play the game, how to work hard, motivate themselves. We’ve got a history here of kids developing at a pretty high rate, so if they buy into what we’re trying to teach them, I feel like we’ll continue on the path we’re on.”
With 19 newcomers — freshmen and transfers — it won’t be an easy task for WVU, which was picked to finish seventh in the preseason Big 12 poll.
Gone are catcher Ivan “Pudge” Gonzalez, right-fielder Darius Hill, center-fielder Brandon White first baseman Marques Inman and left-fielder TJ Lake. Gonzalez was one of the better offensive catchers in the conference last year and handled one of the best starting pitching staffs in school history. Hill was one of the productive four-year players ever at WVU. Inman supplied power in the middle of the lineup and White was one of the best defensive center fielders in the nation.
McIntosh, who hit .277 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs a year ago, is ready to step into the catcher role, but knows the physical toll the position can have.
“I’m going to go about my business as usual,” he said. “Obviously, I’m going to have more on my plate this year, but I’m ready for that and I’ve prepared for it. I saw what Pudge did that year and I looked up to him. It’s my turn to step up and contribute.”
Doanes led the team with a .398 on-base percentage last year and base things happen once he got there. He had 20 stolen bases on 26 attempts and scored 40 runs. With the return of Braden Zarbnisky, it’s unclear how the top of the lineup will look, but it’s a guarantee Doanes will be near the top.
“We run the bases hard, and that’s been our identity since I’ve been here,” he said. “That’s what affects others teams — we run hard down the line, we steal bases, and from that, we play 110% every play and we’re grinders just trying to be hard to get out.”
Tucker is another who can cause problems on the bases. He stole 19 bags on 24 attempts last season while hitting just .199. While his bat needs to improve, Tucker did show steady improvement defensively. Brophy may need to supply the power with Inman gone. Brophy hit nine home runs and drove in 35 runs.
Inman left the team this offseason after nine homers and driving in 41 runs last seasons, so there is a glaring void at first base. However, Arizona transfer Ryan Archibald could be the favorite. He played sparingly as a freshman last season for the Wildcats, appearing in just five games.
In the outfield, right field will be an open competition, but the other two are close to set. Mazey said he will likely rely on freshman Victor Scott, a Powder Springs, Ga., native, to replace White in center.
“You can’t replace Brandon White — you can in the lineup — but it’s hard to do in center field,” Mazey said. “Victor Scott is going to be a really good player for us.”
While he didn’t play last season recovering from an injury Zarbnisky will be a welcomed return not only to the offense, but to the pitching staff, as well. In his career from 2016-18, Zarbnisky has a career batting average of .284 with one home run and 40 RBIs from the leadoff spot. On the mound, he has a career 3.75 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 50 appearances.
“He’s been super valuable to us in the past,” Mazey said. “He’s hit over .300 for us, he has double-digit decisions — six saves and six wins — two years ago. He’s got that experience and one thing he’s not going to do is get rattled if you flip him the ball in the ninth inning.”
