Slugging Shehan leads Georgia Southern’s potent offense

Chris Shehan and his Georgia Southern teammates shake their heads when they think about what their potent offense is doing this season.

“It’s been really exciting,” the Eagles’ junior outfielder said. “From the opening game until now, there’s really nowhere for other pitchers to go in the lineup.”

That’s for sure. The Eagles (26-18) rank first among Division I teams in hits (582) and total bases (993), and were in the top three in batting average (.349), runs (464), homers (89), slugging percentage (.596) and on-base percentage (.440).

“We’re just so loaded throughout the lineup and it makes it really exciting for every single one of us because they can’t afford to make mistakes with any of us,” Shehan said.

Georgia Southern has been shut out just once this season, a 1-0 loss at Georgia Tech in the fifth game of the season. The Eagles have scored in double digits 24 times, going 23-1 in those games.

“As a team, you don’t feel you’re ever out of a game,” said coach Rodney Hennon, who recently earned his 400th victory. “You always feel you’ve got a chance.”

Georgia Southern also made NCAA history in March when the Eagles hit 14 home runs, a record for all divisions, in a 26-8 victory over Columbia in March. Shehan and Griffin Benedict, the son of former big league catcher Bruce Benedict, hit two each.

“One thing that has been a big part of our success is that we’ve had a lot of different guys contribute from top to bottom,” Hennon said, “but I think it kind of all starts with Chris.”

The native of Strasburg, Pa., has been one of the country’s most impressive hitters. He ranks among the national leaders in several offensive categories, hitting .436 with 15 homers, 57 RBIs and 66 runs scored. Shehan, whose brother, Jon, played in the Braves organization, also has walked 41 times and is 20-for-21 in stolen bases.

“I’ve told people it’s no coincidence that he’s had a big year,” Hennon said. “He’s always working to make himself a better player. The thing he has done a great job of this year is he has been very disciplined at the plate. When people have tried to pitch around him, he has been very unselfish and hasn’t gotten himself out.”

Shehan has been a major contributor for the Eagles since his freshman season, when he earned the starting job at third base and hit .350 with two homers and 33 RBIs. Hennon moved Shehan to the outfield late last season because they needed help there—and because Shehan struggled a bit defensively at third base.

“Coach Hennon mentioned to me that he thought I seemed more comfortable in the box after he moved me to the outfield,” said Shehan, who hit .341 with 10 homers and 50 RBIs last season. “If I made an error at third base, I think it just kind of carried over to my next at-bat. Playing in the outfield helped me relax.”

He played the outfield all last summer in the New England Collegiate League and has played mostly right field this season.

“He’s had to adjust playing out there a little bit, but he’s very athletic, has a very strong arm and runs well, so he can do some things,” Hennon said. “I think he’s a natural out there. That’s the one good thing about Chris, if we need to move back to third, he still has the natural ability to do the job.”

And Shehan and his teammates are doing serious work at the plate. Eight starters are hitting over .300, including Shehan, Wright (.407, 14, 40), Benedict (.368, 10, 61), David Richardson (.392, 7, 36), Phillip Porter (.394, 7, 35), A.J. Wirnsberger (.311, 16, 54), Jeremy Beckham (.339, 17 RBIs, 23 stolen bases) and Jeremiah Parker (.305, 8, 46).

On that record-breaking afternoon against Columbia, 12 players homered and five of the shots came in the eighth inning, including consecutive pinch-hit homers by Roman Grimaldi, Richardson and Chris Banker.

“It was pretty amazing to see,” Hennon said. “It all kind of happened so quick, and I wasn’t really even thinking about any records, but I knew we hit a lot.”

Richardson achieved a rare feat on March 28 by hitting for the cycle with hits in four consecutive innings in a 15-9 victory at the College of Charleston. Not to be outdone, Ty Wright matched Richardson by also hitting for the cycle in consecutive innings in the Eagles’ 19-12 win over Wofford on Sunday.

“It’s unbelievable,” Shehan said. “You just sit back and watch everybody else just mow over pitchers in some games. It doesn’t matter who you bring in offensively, everybody has confidence in them that they’re going to get the job done