CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – As he gets set to enter his fifth season at the helm for the Governors, Austin Peay head baseball coach Travis Janssen is encouraged by the direction the program is currently headed in.
“Anytime there is a coach that’s been in place for a long time and a new coach takes over, there’s inevitably going to be some change,” Janssen said. “I guess now players and support staff are just more familiar with the way that we do things. I think the program has a way of settling in and it’s a little bit more comfortable now than it used to be.”
For the second consecutive year, Austin Peay’s lineup will feature numerous Clarksville locals which is a true testament to the quality of area high school programs today.
“A third of our starting lineup is from Clarksville,” Janssen said. “Geno Avros, Garrett Spain and Skyler Luna are going to start for us. You have two Clarksville High kids and a Rossview guy. Our recruiting philosophy is that we have one of the most diverse rosters certainly in the OVC. We’ll always start our recruiting close to home. Those three guys are all very dynamic players and I’m very proud that they stayed home at Austin Peay to represent their hometown of Clarksville.”
Austin Peay finished 32-25 a season ago and saw their 2019 campaign come to an end in the semifinals of the OVC Tournament. With turnover year-to-year, hardly any team remains the same when the calendar flips, but Janssen does believe that some returning players are in fact carrying a proverbial chip on their shoulders.
“Oh, I hope so,” Janssen answered. “Every team is different. This team definitely has a different identity than last year’s team. As the year goes and all of the games get played, the identity continues to form. When you keep going to conference tournaments and keep getting relatively deep in those things, it just keeps adding experience and that’s one of the steps to winning in my opinion.”
The Governors return two key starters from last year’s team including 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year Garrett Spain and Matt Joslin who had a team-high .350 batting average in league play.
“In my mind we’re returning five or six guys that’ve played a lot for us,” Janssen said. “You think about Malcolm Tipler who’s really steady and been a four-year player. He’s played a ton and is a left-handed bat that can bat at the top or the bottom of the lineup. We’ll pencil in Bobby Head at shortstop to begin the year. He has power in his bat and a big frame. John McDonald is another guy who’s played a lot for us at first base. Avros played third base and is just a tough versatile ballplayer. He has a lot of charisma and is a great guy to have on a team because he loves to win.”
According to Janssen, replacing lost production from a previous team isn’t as simple as it sounds.
“One of the most visible guys on our team last year was Parker Phillips,” Janssen said. “We’re not looking for one guy to replace 25 homers, we’re just hoping we can score runs in different ways. He’s the best power hitter in the history of the school, so that tells you that a guy like that doesn’t come around very often.
On the mound we lost a lot of veterans. Jacques Pucheu and Brett Newberg are two guys that come to mind that really did a nice job. Now guys are just going to have to fall into new roles. We hope Harley Gollert who was hurt last year can be a guy who can pitch a lot of innings. Tyler Thompson has been in the program a long time and we’re excited about him. As far as a couple of JUCO arms to write down go, Hayden Josephson will be our Saturday starter and Austin Carder is a guy that we’ll rely on a lot out of the bullpen.”
In the league’s preseason poll, the Govs were tabbed to finish third in the OVC in 2020. Janssen has mixed emotions about the media’s predictions.
“Jacksonville State returned the most so it made sense for them to be an overwhelming first pick,” Janssen said. “I’m holding onto the deal that it’s tough to repeat. We’ll be excited to get another chance to play them. It’s something that coaches say, but those polls really don’t mean a whole lot. I guess it’s a sign of respect that we lost some pretty visible pieces and were still picked up toward the top, but you have to prove it on the field.”
Janssen discussed what potential x-factor he thinks could ultimately decide the level of success his team can achieve this upcoming season.
“Honestly I think just how our pitching responds,” Janssen said. “The game of baseball always starts on the mound. The past couple of years we’ve had the luxury of having some returning pitching. Finally, this year is the year where we’re going to count on a lot of new guys. I believe in their ability and confident in the people that they are, but now they have to go out and perform in games. Right now, as I’m sitting here, I think one of the keys early on is to see how some of the roles on the pitching staff develop.”
Austin Peay will kick off the 2020 campaign with a doubleheader beginning at noon Saturday, as they get set to host Eastern Michigan for a three-game series. The Govs will play their first eight games of the season at Raymond C. Hand Park.
“Our team is so new that we have a lot of guys who are going to be experiencing Division I baseball for the first time,” Janssen said. “Those are authentic things. I think that’s more at the forefront of our minds compared to, ‘you know what we better protect homefield’. Sure, while we would love to get off to a good start, we also play really good competition. We know it’s going to be challenging, but I like that part too because you get a better measuring stick of how your team looks.”