Date: 2/11
Position: Outfielders

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats):  Andrew Bates (28 GP, 9 RBIs, 11 R, 1 SB);  Michael Sandle (53 GP, 8 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 32 RBIs, 28 R, 5 SB)

Returning Redshirts (Yr.):  Eddie Paparella (R-Sr.);  Colton Thomas (R-Sr.)

Letterwinners lost (Key stats):  Andrew Cash (18 GP, 5 R, 1 SB);  Dylan Hardy (57 GP, .331 BA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 27 RBIs, 59 R, .444 SLG%, .409 OBP, 19 SB);  Travis Swaggerty (57 GP, 10 2B, 13 HR, 38 RBIs, 57 R, .526 SLG%, .455 OBP, 54 BB, 9 SB)

Newcomers (Yr., Previous school):  Nick Lewis (Jr., Wallace-Dothan [Ala.] CC);  Justin Dunnam (Jr., Coastal Alabama-South CC);  Ethan Wilson (Fr., Andalusia [Ala.] HS);  Bennett Shell (Fr., Pace [Fla.] HS)

Miscellaneous Notes
- Swaggerty was named 2018 First-Team All-South Central Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings, and First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference.
- Swaggerty was selected in the first round (10th overall pick) of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, making him the fifth Jaguar to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft.
- Swaggerty ranked second in the Sun Belt in walks (54) last season, fifth in on-base percentage (.455), tied for fifth in home runs (13), tied for eighth in runs scored (57) and 10th in slugging percentage (.526).
- Swaggerty finished his career ranked fourth in career walks (145) at South Alabama, tied for 10th in hits (207) and home runs (28), tied for 13th in RBIs (125) and 15th in career at-bats (650). His 54 walks last year ranks tied for seventh on the Jaguar single-season record list.
- Hardy was a First-Team All-Sun Belt selection last season after finishing fourth in the league in hits (79), tied for fifth in batting average (.331), seventh in runs scored (59) and eighth in stolen bases (19). He led the team with 25 multiple-hit games in 2018, and hit safely in 39 of 53 games played. 
- Hardy was selected in the 13th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. 
- South Alabama posted a .978 team fielding percentage last season, which marked the fourth consecutive year it has fielded .978 or higher as a team. The Jaguars ranked 20th nationally in fielding percentage in 2018, and led the Sun Belt Conference with a .983 fielding percentage in league contests.
- USA ranked 11th nationally in walks (331) last season.
- Paparella and Thomas each redshirted the 2018 season due to injury.
- Lewis was named Alabama Community College Conference All-South after hitting .332 with 15 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 51 RBIs, 52 runs scored, two stolen bases and .411 OBP in 59 games as a sophomore last season.
- Wilson was named MaxPreps Medium School First-Team All-America, Alabama Baseball Coaches Association 4A Player of the Year, Class 4A Player of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, First-Team All-State by the ASWA and Super All-State by AL.com. He was also ranked second on the AL.com High School 100 list.
- Dunnam was named 2018 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NJCAA Division I Second-Team All-America, Alabama Community College Conference All-Region 22 and ACCC All-South.
- Shell was named 2018 High School Second-Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball, and also earned all-state honors his senior season. 

Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On redshirt seniors Eddie Paparella and Colton Thomas returning after missing last season due to injuries:
"It means everything. Those guys are heart-and-soul type players, and they make up a big part of the backbone of this team – the character and base of this team, those two guys are a big part of it. It's huge to have them back just from that standpoint alone. Colton hit .320 in over 100 at-bats in 2017, and Eddie had over 130 at-bats and hit seven home runs with close to 40 RBIs and murdered left-handed pitching. Unfortunately, Eddie will miss the first month of the season after hand surgery. Eddie is a power threat, and he was getting better and coming along against right-handed pitching. But hopefully someone will emerge; I've seen some guys do some good things. Losing Eddie hurts, but thankfully it's not for the year and we get him back. We had huge losses last year, and losing Colton and Eddie, outside of (Drew) LaBounty, were as big as anything we could have endured."

- On the depth in the outfield:
 "You lose a first-rounder who was the center fielder the last two years. We have candidates out there in center field, and I think it will be Nick Lewis or Michael Sandle. Michael faced some really good competition last year and took his lumps, but he also had some success. He is on the cusp of being a really good player, and we need him to be good. He can track the ball down and has some power. Mike has turned himself into a really good outfielder, and he can run. Andrew Bates did some good things last year, and played a very good right field for us when he was out there. It will all be predicated on how well he swings the bat. I know he can play right field as well as center. Ethan Wilson has a chance to be a great player and do some great things in this program. He is very level-headed, works extremely hard and is probably stronger than he should be. He is super strong, and the ball comes off of his bat like you haven't seen in a while. 

"Colton Thomas was a DH in 2017, and probably would have started in right field for us last year before he broke his arm. He's back and we'll see where he fits. He's that super aggressive, run through the wall to catch the ball type of player; he's full-out and full bore all the time. Colton is a coach's dream, you just love him. It will really come down to who is swinging the bat the best. A lot of times as we look at this lineup, the question becomes, 'Who is our leadoff guy?' I've been searching for a leadoff guy, and Mike (Sandle) and Colton are up there, and then you look at Bennett Shell. Bennett is that winner-type of player who is just a winner of a kid. He is loved by his teammates, and he just does things to help his team win. He can run, and he is the best bunter we have had in this program since Cole Billingsley. He can steal bases and could be that crucial piece as a freshman who may be leading off for us some days."

Redshirt Sophomore Michael Sandle
- On what he gained in experience last year:
"Obviously, getting used to the speed of the game, and how things work with the team and Coach Calvi and how he wants things flowing on game day. I got used to it the further the season progressed, and now I know I'm prepared; I've seen most of it, and I'm not surprised by anything that happens. I feel more prepared."

- On playing with two draft picks in the outfield last season:
"I learned so much from Swaggerty and Hardy. I saw what they do and what made them the players they are today, and I try to take things I do well and mix it with what they do and mold it together."

- On offseason focus:
"I had a lot of strikeouts last year, so I focused on pitch recognition, knowing my zone and what pitches I can do damage on – just anything I possibly can to help the team."

- On the depth in the outfield:
"Competition makes you a better player. We're all friends off the field, but when we are out there playing then we are competing against each other and that's the only way we're going to be better as a core out there and ultimately be better as a team defensively."

- On season goals:
"I don't have any personal goals. I just want to win the conference and go to a regional, and help the team win any way possible."
 
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