MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama baseball head coach Mark Calvi recently sat down with USAJaguars.com to recap the fall season. Highlights from part one, which focuses on pitching, of the two-part interview is below.

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On Jeremy Lee's progress through the fall:
"All things point to him being totally healthy this spring. We've taken it slow and kind of used discretion as the better part of valor with him. There is no need for him to come in and throw 20 innings this fall, especially after logging what he did last year. He was out there and touching 95 (mph) and threw multiple innings along with bullpens. At this time last year he was touching 92 to 93, so he is stronger. The development of the slider, it has been up to 86-87 – he didn't have a slider last year. And the changeup is a work in progress; he had that last year, but probably threw it five percent of the time. He was basically being regulated to a two-pitch guy, fastball and curveball, and if an approach with some discipline can lay off of his curveball then they can sit on the fastball and then 92 (mph) isn't so special anymore. 

"Being able to come back healthy first and foremost allowed him to work on that third pitch, which is his slider and it is a real pitch. It didn't distort his curveball at all; they are still two separate pitches. That was really good. He is healthy and had a big smile on his face. With two or three weeks left in the fall we shut him down, we had seen enough. Now it is time to get ready for the spring, but he's not going to jump in and throw 85 to 100 pitches. He will be on a conservative pitch count, and we'll add to it every week. I would say by week five in the spring he will be ready for a full start. He's probably not going to like that, but with the advice of C-Mac (Certified Athletic Trainer Chris McDonald) and just putting our players' health at the forefront of every decision we make. So that's the route we're going to take."

- On the returning pitchers:
"The core group of guys who logged the innings last year – Miles Smith, Jeremy Lee, JoJo Booker, Matt Boswell, Tyler Lehrmann, and Jackson Boyd – those six guys are all better. This is the most starting pitching I have ever returned in my now 29 or 30 years of collegiate coaching. As long as they keep their edge, because that was our advantage last year – these kids have an edge about them on the field. As long as they keep their edge and not satisfied, we are better. Then add in Zach Harlan, who finished last year very strong for us; he has made another jump and has been 92 to 93 with a very good breaking ball. Collin Brougham has probably made the biggest jump, just in terms of having three options. He is fastball, changeup and slider, and shortened his arm action, which he worked extremely hard over the summer to do. Last year he was touching 95 or 96 with an inconsistent breaking ball, and was basically regulated to being a one-pitch guy. But now he has three options, and the changeup is legit and his slider has a chance to be very good. Some guys who were in the program but didn't log a significant amount of innings last year but are very talented arms:  Zach Harlan and Collin Brougham. 

"We will look for those guys to play an increased role in the bullpen. We need to replace Jase Dalton, Tyler Perez and Tyler Samaniego. Each year is different and everyone takes on their own identity. When I say we need to replace those guys, we need to have guys eat up those 100 innings – if it is five guys to eat up those innings as long as we get the production then I am fine with that. I like our starting pitching, and pitching is number one. You have to have good starters and relievers. With Lehrmann and Boyd being those middle-innings guys, both of them can close a game, they are innings-eaters as well and both of them are better. They throw harder, they're stronger and their stuff is better. I think Boyd will log some significant innings. Last year he had the knee issue, and all credit to him and C-Mac – he missed the whole fall (2020) then tweaked his knee again in week three against Jacksonville State. They went to work and he got back, and was a huge part of our run. Having Lehrmann and Boyd back as kind of Swiss Army knives, both of them can start or relieve, is going to be huge. With those two, it is finding three or four more guys to eat up 200 innings. What your starters don't give you, you need those guys to eat them up. And that will be the big thing. I know who the starters are and I feel comfortable with all of them, but some guys need to step up in the bullpen."

- On the newcomers on the mound:
"Walker Johnson had a really good sophomore year at East Central Community College, and had a good fall for us. He's a big strong righty who has some spin-rate to his fastball. He doesn't throw quite as hard as Ben Taylor or Zach Greene, but it's kind of similar in that mold. He velocity was down this fall, but from what I have been told his velocity has historically been down in the fall and then all of a sudden it is go time. He is typically 89 to 92 (mph) with a spin-rate fastball, and has worked really hard on the changeup and his breaking ball. Walker will be a guy who we are looking to really help us. Austin Mills is coming off of Tommy John surgery, and was 90 to 94 with a slider up to 86 as a freshman before he went down. Hopefully he is healthy and back in the fold. 

"Grant Wood, one of our closer candidates, is an outstanding reliever from Blinn Junior College – a high-level program in Texas. Will Turner, a freshman, will come out of center field and relieve. He is a lefty up to 90 to 91 with two different breaking balls he throws for strikes. He is a freshman, but a different freshman; he has some confidence and has good stuff. Eli Runyan as a freshman, Brock Hill, Justin Barry-Smith – we have some young guys with some good arm talent, it will just be a matter of them going out there and getting on the learning curve and not getting bucked off of it too much. Help us win while they are learning type of deal. And there are some other guys in there as well, but that's kind of the bulk of it. Eric Lin and Seth Carter are two other freshmen with good arms. It will not shock me to see at least two of those freshmen in the fold. I would like to say it will be all of them, but I am a realist. But I think we have a chance for some guys on the mound to kind of grow up in the program while we're winning. We have a very good defense around them, and a chance to have a decent offense. To me, it's can we nail down the last six to nine outs? That will be the maker or breaker of this season; that will be the difference of having an OK year and another championship run and getting back into the postseason."

NOTES
- Jeremy Lee pitched four scoreless intrasquad innings this fall, and struck out two against three walks.
- Zach Harlan posted a 0.77 ERA and combined for one shutout in six intrasquad appearances, and recorded nine strikeouts and issued two walks in 11 2/3 innings pitched.
- Tyler Lehrmann finished with a 1.69 ERA in seven intrasquad appearances with two starts, and struck out 13 batters but issued 12 walks in 16 innings.
- Walker Johnson recorded a 2.03 ERA in seven relief appearances in intrasquads, and struck out 12 batters against seven walks in 13 1/3 innings.
- Miles Smith posted a 2.08 ERA in seven appearances with three starts in intrasquad games, and recorded eight strikeouts and seven walks in 13 innings.
- Matt Boswell struck out 10 batters with four walks in 16 2/3 innings while recording a 3.78 ERA in seven appearances with one start in intrasquads.
- Lee led the pitching staff in WHIP (0.75) in intrasquads, followed by Boswell at 0.96. 
- In four fall contests, two each against Pearl River (Miss.) Junior College and Northwest Florida State Junior College, Jaguar pitchers combined for a 2.00 ERA after allowing six earned runs in 27 innings pitched along with 29 strikeouts and 13 walks.

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