FMU Adds Transfers to 2010 Baseball Squad
FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University baseball coach
Art Inabinet has announced the addition of a pair of transfers to
the Patriot baseball program: senior catcher Logan Bland of
Charleston and junior infielder and right-handed pitcher Tyler
Cappelmann of Sumter.
Bland, 6-0 205 pounds, is a transfer from Western Carolina
University. This past season, he batted .205 with five doubles, one
home run, and 13 runs batted in. He played in 31 games and made 19
starts, including 15 behind the plate and four as the designated
hitter.
Behind the plate, he threw out six of 34 runners attempting to
steal and posted a .973 fielding percentage.
Bland played two seasons at Spartanburg Methodist College before
going to WCU. As a sophomore at SMC, he batted .347 with nine
doubles, 14 home runs, and 44 RBIs while earning second-team
All-Region X honors. He was a first-team All-Region X selection as
a freshman after he hit .340 with nine doubles, seven homers, and
37 RBIs and helped lead the Pioneers to a third-place finish at the
2007 NJCAA World Series.
He played for the Forest City Owls of the Coastal Plain League
during the summer of 2008.
He is a product of Bishop England High School, and also played for
the South Carolina Diamond Devils traveling team for four
years.
Cappelmann, 5-10 180-pounds, is transferring from USC Sumter, where
he played two seasons.
This spring, he batted .256 with 21 runs scored, two doubles, and
14 RBIs, while helping the Fire Ants to a 52-11 record, the Region
X regular-season championship, and a spot in the NJCAA Eastern
District Regional Tournament. He also compiled a .336 on-base
percentage and a .952 fielding percentage, while leading his team
with 96 fielding assists.
On the pitching mound, he was 2-0 with four saves and a 3.21 earned
run average. He averaged more than one strikeout per inning
pitched.
As a freshman, he hit .342 with 15 RBIs, and was 0-1 with a 4.36
ERA.
He is a graduate of Sumter High School, where he played for coach
Brooks Shumake. He was the 2006 AAAA Player of the Year and
participated in the North-South All-Star Game.
He also played for the Sumter P-15’s American Legion
squad.
“Bland is a big strong receiver,” said Inabinet.
“He throws well, has the potential to hit for power, and
should challenger for the No. 1 catching spot.
“Cappelmann is a very good defensive middle infielder. He can
also throw from the mound and should see innings out of the Patriot
bullpen.”
The two will join three freshmen signees who were previously
announced: right-handed pitchers Don Sandifer of Bamberg and Will
Smith of Blythewood and outfielder Dalton Gress of Aiken.
Francis Marion loses four seniors off last year’s 38-15-1
squad that finished second during the Peach Belt Conference regular
season, won the PBC Tournament title, and earned its fourth NCAA
Division II national tournament bid in the past seven years,
placing third at the Southeast Regional. The Patriots were ranked
14th in the end-of-the-season Collegiate Baseball Magazine NCAA
Division II Top 30 poll.