Coastal Carolina Concludes Fall Baseball Practices
10/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
2016 Coastal Carolina Baseball Quick Facts 
CONWAY - The Coastal Carolina baseball team, which returned to an NCAA Regional this past spring after a one-year absence, concluded its 2015 fall season this week.
Coastal Carolina returns eight starters on offense and nine pitchers.
The Chanticleers return their top seven hitters, including Anthony Marks (.343, 58 runs, 17 stolen bases), Michael Paez (.326, 58 runs, 17 2B, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 19 stolen bases), Tyler Chadwick (.303), G.K. Young (.301, 49 RBI), Zach Remillard (.6 HR, 42 RBI), Conner Owings (9 HR, 48 RBI) and David Parrett (.10 HR). Also back is a healthy Dalton Ewing, who only played in five games last season due to an injury, while Kevin Woodall Jr. (.320), Josh Crump (played in 45 games), Billy Cooke and Matt Beaird each came through with significant contributions last season.
On the mound, Alex Cunningham (6-0, 2.56 ERA) had an excellent fall after missing the final month of the season with an injury. Bobby Holmes, the 2015 Big South Freshman of the Year, will look to improve on his rookie campaign that included a 4-1 record with four saves and an opponent batting average of just .228. While pitchers Mike Morrison (72 strikeouts in 56.2 innings) and Andrew Beckwith (led the staff in appearances in both 2014 and 2-15) did not pitch this fall to rest, a number of players that were injured last season performed well. Coastal will also welcome back Tyler Poole and Patrick Corbett. Poole battled injuries during the 2014 and 2015 seasons while Corbett has not pitched in over two years after two surgeries to his throwing arm since making the Cape Cod All-Star team in 2013.
Key losses include starting catcher Casey Schroeder, who hit 11 home runs in 2015 and was drafted in the eighth round by the Chicago White Sox, and starting pitcher Austin Kerr, who was 8-1 last season before missing the final weeks of the season due to injury.
"The greatest thing that came of the fall is the health of guys that were struggling last season," said head coach Gary Gilmore. "They have all gotten healthy and performed well. We have a lot of things to continue to work on, but we have made progress in some areas that we desperately needed to make progress in."
The Chanticleers played an exhibition versus the Czech Republic National Team, raising over $4,000 to help former teammate Ben Smith cover medical costs as he fights cancer. The culmination of the drills came at the annual CCU Fall World Series. The Teal Team, featuring the returning starters from last season, swept the Black Team to claim the bragging rights.
