Kandler confident as GC readies for opener

PANAMA CITY — Season projections are difficult at any level. Exponentially so for junior college teams because of the transient nature of the roster.

The performances of athletes are judged by one season of competition, or in many cases from their potential coming out of high school. It’s not as if they have been in the program three, four or in some cases five years.

With that in mind, Gulf Coast baseball coach Mike Kandler said last week that the pieces are in place for a successful season, the Commodores coming off a 40-14 finish and fourth place in the 2014 state tournament.

“If everybody plays like they’re capable of playing,” Kandler qualified.

And that’s a pretty big if.

Even so, Kandler sounded confident the Commodores can pitch, and are as deep on the mound as they’ve been during his nine-year tenure.

They can field, hit, play small-ball if necessary. This team might not be as physically imposing as some Kandler has fielded, so he said that power numbers might not be impressive.

Yet overall, Gulf Coast has a chance to be pretty darned good.

“We’ve got a lot of good players,” Kandler said. “We have shot to be a really good team.”

It starts with a pitching rotation that in the beginning should be headed by returning starters Matt Foster (7-3, 2.09) and West Covington (10-3, 2.74). University of Virginia transfer Adam Bleday also is expected to be a mainstay.

Port St. Joe graduate Austin Howze finally should be healthy enough to challenge for a starting berth, and a number of other pitchers will get spot starts, at least during the nonconference portion of the schedule.

Based off fall season performances, freshmen Ben Wilford and Deviner McCray appear to be vying for the role of closer. Kandler was quick to inject a number of other pitchers into a group competing for innings. They include Nick Nelson of Rutherford, Austin Bizzle of Mosley, Jake Thomas and Adam Goff. That list is by no means complete.

The staff has progressed to the point that Kandler would like to use sophomore Cameron Ragsdale solely behind the plate. Ragsdale was 9-0 last season on the mound with a 2.40 ERA.

“We’re hoping to limit his pitching in fairness to him,” Kandler said, Ragsdale possibly a better prospect at catcher for the next level. “He’s so good behind the plate, and obviously he knows pitchers because he is one.”

Max Bartlett (.289) returns at shortstop to provide stability for the infield. Freshman Wesley Roberson is projected at second base and Christian Williams (.398, 32 RBIs) at third. Nelson could play at first is he’s not being used at designated hitter, as Kandler has some options with the starting lineup. One of them is freshman infielder Jon Bennett, also mentioned as a DH.

Kandler said that five outfielders “are about equal.” They include Trevor Davis (.351. 38). Woody Edwards (.336, 26 stolen bases) and freshman Bowen McGuffin of Mosley.

“(Dondrayas) Harris could start,” Kandler said of the Rutherford grad who hit .229 as a freshman.

The Commodores open Friday with two games at Bill Frazier Field. They entertain Darton State at 10 a.m., then host Gordon State at 5:30 p.m. They play the same schools on Saturday at the same times for a four-game series to initiate the schedule.

Gulf Coast will play about 30 games to give Kandler time to mold a cohesive ballclub by the time the Panhandle Conference schedule opens March 18.

“The first thing you look for is can they compete in real games, so you want as good of competition as you can get,” Kandler said. “Then find out what combinations work against what. It’s not always the same. Then you try and establish your depth.

“You realize that the best laid plans of mice and men do not happen. The more you can expose them to …We’ll see teams that play little ball, physical teams. They’ll see a little bit of everything so we can see how they react to different situations.”

Kandler said that earlier in his career he might have been more concerned about winning every game than concentrating on the bigger picture.

“What we really need is everybody to play as good as they can play,” he said. “That they all play up to their ability level.

“If they do, then I think we’ll be in the thick of it.”

Some of that factors in the contribution of freshmen, which always is key on the junior college level. Patience, especially on the part of the coaching staff, is critical.

“You can’t expect things. You can’t just demand them and they happen,” Kandler said. “You have to give young players a chance to settle in. Not everything has to be blown up.”

“If (freshmen) all stand around like deer in the headlights we’re not going anywhere. The advantage is, you’re getting to play here instead of being at a four-year school and maybe having to sit around and watch.”

Ranie signs

Kandler said his recruitment of Wewahitchka’s Rashard Ranie took longer than most.

Since Ranie was a seventh-grader tagging along with his brother to a GCCC camp.

On that day, Kandler said, he observed a rambunctious youngster who made up for any drawbacks with the sure signs of pure athletic ability.

“You could see he was going to be a real athlete,” Kandler said.

Ranie signed a baseball scholarship last week in front of a couple hundred of his closest friends at Wewahitchka Jr./Sr. High School.

“Five-tool gets tossed around a lot, but he can do just about everything,” Kandler said. “Plus he is a good kid, comes from a good home, comes from a good family.

“He is a great athlete. He is perfect for the middle infield, but he is so valuable because he can play just about anywhere.”

For the Gators, Ranie primarily has played shortstop while hitting for average (near .350 as a junior) and power (seven home runs).

For Ranie, Gulf Coast and baseball were fairly easy choices. He said he considered Pensacola and Tallahassee junior colleges, but Gulf Coast was the right fit.

“Gulf Coast sounded good and I like the school, the coaching and the program,” Ranie said. “I’d like to spend two years there and then transfer to a (NCAA) Division I school.” — Tim Croft