INDIANAPOLIS – Butler returns two student-athletes to their infield in 2020. Three-year starter Zach Jarosz will stake his claim to the shortstop position at the start of the season and Brody McGrath will likely move from third base over to second base for BU in 2020.
 
Behind the Plate
Duncan Hewitt will return to the lineup for Butler in 2020, after missing 37 games due to injury last year. Schrage likes having an experienced player behind the plate for the Bulldogs.
 
"Duncan was hitting .330 for us before he got hurt last year," Schrage stated. "He's coming off a knee injury, but we know he put in the work over the off-season and will be ready to go. As a redshirt-junior, he is a leader on this team. He brings lots of experience to our dugout and we think he is going to have a big year."
 
Other options for Butler behind the plate include Garrett Gray and Jacob Wendel, two left-handers that give BU adequate depth at that position. Another player to keep an eye on is Kollyn All. The sophomore is competing for playing time at third base, behind the plate and at designated hitter.
 
Third Base
A flexible roster will give Butler options at third base. Schrage thinks freshman Nick Kosmetatos can win that position battle heading into the season opener.
 
"Kosmetatos has a great glove at third base," Schrage added. "He was PBR's (Prep Baseball Report) number-one ranked third basemen coming out of the state of Illinois. Every freshman can go through ups and downs, but this is a guy that earned multiple accolades throughout his high school career and we think he is ready to play for us."
 
Senior Brody McGrath and sophomore Kollyn All will also be in the mix as a corner infielder. McGrath played primarily at third base for Butler in 2019, but is slated to see action at second base this year. All gives BU power at the plate. He posted a .310 slugging percentage as a freshman and a .909 fielding percentage.
 
Shortstop
Bulldog fans will see a familiar face at shortstop to start the 2020 campaign. Senior Zach Jarosz has played in 151 games at Butler, starting in 144. Schrage is also high on incoming freshman Jonah Wichman. A switch hitter with a great arm, Wichman comes to campus from Columbus East High School.
 
Second Base
Brody McGrath has the ability to move around in the Butler infield. For the 2020 season, Schrage likes him at second base with Maison Stites backing him up. McGrath started in 50 games for BU last year and held a .228 batting average. He reached base safely in 26-straight games for BU and was great defensively as well with 95 assists and 50 put-outs. Stites played in 25 games with eight starts.
 
First base
Depth will not be an issue at first base despite Butler being without Connor Christman this year (injury). Andy Bennett is penciled in as the starter for opening day.
 
"I think Bennett is one of the best hitters in our program," Schrage said. "With him, it's about being healthy. If he's out there, he helps us."
 
Nathan Dill and Lukas Galdoni are other options over at first. Dill give BU a right-handed bat and a strong glove in the field. Galdoni is a 6-4 freshman with power. He may fill in at designated hitter for Butler as well.
 
Designated Hitter
The DH spot can be split up between Robbie McCargar, Kollyn All and Lukas Galdoni. McCargar saw lots of time in this role as a sophomore. He played in 45 games, making 33 starts. The right hander hit .260 with 34 hits. 14 of those hits went for extra bases allowing him to end the year with 18 RBI.
 
All showed that he had some power at the plate with three doubles and a triple during his freshman season. Much like All, Galdoni has power at the plate and can also help the team in multiple ways. He may also appear in the BU bullpen this season.