Fans of Washington State baseball need to look beyond the 23-19 record for the Cougars this season.

Head Coach Donnie Marbut has thus far used this season to perfection, building the foundation of what will become a dominant Pac-12 program in coming years.

With 16 true freshmen and 70 percent of the roster being underclassmen by eligibility standards, the expectations for this season weren’t to win a Pac-12 title. The goal this season was to get each of the 16 true freshmen considerable game experience so that next season the team can take the next step in becoming one of the best, if not the best, in the conference.

Freshman outfielder Wes Hatten, who is expected to be one of the leaders for the Cougars moving forward, has his college career off to a strong start. Appearing in 37 of WSU’s 42 games, Hatten has a .284 batting average, 33 hits and a .362 slugging percentage. He’s also incredibly been solid in the field, boasting a .967 fielding percentage.

Accompanying Hatten in the outfield will be Derek Chapman, Wes Leow and Daniel Fredrickson, three freshmen who have played sparingly this season but are expected to take significant strides next year.

Freshman third baseman Shane Matheny had the hot corner locked down before this season started. While the product of Bremerton’s Olympia High School has taken his share of bumps and lumps this season, his character is the beacon of light to point to for the doubters.

Matheny has started all 42 games this season, the only player to do so. He currently ranks second on the team in hits (34) and doubles (9), and is third in RBIs(16). His .239 batting average is something that needs to and will come up next season. But overall, Matheny has passed the trial by fire test this season.

The man often playing across from Matheny, freshman first baseman Tyler McDowell, has experienced the same roller coaster that Matheny has this season. Appearing as a starting pitcher, relief pitcher, designated hitter and first baseman, McDowell certainly got his feet wet this season.

At the plate, McDowell currently holds a .237 batting average with 19 hits and 10 RBIs. Nothing that screams future superstar, that is if you’re blindly judging him based off those stats. But his .976 fielding percentage along with his athleticism, which won’t show up on any stat sheet, are what matter most about McDowell.

Much like the rest of the freshmen, the stats they put up this season are to be brushed aside and used solely as a learning tool to better themselves moving forward.

When it comes to the pitching staff, seniors Sean Hartnett and Joe Pistorese have carried the load this season with 22 combined starts. Freshman right hander Nick Leonard has the next closest amount of starts with seven. While some might view it as a concern heading into next season, I don’t.

Marbut has an ample amount of arms at his disposal. As is key with any young pitcher, he didn’t burn out any of his freshmen or sophomores this season. Freshmen south-paw Scotty Sunitsch and right-hander Ryan Walker were the only two underclassmen to throw 30 or more innings this season. No other freshman even came close to that number.

WSU accomplished its mission this season. Hatten, Matheny, McDowell and Sunitsch are the four horsemen to carry the Cougars over the next four years, culminating in at least one Pac-12 title.

Lars Hanson is a sophomore communication major from Seattle. He can be contacted at 335-1140 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this TYPE are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of the Office of Student Media.