The University of Memphis baseball team added more new players to its roster this off-season than it has returning players.
The Tigers' fall workouts, which began last Thursday and run six weeks, will seem more like tryouts than practice.
"What we've done through recruiting 21 new players is we've upped the ability level and created more competition for spots at each position, and that's what is really encouraging that I'm seeing this fall," said head coach Daron Schoenrock. "We're going to have some great battles for spots on the mound and in defensive positions."
The 21 new faces joining the ball club this year include four transfers from other four-year schools, and six junior college transfers. These additions bring experience and depth to a team that finished 13-42 in 2004.
In his recruiting efforts, Schoenrock said he looked for athletic players that were solid in the field.
"In college baseball, you're never going to have total dominance from a pitching staff, so the ability to defend the field and score enough runs is key," he said.
The non-junior college transfers are particularly important, said Schoenrock, because they bring experience at the Division I level.
Ben Grisham, who transferred from Mississippi State, played just about every position for the Bulldogs and will be used in multiple capacities for The U of M.
"He will pitch for us and bring a lot of athleticism in the field," Schoenrock said. "He's really a fresh arm to the pitching staff."
With only one year of eligibility left, Grisham said he expects to play right away. However, he said that the competition between newcomers like himself and the returning players is very healthy.
"This is still their team," Grisham said. "We're just trying to make them better. The energy (this fall) is really high and everybody is having fun."
The veterans of the Tiger squad are welcoming the new additions with open arms. According to Cory Barton, a senior catcher, the team is already showing improvement in just the first week of fall workouts.
"Coach (Schoenrock) did a good job of bringing good players in and you can tell just from watching so far this fall," Barton said. "We just need to get everyone on the same page. We've got so many new guys, we have to get our communication down."
Schoenrock, who is in his second year with the Tigers, said his staff is going to have to teach their system to a lot of new players, much like they did last year.
"I hope I never have to go though this again another year here," he said. "Ideally, you're only adding six or seven guys to the program every year, so there is not a lot of re-teaching you have to do."
While improving on their record from last season should not be a difficult task, the new-look Tigers realize the road ahead will be tough.
"I think we are going to surprise a lot of people. It's going to be a big turnaround from last year," Grisham said.
"Hopefully we can flip-flop the wins and losses. I don't know if it will be that drastic, but it will definitely be a big turnaround."
