Stanford opens its season Thursday against Santa Clara and the only thing head coach David Esquer is sure of is that a young team, assembled around an unexpected veteran core, will look very different y the of the season.
The Cardinal did not have a full team practice Klein Field at Sunken Diamond until Feb. 3 after a fall and winter of limited training — no "fall ball" that is the closest thing college ball players have to spring training games.
Esquer described it as "incredible therapy" for the Cardinal to come together on the baseball diamond for the first team practice in months. The players and coaches went to work to catch up to their normal level of readiness.
Stanford was originally scheduled to open its season last weekend against Cal State Fullerton but Esquer cancelled because knew the Cardinal couldn't get ready by then.
So, instead first up is former Stanford pitching coach Rusty Filter's club. The Broncos took one of three close games against No. 8 UC Santa Barbara on opening weekend.
"I'm really excited about this team and I've just been hoping to get this team on the field because I do think we have the pieces that will eventually get to the postseason," he said. "Now, how quickly is that going to happen? We have some freshman who may play for us and a good freshman class last year that was forced into action a year earlier than we hoped.
"I think we're in a good place. My message to them is we may not be the team we want to be at the beginning of the year, but if we can hang in there we have great potential to be what we want to be by the end of the year."
The Cardinal will build around Friday starter Brendan Beck (RHP), Nick Brueser (1B), Christian Robinson (OF), Tima Tawa (OF), and Jacob Palisch (RHP — currently out due to injury). Esquer and his staff did not expect any of those four players to return but many draft-eligible players decided to stay in college another year when the MLB Draft was limited to five rounds because of COVID-19.
"We're fortunate to have them," Esquer said. "I think the whole level of college baseball is going to be increased by the guys who came back. I think we're looking at one of the most talented and competitive baseball seasons in history."
Stanford played only played 16 games last season and it was rough going for the Cardinal. The lineup produced two runs or fewer in 11 of those games and 17 players got at least 12 plate appearances while Esquer and hitting coach Tommy Nicholson tried to find productivity.
There were games last season when seven freshmen took the field for the first pitch.
It's impossible to predict how those now second-year players will do this season after no summer or fall baseball, but there are multiple players to watch from the 2019 recruiting class that was considered solid with several players who are in a strong position to start games: Owen Cobb (second base), Kody Huff (catcher), and Brock Jones (outfielder). Infielder Adam Crampton struggled with a terrible case of the fielding yips during the short season but is a top option at third base or shortstop.
Jones is a full-time baseball player now and his physical abilities make him an impressive prospect. The quality of his contact should have delivered better results than he got last season. Cobb is a speedster who also had three home runs last season. Huff has the tools to be a multi-year starter behind the plate.
The 2020 freshman class has been talked about by the coaching staff for the past two years with a great deal of anticipation. They arrived as the 11th most talented incoming group (counting transfers) in college baseball, according to D1Baseball.
The headliners are top-50 overall recruits Drew Bowser (shortstop, OF), RHP Joey Dixon and top 100 left handed pitcher Ryan Bruno.
Utility infielder Tommy Troy (Cardinal fans will have to get over that name), outfielder Eddie Park, left-handed pitcher Drew Dowd and right-handed pitcher Tommy O'Rourke were all top recruits and they are expected to push for major playing time.
"In a training atmosphere they are incredibly exciting," Esquer said of the freshmen. "The potential of this group is pretty high. But we haven't faced the adversity of baseball. No one had a bad fall or had to make an adjustment because of failure. We haven't had that yet and it's going to happen during the season."
Troy and Bowser are "special talents" who Esquer picked out of the group when asked about young players Stanford fans will see a lot of soon. Bowser is a 6-4, 220 power hitter who has the profile of a player who can hold down the middle of the lineup.
Troy and Park established themselves in high school against elite travel competition as very productive hitters.
The pitching staff will be led by Beck and Stanford hopes that third-year Alex Williams is back soon. He was on his way to a dominant second season (2-1, .51 ERA in 17.2 IP) after winning 10 games his freshman season, but he suffered an arm injury that required Tommy John Surgery. Esquer hopes he will be available at some point in March.
Veterans Austin Weiermiller (LHP, 50 appearances) and Zach Grech (RHP, 69 appearances) will anchor the bullpen and the freshmen will mix in with second-years Quinn Matthews (LHP, 4.71 ERA over 21 innings), Nathan Fleischli (RHP, 1.29 ERA in 14 innings), Max Meier (RHP, 1-2, 3.07, 4 starts) and third-year right-hander Cody Jensen, who stumbled last season after a strong freshman year.
