ITG Next spoke with First Coast baseball head coach Stephen Barnes about the Buccaneers returning stars and takeaways from the first couple of games.
Q: Having already played preseason games, as well as having picked up a win over Stanton in the season opener, what are a few takeaways that you have from your team’s play so far this season?
A: The team is going to compete for seven innings. We have decent pitching depth to go with two senior aces, Dylan Cope and Lucas Grayson.
Q: Coming off a strong season last year, what are some keys to duplicate that success for this group in 2022, as well as to make a deeper run in the postseason?
A:[It’s] going to be a lot different. The schedule is set up to be ready for the playoffs. We won’t win as many games this year, but we will be more prepared for district tournament pitching than we were last season.
Q: A year ago, this Buccaneers team returned two key names in Dylan Cope and Hunter Carns. How big of an impact do those two have on this 2022 team overall, and what are you expecting from them in particular this season?
A: Hunter Carns is the best catcher in the state of Florida. He controls the staff, and also bats leadoff with plus power and speed. Dylan Cope is the everyday shortstop, and will also close. He is the energy of the team, and brings it every day.
Q: Speaking of this Buccaneers team, you had to replace multiple key names in both the lineup and rotation from last season. Who are some names that we could see play an increased role that might not have a year ago?
A: Andrew Calloway will bat cleanup and pitch a lot (junior with upside), and Robert Chatman (freshman left fielder) has plus-speed and power for a freshman. We have two sophomores joining the rotation in Cason Shurling and Branden McNamee, both will see a lot of work this season.
