BEAUMONT, Texas - With just one day left until the start of the 2020 Lamar University baseball season, it's time for the final position preview for the Cardinals - the pitching staff.

Returning Starters

Grason Wright - R-Jr.-2L - Warr Acres, Oklahoma - Seminole State College (Putnam City HS)
Grason Wright, a redshirt junior from Warr Acres, Okla., has 11 starts in his career and 20 total appearnances on the mound for Lamar. He was a Preseason Player to Watch for D1Baseball in 2019, and he appeared in 15 games last year with nine starts, mostly as Big Red's Sunday starter. He worked a 4.92 ERA through 53.0 innings of work, striking out 40 batters while walking 21, and he had a .254 opposing batting average. His career-best start came against Nicholls when he threw seven innings and allowed just three hits and one earned run while striking out six batters, also a career-best. He was third on the team in ERA, total innings pitched, and games started, and he gave up the fewest earned runs among starting Cardinal pitchers.

"Grason starts his third season with us and has been both a starter and reliever so far in his career," said pitching coach Sean Snedeker. "He provides a veteran presence on our staff and is someone who has 'been in the fire' and knows what it takes to compete and succeed at this level.  He will be relied upon again as a key guy for us, and has a quality 4 pitch mix with good feel of all 4 pitches."

Josh Hranicky - So.-1L - Port Neches, Texas - Port Neches-Groves HS
Josh Hranicky appeared in seven games last season including three starts, and Lamar was victorious in all three starting appearances by the then-freshman. He worked a 2.84 ERA through his three starts with five strikeouts to just six hits and four earned runs allowed. He combined with Marcus Olivarez and Baley to pitch a seven-inning, 11-1 win over Houston Baptist on April 3, allowing no hits in his four innings of work. He threw a career-best 5.0 innings at New Orleans on April 28 to get his second win of the year, and was the starter at TCU on May 14 when Lamar won 10-5, upsetting a Top 25 team.

"Josh begins his sophomore season with us. He has made tremendous strides in his development as a D-1 pitcher. With a physical frame and fearless approach, Josh is always in attack mode. He throws a heavy ball and his off speed pitches continue to improve. He beat TCU last season and we look for him to continue to climb," said Snedeker.

Dylan Johnson - So.-1L - Splendora, Texas - Splendora HS
Projected as a 2019 D1 Baseball Impact Freshman in the preseason, Dylan Johnson appeared in 19 games with five starts. he worked a 5.40 ERA through 31.2 innings, striking out 30 batters while allowing 19 walks and 35 hits. He went a career-best five innings against Southeastern Louisiana on May 3, striking out three while allowing three hits and one earned run. He ended his freshman season with a 1.62 ERA in his final 16.2 innings, allowing just three earned runs in his final eight appearances (Texas, Abilene Christian, LSU, New Orleans, New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana, Gonzaga, and Central Arkansas).

"Dylan possesses a quality repertoire of four pitches. Starting his sophomore year, Dylan has a live arm with some deception in his delivery. He has two good breaking balls and a fast ball that gets on hitters in a hurry, and he continues to improve in all areas. Once the consistency comes, he will be a force, as he has the stuff to dominate," said Snedeker.

New Starters

Trevin Michael - Jr.-TR - Piedmont, Oklahoma - Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa (Piedmont HS)
Trevin Michael comes to Lamar from NOC-Tonkawa, where he started all 13 of his appearances in 2019. He finished the year with an 8-2 record, working a 2.66 ERA through 67.2 innings with 84 strikeouts while allowing just 52 hits and 20 earned runs. He had a WHIP of 1.167, and led his team in innings pitched, wins, ERA, and strikeouts. In high school Trevin led his team to the state championships twice, including a state runner up finish in his senior season.

"A JC transfer who has really impressed since he has been here at Lamar, Trevin is equipped with a quality 4-pitch mix along with a sharp slider. He knows how to pitch and has the talent and confidence to excel at this level," said Snedeker. "We are expecting big things from him this season. He has shown strike out stuff and will be a front runner as one of our weekend starters."

Zach Bravo - Jr.-TR - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Butler CC and Eastern Arizona College (Rio Rancho HS)
Zach Bravo chose to come to Lamar over accepting a 29th round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Rays, and is expected to make a major impact in the Southland Conference. He was a second-team all-conference pitcher at Butler CC, appearing in 17 games including 14 starts. Five of his starts were complete games, and he had a 4.27 ERA through 80.0 innings, striking out 97 batters. At Eastern Arizona in 2018 he struck out 65 batters in 61.1 innings, and was ranked 12th in strikeouts per game in the NJCAA.

"Zach comes to us via Butler CC," said Snedeker. "He was drafted last June in the 29th round of the MLB draft by Tampa Bay but chose to come to Lamar, instead of sign professionally, in order to further develop his skills. He possesses a live arm and plus velocity to go along with a quality curve ball and developing changeup. He believes in himself and that only helps him on the mound as he attacks hitters. Zach is a very talented RHP with a bright future who we fully expect to make an impact on our staff and in our weekend rotation to start the season."

Austin Faith - Jr.-TR - Magnolia, Texas - Navarro Junior College and Texas A&M-Kingsville (Magnolia HS)
Austin Faith holds a 15-4 career record through 29 appearances, including 28 starts, at Navarro Junior College. He has a career ERA of 3.84 through 138.1 innings of work, striking out 143 batters while allowing just 86 walks, and he holds a 1.66 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. He led his team to a third place finish in the NJCAA Worlds Series in 2019 with a 41-18 record, and was a 2018 All-East Conference First Team member. He was on the roster for A&M-Kingsville in 2017 but didn't appear in a game.

"Austin, a JC transfer from Navarro JC, is an imposing RHP at 6'6". He throws the ball downhill and has been a very consistent strike thrower with 3 quality pitches," said Snedeker. "The development of his change up has been impressive, and he comes right at you with confidence. Austin is an extremely talented pitcher who we expect to anchor a spot in our weekend rotation."

Returning Relievers

Jack Dallas - Jr.-2L - Orange, Texas - West Orange-Stark HS
A 2019 D1Baseball Preseason Player to Watch, Jack Dallas is one of the most experienced pitchers on the roster with 45 career appearances in Cardinal red, including five starts. He had two saves for LU in 2019 and pitched 38.1 innings of work, striking out 32 while allowing 22 walks and 47 hits. He pitched a career-best four innings twice, both in starts against ranked Power 5 teams; Texas A&M and LSU. He led the team in saves, was second in total appearances, and fourth on the team in total strikeouts and batters struck out looking. He was also a member of the 2018 Lamar University football team as a quarterback and played in several games before leaving the team in the summer of 2019. In high school he was a two-time Willie Ray Smith Award finalist, winning the award after his junior season. He guided West Orange-Stark to three consecutive state championships appearances, including a state title as a sophomore and junior. He was the MVP of the 2015 and 2016 state championship games, and recorded 8,000 total yards of offense in his career.

"Jack brings back to us his experience over the last two years," said Snedeker. "He has emerged as a team leader, continues to evolve as a pitcher, and the quality of his stuff has allowed him to be one of our key guys. Jack has experience in the past pitching out of our bullpen as well as in our rotation, and we look to him to give us reliability, maturity, and continue to put together quality innings."

Marcus Olivarez - Jr.-2L - Columbus, Texas - Columbus HS
Marcus Olivarez has pitched in 30 games for Lamar, and has raised his velocity and command from when he first arrived at Lamar. Through 38.0 career innings he's struck out 22 while allowing 32 walks and 47 hits. Olivarez is expected to make "the jump" on the mound this season.

"Marcus enters his junior season and has really made a jump. He possesses a power arm and shows plus velocity. He is a diligent worker and one of the leaders on our team. Marcus has progressively improved, and we are expecting him to be one of our main performers out of the bullpen.  We expect for him to have a big season for us," said Snedeker.

Chet Jones - R-So.-1L - Kirbyville, Texas - Kirbyville HS
Chet Jones redshirted last year after having to undergo Tommy John surgery and should be back on the mound for Lamar early in the 2020 season. His freshman season he appeared in 19 games with two starts, and worked a 4.85 ERA through 26.0 innings with one save. He struck out 21 batters while walking 14, and pitched a career-best three innings of relief twice, against UTRGV on March 2 and at Southern on April 25. He twice has struck out four batters in a single appearance, against Hofstra on Feb. 24 and at Southern on April 25.

"Chet is coming off Tommy John surgery and should be ready to go early this season," said Snedeker. "He showed tremendous promise in his freshman year before getting hurt, and he possesses a quality curve ball and developing changeup to go along with a good fastball. We are excited to get him healthy again."

Braydon Credeur - So.-1L - Nederland, Texas - Nederland HS
Braydon Credeur had a phenomenal summer in the Texas Collegiate League, earning the 2019 TCL Co-Freshman of the Year award. For Lamar he appeared in three games, pitching 2.1 innings. He played against Tulane, Rice, and UTSA. Coming out of high school he was ranked 123rd in the state as a player and 60th as a pitcher. He was rated a Top Freshman candidate by Perfect Game before the season, ans was a PG Honorable mention All-American his senior season.

"Braydon, a sophomore from Nederland HS, had a tremendous summer pitching in the Texas Collegiate League and has parlayed that into a very good fall and pre-season with us," said Snedeker. "He continues to improve and is in line for a successful 2020 season. Braydon will be pitching out of our bullpen and is a reliable strike thrower with quality off-speed pitches."

Douglas Palmer - R-Sr.-1L - Denton, Texas - Brookhaven JC (Denton Guyer HS)
Douglas Palmer appeared in 13 games for Lamar including one start, and he pitched 18.1 innings, striking out 18 while walking 12. He pitched a career-best three innings twice, against LIU-Brooklyn and Prairie View A&M, and struck out a career-best five against LIU Brooklyn in his LU debut. He allowed just four earned runs through his first 15 innings of work. He was on the team in 2018 but received a redshirt, and was a regional runner-up at Brookhaven JC where he through 54.1 innings while earning three saves.

"Doug pitched out of our bullpen last year and will do the same this season, his senior year," said Snedeker. "He performed extremely well this fall and took that momentum right into the spring. Throwing side arm, Doug has shown to be very difficult to square up, and is pitching with a lot of confidence now. He throws 3 pitches and has some deception in his delivery. We are expecting Doug to be one of our main guys out of the bullpen. In addition to being good on mound, Doug is a very good teammate as well."

New Relievers

Max Mize - Jr.-TR - Katy, Texas - McLennan CC (Seven Lakes HS)
Max Mize played for McLennan Community College for two seasons, accruing a career ERA of 3.46 through 41.2 innings of work. He made 15 appearances and holds a career record of 2-1 with one save. He struck out 39 batters across those 15 appearances.

"Max, a transfer from McClennan CC, has really impressed since he has been at Lamar," said Snedeker. "He is capable as a starter or reliever. We will use him out of the bullpen to begin the season.  Max possesses 3 quality pitches, but what sets Max apart is his pitchability and his confidence to throw multiple pitches in any count. A supreme strike thrower, Max only walked two hitters in 31 innings in his final season at McClennan. He will be relied upon to pitch significant innings for us this season."

Christian Grigsby - Jr.-TR - League City, Texas - Tyler JC (Bay Area Christian School)
Christian Grigsby played one season at Tyler Junior College, appearing in 18 games including 13 starts, and two of those starts were complete games. He had a 4.29 ERA through 65.0 innings of work with 76 strikeouts and just 38 walks, and allowed 54 hits - but just two were extra base hits. He holds a career 7-3 record.

"Christian has made consistent improvement since joining us from Tyler JC," said Snedeker. "He has a quick arm and quality stuff, and he shows two solid breaking pitches. Christian can be really tough on left handed hitters, has a high ceiling, and only needs more consistency to really excel."

Braxton Douthit - So.-TR - Miami, Texas - Northern Oklahoma College-Enid (Wyandotte HS)
Braxton Douthit was a phenom at NOC-Enid in 2019, earning Regional MVP honors and a spot on the All-Tournament team after leading his team to an NJCAA World Series championship. He finished the year with an 11-1 record in 14 appearances, striking out 81 batters while working a 3.92 ERA through 87 innings. He was also a letterman in baseball, football, and basketball in college.

"Braxton, a transfer from Northern Oklahoma-Enid, begins his time at Lamar rehabbing from Tommy John surgery he had last March," said Snedeker. "He is a talented RHP with a power arm and quality breaking ball. We are hopeful he will be fully recovered and ready to go soon. Upon his return, he most likely will begin out of our bullpen as he gets up to game speed. We are looking forward to adding another quality pitcher to our staff."

John Altman - Jr.-TR - College Station, Texas - Paris JC (A&M-Consolidated HS)
John Altman was a First Team All-American at Paris Junior College and a PJC Distinguished Alumni Student Award winner. He threw 57.1 innings, striking out 47 batters. He graduated with a 3.77 GPA in 2019.

"John, a JC transfer from Paris JC, is a RHP who will be pitching out of our bullpen," said Snedeker. "He has shown continuous improvement since arriving at Lamar. He is a hard-working strike thrower with a solid slider, and has shown the ability to change speeds and mix pitches."
 
Joe Buckendorff - R-So.-RS - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - Dodge City Community College (Heritage Hall HS)
Joe Buckendorff was a redshirt for Lamar last season, but came to the Golden Triangle from Dodge City Community College where he appeared in 14 games. He threw 56.1 innings and struck out 48 while walking 29.

"Joe was here last year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He is a JC transfer from Dodge City CC. Joe has good size and will continue to get better as he recovers from TJ, and throws the ball downhill with good command. He will pitch out of our bullpen to begin with," said Snedeker. 
 
Chris Edwards - Jr.-TR - Garrison, Texas - Panola JC (Garrison HS)
Chris Edwards holds a career record of 10-3 after two seasons at Panola JC where made 35 appearances that included two starts and three saves. He worked an ERA of 4.83 through 98.2 inninings, striking out 105 batters while allowing just 31 walks. He averaged 9.58 strikeouts per nine innings, and graduated from Panola with a GPA of 3.8.

"Chris comes to us after a successful junior college campaign at Panola where he averaged over a strikeout an inning," said Snedeker. "He has been dealing with some arm soreness but seems to finally be ready to go. He'll be a bullpen arm for us as the season begins, and has good pitchability with command of 3 pitches. He only needs more time on the mound to get back to full speed."
 
Nicolas Gullo - Fr.-HS - Dripping Springs, Texas - Dripping Springs HS
Nicolas Gullo came to LU from Dripping Springs where he was ranked as the 62nd-best player in the state of Texas. He earned a Second Team All-District nod as a pitcher in 2018 after working a 2.12 ERA through 33 innings, striking out 51 batters. He also played at shortstop for 34 games that year, fielding at a .938 clip. He had an ERA of 0.512 in his senior season while hitting .265 with three home runs, and was named the 25-5A District MVP, Team MVP, Academic All-State, THSCBCA Elite All-State, All Hays Free Press First Team, Austin American-Statesman All-Centex Third Team, and Texas Sports Writers Association All-State honorable mention. His career ERA of 1.04 is a Dripping Springs HS record.

"Nick is a very talented freshman from Dripping Springs," said Snedeker. "He has a good arm with quality off-speed pitches, and he has a very bright future as he continues to develop and adjusts to the college game."
 
Mitchell Lee - Jr.-TR - Orange, Texas - Tyler Junior College (Little Cypress-Mauriceville HS)
Mitchell Lee pitched for Tyler JC in the 2018 NJCAA Division III National Championship game, and had 15 appearances in 2019. He worked a 2.82 ERA through 22.1 innings, striking 31 batters in that time. In high school he was a First Team All-District Pitcher and Honorable Mention All-State First Baseman while leading the state of Texas in home runs. He also played football at Little Cypress-Mauriceville and was recruited by several NCAA DI schools as a tight end before choosing to pursue baseball.

"Mitch is a transfer from Tyler JC," said Snedeker. "He throws from multiple arm slots and can be difficult to hit. Mitch has a frisbee slider that is tough on right-handed hitters, he's not phased by anything, and he has a come-right-at-you approach.  As his command improves so will his success."
 
Brennen Smith - Jr.-TR - Webster, New York - Monroe Community College New York (Thomas HS)
Brennen Smith was an All-Region selection while pitching for Monroe CC for two seasons, graduating in 2019 with a GPA of 3.2. He appeared in 65 games with a .323 career batting average, collecting 50 hits including 13 doubles, five triples, and three home runs. He also scored 47 runs and drove in 40 RBIs while drawing 30 walks and stealing 19 bases. He transitioned to pitching in 2019 and earned a 3-2 record in 15 appearances including five starts. He threw 46.1 innings and struck out 65 battters while walking just 20.

"Brennen, a LHP who transferred to us from Monroe CC in NY, begins his first season at Lamar," said Snedeker. "He'll start the season coming out of our bullpen, and has a three-pitch mix with his best pitch being his changeup. Brennen has some deception that makes him tough to pick up, and he continues to work on his consistency."

The 2020 season starts Friday at 6 p.m. when Lamar hosts the University of Rhode Island for the first of a three-game series. The Cards will then hit the road for four games - at Texas (Feb. 19) and at Texas State (Feb. 21-23) - before hosting UTSA for a single game on Feb. 25. A three-game home stand against the University of Akron on Feb. 28-March 1 will conclude the first month of the season.