2017 baseball squad at Chattanooga State
This year marks the 15th year for the Chattanooga State Tigers baseball program under Head Coach Greg Dennis. Dennis has seen the Tigers through the good and bad, thick and thin rollercoaster ride that is JUCO baseball.
Last year’s Tigers team was one that often times left Dennis scratching his head and wondering “Why”. “The guys last year were really super young men and enjoyable to be around but just didn’t seem to really 'get' what this program has been about the previous years since I have been here,” said Coach Dennis.
“We as coaches knew we were in trouble by Labor Day when the freshmen were struggling to understand the work ethic we were asking from them. The level of commitment is outstanding at this level and we have been so lucky to have brought in guys in the past that really grasped this philosophy from the start. We as coaches just have to do a better job getting it across to this year’s team even earlier.”
The Tigers went on to struggle all spring finishing a disappointing 26-25 for the year (the worst record of Dennis’ tenure at Chattanooga State ) and 6th place in the TCCAA (lowest since 2009 ).
“Obviously, it wasn’t all poor as we had some great moments here this spring. We swept a really tough Jackson State team here at home and also these guys gave me my 500th win here at Chattanooga State during that series, so there were high points too,” said Dennis.
The Tigers sent four guys on to play at the Division 1 level (MTSU ( 2 ), Tennessee Tech and Canisius University and five guys on to quality Division 2 teams ( Barry University, Francis Marion, etc…. ) while also losing some guys to transfer.
The coach said, “We aren’t bringing back many guys at all but the feeling is that we are going to re-build and re-start this program in the image that it was built in the early 2000’s when I got here. We are really excited about the quality and depth of talent that we are bringing in and our hope is that these guys really seize the opportunities that are in front of them and come in and set the bar high where it has been in the past.”
Here is a brief rundown of the incoming players for 2017-18:
Sean Cheely OF Sean is a speedster that should contend for time in the outfield.
Julyan Urena INF A transfer that can really swing the bat well and is very athletic.
Trae Hall C A Tennessee HS kid that is very good behind the plate and at the plate.
Hayden Lock INF 1st Team Best of Preps infielder that should be an impact guy.
Vinny Vega OF Dalton area player that has been highly successful in the past.
Josh Fedele INF Local talent that is very versatile.
DJ Franklin OF Another speedy OF that could be a impact hitter/baserunner.
Hunter Jordan P Solid 3-pitch guy.
Cody Mitchell P/OF Walters St. transfer who could impact us all over the place.
Peyton Baker P Solid upside guy with competitive mound presence.
Jordan Power P Another Australian player that should be a weekend guy.
Anthony Moreta P Transfer from JUCO power Western Oklahoma. Good arm.
Thomas Arias OF Another speedy guy who has plate power.
Conner Perry P Plus stuff and competitive demeanor.
Chris Tyler C Franklin Co. Catcher who is a solid guy.
Cade Giles INF Should be an offensive threat with good athleticism.
Nolan Marchibroda INF Canadian hitter that can be special.
Gavin Harman C/OF Guy is very athletic and strong at the plate.
Max Schmal INF/OF Brother of former Tiger ( Nate ) who has a chance to be a plus hitter.
Ty Delancey INF/OF Switch hitter that is very athletic.
Matt Wingard P East Hamilton product who has upside on the mound.
Brenden Cormier OF Transfer that is another speedy OF.
Dalton Kent P 3-pitch guy with great stuff.
Noah Fitzgerald INF/P Solid 2-way guy that can be special in a number of places.
Kyle Nunn P Lefty that has really, really good stuff
Andrew Dorris P Has a good arm and is coming back from serious ankle injury.
Bryce Woody P Very good arm and ability to be a weekend guy
Coach Dennis said, “We also have Cole Grosvenor back from last year. He didn’t get to throw a lot because of injuries and we are bringing in Nick Enna ( Tr. Bryan College ) and Zack Teem ( Tr. Reinhardt College ) as transfer guys for this fall. We are going to be very young but we are excited to have these guys in and feel the prospects are great for this coming spring."
The Tigers have been ranked nationally 10 of the last 12 years, which is an unprecedented stretch in school history and have had a winning record the past 14 years under Dennis. “We place a high-expectation on each and every one of these guys and tell them when we recruit them that this program isn’t for everyone. It takes a special person to come and play here and be willing to commit what we are going to ask them to commit on a daily basis. We hope these guys are those caliber of people.”
The fall scrimmage schedule is online at the Chattanooga State baseball website and games are free of charge for attendance. The Tigers will also be hosting the TCCAA Region VII baseball tournament in the beginning of May.
Celebrating 500th win under Coach Dennis