SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State baseball team is built upon having a multidimensional identity.

“Our biggest strength is that we don't have a single strength,” ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. “We are a very balanced team with strong pitching, defense and hitting. I think we are talented at all three phases of the game and each area can be a difference for us. I think that's the key to being a good baseball team.”

Angelo State enters the 2013 season with 30 players on its roster – 23 returners and seven newcomers. The Rams are coming off a celebrated season where they won the Lone Star Conference's regular-season and tournament championship and earned 40 victories for the fourth time in program history. ASU will need to replace four everyday starters with the departures of third baseman Toby Semler, shortstop Zach Cohen, second baseman Doug Snover, right fielder Tate Allison and designated hitter Brett Parsons along with pitchers Rick Reyna, Matt Rechkemmer and Craig Blair who provided pitching depth.  

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Despite the losses, Angelo State remains deep and versatile in all positions. The Rams return All-American Lee Neumann to centerfield, All-Region selections in left fielder Ryan Greer and starting pitcher Michael Lange and All-LSC performers in first baseman Quaid McKinnon, catcher Andrew LaCombe and pitchers Mike Weatherly, Jake Feckley and Austin Church.

In a review of conference statistics from 2012, the Rams were second in team batting average (.321), second in pitching (3.87 ERA) and first in fielding percentage (.963). The team never lost more than two games in a row and started last season on a six-game winning streak and were 14-2 through the first 16 games of the year.  They enter this year as the preseason selection to win the conference for the second straight season and are ranked No. 16 by CollegeBaseballLineup.com.

“You need to be above average in all three phases and if you can be above average in one or two categories then you're going to be a really tough team to play against,” said Brooks, who has led the ASU program to a 305-166 record in his eight seasons as head coach.

Two of the most decorated returners in the conference are Greer and Neumann. The pair of seniors are entering their second seasons with the Rams and bring exceptional play to the outfield and to the batter's box. Neumann led the Rams last season with 81 hits, 19 doubles, nine triples and seven home runs. Greer led the team with 58 RBI, 29 stolen bases and also added 70 hits.

“Greer and Neumann are tremendous out there in the outfield and can go get a lot of baseballs that would be hits,” Brooks said. “They are great at the plate too and are coming off very good seasons.”

Right field is a position that is void of a returner but not lacking in talent. Transfers Reggie Rodriguez (North Central Texas College) and Tanner Kalina (Houston Baptist) are vying for their opportunity along with freshman David Goggin. The three players will look to fill the role played by Allison and Parsons who split time in right field last season.

A second-year team captain, LaCombe brings back talent, leadership and respect behind the plate for the Rams. The senior catcher threw out 25 runners last season and also hit .337 with 56 hits, 12 doubles, three home runs and 40 RBI. Goggin and senior Nate Alter back up the durable LaCombe at catcher this season.

“Andrew did a great job throwing out base runners and shutting down running teams,” Brooks said. “He has a great presence behind the plate with his leadership and we feed off him a lot. He has retooled his swing and I think his average will go up.”

McKinnon, last season's LSC tournament MVP, returns for his senior season ready to continue his exceptional play as the Rams' first baseman. The senior from Arizona, led the team with 41 walks and hit .355 with 70 hits, including 17 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 49 RBI and 53 runs scored.

“I think he's increased his power this year with his work in the weight room and is a really consistent hitter,” Brooks said. “He struggled one weekend very early in the season last year but was great the rest of the season. We are really glad he's on our team.”

With Snover graduating, Brooks brought in Tyler Coughenour from Wichita State to solidify second base for the Rams. Coughenour had an illustruious high school career and has played very well throughout fall practices and in spring workouts.

“When Tyler gets on base he's going to score,” Brooks said. “He is a very hardnosed player and is always out on the field working hard. He is strong in the field and has some power at the plate. He does a variety of things really well and is a tremendous base runner. If he can cut down on his strikeouts he could score 1,000 runs this season.”

At shortstop, Angelo State will send out a midyear transfer from the University of Texas in Christian Summers. A San Angelo native who played lit up high school baseball in West Texas, Summers played in limited action for the Longhorns, but brings tons of potential to the field for the Rams.

“All the tools are there for him,” Brooks said. “I've coached first-rounders before and he's as good or better than them. Now he has to go do it on the field and I think he's going to get it. He works hard, is coachable and has unlimited potential. He can do a lot of things that most players cannot do. It's going to be fun to watch him this season.”

Third base is a position to watch early in the season for the Rams as the team looks to replace Toby Semler who is now a student assistant coach. Brett David, who hit .292 in 48 at-bats as a true freshman, comes into the year as the frontrunner to play at third but is injured and could miss time. Sophomore Blaine Perkins and redshirt freshman Hunter Choate will have their opportunity at third.

Pitching was a strength in 2012 and is stacked with talent in 2013. The Rams have a stable of arms with Lange, Weatherly, Church, Feckley, James Conlee, Jake Albert, Travis Stavinoha and Trevor Hahn returning. Transfers Bryce Zak and Mason Leavitt are vying for starting roles, while Bryant Rutledge returns to the mound after missing last season due to injury. Rutledge, who was selected as a team captain this season, led the Rams in strikeouts as a junior. 

Lange was a first-team conference and South Central pitcher as a junior after going 9-1 for the Rams in 2012. The Nebraska native had a 3.62 ERA with 47 strikeouts and displayed incredible control with only 12 walks in 69.2 innings of work.

“He's thrown really well and is looking really good here in the early spring,” Brooks said. “His consistency is his biggest thing. You know what to expect every time out. He's an inning-eater and we expect great things from him again this year.”

Weatherly was the ASU closer last year, but will make the move to the starting rotation in 2013. He had nine saves and was a first-team all-conference selection with 46 strikeouts in 26 appearances. He was teamed with Church who made 27 appearances and had 44 strikeouts.

“Church's success last year gives us the opportunity to move Weatherly into the starting rotation,” Brooks said. “That's a good thing for the team. They were both great for us last season and I really think all of our starters can get us deeper into games where we don't need both of them in the bullpen like last season.”

Feckley was a shutdown pitcher when healthy and comes into his junior season looking strong throughout the fall and spring practices. Feckley went 5-3 last year with 48 strikeouts in 58.2 innings of work. Conlee went 6-1 as a starter, but could see a return to the bullpen where he excelled as a sophomore. The right-hander from Georgetown had 35 strikeouts last season and a 4.04 ERA.

ASU's bullpen also returns Albert who shined as a sophomore. The junior from Conroe had 24 strikeouts in 21 appearances and will continue to provide depth. Zak, who is a San Angelo native, transfers in from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi while Leavitt transfers in from Howard College after originally signing with Texas A&M out of high school.  

Along with the core returners, the Rams are deep in redshirt freshmen who did not play last season in games but were there every day working hard to develop their skills. Along with Choate, the group of redshirt freshmen are Graylon Brown, Brent Rasberry, Luke Solomon, Eric Gilstrap, Seth Kendrick and Jaime MacLean.

“It's exciting to see them all out there working hard towards being contributors for our team,” Brooks said. “Some of them are going to play pivotal roles this season. We don't know which ones yet, but there are spots out there for them to step up to. They are developing into good players and are setting themselves up to play for us.”