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2018 Media Guide
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Division I college baseball teams across the country will gear up for Opening Day, as all nine American Athletic Conference programs are set to begin their 2018 campaigns over the weekend. The American will compete in 28 nonconference games from February 16-18.
The American enters 2018 coming off a successful 2017 season in which three teams were selected to the NCAA Championship. Houston won the conference’s automatic bid to the tournament, while UCF and USF were chosen as at-large sections. The American has had at least three NCAA tournament teams in each of the last three seasons. Furthermore, the conference ranked fourth among the 31 NCAA Division I leagues in 2017 RPI ratings, which marks the second time in three seasons the conference finished in the top four. The American was just one of three NCAA Division I conferences to have three teams post 40 or more wins.
With the addition of Wichita State, the conference’s nine teams have combined for 149 NCAA appearances and 16 trips to the College World Series. The Shockers bring a rich baseball legacy to the conference, leading all programs with seven College World Series appearances, a 74-55 NCAA tournament record and a national title in 1989. Wichita State enters its inaugural American Athletic Conference season after spending 39 years in the Missouri Valley Conference, going 28-30 last season. The Shockers return nine to the starting lineup, including two preseason all-conference and All-America honorees outfielder Greyson Jenista and third baseman Alec Bohm. Wichita State will open 2018 in a three-game series at McNeese State.
After winning its second conference championship in 2017, Houston was picked atop The American in 2018 and made the list for several national media outlets’ preseason polls. The Cougars went 42-21 overall and 15-9 in conference play before falling to Texas A&M 4-3 in the final game of the NCAA Houston Regional last season. Houston returns six starters and nine to the pitching staff, including All-America southpaw and 2017 conference Pitcher of the Year Trey Cumbie. Houston led the conference with a .464 slugging percentage, 169 runs, 616 hits, 11 triples, 150 RBIs and 31 homers last year and will host Holy Cross in a three-game series to open its 2018 season.
After finishing last in the 2016 conference standings, UCF saw a remarkable turnaround in 2017, winning the regular-season American title with a 15-9 record, before earning the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. UCF was one of three conference teams to reach 40 wins under first year head coach Greg Lovelady. The Knights welcome back freshman All-America pitcher Joe Sheridan and preseason All-America reliever Bryce Tucker to the pitching staff. UCF also returns preseason All-America first baseman and conference Player of the Year Rylan Thomas. The Knights will host No. 16 Virginia, Rice and Samford at John Euliano Park this weekend.
Also earning a No. 2 seed in a NCAA regional last season was USF. The Bulls possessed the league’s top overall winning percentage (.689) with a 42-21 record. USF faced Florida and Bethune-Cookman in the Gainesville Regional last year and are scheduled to face both these teams in series this year. Three USF players were voted to the preseason all-conference team, including outfielder Duke Stunkel and pitchers Shane McClanahan and Peter Strzelecki. USF had the No. 2 pitching staff in the conference with a 3.24 ERA, holding batters to hitting a league-low .227 batting average, while accumulating a league-high 620 strikeouts. McClanahan fanned the third-most batters in the conference as a freshman and will return to the pitching staff after being named preseason All-America. Former assistant Billy Mohl enters his first year at the helm of the Bulls. USF opens its season in a three-game series against No. 7 North Carolina.
UConn was picked second in The American preseason poll after going 33-25 last season. Southpaw Tim Cate returns to the mound for the Huskies after receiving preseason All-America recognition. The lefty threw for 75.2 innings and had 102 strikeouts with a 3.33 ERA in 2017. UConn also returns its other two weekend starters, including sophomore Mason Feole who was named all-conference last year. UConn has finished in the top-three in conference standings in each of the last two years and will start 2018 on the road in Georgia against Kennesaw State, Georgia State and No. RV Georgia Tech.
ECU finished 32-28 overall and 7-17 in The American last year, making a run to the conference tournament final against Houston. The Pirates have finished in the top-two in two of its three seasons in The American and were picked fourth in the conference preseason poll. ECU owned the conference’s top batting average (.291) last year and second-most hits with 601. The Pirates return freshman All-America first baseman Spencer Brickhouse, who had 10 homers last year, and 2016 freshman All-America outfielder Dwanya Williams-Sutton. ECU hosts Western Carolina for three games at Clark-LeClair Stadium to begin its 2018 journey.
Memphis went 30-29 overall last year under 14th-year head coach Daron Shoenrock, marking its sixth season of 30 or more wins in the last seven years. Among its six returning starters, outfielder Tyler Webb was a preseason all-conference selection. He was the Tigers’ second-leading hitter last season, with a .305 batting average, 65 hits, 16 doubles and 43 runs scored. Memphis also returns 10 members of its pitching staff. The Tigers open the 2018 season at FedExPark against Western Kentucky for a three-game series.
Tulane lost seven starters, as well as seven members of its pitching staff from 2017, and returns 15 letterwinners. Among the returners, outfielder Grant Witherspoon was named to the preseason all-conference team, after he hit .299 with 16 extra base hits least season. The Green Wave hit a conference-best 70 home runs in 2017, which were the 29th-most in the nation. Tulane also turned a school-record 65 double plays, which led the conference and ranked No. 4 in the nation. The Green Wave will host Wright State three times to start the season.
Cincinnati begins a new era head coach Scott Googins, who is the all-time winningest coach at Xavier. The Bearcats return four of their top five hitters from last year, including A.J. Bumpass, Connor McVey, Jace Mercer and Joey Thomas. Cincinnati also led The American with a .982 fielding percentage, making just 40 errors through 58 games in 2017. The Bearcats will play three games against teams that finished 2017 in the top 25 and begin their 2018 slate on the West Coast against San Diego and California.
Upcoming Schedule/Results
Friday, February 16
UConn at Kennesaw State • 4 p.m.
Western Carolina at ECU • 4 p.m.
California vs. Cincinnati • 5 p.m.
Western Kentucky at Memphis • 5 p.m.
Virginia at UCF • 6:30 p.m.
North Carolina at USF • 7 p.m.
Wichita State at McNeese State • 7 p.m.
Holy Cross at Houston • 7:30 p.m.
Wright State at Tulane • 7:30 p.m.
Cincinnati at San Diego • 9 p.m.
Saturday, February 17
UConn at Georgia State • 2 p.m.
Western Carolina at ECU • 2 p.m.
Western Kentucky at Memphis • 3 p.m.
California vs. Cincinnati • 4 p.m.
Wichita State vs. McNeese State • 4 p.m.
Rice at UCF • 5 p.m.
North Carolina at USF • 7 p.m.
Holy Cross at Houston • 7:30 p.m.
Wright State at Tulane • 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 18
North Carolina at USF • Noon
UConn at Georgia Tech • 1 p.m.
Western Carolina at ECU • 1 p.m.
Samford at UCF • 2 p.m.
Western Kentucky at Memphis • 2 p.m.
Wichita State at McNeese State • 2 p.m.
Holy Cross at Houston • 2 p.m.
Wright State at Tulane • 2 p.m.
Cincinnati at San Diego • Noon/3 p.m.
All times Eastern and subject to change