Bethel finished 2022 with the most wins in program history (35) to go along with earning the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. They also matched their best record in MIAC play at 16-4 in 2022. Bethel athletics photo by Carl Schmuland

By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

The best of Region 9 looks the same as always, a couple WIAC teams and the best of the MIAC. Unlike in other years, the top teams in the MWC - Lawrence and UMAC - Crown are capable of making the leap from regional to World Series participants.

• Preseason D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25
• Preseason D3baseball.com All-American team

UW-Whitewater is always a top team and they have competition in the WIAC as UW-Stevens Point has shown staying power at the top of the conference and national polls. Bethel is the top team in the MIAC and is one of two teams that received votes in the Preseason D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25.

Crown shortstop Seth Betts is the top reason that Crown is a favorite to win the UMAC. Crown athletics photo

Looking for an underdog, you have to look no further than Lawrence as they rampaged through the Midwest Conference last year and have all their key personnel back. Crown also brings back an experienced team so count the Polars when talking about the best of Region 9. Keep your eye on Gustavus. The Gusties have been consistently at the top of the MIAC standings since 2019 and could break out in 2023.

New Faces

Alec Holcomb, Carleton: Carleton has named Holcomb as its new head coach of its baseball program. Holcomb previously served as performance director at Velocity Baseball, a role that he began in 2020. He was also a head coach within the Rochester (Minn.) Pines club program. Holcomb pitched two years at North Dakota State before concluding his collegiate career with a season on the mound for Concordia-St Paul. Holcomb replaces Aaron Rushing who headed the Knights program for 17 season. "I am beyond excited to join such a prestigious college in Carleton," said Holcomb. "Growing up just down I-35 in Owatonna has always made me appreciate Southern Minnesota and has me excited to settle in the awesome community of Northfield."

Robbie Dombrowski, Cornell: Dombrowski is returning to the Midwest Conference as the head coach at Cornell College. Dombrowski, a 2018 St. Norbert College graduate and three-year starting catcher for the Green Knights, comes to the Hilltop following successful NCAA Division I coaching stints at University of Evansville and Central Michigan University. He replaces Seth Wing, Cornell's all-time winningest baseball coach who led the Rams to 177 victories, five MWC Tournament appearances and the program's first NCAA Regional berth (2019) over 11 seasons. "For a young coach, this is an unbelievable opportunity and I can't wait to get started," said Dombrowski, a native of Delafield, Wis. "I can't imagine walking into a better situation with administration who care about the program. The people are passionate about Cornell athletics. The closeness of the campus community is also a big thing for me."

Brooks Repking, Crown: Repking has served as Crown's associate head coach the past two seasons and was elevated to head coach for the 2023 season. As a player, Repking started his playing career at Lakeland before transferring to Crown for his junior and senior year. During his time as a Polar, he served as a team captain and started every game during his two years at Crown, all at first base. "I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity of being the head coach at my alma mater." Repking said, "I want to thank Director of Athletics Mike Vigue, as well as President Denton, for believing in me and Crown Baseball. I look forward to bringing continued success to the program and upholding the tradition Ryan leaves behind."

Finlandia was 4-36 in 2022 and the Lions new head coach will be looking to increase the number of wins in future seasons. Finlandia athletics photo

Luke Paul, Finlandia: Paul has been named head coach of Finlandia, coming from the post of head coach at Jeffers High School (2021-22). Paul is no stranger to the program. He left his name all over the record book during his playing career (2013-16). Paul was a two-time All-Association of Division III Independents selection and the 2016 AD3I Pitcher and Player of the Year. Paul was an assistant coach for the Lions from 2017-20, assisting with the pitchers. In 2018, he was part of the first postseason appearance in program history. "I'm very thankful for the opportunity to lead the Finlandia baseball program," said Paul "I'm thrilled to be back here at Finlandia, and looking forward to working with the team and continuing to build the program."

Eric Ignatowski, Nebraska Wesleyan: Eric Ignatowski has been named the next head coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Ignatowski comes from Millikin University where he served as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Big Blue since 2013. Ignatowski was the head coach for the Park Ridge Padres and Des Plaines Indians in the Metro Collegiate Summer League from 2012-2014, after joining Eureka as an assistant coach in 2011. "I am very excited to become the next head baseball coach at Nebraska Wesleyan," Ignatowski said. "I am excited about the direction and vision Dwight had of not only the baseball program, but the entire athletic department. My family is eager to join the Nebraska Wesleyan family and fan base. I look forward to hitting the ground running and working with some really great players."

Devin Lehnhoff, North Central (Minn.): North Central announced the hiring of Devin Lehnhoff in the summer as NCU's new head coach. With the announcement, Lehnhoff becomes North Central's sixth head coach in program history. Lehnhoff, a former star pitcher for the Rams, who still holds numerous pitching records at his alma mater, is no stranger to helping build excellence into every team he touches. As a player, the Rams experienced their highest single-season winning percentage during Lehnhoff's junior season. His coaching resume is equally as impressive, having most recently worked as an assistant and head JV coach with Bethel. When asked about why a return to leading NCU baseball was a desire, Coach Lehnhoff stated, "I love this school. I love this baseball team. Some of the most pivotal and transformational lessons I have learned came from my time at NCU. I am so incredibly excited to get started with all of our players and recruits as we embark on this journey together."

Key Games

Bethel vs Buena Vista, February 24-26th: Bethel will open their season in Tokeka, Kansas against Buena Vista. Both teams will know after this three game set where their season is going. It will not get easier for either team as they have both scheduled a tough early season. This makes coming out of this series even more important.

UW-Whitewater at Birmingham-Southern, March 20th: This is the toughest game on the Warhawks early schedule. Win this game and they could be headed to Stevens Point riding a 21 game win streak to start the season.

UW-Stevens Point at UW-La Crosse, April 7, 8th: The Pointers will have eight conference games against the weaker teams under their belts and should be making the trip to La Crosse with an 8-0 WIAC record for their first big test of the conference season. The Eagle's also should be entering this four-game weekend series with an identical 8-0 record.

Crown at Bethel, April 20th: Crown takes a break from UMAC conference games and travels to Northfield, Minn. Win or lose, both will be able to even the score or claim bragging rights as best in Minnesota when they play a rematch on May 7th.

UW-Stevens Point at Lawrence, April 27th: By late April both Lawrence and UWSP will both know how their season is going. This single contest will tell each team how ready they are for the level of baseball both are expecting to see about a month later.

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Conference Previews

Evan Taylor was named the ARC Position Player of the Year, the fourth Beaver in program history to earn the honor. Buena Vista athletics photo

American Rivers Conference: Buena Vista (27-14) was the top team for the last two years in the regular season but could not win out in the ARC tournament where the NCAA bid is awarded. A majority of the team is back as well as enough depth to contend for another Championship. The list of returning talent starts with the ARC Player of the Year and Region IX Rookie of the Year, Evan Taylor (.409, 4 HR, 42 RBI). He will spend time as a catcher, outfielder and some first base so his bat can be in the lineup every day. Six seniors or graduate students will join Taylor at the plate including Logan Mueller (.339, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 SB) and Grant Oseka (.313, 5 HR, 38 RBI). Seniors Dalton Glenn (4-1, 4.83 ERA, 71 K) and Mason Gehling (7-2, 5.00 ERA, 56 K) are the top starters. Two way player Calvin Harris (.324, 3 HR, 39 RBI, 0-0, 6 saves, 2.30 ERA, 15 K) is just four saves away from tying the school record (17).

Loras (32-11) wowed the DIII nation opening the season with 16 straight wins that included a landmark 3-1 win over DI Iowa. It was not enough to finish first in the regular season or the conference tournament. The highlight player from last year was Ethan Peters (2-2, 13 saves, 2.89 ERA, 66 K) and he is back for another season and a Loras graduate degree. Peters set the season (13) and program mark (19) in saves last year and finished at the top of the statistical category. Getting to the late innings will be the job for Matt Jeter (4-1, 5.86 ERA, 37 K), Davis Pasco (4-1, 5.05 ERA, 40 K) and Ryan Wohlers (6-4, 4.43 ERA, 61 K). The Duhawks best hitters will be Daniel Rogers (.418, 4 HR, 46 RBI) and Max Cullen (.386, 34 RBI).

Wartburg (25-21) and Coe (22-21) have the most appearnces in the NCAA Playoffs in the last 15 years with six for the Knights and five for the Kohawks. The highwater mark for these programs was a loss in the super-regionals in 2019 for Coe and a World Series berth for Wartburg in 2005. For Coe, 2023 should be another competitive season in the ARC and head coach Steve Cook will use a tough early season non-conference schedule to prepare the Kohaws for the conference games. The TJ's are gone (Deardorff: 2021 All-American, 3x All-Conference and Johnson: 2021 All-American, 3x All-Conference) with junior Tyce Johnson (.265, 11 RBI, 2-3, 4.01 ERA, 29 K) the top two-way player. The offense will have a pair of seniors in Reid Rausch (.278, 6 HR, 24 RBI) and Tyler Elliott (.264, 20 RBI) and junior Creighton Kreshel (.295, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 9 SB) to guide the O. Junior starter Jordan Joselit (2-0, 2.38 ERA, 14 K) will join Johnson in the rotation.

Luther (22-20) and Nebraska Wesleyan (20-21) finished tied for third in 2022 and with Dubuque (21-18) were three of seven ARC teams that finished with 20 wins on the season. The Dubuque Spartans will have a nice mix of newcomers and returners as they chase the rest of the ARC for their first conference title since 2018. The starting outfield is the strength of the program with Parker Allen (.298, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 12 SB), Jake Cekander (.295, 19 RBI) and Colton Pfeifer (.289, 22 RBI) patrolling the outfield grass. The pitching rotation will be all upper classmen with Edward Rosas (3-2, 3.40 ERA, 50 K), Aidan Sullivan (3-3, 1 save, 4.30 ERA, 45 K) and Jake Cekander (3-2, 1 save, 3.51 ERA, 30 K) fronting the rotation.

Simpson (19-20) and Central (16-23) were the cellar dwellers in 2022. Central is one of a few teams in the country without a 5th year player and only two seniors on the projected 2 deep lineup. A couple nice offensive pieces return, highlighted by Colton DeRocher (.365, 8 HR, 50 RBI). If the Rams will make a move up the conference standings the pitching will have to improve. Simpson returns three all-conference players in Brady Held (.398, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 4-0, 2.23 ERA, 84 K), Ty Cowley (.288, 16 RBI) and Trey Castile (4-2, 4.25 ERA, 68 K). Head coach Nathan Roling will look for a number of guys that got their first varsity experience last year to keep growing and provide a deep lineup.

FAVORITE: Buena Vista

Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Bethel (35-11) is well set to repeat their regular season and tournament titles from 2022. They welcome back nine starters on offense and three key pitchers. Last season Matthew Carlsen (.429, 8 HR, 57 RBI, 9 SB) set single-season program records in runs, hits, and RBIs. Justin Winterfeldt (.366, 12 HR, 56 RBI) had a single-season record 20 doubles and 119 total bases. This duo are surrounded by plenty of experience since the Royals feature a line up with four players finishing up their fifth year of eligibility. Marcus Krupke (7-3, 4.45 ERA, 41 K) opens the season with 20 career wins, ranking second in program history. He will be joined by Ty Koehn (5-0, 2.64 ERA, 57 K) and Jordan Krupke (4-0, 2.23 ERA, 24 K) in the rotation with fifth-year senior Blake Williams (5-1, 4 saves, 1.51 ERA, 26 K) waiting in the pen.

Guatavus' chances in 2023 will hinge on whether Jack Hanson can duplicate the success he had in 2022. Guatavus Adolphus athletics photo

Gustavus Adolphus (28-14) finished behind Bethel in the regular season (third) and in the MIAC championship game. What could have been, now becomes what can happen. Jack Hanson (.491, 14 HR, 57 RBI), the reigning Max Molock Player of the Year, and the 2021 award winner, Bryce Novak (.403, 5 HR, 32 RBI) are back on the 2023 roster. Add senior shortstop Gavin Baker (.331, 7 HR, 28 RBI) and you have a solid core that can get the Gusties to the top of the standings. A pair of senior pitchers who earned All-MIAC honors, Lane Glaser (3-0, 3.24 ERA, 25 K) and Andrew Gustafson (3-0, 1.93 ERA, 33 K), also returns.

St. John's (Minn.) (24-17) will also have an experienced team that expects to challenge the team from Northfield Minn. for a MIAC title. Keep an eye on senior Max Nyrop (.359, 7 HR, 37 RBI). He will need 7 homers to match the program record and 21 RBI to set a new career standard for the Johnnies. Look for a trio of juniors, Joe Becker (.303, 5 HR, 32 RBI), Rodney Erickson (.226, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB) and Jack Schleper (.210, 5 HR, 16 RBI), to reach the 100 hits mark in their careers. Top on the mound will be returning pitchers Casey Trapp (5-1, 3.63 ERA, 73 K), Griffin Larson (5-3, 4.36 ERA, 46 K) and Kody Dalen (2-1, 1 save, 4.47 ERA, 50 K).

St. Mary's (Minn.) (18-19) returns a lot of players that gained a ton of experience lst year. In 2022, the starting lineup was mostly freshman or sophomores that had zero experience in a rebuilding year. The line up should now be ready to contend. The senior class has catcher Trevon VanEgtern (.344, 4 HR, 24 RBI), designated hitter Daniel Marxen (.274, 4 HR, 29 RBI) and outfielder Brandon Merfeld (.310, 1 HR, 10 RBI) ready for the 2023 season. The pitching staff will be highlighted by a pair of juniors, starter Addison Houchevar (2-4, 4.09 ERA, 60 K) and reliever Dylan Westcott (0-1, 5 saves, 3.21 ERA, 12 K).

St. Olaf (16-17), St. Scholastica (15-17) and Concordia-Moorhead (15-16) might not get enough wins to crack the top four teams and a spot in the conference tournament. St. Olaf will be young but athletic. Shortstop Matthew Kulesa (.302, 9 RBI, 4 SB) will be the Ole's best player as he anchors the infield. This is a team built for today and tomorrow as there are two returning starters in the senior class. They will need to hit better as they finished dead last in the MIAC in hitting. They did pitch well and have Jacob Fickenscher (2-4, 2.53 ERA, 52 K) and Sam Lavin (0-1, 5.16 ERA, 25 K) in the starting rotation.

The bottom of the conference were occupied by Augsburg (14-25), Hamline (14-25), Macalester (12-21) and Carleton (10-23). The Caleton Knights will be a young team with few experienced players returning. Their biggest loss will be Kiefer Lord (MIAC Pitcher of the Year and All American First team) who transferred to the University of Washington. Hamline will more experienced with 31 players back for another go. They will be able to fold in a dozen newcomers as they try to find the winning combination.

FAVORITE: Bethel

Jacob Charon led a resurgence in the Vikings program. The team was 11 wins better in 2022 from the season before and flipped their conference record from 6-18 in 2021 to 18-6 in 2022. Lawrence athletics photo by Paul Wilke

Midwest Conference: The Cinderella story last year was the emergence of Lawrence (26-13) but that will not be the same storyline in 2023 since they have demonstrated that they have a team that can dominate the MWC and make some playoff magic. In the last seven year, seven different teams have represented the conference in the playoffs but a repeat appearance is in the cards for Lawrence. The Vikings' chances lies with the bat of D3baseball.com preseason All-American Jacob Charon (.400, 20 HR, 61 RBI, 15 SB). The reigning Midwest Conference Player of the Year and 2022 All-American will be surrounded by a pair super sophomores in Parker Knoll (.402, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 35 SB) and Taylor Freeman (.359, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 12 SB). On the mound, returning All-Region Quinn Berglin (6-2, 2.29 ERA, 55 K) will be joined by senior Michael Duttlinger (4-2, 3.59 ERA, 33 K) in the starting rotation with Richie LaCien (1-0, 6 saves, 6.00 ERA, 26 K) in the pen.

When Chicago (23-16) joined the Midwest Conference, they were expected to dominate but so far the Maroons have no NCAA Playoff appearances and only one regular season title, in 2019, their first year in the league. We go to the well once again expecting another stellar season for Chicago. With a couple All-MWC seniors that should be gone, the offense should be led by second baseman Noah Nelson (.359, 1 HR, 26 RBI) who gained second team All-MWC status in 2022. Pitching will be a strength for the Maroons. Dylan White (4-2, 2.89 ERA, 48 K) and Drew Bryan (2-2, 4.79 ERA, 52 K) are back in 2023.

Ripon (20-23) has the most appearances in the NCAA playoffs in the last 15 years but none since winning the conference tournament in 2015. Pitching will be a strength entering the season. On offense Ripon will need some time to mature as there is potential with the right players waiting for their opportunity. Brock Warren (.297, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 3-2, 4.91 ERA, 51 K) was a solid #1 last year and only got better over the summer. He will be counted on for more offensive production and has the ability to carry that load on his shoulders. Joining Warren in the rotation are a couple more stars in Mitchell Lukasik (6-1, 3.62 ERA, 48 K) and Mauricio Villegas (3-1, 1 save, 3.30 ERA, 32 K). Keep an eye on senior Cormac Madigan (.349, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 16 SB) too be asked to provide some punch in the lineup.

The rest of the Midwest consists of Illinois College (17-24), Cornell (17-23), Beloit (16-23), Monmouth (14-25), Grinnell (14-21), Knox (08-27). Every one, except Grinnell has had at least one tournament win in the last 15 full seasons but with the strength at the top of the conference, it is unlikely that the Pioneers' will change their fortunes in 2023. Grinnell brings a core of sophomores that will have top senior leadership in 1B Luke Porter (.306, 5 HR, 29 RBI) and DH Ian Brown (.412, 7 HR, 30 RBI). Sophomore Ian Feld (3-2, 4.72 ERA, 39 K) and junior Garrett Nasif (4-3, 4.83 ERA, 51 K) are the top returning pitchers.

FAVORITE: Lawrence

Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Crown (30-15) returns a bulk of their 2022 Conference Championship team with 12 new players to the program. The Polars will have more depth and talent in 2023 than 2022 and will be a premier offense in the country. They will be led by the top shortstop in the country in Seth Betts (.450, 12 HR, 46 RBI, 42 SB). The offense will not be a one man show with Mason Brock (.339, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 18 SB) returning and the addition of transfers from Concordia-Chicago (Howard Hatton: .357, 1 HR, 15 RBI) and Washington College (Cael Magill: .374, 38 R, 8 2B). If pitching stays healthy for Crown, 2023 will be a special year.

Northwestern (Minn.) (24-14) and Minnesota-Morris (22-14) finished behind Crown. Northwestern has Bryce Crabb (.322, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 9-2, 3.00 ERA, 67K) and Ben Spores (.384, 4 HR, 33 RBI) returning but the core that produced ir35 win season is mostly gone. Minn-Morris set a program wins record last year and while they saw some key seniors graduate, they return eight positional starters and all of the starting pitching. Shortstop Alex Baumann (.436, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 14 SB) will own virtually every individual offensive record in our school's history once he finishes playing. Behind Baumann at the plate are a sign that the program has room to grow upward with sophomores Ty Beasley, (.375, 1 HR, 19 RBI) and David Steffen (.333, 2 HR, 24 RBI). A solid pitching staff will be with the Cougars for 2-3 years with Jacob Schaaf (5-0, 3.50 ERA, 35 K) and Cole Mammenga (3-3, 3.57 ERA, 26 K) still early in their college careers.

Junior Liam Peterson will be holding down the hot corner for the BLC Vikings in 2023. Bethany Lutheran athletics photo

If Northwestern keeps sliding both UW-Superior (19-21) and Bethany Lutheran (19-15) may find themselves in tournament contention and a shot at the free pass into the NCAA Playoffs in May. The Vikings of Betheny Lutheran will find themselves rebuilding after a few key arms and bats are gone from last year. A big recruiting class is here and if there are players who are ready at the get-go, BLC will finish high up the standings. Junior Liam Peterson (.350, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 22 SB) is their top player and will have to be a leader on and off the field.

North Central (Minn.) (07-18), Northland (05-28) and Martin Luther (03-28) did not find the win column as much as the rest of the conference, finishing well off the pace in the UMAC. North Central's first task to introduce themselves with the first year of a new staff and many new faces on the roster. With the largest roster in program history at 25. NCU is looking to build and gain experience this season. The best returning player for the Rams is Kyle Huerth (.329, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 17 SB).

FAVORITE: Crown

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference:

When you lose talent like Aaron Simmons, Lucas Luedtke and Caleb Krommenakker getting back to the World Series sounds like a stretch but UW-Stevens Point (42-10) has depth to fill these holes. Seniors Payton Nelson (.350, 10 HR, 54 RBI, 16 SB) and Bradley Comer (.341, 10 HR, 57 RBI, 12 SB) are back but the there are more top offensive players like Anthony Tomczak (.379, 4 HR, 25 RBI) and Logan Matson (.306, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 13 SB) who will augment the senior production. Casey Pickering (6-1, 4.82 ERA 49 K) is the top starter but the strength of the pitching is in the relief corps. Six players registered a save with junior Sidney Ferry (6-0, 6 saves, 1.82 ERA, 47 K) the best of the lot. Look for this team to host the WIAC tournament and make a strong run in the NCAA playoffs.

UW-Whitewater (36-11) finished as the top pitching team in the WIAC but saw pitchers that started 41 of the Warhawks 46 games graduate. Junior Cade Berendt (7-1, 3.79 ERA, 75 K) is the only returning starter with more than one start in 2022. This is a team that will have to score runs and good news UWW fans, the offense that led the WIAC is mostly back. Heading an offense with few holes in the 1-9 line up are seniors Sam Vomhof (.379, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 12 SB) and Nick Paget (.346, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 13 SB). Matt Scolan (.343, 7 HR, 45 RBI) and Matt Korman (.327, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 11 SB) are the top power hitters back. If the pitching comes around, UWW could find themselves atop the WIAC come May.

UW-Oshkosh (24-19) and UW-LaCrosse (24-18) will both be in the hunt for a conference title with the UW-La Crosse Eagles having the best chance to make a splash in the WIAC and in the national picture. The offensive line up is a strength with more power throughout than the Eagles have had in a long time. Mac Born (.372, 16 HR, 67 RBI) is the top bopper and should easily set career program records in home runs and RBIs this season. Jack Olver (.429, 7 HR, 43 RBI) and George Seaman (.298, 7 HR, 22 RBI) will also contribute power to the lineup, each hitting seven home runs apiece in their freshman campaign. This offense will be needed as the pitching staff registered a 5.74 ERA. Senior Brady Schmitt (4-2, 4.33 ERA, 54 K) is their best pitcher with a trio of juniors to fill out the starting rotation with junior Caleb Matl (5-3, 4 saves, 5.56 ERA, 54 K) waiting in the pen.

UW-Stout (21-19) missed the WIAC tournament after going 2-14 against the tournament teams. They will need to clean this up to get back to the end of the season tournament. UW-Eau Claire (14-26), UW-Platteville (13-22) and Finlandia (04-36) finished well out of the running. This should be a breakout year for the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds. In their third year as a program, everyone is back with 20 new players to add to the depth. Nate Witte (.389, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 29 SB) is their best player at the plate and with the glove.

FAVORITE: UW-Stevens Point