Edenton Steamers 2021 Season Preview
Edenton, NC- It’s that time of year in Edenton.
Fans have slowly made their way to Historic Hicks Field in search of tickets. The sun is shining just a bit brighter and the days are growing hotter. A wind of anticipation has swept the town.
Soon, another batch of collegiate ballplayers will make their way down Broad Street and turn east on Freemason Street towards the ballpark. They will join the ranks of Steamers that include major league ballplayers like Joey Wendle and Greg Holland while playing in a ballpark with an incredible past.
Here is a look at the group who will be writing the next chapter in the story of the Edenton Steamers.
Coming off of a 21-6 season in which the team was at the top of the Premier Collegiate League most of the summer, the Steamers have returned a number of the pieces from that team. All in all, nine players from that team will make their way back over the summer.
The headliners of that group are a trio of hitters who haven’t stopped hitting since they left Chowan County last August.
University of South Carolina’s Josiah Sightler, who was last season’s primary first baseman but will slot in as a left fielder upon his arrival, exploded onto the scene summer ago, slashing .338/.443/.690 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs in 19 games played. Playing the gauntlet of a schedule for the Gamecocks this spring, Sightler has still been impressive, slashing .272/.367/.457 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs while batting near the top of the order.
Aaron Copeland (.297/.361/.622, 7 HRs, 21 RBIs in ‘20) and Casey Haire (.323/.488/.500, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs), anchors of the left side of the infield last summer, return as well. Copeland (Spartanburg Methodist College) has been mashing this spring, hitting 12 home runs and driving in 48 runs in 53 games. Haire (Milligan University) remains impressive, getting on-base at a .383 clip while driving in 30 runs in 47 games for the Buffaloes this season.
Another infielder will be making his return to the Steamers after a summer away last year. Anthony Stehlin, younger brother of assistant coach James Stehlin, was scorching hot for Concord University this spring, posing a .408 average, hitting eight home runs and driving in 30 runs.
Sightler and the trio of infielders will be joined by some new pieces. Chase Bruno (Montreat College), Brian Hama (Florence-Darlington Tech) and Joe Haney (Davidson College) will all provide reinforcements up the middle when called upon. At first base, Hunter Cole (Randolph-Macon College) and Jacob Mustain (Virginia Military Institute) will both get a share of time to fill the first base vacancy.
The backstop also features two familiar faces and a third with a familiar name.
Allen Brown (Presbyterian College) and Case Kermode (University of Mount Olive) return for a second year. Brown boasted an incredible eye at the plate with a 25.4% walk rate and getting on base at a .407 clip for the Steamers in 2020. Kermode had a similar approach, getting a base on balls 24.4% of the time with a .449 on-base percentage last summer. He may also see some time elsewhere around the diamond this season.
Rounding out the trio of catchers is Josh Pernetti, the younger brother of former Steamer Jimbo Pernetti who donned the Teal & Black in 2016. Pernetti was regarded as one of the best high school catching prospects in the class of 2020, ranking in the top-10 in California and the top-50 in the nation, per Perfect Game.
The final position player group brings you to the outfield, where two-thirds of this trio has experience roaming Historic Hicks’ outfield and Teal Monster.
Adam Fine (St. Joseph’s University) and Jackson Hipp (Brown University) both came to the Steamers as young players last summer and their development will be sure to pay dividends this summer. Fine is a solid defender and a speedster on the base paths, he’s taken advantage of limited playing time at SJU this season, getting on base in half of his plate appearances. As for Hipp, he did not have a season after the Ivy League canceled its season, but his late season success last summer is reason for excitement.
The pair also hold the distinction of being the only returning players from last summer to finish the season errorless.
One of three West Virginia State University players on the roster this summer, Ryan Kay rounds out the outfield. Another young player, Kay hasn’t gotten a ton of opportunity at WVSU yet, but holds a ton of upside with plenty of chances to show it this summer.
Finally, the arms in which the Steamers will go into battle with.
Sixteen players will enter the season as strictly pitchers with local standout Gage Riddick (Eastern Mennonite) doubling as both a pitcher and corner infielder. Riddick has filled a number of roles during the spring, playing in the field, making spot starts and coming in from the bullpen. Other two-way players include Copeland, Sightler and Stehlin, who will step onto the mound as needed.
Daniel Willie (Montreat College) comes to town in the midst of some of his finest work as a pitcher. Starting for Steamers’ manager Marshall McDonald at Montreat, the right hander was excellent down the stretch, posting a 2.35 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 10.17 K/9 in his final three starts of the year.
What role Willie ends up filling is yet to be decided, but he will compete for starts with a number of talented arms.
Sam Duncan (Brown University) will be a fresh Steamer, having not had a college season due to the Ivy League’s cancelation of it. He and Walter Thomas (Spartanburg Methodist) will each be peppering hitters with fastballs in the 90s, likely as members of the starting rotation. Jared Davis (Barton College) also will get a chance to start games this summer, after a solid run in the Bulldogs’ rotation where he went 3-2 with a 4.24 ERA in seven starts. Additionally, Aiden Kuhle (Roanoke College) will compete for a spot in the rotation after finishing his spring with a 3.93 ERA in twelve games.
The Steamers have a number of pitchers who will be able to make spot starts and work themselves into big situations out of the bullpen.
Daniel Brandon (West Virginia State University), Ben Coffman (Bluefield College) and Chris Buehler (Long Island University) are two experienced left handers who will have their roles determined through innings limits. Elsewhere, Daniel Rutherford (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) will finally get a chance to take the mound once again after his season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This quartet of lefties offers an array of quality stuff, providing a ton of great southpaw depth.
Michael Allen (Lenoir-Rhyne University) didn’t get many opportunities for the Steamers a summer ago, but he now returns to Edenton after a dominant spring. The right hander has a 1.26 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 14 ⅓ innings and will be in the mix of the backend of the bullpen this year.
From Bluefield College, Spencer Ambrose is another hard throwing left hander who will look to parlay this opportunity into a chance in professional baseball. In his final four outings of his collegiate season, he posted a 1.50 ERA. Another experienced bullpen arm will be Zach Bagley, a right hander from Barton College with a mid-80s fastball and great offspeed stuff.
Cole Bates (Delaware State), Tyrus Baumgardner (West Virginia State University) and Blake Gipson (University of Mount Olive) are three young pitchers who will find innings throughout the summer as they continue to build towards their high ceilings.
All in all, the Steamers are lined up with a team that has them primed to compete at the top of the Premier Collegiate League and in exhibition games against the Coastal Plain League. The chase for another championship gets started in Lillington, NC against the Carolina Pirates on June 2nd.
About the Edenton Steamers
The Edenton Steamers are proudly celebrating their 24th season of summer collegiate baseball in 2021. The Steamers will open their home schedule against the Greenbrier Knights on June 4th at Historic Hicks Field. Be sure to follow the Teal and Black on social media to stay up to date with all things Steamers. You can find the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @edentonsteamers. For more information visit edentonsteamers.com or call (252) 482-4080.