Frawley ailing as Coastal Carolina baseball opens practice

CONWAY -- As the Coastal Carolina baseball team formally began preseason practice Friday afternoon, the Chanticleers got started with an all-too-familiar concern.

Senior catcher Tucker Frawley, who missed a chunk of the season early last spring with a knee injury, is dealing with what coach Gary Gilmore described as “back issues.” And with the Chants again thin on catching depth, Gilmore said the situation is a “huge red flag for us.”

Frawley, one of the team’s few returning veterans, started 40 games last season while batting .234 and throwing out 13 of 24 attempted base stealers. He’s set to have an MRI on Monday, Gilmore said earlier this week, although the coach noted “there’s no evidence that there’s anything significant.”

“He tells me if he had to gut it out he could catch today, but we’re looking at four months of catching – not one day,” Gilmore said. “To start in that shape today would not be a good thing. So we’re going to really take it very cautiously at this point and make sure he’s 100 percent before we put him out there and try to build him back up.”

John Fidanza, who started 19 games as a freshman last season in Frawley’s stead, is no longer with the program due to disciplinary reasons, Gilmore said. Sophomore reserve catcher Doug Fleming, meanwhile, is still troubled by lingering arm issues after missing all of last season.

So if the Chants were to start the season today, senior first baseman Rich Witten would be the starting catcher, Gilmore said, while junior pitcher Josh Powell – a converted catcher and newcomer to the program – would be available to fill in as well.

“[Frawley is] a vital piece of what we’re trying to do,” Gilmore said. “We’ll be fine with Rich behind the plate, but like I said, we’re at a quandary where to go from there after that.”

Two other catchers on the roster – Greg Brodzinski and Will Remillard – have to sit out this season after transferring from South Carolina and Temple, respectively.

Chants counting on May

Jacob May did not have the kind of freshman season the CCU coaches – or likely he – envisioned last year as he struggled to a .206 batting average while starting 38 games and playing in 44.

But Gilmore thinks the sophomore outfielder is primed to show everybody what he can do this spring after an encouraging offseason.

“Hopefully his confidence should be tremendous at this point of time, and I really feel he has to be a huge piece of what we’re doing,” Gilmore said. “I feel he’s going to end up showing everybody this year what we all felt like he was going to be able to walk in the door and do a little bit more [of] last year.”

May, who can also play second base if needed, hit .296 with 12 doubles, 20 walks and 19 stolen bases in 45 games last summer in the Northwoods League.

He had gotten off to a slow start last year after injuring ligaments in his wrist before the 2011 season opener and missing the first 11 games. Gilmore said that in hindsight May – a 39th-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds out of high school – might have returned to action perhaps a little too quickly after that injury.

“We asked a lot of that kid,” Gilmore said. “Hopefully this time he can stay healthy and do some things. There’s a tremendous player in there. If he puts it all together, he’ll be a superstar here.”

Etc.

Gilmore said the team had no other health concerns at this time. … Sophomore Tripp Martin, who made 31 starts last season while playing primarily third base and designated hitter, is working out at shortstop and could see some action there as the Chants look to replace standout Taylor Motter. … Along with Fidanza, pitcher Stefan del Pino is also no longer with the program. The left-hander went 3-1 with a 5.26 earned-run average in 252/3 innings last season as a redshirt-freshman.