I honestly don't know what to expect from UCD baseball in 2022. To say the team did not do well as a unit (ignoring individual stats or exceptional play in certain games) would be an understatement. The hitting was below average. The fielding was just ok and the pitching was very inconsistnt.

I suppose you can attribute some of the struggles to not being able to have a standard full-team practice schedule in the fall. Also, recruiting in 2020 would have been very difficult due to the truncated season.

The 2021 team also seemed to suffer for a lack of depth in position players other than catcher. This meant that when a hitter was slumping there were fewer substitute options.

I managed to get out to 5 games this year after they started allowing tickets to be sold and I got the feeling it was a small roster. For example, Jackson O'Boy received lots of at bats at designated hitter even though his batting average was under .200 most of the year. Cooper Morrison scarcely got to rest when he was struggling. There were 37 names on the roster but 5 didn't play and there were a handful who didn't play very much. If you saw lineup variations from game to game from the middle to the end of the season it was at catcher or the corner outfield spots.

Now according to the senior day ceremonies the Aggies are losing at least 10 players. Just like 2020 recruiting would have been more difficult because of a reduction in games and stringent safety protocol limiting spectators. And don't rely on uncommited junior college players too heavily-their seasons were also reduced. In fact the local JC only played 17 games, all of which were of the 7 inning variety and were entirely against the closest teams from their conference.

So take 37 players, subtract the 10 graduates and you have a maximum of 27 returing players, with 5 of them not having played in 2021. I am given to understand that some of the redshirts/new recruits are scheduled to play for the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox this summer, but trying to get information about the Gold Sox is difficult.
Seriously, look at their website it seems more like a Geocities website a 1990's teenager might have been tinkering with. I don't even know if the team is playing this season.

Now for my position guesses:


Pitching-

There's some room for optimism here. A lot of younger pitchers got significant innings and delivered some quality, albeit somewhat sporadically.

Rotation.

They lose Brett Erwin an Tim Weiser but there are in-house replacements for them already.

Erwin didn't look himself this year. Maybe it was the short practice season or the 3 weeks during the season he didn't play, but he looked pretty gassed around the 5th inning, looked like he was laboring out there

Zach Carrel and Kaden Riccomini had a few excellent appearances out of the bullpen and as starters.

If they have 4-game weekend series again I think Nate Freeman wins the 4th spot over Nolan Meredith. Freeman has delivered several strong long relief appearances his first 2 years (including 7 innings of shutout ball in the 24 inning game.

Meredith did prevent the Aggies from getting swept against WSU, but that was the best appearance of the season. When I saw him pitch (1 relief appearance + 1 start) he was having trouble throwing strikes, missing down, down, down. In fact he has more career walks than strikeouts. That's not a good reccomendation for the rotation.

Bullpen-

I like that several true and redshirt freshmen got some work. Aside from Freeman I was most impressed by Andrew LaCour and Nico Ryder.

Key relievers: Nathan Peng, Andrew LaCour, Ryan O'Hara, Nico Ryder, Daniel Carrion, Nolan Meredith.

Closer: Peng or Ryder

CATCHER-

Michael Campagna is likely your starting catcher. Behind him you have Omar Plasencia, Ben Griffin, and Nathan Peng.

Plasencia got some good opportunities on account of the 4-game series. He hit a couple homers, and he looked like a good defender when I saw him.

Given it'll be his 4th year and he's pitched way more than he's played behind the plate I think it's safe to assume Peng will concentrate on pitching.

Griffin looks like he has some pop. Actually played more first base.

FIRST BASE-They have to replace Spencer Gedestad. Jonah Henrickson probably is the main first baseman because of his glove. He didn't play in 2021-possibly due to injury. Griffin is a good candidate too.

Second base-Nick Iverson. He has a very good glove. The offense will pick up

SHORTSTOP:Kyler Arenado. Second verse-same as the first....

THIRD BASE- Shaun McHale, J.D. Mico (if he didn't secretly graduate), or redshirt freshman Will Bermudez.

Why no Jalen Smith ? I'll explain in a moment. McHale probably logged the most time at third of the three. He had a few nice games at the plate, but disappeared from the lineup when his hiting cooled off.

Bermudez is a shortstop who redshirted at a time when they could have used him. That tells me they're teaching him a new position or two, and most likely third base.

OUTFIELD:

Graduation took the biggest hit here losing Cooper Morrison, Colton Evans, and Isaiah Verrett.

Left Field-Conner Longrie or Daniel Carrion. No strong opinion either way, although Carrion might be a better runner (regularly used as a pinch-runner). This may the position where a freshman I haven't mentioned takes the job.

Center Field-Jalen Smith. See ? I told you I would get to him. To my knowledge he is the only returning Aggie who's even played a game there. And as for the newcomers-no idea. Smith is talented enough to do well anywhere in the infield or outfield. And if he has pro aspirations versatility will only help.

And this is where the pandemic really hurt the Aggies. Had the 2020 season been completed Cooper Morrison's eligibilty would have expired and they would have spent 2021 trying out different players in CF, would now have an idea of at least two in-house candidates. Instead they're a year behind because they had an extra year of Morrison.

Right Field-Jake Brandel. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Designated Hitter: Kind of pointless to guess the DH, but here goes-Ben Griffin when he isn't needed at catcher or first.


So to recap

Rotation:
Jake Spillane (completely missed talking about him, didn't I ?)
Kaden Riccommini (sp ?)
Zach Carrell (sp ?)
Nate Freeman

Closer: Peng or Ryder

C:Campagna
1B:Henrickson
2B:Iverson
SS:Arenado
3B:Bermudez
LF:Longrie
CF:Smith
RF:Brandel
DH:Griffin