Braydon Bone Returns Experience For SIUE Baseball Team

SIUE fifth-year Head Coach Sean Lyons is armed with more depth than in recent years, but that advantage won't be specific to the Cougars.

"I believe that with the return of 'Covid-seniors' and the incoming recruiting classes "depth" is going to be seen across the NCAA in baseball this season," Lyons said. "Our pitching staff has shown to be the deepest part of our team.

"We have two experienced starters at the top of the rotation with Collin Baumgartner and David Llorens," Lyons continued. "Jacob Bockenstedt, Kaid Karnes, Noah Matheny, and Griffin Bruder also will compete for the opportunity to start games."

Baumgartner was a preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference pick. He stuck out 31 hitters over 20.2 innings during the shortened 2020 season. Llorens has made 28 career appearances and 24 starts covering 91.1 innings in parts of four seasons with the Cougars.

"I really like the way our bullpen is shaping up," Lyons said. "We have experienced guys at the back end with Braydon Bone (Effingham, son of Steve and Judi Bone), Rob Parks, and Tyler Bastunas. We have several guys who can offer some different looks to the opposition as well."

Bone made six appearances without allowing a run. He struck out 10 hitters in six innings. Parks was 1-0 in seven appearances last season, while Bastunas made two appearances and sported an earned run average of 3.38.

The Cougars will also have experience behind the plate to bolster the pitching staff.

"We are fortunate to have multiple guys who we have confidence in behind the plate," Lyons said of the catchers. "Steven Pattan and John Stallcup will catch most of the innings."

Stallcup hit .333 in seven games in 2020. He appeared in six games behind the plate. Pattan appeared in 12 games, while making nine starts behind the plate in 2020 after missing all but a game in 2019 with injury. He has played in 51 games in his career.

"Steven has done a great job defensively and can really handle the pitching staff," Lyons said. "He has worked with Coach Scott and the pitchers so they are all on the 'same page' when it comes to pitch calling." 

SIUE's lineup also features experience.

"Anytime you have a core of guys who have been in the system and have a year or more of experience that helps," Lyons said. "They have an idea of how opposing pitchers are going to attack them and they won't get lost in the big moment." 

Raul Elguezabal is one such player. The third-year infielder has played in all 66 games during his SIUE career. He hit .288 last year with a pair of home runs and five RBIs.

"Raul is a big piece because of the veteran leadership and quality of at-bats that he has during games," Lyons said. "Brady (Bunten), Josh (Ohl) and Brett (Pierson) are all solid hitters who should hit in the top half of our lineup to start the season."

Bunten was third on the team with a .317 average while starting 14 of 15 games in centerfield. Ohl hit .298 and started every game at shortstop for SIUE.

Pierson led the team with a .340 average and three home runs, while starting all 15 games in right field.

"I feel like this is an exciting group of players and look forward to seeing them get started," Lyons added.

"Practice has been very competitive among the position players as well," Lyons said. "We have several position players, players like Connor Kiffer, Tyler Bastunas, and Ethan Copeland, who can contribute at several different positions all over the diamond. This will give us some versatility and ability to mix and match different lineups throughout the year."

Kiffer started all 15 games last season at second base. Bastunas, when he wasn't pitching, appeared in the outfield and as the designated hitter adding four RBIs during the year. Copeland, a graduate transfer from Notre Dame, appeared in 32 games over the last two seasons for the Fighting Irish.   
Lyons said SIUE will look to use the athleticism of the lineup to its advantage.

"We have a lineup which is very athletic and we've improved our overall speed," he said. "We hope to use our speed and apply pressure to the defense."
Beginning with the weekend series at Louisiana-Monroe, the Cougars currently are slated to play three weekend nonconference series, including one at home, and a single game with Saint Louis before OVC play.

Because of Covid restrictions and the wintry weather we've had during pre-season, we haven't had a true evaluation of the newcomers," Lyons said. "These are many of the guys that we are counting on offensively and on the mound. That is why it is so important for us to get games in before we start Ohio Valley Conference play."

The Cougars were picked seventh in the preseason poll, despite a promising start to the OVC season last year. SIUE swept Tennessee Tech in its only OVC series, hitting .314 while limiting the Golden Eagles to a combined .148 average. SIUE pitchers fanned 45 TTU hitters over the three-game series.

"We are ready to get things going for real," Lyons said. "The team is looking forward to and embracing all the challenges that may come with the 2021 season."