BEAUMONT, Texas – Just four days separate Lamar University baseball and the start of the 2020 season, and that leaves just enough time to break down the roster, position by position. Today we'll focus on the infield, another area of significant veteran experience this season.
 
RETURNING PLAYERS
 
Projected First Base Starter
 
Chase Kemp – Jr.-2L – Nederland, Texas – Nederland HS
After leading the Brazos Valley Bombers to a 2019 Texas Collegiate League Championship, Chase Kemp took home the TCL Player of the Year award. He earned MVP honors by pacing his team with a .338 batting average, 11 doubles, four home runs, 29 RBIs, and an OPS of .935. According to the Bombers coaching staff he was also a solid defender at first base. Kemp was also a mid-season TCL All-Star and was an integral part of the 2019 championship for the Bombers. As a Cardinal the Nederland, Texas, native led LU in pinch hitting and was perfect in stolen base attempts last year.
 
"Chase took a big step forward this summer when he won the Texas Collegiate League MVP Award," said head coach Will Davis. "He parlayed that into a great fall and is ready to turn the corner this season."
 
Projected Second Base Starter


JC Correa – Sr.-1L – Santa Isabel, P.R. – Alvin CC (PR Baseball Academy)
JC Correa led his team in batting average, hits, doubles, home runs, and RBIs in 2019 enroute to being picked by the Houston Astros in the 2019 MLB Draft. Correa is a Top 150 NCAA Hitter, a Perfect Game All-SLC team member, and a First Team All-SLC team member.
 
"The addition of Kelby Weyler has allowed JC to slide over to his more natural position of second base," said Davis. "JC is a legit middle of the order hitter and a versatile infielder who can slide over to third base when Anthony Quirion catches."
 
Projected Starting Shortstop
 
Kelby Weyler – R-So.-RS – Village Mills, Texas – Rice (Warren HS)
Kelby Weyler attended Rice for one season, appearing in two games including one start. He played for the Battle Creek Bombers in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, hitting .270 with 54 hits including two doubles and a triple. He also scored 41 runs and drove in 12 RBIs while drawing 26 walks. Welyer also had 19 stolen bases for the Bombers, and had 16 multi-hit games including two games with three hits. He sat out the 2019 NCAA season due to transfer rules.
 
"The addition of Kelby allows us a solid defender at the shortstop position," said Davis. "We are very happy to solidify that position for the first time in some time."
 
Projected Third Base Starter
 
Anthony Quirion – Sr.-1L – Dixville, Quebec, Canada - Clarendon JC (Academie les Estacades)
As mentioned in the catchers preview, Anthony Quirion will play mostly in the infield as the projected third base starter, but fans can expect to see him catching as well. The senior saw starts at first, second, and designated hitter in 2019, and added catching to his tool belt this past summer. Quirion was one of just two Cardinals to start in every game in 2019, and for a significant part of the season he led Lamar in home runs before Correa finally caught up to him in the final month of the year.
 
"Anthony slides over to his more natural position of third base," said Davis. "The ability to hit in the middle of the order as well as be a good defender at both third base and catcher would only be possible with someone like Q - a non-stop worker obsessed with being great."
 
Other Returnees
 
Logan Berlof – Sr.-1L – McKinney, Texas – Panola JC (McKinney Boyd HS)
Logan Berlof was a Third Team All-SLC Second Baseman in 2019 after missing the first third of the year. He was second on the team in batting average with a .332 clip, and averaged over a hit per game including eight doubles, a triple, and four homers. Berlof was a 2020 Preseason Second Team All-SLC member.
 
"Logan Berlof had a great junior year and has the ability to impact the baseball for us. He will have a chance to be the designated hitter for us as well as play some second," said Davis.
 
Logan LeJeune – Jr.-2L – Port Neches, Texas – Port Neches-Groves HS
Logan LeJeune is another experienced student-athlete that will see time at multiple positions in 2020 with career starts at first, left field, right field, and designated hitter. He was an Honorable Mention All-SLC designated hitter in his freshman season, and is a career .214 hitter with 39 hits and 22 RBIs. He ranked fifth on the team in batting average (.270) his freshman year and drew 22 walks, the second-most walks by any batter. In 2019 LeJeune had 16 starts at first and designated hitter, and had a three RBI day at Tulane on Feb. 20.
 
"Logan LeJeune has worked really hard to be a guy that we can put in at first base, second base, third base, and at catcher. He has a great approach at the plate and when he gets rolling can be an on base machine," said Davis.
 
New to the Team
 
Jose Cintron – Fr.-HS – Aurora, Colo. – Overland HS
 
Ranked as the 20th-best high school player in the state of Colorado by Perfect Game, Jose Cintron comes to Lamar from Overland High School in Aurora, Colo., a suburb of Denver. In his senior season Cintron earned First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-State while batting .567 with 12 stolen bases.
 
"Jose is a tooled up freshman who has worked really hard and made huge jumps in his development since he arrived here," said Davis. "He can play second base, shortstop, and third base. He is an important piece of our future and we will try to get him as much playing time as we possibly can."
 
Up Next – Outfield
The next position preview of Lamar's outfielders will come out on Tuesday.