Completed Event: Baseball versus No. 11 seed Kansas State on May 19, 2026 , Loss , 5, to, 9
Final Score
Baseball
5
vs No. 11 seed Kansas State
9
The University of Utah Athletics
1999 Baseball Outlook
6/21/1999 12:00 AM | Baseball
January 15, 1999
In the words of Utah baseball head coach Tim Esmay, the 1999 Ute team is prepping for another "reloading year." Last season, the Utes fell short of their goal to defend their 1997 Western Athletic Conference Northern Division title-Utah's first since 1965. They finished the year with a 23-31 mark, going 12-18 in the WAC and placing second in the division. It was a hard year for a group coming off a division championship and record-breaking season, but Esmay is determined to use the 1998 season as an educational tool.
"Last season was a tremendous learning experience. We realized that our emphasis needs to be taking one game at a time and handling the grind it takes to get to the end of the season," says Esmay. "One of the advantages of the players this year is that they didn't play during the 1997 season. The new guys aren't waiting for a championship to fall in their lap; they're ready to work for it." To battle the problems encountered last year, the Utes are making defense a major priority. "During fall ball, we spent a lot of time on the defensive side of the game. After reviewing last season, losing 18 one-run games, we tried to work on making the plays that will keep us on the winning end," Esmay says. One of the tools helping the team is the new transition to semesters. In previous years, fall practices began at the end of September, placing the Utes a month behind the training regimen of other programs. With the move to a semester system, Utah started its fall prep work in August. "The move to semesters has allowed us to get an early jump on building the team philosophy with our newcomers before the season started. We did weight training and worked with the individual athletes focusing on the club concept," Esmay says. "The freshmen have already gotten a good taste for the U. program and it will really help the team during season play." Another major factor contributing the Utes' rebuilding year is the mixture of upper and lower classmen. Utah has a diverse crew in terms of experience, with nine seniors, eight juniors, three sophomores and 11 freshmen. "This season we have a different squad. By plan, we signed a lot of freshmen to create a mix of old and young players. We are trying to create a strong foundation, using the veteran returnees with the greenies as backup. This team is a good mixture of senior leaders, JC transfers and young bucks," Esmay says. One of the key ingredients in Utah's program is the senior leadership. The Ute diamond staff is confident that the influence of an experienced core of upperclassmen will develop a winning tradition with the incoming freshman class. The Utes are trying a new leadership ploy by designating the entire senior class as captains. "The ultimate goal of any program is to build a solid tradition. We decided as a team that the senior class was the embodiment of what the Utah program is trying to develop and gave the entire class captain status," Esmay says. In all areas of the field, the upperclass is setting a precedent. This season the Utes will rely particularly on a veteran mound staff. Leading the crew are seniors Lance Ericksen, Troy Beckman and Brett McDermaid and junior starter Brandon Page. "Those four guys are the base which our pitching will be centered around," says Esmay. "I am looking for quality starters and some strong leadership. The upperclassmen are the heart of our mound staff this season." Ericksen enters his senior year as one of Utah's dominant hurlers. The four-year starter notched 32 strikeouts and a 7.26 ERA in 16 appearances as a junior. Beckman joined the Ute lineup last season as a transfer from Salt Lake Community College and jumped in as Utah's primary closer, posting a team high for saves (3). The right-handed slinger was 3-2 as a junior, with an 9.76 ERA. As a senior this season, Beckman will move from the bullpen into the starting rotation. McDermaid transferred to the U. from Brigham Young where he was an all-WAC pick and a freshman all-American in 1995. In his first season with the Utes, McDermaid posted a 2-3 record with 27 strikeouts and a 6.29 ERA. He stepped up as Utah's relief specialist and will now take a place in the opening lineup . Page rounds out the starting circuit. A two-year veteran of the Ute program, Page has worked his way into the opening lineup. As a freshman, he joined the roster as Utah's principal closer, setting the school record in saves (8) and appearances (28) and was named an honorable mention all-American. Page stepped into a semi-starting position as a sophomore in 1998, starting six of the 15 games he played. He posted a 2-4 season mark, with 29 strikeouts. "In the four-years I've been associated with Utah, this by far the best set of arms we've had in the program. This season will be marked by live, strong pitching," Esmay predicts. "It will also be the first time we can go into each series with a plan and use each player to the best of his ability." Polishing off the pitching corps is a seasoned and accomplished bullpen. The hub of the relief staff is comprised mainly of junior college transfers and strengthened by youthful freshman talents. Jared Cavaness, E.J. Martinez, David Norton and Jim Bolser complement the staff with experience and ability. Cavaness is a Salt Lake Community College transfer who set team records in wins (4), strikeouts (23) and ERA (6.06) in 1998. Martinez was a member of the South Mountain Community College (Ariz.) team that set the school record in overall wins. Norton transferred from Ricks Junior College where he set the team record in strikeouts with 66. Bolser is a three-year letterman for the Utes. As a senior this season, his experience will benefit the relief staff. "Each of our JC transfers is looking for quality innings and could be called upon for relief every game," Esmay says. Joining the veterans are freshman newcomers Benson Barrera, Ryan Bailey and Phil Cullen. Barrera played for Skyview High School (Utah), where he was an American Legion all-star, an all-conference player and was drafted by the Astros in 1998. Bailey set the county record for strikeouts with101 in 1997 and notched 275 career strikeouts while attending Crawford High School (Calif.). Phil Cullen, a center/forward for the nationally ranked Utah basketball team, will join the rotation at the end of the basketball season. Cullen was an all-state baseball player for Chelan High School (Wash.), where he recorded 19 strikeouts in seven innings as a senior. He was named the NCW Athlete of the Year and the Associated Press Washington Athlete of the Year. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 34th round. "Our freshmen bring a lot of raw talent to the program. They just need to get their feet wet to become major factors," says Esmay . "Phil (Cullen) especially will have a lot of work ahead of him. He is extremely talented both on the court and the mound. He and (pitching coach) John (Flores) are going to work during the season to get his arm and technique in shape. Phil is going to be a key player during the second half of the season," he notes. Behind the pitching brigade, the Utes have a solid defensive base. The outfield returns three upperclass starters in junior center fielder Sam Swenson and senior left and right fielders Eric Wallace and Mike Wood. Swenson took over at center last season following the graduation of All-American Casey Child. He was quick to confirm Esmay's hunch that the he was the "best defensive outfielder" he had coached at Utah. As a sophomore, Swenson started in 53 games, recording 114 put outs and 10 assists with a fielding average of .969. Wallace and Wood jumped into the starting lineup as junior college transfers last year, filling in the left and right corners, respectively. Both Wallace and Wood proved to be physical players. In his first season at the U., Wallace batted .353 and was 14 of 16 in stolen bases. Wood batted .253 with five doubles, four triples and nine home runs. Wallace and Wood are expected to step up as two of Utah's heavy hitters this season. "Those three guys are a major bonus to both our offensive and defensive play. They played every day of the season last year and have a taste for the program," Esmay says. Reinforcing the outfield are reserves Jed Chrisman and newcomers Spencer Hunn and T.R. Gourley. Chrisman spent his freshman season backing up Wood in right field. This year, he moves into a starting position as Utah's designated hitter while still backing up in right field. Hunn and Gourley come to the U. as two of the top regional recruits. Hunn will back-up Wallace in left field, while Gourley will be an all-around utility player. The Ute infield looks to be a balanced group as well though Utah returns only one starter to the infield--senior second baseman Ryan Hilts. Hilts started his junior season as a utility player before settling in at second. New to the starting lineup are seniors Jared Larsen and Ryan Johnerson. Larsen spent his junior season as the Utes' primary designated hitter while backing up all-WAC catcher Nate Forbush. He will start behind the plate as a senior. Johnerson moves from back-up shortstop to starting first baseman. Rounding out the infield are third baseman Mike Goff and newcomer Jake Shortino. Goff started in the hot corner last season before being sidelined by a broken arm. Shortino, a Dixie College transfer, takes over at shortstop. Looking for playing time are freshman talents Rob Stuart, Adam Castleton and Nate Weese. Stuart was a two-time all-league player for U.S.D High School (Calif.) and made the all-CIF team as a junior in 1997. He will back up Shortino at shortstop. Castleton, one of Utah's top in-state recruits, set the Hillcrest High School (Utah)/American Legion home run record with 29. He was a three-year all-region and two-time all-state first team member. He will vye for time at second. Weese was the 1994 all-state designated hitter and looks to make an instant impact in the Ute batting lineup. Overall, the Utes are looking for sound play from a group of physical players, with a major emphasis on individual strength and skill and strong leadership from the upperclassmen. The 1999 Utes have made it a goal to leave the WAC with a championship, and with regional play now allowing 64 teams to compete, the Utes are also chasing a regional bid. "This season will be exciting," promises Esmay. "It is an instrumental year where we start cutting a new tradition in the program. We're ready to earn a championship and a regional bid."
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