Feb. 9, 2004

Charleston, SC - It's not true that Citadel baseball coach Fred Jordan spent the entire off-season pondering his bat-boy rotation for this year.

But it is true that with seven of eight starters returning -- as well as the entire weekend pitching rotation, and his closer-- the 13th-year coach has had little tinkering to do with his lineup during spring practice.

Jordan, with a record of 426-286 and nine Southern Conference titles to his credit, likes to say that the names may change in Citadel baseball, but the results stay the same.

This year, the names are mostly the same. But the Bulldogs -- who haven't won a SoCon tournament title and the NCAA playoff berth that goes with it since 2001 -- are sure hoping that the results change.

"Hopefully, we are a mature ball club now, and can perform in that manner," said Jordan, who has two seniors and nine juniors among his top players. "We hope this club can handle the ups and downs of a college season better than we did last year. At times last year, we looked backward instead of concentrating on what was in front of us. "We hope that will help us this season."

A six-game mid-season losing streak that included three losses to Davidson and one to East Tennessee State cost the 32-25 Bulldogs a shot at the SoCon's regular-season title last year, and they went 0-2 in the SoCon tournament at Riley Park.

The Bulldogs return eight of the top nine hitters from the club that led the SoCon with a .307 team average last year, and expect major improvement from a young pitching staff that was thrown into the fire in 2003.

The entire starting infield is back, led by senior first baseman Chip Cannon (.335, 12 home runs, 60 runs batted in) and junior third baseman Chris Ard (.396, 44 RBIs). Ard, Cannon and junior second baseman Jon Aughey (.272, 36 RBIs) all were named preseason All-SoCon, and shortstop Matt Matulia batted .303 as a freshman. Junior catcher Will Coker has recovered from a knee injury that limited him to 25 games last season.

"We feel that Chip Cannon is a very good pro prospect, and we hope he can be the guy in the middle of the lineup who produces for us," Jordan said. "The key for him will be who we put in front of him and behind him in the order, and Chris Ard has done nothing to make us believe that he will not continue to swing the bat like he did last year."

The only shuffling has come in the outfield, where right fielder Brook Dantzler is gone after batting .354 last year.

Junior Josh Stackley, a two-year starter in left field, will move over to right and hopes to improve on his .264 average.

Trent Weathers, a freshman sensation last year with a .303 average and team-best 25 stolen bases, is back in center.

Senior Andy Phillips, fully recovered from his bout with skin cancer, will start in left; he batted .311 in 40 games last year, mostly at designated hitter. That spot will be filled this season mostly by junior Chris Altman (.277).

Citadel pitchers finished with an earned-run average of 4.19 last year, fourth in the SoCon. It was the first time in Jordan's 12 seasons the Bulldogs finished out of the league's top two in that category. With junior John Ellis (5-5, 4.79), sophomore Ken Egleton (6-3, 3.61) and Cannon (3-4, 2.95) back on the weekends, Jordan expects that number to improve. Junior Shannon Sprouse (5-4, 7 saves) is back at closer, and junior Evan Burgess (2-1, 3.38) should fill the set-up role.

A quartet of freshmen -- Zach Brown, Ryan Howe, Jamie Maxwell and Stephen Williams -- should provide left-handed support from the bullpen, a sore spot for the Bulldogs last year.

The Bulldogs' schedule includes a March trip to Hawaii -- which allowed Jordan to schedule more games than usual -- a Feb. 26 non-conference clash with rival College of Charleston and back-to-back games at Clemson and South Carolina in April.

Jordan said the SoCon is better than he's ever seen it -- especially with the addition of Elon, which counted wins over ranked teams Wake Forest, North Carolina and Clemson among its 34 victories last year.

"I know our league is better than it has ever been," Jordan said. "Four or five years ago, you'd have two or three weekends where you'd really be challenged.

"Now, every weekend is a battle. And then you have Elon come in, and they could be one of the top two or three teams in the league. It's gonna be a battle everyday."

2004 CITADEL BASEBALL

2003 record: 32-25 overall (19-11 in Southern Conference, third place)

Coach: Fred Jordan (426-286 in 13 years)

Top players: 3B Chris Ard (.396, 5 HR, 44 RBI); SS Matt Matulia (.303, 29 RBI); 2B Jon Aughey (.272, 5 HR, 36 RBI); 1B-P Chip Cannon (.335, 12 HR, 60 RBI; 3-4, 2.95 ERA); OF Trent Weathers (.303, 29 RBI, 25 SB); RHP Ken Egleton (6-3, 3.61 ERA); RHP John Ellis (5-5. 4.79 ERA).

Top newcomers: P Ryan Howe (Dorman HS); P-OF Zach Brown (Berea HS); P Cameron Howard (Newnan, Ga.); P Jamie Maxwell (Chapman HS); P Stephen Williams (Lexington HS).

Outlook: The Citadel returns starters at seven of eight positions in the field, all three weekend starting pitchers and its closer from a team that won 32 games a year ago. Yet the Bulldogs are picked to finish third or fourth in the SoCon, a measure of the league's strength this year. The Citadel led the SoCon in batting last year (.307), but finished fourth in staff ERA (4.19), the first time in Jordan's 12 seasons the Bulldogs finished out of the top two in that category. 1B Chip Cannon, 3B Chris Ard, 2B Jon Aughey and OF Trent Weathers were named pre-season All-SoCon.

SCHEDULE

Home games at Riley Park

February -- 14 UNC Charlotte, 2 p.m.; 15 ñ UNC Charlotte, 1 p.m.; 20 ñ Richmond, 5 p.m.; 21 ñ West Virginia, 5 p.m.; 22 ñ Old Dominion, 3 p.m.; 26 ñ College of Charleston, 5 p.m.; 27 ñ James Madison, 5 p.m.; 28 ñ N.C. State, 5 p.m.

March -- 2-6 Rainbow Easter Classic, Oahu, Hawaii; 10 ñ Coastal Carolina, 3 p.m.; 12 ñ at Elon, 2:30 p.m.; 13 ñ at Elon, 1 p.m.; 14 ñ at Elon, 1 p.m.; 17 ñ at N.C. State, 4 p.m.; 19 ñ Western Carolina, 6 p.m.; 20 ñ Western Carolina, 2 p.m.; 21 ñ Western Carolina, 1 p.m.; 23 ñ at Charleston Southern, 3 p.m.; 24 ñ at Winthrop, 6 p.m.; 26 ñ at Wofford, 7 p.m.; 27 ñ at Wofford, 1:30 p.m.; 28 ñ at Wofford, 1:30 p.m.; 30 ñ at Coastal Carolina, 6 p.m.; 31 ñ Charleston Southern, 6 p.m.

April -- Appalachian State, 6 p.m.; 3 ñ App State, 2 p.m.; 4 ñ App State, 1 p.m.; 9 ñ at College of Charleston, 6 p.m.; 10 ñ at College of Charleston, 3 p.m.; 11 ñ at College of Charleston, 3 p.m.; 14 ñ at Charleston Southern, 3 p.m.; 16 ñ High Point, 7 p.m.; 17 ñ High Point, 2 p.m.; 18 ñ High Point, 1 p.m.; 20 ñ at Clemson, 7:15 p.m.; 21 ñ at South Carolina, 7 p.m.; 23 ñ Davidson, 6 p.m.; 24 ñ Davidson, 2 p.m.; 25 ñ Davidson, 1 p.m.; 30 ñ at East Tennessee State, 7 p.m.

May -- 1 at East Tennessee State, 2 p.m.; 2 at East Tennessee State, 1 p.m.; 7 ñ Furman, 6 p.m.; 8 ñ Furman, 6 p.m.; 9 ñ Furman, 1 p.m.; 12 ñ USC, 7 p.m.; 14 ñ at Georgia Southern, 7 p.m.; 15 ñ at Georgia Southern, 4 p.m.; 16 ñ at Georgia Southern, 1 p.m.; 18 ñ Winthrop, 6 p.m.; 21 ñ UNC Greensboro, 6 p.m.; 22 ñ UNC Greensboro, 6 p.m.; 23 ñ UNC Greensboro, 1 p.m.; 26-29 ñ SoCon Tournament, Riley Park.