NORFOLK, Va. – There was a time not too long ago where Norfolk State baseball head coach Claudell Clark could only hope to have a pitching staff of a healthy and reliable seven or eight arms to endure the rigors of a 50-game collegiate season.
While NSU hasn’t lacked for quality pitching over the years, it has sometimes lacked in quantity. Untimely injuries and other player losses have often left the Spartans just shy of a full complement of effective pitchers to help the team attain its goal of a MEAC title.
This year, the Spartans’ roster is stocked with quality pitchers – 14 arms in all, to be exact, including 10 returners from a staff that flourished down the stretch of the 2014 campaign. That experience and depth on the mound will combine with a new-look lineup as the Spartans open the 2015 season this Friday.
The Spartans’ top three pitchers from last year all return and should form the basis of a strong weekend rotation: junior lefthander Matt Outman, sophomore lefthander Devin Hemmerich and senior righty Stephen Butt. Outman tied for second in the MEAC in wins last year and ranked sixth in ERA, going 8-2 with a 2.96 ERA. read more…
