Previewing the 2009 Wake Forest Baseball Team - The Infield
Deacs feature three new starters in the infield

Feb. 9, 2009

This is the first of a five-part series previewing the 2009 Wake Forest baseball team. Part one of the series examines the Wake Forest infield. Part two of the series, scheduled for Wednesday, will take a look at the Demon Deacon outfield. Wake Forest opens the regular season on Friday, February 20, at 6 p.m. (ET) against Akron at Wake Forest Baseball Park.

When the Wake Forest baseball team takes the field for the first time in 2009, fans will notice several new faces on the infield. The Deacons will be forced to replace departed senior Andy Goff and Allan Dykstra, who was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

Senior captain and second baseman Dustin Hood returns to anchor the infield. However, the other three infield positions are expected to be filled by freshmen when opening day arrives.

At first base, freshman Austin Stadler is expected to get the majority of starts. A 40th round draft pick by the San Francisco Giants in the 2008 MLB Draft, Stadler was named the Virginia Player of the Year after the 2008 season and was ranked by Impact Baseball as the fourth-best prospect in the state of Virginia. He won two state championships during his time at James River High School. Stadler enjoyed a strong fall for Wake Forest, hitting .396 with 12 runs scored and 16 RBIs.

"When we recruited Austin, we always saw him getting base hits and hitting under pressure situations," Rembielak said. "Every time we saw him swing a bat, it always seemed that he had multi-hit games. He also plays a very good first base. He's left-handed at first base, which is even more of a bonus. He's going to be in the lineup every day, somewhere."

Senior captain Tyler Smith is expected to backup Stadler at first base. A versatile member of the team, Smith can play four positions, first and third base and both corner outfield positions. Smith hit .241 with two home runs and 23 RBIs during the 2008 season.

"You want to lean on experience and that's what Tyler brings to the table," Rembielak said. "He's going to be in the lineup somewhere. He's a guy that we hope can stay consistent and ends up helping the offense and leading us the right way. He's a guy that we need to count on because of his experience."

Hood will be the everyday starter at second base. Hood, who has started every game during his collegiate career, enjoyed his best offensive season in 2008, finishing the year with a .306 batting average, two home runs and 33 RBIs. Hood played very well during the fall of 2008, leading the team with a .433 batting average and 24 runs scored. The Nederland, Texas, native will not only be depended on for his on the field performance in 2009, but also off the field in a leadership role for the young members of the Wake Forest infield.

"Dustin has to make sure he wraps his arms around the young guys," Rembielak said. "He has to keep those guys in tune with the expectations from us and the things they are going to see as they continue to play. He's got to really communicate well with those guys, especially the infielders, because he's going to be the closest to them."

True freshman Shane Kroker enters the 2009 season as the projected starter at shortstop. A native of Westlake Village, Calif., Kroker hit .410 with four home runs and 33 RBIs during his senior season at Westlake High School and was named to the 2007 Perfect Game National Showcase.

"Shane is a very level-headed player who doesn't get worked up easily," Rembielak said. "He played extremely well defensively during the fall. I think he'll handle the shortstop position very well, but we'll have to see how he holds up throughout a long season."

Bentley Heyman, a freshman from Atlanta, Ga., is expected to back up at both second and shortstop. Heyman was twice named all-area, all-classification by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and was a two-time member of the Georgia Dugout Club's All-State Team. Heyman led his team to the state championship in 2007 and finished his high school career with a .450 batting average, 12 home runs and 120 RBIs.

Carlos Lopez is the third true freshman expected to start in the infield as he will see the majority of time at third base. Expected to be one of the top power threats in the lineup, Lopez led the team in RBIs during the fall with 17 and also hit .333 at the plate. A member of the 2008 Louisville Slugger TPX Honorable Mention All-America Team, Lopez led Palm Beach County 6A schools in batting average, home runs and RBIs in 2008.

"There are things for Carlos to work on offensively to be a little more consistent at the plate," Rembielak said. "He showed very good power during the fall and also played very good defense at third. We've started working on his swing to try to make him more consistent. We want him to have good swings at the plate."

A pair of true freshman will also add depth in the infield. Taylor Kaprive was named first team all-county by the South Florida Sun Sentinel News as a junior and was a three-time member of the all-area and all-state teams.

Casey Wadkins was an all-state selection after his senior year and was a two-year team captain at Collegiate (Va.) High School. His high school team advanced to the state tournament all five years in which he played.