Hitting depth next on Brandt’s checklist at Finlandia: Offense-by-committee for Lions
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HANCOCK -- After one season in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, depth at all positions was something that manager Evan Brandt and the Finlandia Lions baseball team realized that they needed.
That need was made even larger by the fact that the Lions lost the player who had transitioned into the face of the program, Joey Krug, to graduation after the 2019 season came to a close.
So, how do Brandt and the Lions replace Krug's .277/.834/.482 line? How do they replace his five home runs? How about his 19 RBIs?
In Brandt's eyes: they do it by committee.
One of the first attributes Brandt and his staff looked for was players with consistency.
"(One) thing that we were looking for was guys who are more consistent at the plate," said Brandt. "We have some freshmen coming in that are very groomed in terms of making contact and not being afraid of velocity and off-speed pitches."
One guy that has really caught Brandt's eye is designated hitter Sheridan Brady.
"(He's a) big kid, hug kid," Brandt said. "He can swing it. The ball jumps off his bat. It's fun to watch him swing."
The Lions are bringing in two catchers in Wisconsin native Jimmy D'Angelo and Arizona native Antonio Ficara.
D'Angelo, a left handed hitter, right handed thrower, is someone that Brandt has been tracking since his sophomore year of high school.
"In the summer, I go to all the showcases that he goes to," said Brandt. "He's just done nothing but improve, nothing but develop. That's a kid I am very high on because of that."
D'Angelo, despite his small stature, possesses a very good arm, which will allow him to keep baserunners honest as well.
"He blocks well, he throws well, and he commands the game," said Brandt.
Ficara, in Brandt's opinion, will also be effective at the plate as a hitter. He also manages the game really well. For a guy who stands 6-foot-1, Ficara impressed the Lions' staff with how he blocks the plate and how he receives pitches.
"He is a battler at the plate," said Brandt of Ficara. "He's also very good with pitchers. We have one freshman (Kenny Weimer) coming in that he's caught."
Fenwick, Michigan, native Gideon Scott can also catch if Brandt needs him to. He was a First Team All-State catcher in high school, but Brandt feels that he fits other roles better. In fact, Scott is the type of player that Brandt envisions fitting in the middle of the infield, and even in the outfield, as necessary.
"We are excited about him. We're excited about his bat," said Brandt. "He might be the type we have keep in the lineup, no matter what."
Michigan native Gabe Voisin reminds Brandt a lot of Krug in the way his swing works. The first baseman hit well at younger levels, but the Lions' staff figure it will take him a little time to adjust to the speed of college pitching.
In the middle of the infield, Brandt and his staff have worked hard to find guys who can supplement Brian Doyle, Shawn Knutson and Curtis Mick. In Texas native Chance White, a natural shortstop who can also pitch, and Virginia native Anthony Manuel should both help.
Manual adds some much-needed speed to the Lions' lineup.
"He's super fast, (he has) a good arm, and he plays the position really well," said Brandt. "He and Chance will probably be our two starting shortstops coming in right away.
"We do like Anthony a lot. He provides us a lot of things that we've needed with speed and ability to get to baseballs and offensive production out of our shortstops."
In the outfield, Brandt is really high on Jon Brundage and Josh Merced, both of whom will be in a battle to start in left field during the spring.
"Those will be two guys that were kind of right away with us," Brandt said. "Those are two guys who signed early and came up here and figured out that this is where they want to be."
Brundage, a Pennsylvania native, popped up in some showcases, that helped put him on Brandt's radar.
"He does everything the right way," Brandt said. "When you talk about a textbook guy, it's Brundage. He is so textbook, it's unreal, so we are very excited about him."
Merced, a Florida native, is referred to as a "stud" by Brandt.
"He swings the bat well. He throws real well," said Brandt. "He plays the outfield with a little bit of flash, but he does everything well too.
"We are really excited about his offensive production. We think he might be a guy who, as a sophomore, a junior, a senior, might just take off. He has the ability to do a lot of good things out there for us."
Another outfielder who will challenge for playing time is Jonathan Baumler. The Wisconsin native is a utility guy who hits left handed. Brandt likes the way he plays the outfield.
"He just needs to grow a little bit at the plate," said Brandt. "We are going to have some fun watching that kid develop."
Brandt likes the direction the Lions are going. He has 42 players on roster as of this month and he is still looking to continue to add before the season begins.