Date: 2/9
Position: Outfielders

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats):  Andrew Bates (10 G, .148 AVG, 1 R, 2 RBIs);  Michael Sandle (18 G, .328 AVG, 4 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBIs, 8 R, .389 OBP, 7 SB);  Bennett Shell (11 G, .190, 1 2B, 2 RBIs, 7 R, 3 SB);  Ethan Wilson (18 G, .282 AVG, 4 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBIs, 13 R, .465 SLG%, 6 SB)

Letterwinners lost (Key stats):  Carter Quinn (10 G, .077 AVG);  Preston Welchel (9 G, .118 AVG, 1 2B, 1 R)

Newcomers (Yr., Previous school):  Caleb Balgaard (R-So., McClennan [Texas] JC);  Drake Dobyanski (R-So., Florida Southwestern State CC);  Hunter Donaldson (Fr., Smiths Station [Ala.] HS);  Bailee Hendon (R-So., Jones County [Miss.] JC);  Harrison Ware (Fr., Mountain Brook [Ala.] HS)

Miscellaneous Notes
- Wilson was named 2021 Baseball America Preseason First-Team All-America, and 2021 D1Baseball Preseason Third-Team All-America.
- Wilson ranked third on the team with a .282 batting average last season, and started all 18 games while adding four doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs, 13 runs scored and six stolen bases. He recorded five multiple-hit and two multi-RBI games. He tied his career high in RBIs (5) against Campbell (Feb. 15), and later tied his career high in RBIs (5) and homered twice at Arkansas (March 6). 
- Wilson was scheduled to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer as a member of the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, but the season was canceled before it started.
- Sandle ranked second on the team with a .328 batting average, and also recorded four doubles, one home run, 11 RBIs, eight runs scored, seven stolen bases and a .389 on-base percentage in 18 games started and played. 
- Sandle committed just one error in 127 total chances in center field in 2019 for a .992 fielding percentage, and did not commit an error in 45 total chances in 2020.
- Sandle led the team with six multiple-hit games, and ranked second with two multi-RBI contests. He hit safely in 14 of 18 games last year, and closed the season with a four-game hitting streak and five-game on-base streak. 
- Shell appeared in 11 games with seven starts, and tallied one multiple-hit game in 2020.
- Bates appeared in 10 games with eight starts, and recorded one multiple-hit and one multi-RBI game.
- Balgaard originally signed with Indiana out of high school, where he redshirted his freshman season.
- Donaldson was named to the 2019 AL.com Super All-State Baseball first team as a junior at Smiths Station HS.

Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On returning center fielder Michael Sandle:
"It's obviously big having Mike (Sandle) back; he's probably one of those guys we would have lost in a normal draft year. You have a legit center fielder back with center field experience. He's been working his tail off for this opportunity. Last year he worked to become our center fielder, and he's as good as there is in the country. Having that experience back and he and Ethan (Wilson) knowing each other having played side-by-side for the last year-and-a-half is really big for us. The fact that Mike runs as well as he does, and Ethan covers a lot of ground out there, especially at home with a big outfield – we get to cover a lot of ground. They both have accurate throwing arms and do a nice job. They just have a lot of confidence out there, and know where each other is at. They set themselves up according to hitters and swings, and they do a good job reading next-level stuff and positioning themselves in the right areas according to who is on the mound and what kind of hitter we are facing."

- On newcomers and depth in the outfield:
"Caleb Balgaard is a guy who can play all three positions. He is the second center fielder, so he gets some reps out there. We like to have versatile guys, but this year with Covid, you never know who has to play where. We're moving guys around playing multiple positions in intrasquad and practice so they are comfortable and feel good playing different positions. I really like our outfield. With the addition of Balgaard, I think you have a center fielder playing either right or left field in him. And there are some guys behind him:  Andrew Bates and Bennett Shell have experience. Both of those guys have gotten better from last year. 

"Then you throw in a young guy like Hunter Donaldson, who can play all three positions. The future is bright for him out there. He is behind some good, older players right now, but with the way Covid is you never know. He would go out there and do a really nice job at any outfield position. Bailee Hendon played outfield in junior college, and Drake Dobyanski is a really good runner and throws well. Harrison Ware is a catcher, but he is also a pretty good outfielder too.  We have some depth and good returning experience out there, and we have more than one center fielder so I feel good with the outfield."

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