A few newcomers were big contributors to Cal Poly’s 2017. 

Bradlee Beesley (Freshman, SS/3B)

Before the season started, Bradlee Beesley was Cal Poly’s starting shortstop. While he didn’t last there, he finished the season as one of Cal Poly’s most productive hitters and settled in at third base. In his freshman campaign in 2017, Beesley hit .305 (third on the team), was second on the team in hits, and struck-out very little (just 26 times to go with 19 walks). 

Like many Mustangs, Beesley’s season turned about halfway through, especially once Michael Sanderson’s injury opened the door for him to play regularly at third base. 

Defensive adjustment

While he found a home at third base, Beesley committed 14 errors, which is too many for a regular infielder. Whatever position he plays in 2017 (and he likely will be somewhere, given his strong bat), Beesley will need to clean things up on the defensive end.

Consistent bat

Beesley didn’t go more than two straight games without a hit all season. The one exception to this was Cal Poly’s series against Hawai’i, when he didn’t play. That doesn’t sound like much, but on a team that was as inconsistent early-on, Beesley never had a real extended slump. He has very good bat control and a compact swing that could have some power growth in its future.

I’m not sure exactly where Beesley will be defensively in 2018, but he’s sure be set to wreak havoc somewhere in Larry Lee’s lineup.

Trent Shelton (Junior, Left-handed Pitcher)

Pac 12 pedigree

After spending his first two seasons with Oregon State, Shelton sat out a season, transferring to Cal Poly for the 2017 year. In 2017, Shelton did a little of everything. He started three games, but appeared in 25 more out of the bullpen. In some games, he was called upon to get some big outs against left handed hitters. He also showed flexibility as a long relief man. 

Shelton’s stuff and moxy is somewhat comparable to former Mustang relief ace Taylor Chris, though Shelton’s size (he’s listed at 6′ 4″) leaves open the possibility of a velocity bump in the offseason. 

Controlling the zone

One of Shelton’s best attributes in 2017 was his ability to control the strike zone. His stuff isn’t overpowering, but he managed to strike out 42 hitters while walking just 8 in 43 inning of work. Lee really trusts guys he can put on the mound who don’t issue a lot of walks and Shelton falls unmistakably into that category. 

Fits and starts

Trying to project Cal Poly’s 2018 starting rotation this early is a silly exercise, but I would think Shelton is in the running. If he separates himself from the pack, Shelton could be a starting pitcher for the 2018 Mustangs, but his ability to get lefties out also makes him valuable out of the bullpen in high leverage situations. Depending on how the Fall goes, I could see Shelton filling either role come the Spring. 

Kyle Marinconz (Shortstop/Second Base)

Kyle Marinconz held down shortstop for Cal Poly in 2017. By Owen Main

Holding down the fort

Kyle Marinconz is a natural second baseman. Over the past two Jekyll and Hyde seasons, the Mustangs have gone through at least a half-dozen other shortstops, trying to find a way to keep Marinconz on the right side of the infield. Unfortunately, Larry Lee has had to put Marinconz back at shortstop each of the past two years. It’s not that the sophomore (soon to be junior) has been bad at the position, but he has limited range there playing him at second base would have allowed the Mustangs to feel much more solid across the board in the infield. 

Instead, Cal Poly’s defense really struggled early in 2017, especially before Marinconz moved to shortstop. It probably affected everyone’s sense of regularity as the team really scuffled in their first few months before turning it on in conference play. 

While Marinconz doesn’t wow with any single skill (except for maybe his hit tool), he is pretty good at most things on the baseball field.

By the numbers

Marinconz put up a roughly similar season to his freshman year in 2017. He hit for more power (the first three home runs of his career came last season), but also struck out a little more and walked a little less. After a slow start, big performances during conference play really made his full season numbers respectable. He hit in 9 of his final 10 games, collecting 15 hits and two of his three homers over that span. His conference performance was enough to land Marinconz on the All-Big West first team. 

Marinconz was a draft-eligible sophomore in 2017, but was not selected in the 2017 major league baseball draft. As a junior in 2018, he’ll be one of the team’s leaders as he tries to improve his draft stock and help the team get to 30-plus wins again. Something that will be fairly easy to follow in the spring with the entire team will be to see where Marinconz ends up defensively. If he’s at second base and Cal Poly is playing consistent defense, it will likely be a good sign for the Mustangs early-on. 

Michael Clark (Relief Pitcher)

Michael Clark was Cal Poly’s closer in 2017. By Owen Main

Breakout season

In his sophomore season, Clark emerged as one of the most dominant closers in the Big West. Clark appeared in 30 games, amassing a 5-0 record, 11 saves, and a 2.59 ERA. Clark’s frame isn’t huge, but he peers into the plate through clear glasses and throws gas. In his sophomore season, he found his control and earned Larry Lee’s trust as the high leverage right-hander out of the bullpen and closer. Opponents hit under .200 against him and he struck out over twice as many hitters (36) as he walked (17). His dominance throughout the season landed Clark on the All-Big West second team.

Though he started just one game, Clark was third on the team in innings pitched, throwing nearly 50 frames.

Can he start?

A reliable closer is an important asset for any team, but Cal Poly lost their two best starting pitchers. It will be interesting to see whether Larry Lee looks at stretching Clark into a starting pitcher in the fall and spring. Lee will need to have as many solid innings as he can from his best pitchers. Clark figures to be one of those, if not the best pitcher on the staff in 2018.

Slater Lee (Senior, Pitcher)

Season Synopsis

In his fourth and final year at Cal Poly, Lee dropped his delivery to more of a three-quarters arm slot and provided a reliable relief option for Larry Lee (no relation). Lee’s added funk and savvy pitching helped him to sport a career-low 2.86 ERA and strike out over 11 hitters per nine innings. Lee struck out 54 batters while walking just 15 and finished the season with a 4-2 record. His high-leverage innings down the stretch helped Cal Poly overcome a slow start to finish the season with a .500 record in 2017.

Evolution

Slater Lee’s evolution into a relief pitcher was somewhat unexpected. As a freshman, Lee’s complete game, two-hit shutout of defending national champion UCLA and Cal Poly’s subsequent series win was a big statement in the Mustangs’ 2014 season. That season Cal Poly probably had its best season ever in Division I with Lee starting 11 games. While Lee’s strong start as a freshman didn’t carry over into subsequent seasons, Slater showed some strong makeup, retooling over the course of the next two seasons into something of a super utility pitcher. As a senior, his 20 appearances were third most on the team.

Nick Meyer (Sophomore, Catcher)

Nick Meyer, post-mustache in 2017. A leader on the Cal Poly team, Meyer is poised for his junior season in 2018. By Owen Main

Living up to high standards

Last season, Lucas Clark (the Tribune writer who used to be on the Cal Poly beat) asked me whether Nick Meyer was the best defensive catcher in recent Cal Poly memory. “Well,” I explained, “There’s this guy named Chris Hoo. He won the national gold glove. He’s probably the standard that other Cal Poly catchers will be measured against for a long time.” 

So, the biggest credit I can give Meyer is this — he seems some very Hoo-like in his stability and approach. Larry Lee gave Meyer the reigns as a true freshman and he hasn’t looked back. 

Though he hit just .255 in 2017, Meyer started and played in 55 of Cal Poly’s 56 games (a few in right field) and hit two home runs while driving-in 31. He struck out and walked just 17 times each and his bat to ball skills are really solid. Balancing that hit tool with an effort to drive the ball harder and farther will be something to look for from Meyer in 2018.

National Team and beyond

This summer, Larry Lee is an assistant coach on the US Collegiate National Team, and he brought his catcher. Meyer was used mostly as a backup on the USA team, but he did throw out three of seven would-be base stealers. The experience could provide some confidence and insight for Meyer, who should be an up-the-middle cornerstone in 2018.

If Cal Poly is going to move forward from a few disappointing seasons in a row, they’ll need Meyer to take another step too. Meyer has always had very good bat control, but he’ll need to be more steady at the plate. Defensively, he was probably the second-best catcher in the conference last year and could compete for that crown in 2018. He takes a lot of chances, but he cut his throwing mistakes down in 2017 and figures to take another step in 2018. Having talented juniors in baseball is like having talented seniors in other sports. Meyer will be one of a hand-full in 2018 for Larry Lee.