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| No. 5 Heidelberg will have some tough competition as they strive to return to the D-III World Series. Photo by Heidelberg athletics |
by Jim Dixon
D3sports.com
Heidelberg was more than Student Princes in 2019, they were kings of the Mideast. Top ranked this preseason; we could see their style of play in Cedar Rapids at the end of the D-III season. It will not be easy as there are a lot of teams who wish to dethrone the king.
The NCAC provides the two top challengers in Denison and Wooster. Both teams are loaded with talent and have regional champs and World Series winner on their list of expectations.
Adrian will field another quality team and has more playoff appearances in the last decade as any team in the Mideast classification region. Add Washington and Jefferson to the list of title contenders as they look to replicate the success that had in 2017.
Baldwin Wallace, Franklin, and Hope have garnered national attention but their path to Iowa will be difficult with a region that is stacked with top teams.
New Faces
DJ Cannon, Chatham: Cannon previously served as a pitching coach for the Division II Seton Hill Griffins in Greensburg, PA after playing there himself as an undergraduate. Cannon transitioned from the mound to the bench in 2013 taking over the duties of pitching coach for the Griffins. The righthander had significant success for the Griffins from 2008-12 winning 12 games over the span of 159 innings.
Rick Carver, Franciscan: Carver became the head coach for the newly revitalized baseball program at Franciscan last year in preparation to take the field in 2020. Carver joins Franciscan after a prolific 29-year career at nearby Bethany. "I am honored to be the new head baseball coach at Franciscan," remarked Carter. "I would like to thank the search committee and athletic director Mike Holmes for entrusting me to build a faith-based, first-class program from the ground up."
Sean Lubin, La Roche: La Rocher assistant Coach Sean Lubin will step in as the team’s interim head coach for the 2019-20 season following the departure of Chase Rowe. Rowe is headed to a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Lubin, a former AMCC All-Conference Selection, graduated from La Roche in 2015 and has served as an assistant under Rowe for the past four seasons.
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| Patrick Riley got his chance to be the head coach of Westminster (Pa.) when Kelly Swiney accepted the same position at Mary Washington. Photo by Westminister athletics |
Patrick Riley, Westminster (Pa.): Riley was the assistant coach for the Titans the past two seasons. Recently, he was the head coach of the North Fork Ospreys in the Hamptons Collegiate League this past summer. Riley replaces Kelly Swiney, who stepped down after two seasons to pursue another head coaching position. "I would like to thank Director of Athletics Jim Dafler and President Dr. Kathy B. Richardson for this great opportunity," Riley said. "I'm extremely excited about the future direction and vision of both the College and athletic department. I feel incredibly fortunate to become the next head baseball coach at Westminster College."
Games to Watch in 2020
February 28th: Franklin and Baldwin Wallace meet in an early non-conference tilt that may loom large when the committee meets to give out at-large bids.
March 9th-13th: Washington and Jefferson will play a four-game set in Florida facing top teams in three regions (St. Scholastica, Washington Univ., Wheaton (Mass.), and Webster).
April 4th: In the back end of a home-home series with Hope, Adrian could take control of the MIAA race but a series win for Hope will put the Dutchmen in early control for a conference title.
April 14th: A doubleheader at Denison's home field with Wooster is a NCAC contest that is circled on both team's schedule.
April 26th: Wooster and Heidelberg go head-to-head in a late season game with the winner getting a key in-region win.
Conference Previews
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference: La Roche (30-15) will be under interim head coach Sean Lubin now that Chase Rowe has left to test the coaching waters in the professional ranks. The new head coach will know what kind of team he has with exhibition games with Washington and Jefferson and the season opener at Baldwin Wallace. Gone are their top offensive players with none of the their everyday starters from the first team All-AMCC squad on the 2020 roster. Pitching will continue as a strength of the program with starter Tre Thomas (1.71 ERA, 4-1, 53K) and reliever Jake Seymour (3.32 ERA, 3-2, 1 SV, 44K) back for their senior season.
Mount Aloysius (27-16) head coach Kevin Kime guided his team to an increase of 17 wins in 2019 and was rewarded with top AMCC coaching honors. Kime has a solid core in the infield with All-AMCC honors now in their roster bios. Second baseman Jeremy Iellimo (.323, 44 R, 27 RBI), and third baseman Nick Belka (.278, 34 R, 30 RBI) will be key in continuing the resurgence of the Mounties program.
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| Senior team captain Chase Clouser has excelled both on the field and the classroom for the Penn-State Altoona Lions. Photo by Penn State-Altoona athletics |
After losing to La Roche in last year’s championship game, expectations for Penn State-Altoona (28-17) be the highest they have been in some time. Only one starter from lasts year's team is gone with six starters this season who will be four-year starters. The pitching staff should be much stronger with Zane Leister (4.39 ERA, 5-3, 25K) and Clay Hain (5.08, 3-1, 30K) toeing the rubber. Keep an eye on outfielder Chase Clouser (.316, 34 R, 39 10 SB) who has a rare combo of speed and power,
Penn State-Behrend (24-17) is rebuilding in 2020 with 17 first year players given the opportunity to compete for starting positions. If several juniors and seniors this year can step up and take advantage of opportunities, the Lions could find themselves in the title race. With the need for upper classmen leadership, it is a pair of sophomores that are players to watch on the Behrend team. First baseman Joshua Wagner (.335, 23 R, 51 RBI) is a potential Player of the Year winner and 2019 AMCC Rookie of the Year Thomas Zbezinski (4.26 ERA, 7-2, 51K) could find himself with pitching honors.
Alfred State (20-21) and Pitt-Greensburg (14-21) were the final two teams in the AMCC postseason but joined Pitt-Bradford (16-14), Hilbert (8-26), Medaille (6-22), D'Youville (2-27) out of the final round of the AMCC tournament after the favorites all won in the first round. Hilbert is had the lead in many games last year but was unable to convert the leads into wins. With seven everyday starters and three pitchers returning in 2020, Hilbert be more competitive in 2020.
Favorite: Penn State-Altoona
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference: Rose-Hulman (27-12) last made the NCAA regional playoffs on 2016 and a return is high on their list of expectations. Senior Luke Buehler was named HCAC Pitcher of the Year in 2019 after finishing the season with a 7-1 record and a 1.88 ERA and is back for another year. Joining Buehler in the starting lineup is Clayton Mayfield (5.40 ERA, 5-1, 38K) giving the Engineers a potent lefty-righty combination at the top of the rotation. Featuring speed over power in the everyday lineup in 2019, expect the same in 2020.
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| Ryan Bixler batted .300 with four extra-base hits as Franklin fell one win short of winning the Seguin Regional in 2019. Photo by Franklin athletics |
Franklin (31-15) lost out to the Engineers in the regular season but swept them in the HCAC tournament and fell one-win shy of making the super-regional round in 2019. The Grizzlies will be looking for the three-peat as the two-time defending tournament champions take the field in 2020. Ryan Bixler (.307, 52 R, 55 RBI) headlines a solid senior class that won 30 or more games in the last two seasons. In just two years, Bixler has moved into a tie for third place for most home runs in a career with 25, just four behind former teammate Frank Podkul's program record. While the offense is solid, Franklin will need to replace six seniors who accounted for 26 wins on the 2019 season.
Anderson (21-16) will have a skilled team with maturity. Junior utility player Joe Moran (.362, 27 R, 25 RBI, 20 SB, 3.20 ERA, 7-1, 66K) is part of a group of 25 upperclassmen that will suit up for the Ravens. Joining the 2019 HCAC MVP in the everyday lineup is infielder Nick Jones (.261, 20 R, 25 RBI) and outfielder Thomas Parker (,277, 36 R, 23 RBI). Following the season, Moran will head out to the Cape Cod League where he will play for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.
Defiance (23-16-1) will have to start the season with inexperienced position players but return some experience on the mound. Cohen Nies (3.26 ERA 5-4, 1 SV, 75K), a starting pitcher who competes, always gives the Yellow Jackets a chance to win. The offense will have to manufacture runs to get Nies and the rest of the pitcher wins.
Bluffton (18-21) is the best of the rest. The Beavers suffered through an injury plagued year but the depth created by so many injuries should bring benefits in 2020. With four quality starters, early leads might be in the offering but the bullpen will need to come along quickly to convert leads into wins if the playoffs are to be reached.
Favorite: Rose-Hulman
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association: No. 15 Adrian (37-9) has another tough early season schedule with the likes of Mideast rivals Denison, Wooster, Heidelberg, and Baldwin Wallace. These early regionally tough opponents will get the Bulldogs ready for the MIAA schedule. Adrian has one of the league’s best catchers in D3baseball.com preseason All-American Gunner Rainey (.411, 50 RBI). Shortstop Thomas Miller (.382, 49 R, 50 RBI) is one of five more position starters returning and among four All-MIAA standouts from 2019. Pitching may be the Bulldogs' best weapon with a corps featuring 2019 MIAA Pitcher of the Year and D3baseball.com Mideast Rookie of the Year Max Denny (2.10 ERA, 9-0, 55K).
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| Mason Opple will set the career record for RBIs with his next RBI. He is currently tied with Mike VanBeek with 119. Photo by Hope athletics |
Hope (31-11) is coming off a record-breaking 2019 season where the Flying Dutchmen set a school record for victories in a single season with 31 and a second-place finish in the MIAA. Led by head coach Stu Fritz, Hope topped the list of teams also receiving votes in the poll that finished outside the top 40 who were ranked. The Flying Dutchmen are slated to return All-Region and All-MIAA outfielder Mason Opple (.369, 38 R, 48 RBI), All-MIAA center fielder Evan Maday (.351, 41 R, 27 RBI) and All-MIAA catcher Trace Slancik (.371, 35 R, 42 RB).
Albion (22-20) will come in 2020 with an improved pitching staff filled with freshmen and sophomores. Defense and offense will both be strong once again this season with the majority of starters being returnees but a decision needs to be made on which freshman prospect will fill the hole at shortstop. Kalamazoo (15-22) will also be young, but in a good way. Most of the talent is in the sophomore class and after a learning curve year with 22 freshmen, there is potential for the Hornets to be a solid team.
Favorite: Adrian
North Coast Athletic Conference: No. 10 Wooster (30-15) starts the season with a pair of first-team D3baseball.com Preseason All-Americans, designated hitter Dan Harwood (.424, 53 R, 48 RBI) and second baseman Harry Witwer-Dukes (.390, 45 R, 56 RBI). Wooster, which won an unprecedented fourth straight NCAC title last year, and has a league-leading 19 championships. Juniors Evan Faxon (2.63 ERA, 7-2, 41K) and Andrew Hill (4.39 ERA, 3-3, 65K) will head the Scots' pitching staff.
Wooster will have plenty of competition for the top spot with No 12 Denison (39-9). The Big Red return eight of nine starters and three starting pitchers from a school-record 39-win team in 2019. Shortstop Max Lahn (.439, 53 R, 38 RBI) and third baseman Brian McAuliffe (.329, 38 R, 48 RBI), both D3baseball.com preseason All-Americans, and first baseman Will Krushna (.374, 46 R, 69 RBI) highlight the returning offense. On the mound, junior Taylor Perrett (3.52 ERA, 5-2, 51K), sophomore Will McManaman (3.36 ERA, 6-1, 55K), and sophomore Kenny Lippman (4.27 ERA, 3-1, 24K) will be toeing the rubber.
Allegheny (22-17) and Wabash (21-19) made the 2019 NCAC playoffs but there is a big difference between the top two and bottom two teams. Allegheny and Wabash ended up 1-4 in the four-team tournament and the same is expected for the teams that qualify third and fourth this year. Ohio Wesleyan (15-22-1) lost three players to graduation with Canyon McWilliams (.392, 41 R, 38 RBI, 12 SB) back for his senior year.
Favorite: Denison
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| Baldwin Wallace, the defending regular season OAC champs, will open their season against Oswego State. Photo by Baldwin Wallace athletics |
Ohio Athletic Conference: No. 5 Heidelberg (35-15) is looking to prove that their 2019 World Series Team was no fluke. With a team that bested a talented Wooster team to get to the final round in Cedar Rapids, there is a ton of experience coming back. With a deep pitching staff and the majority of a lineup that led the country in hits, another big year is in the offering. On a team full of stars, it is catcher Marc Ochoa (.344, R, 49 RBI) who could be the heart of Student Princes. Any Heidelberg fan who saw Robert Hunt's miracle catch in the World Series will be happy to see him patrolling centerfield for another year in Peaceful Valley,
Baldwin Wallace (27-17) went 0-2 in the 2019 tournament with losses to the winner and runner-up. Four of six All-OAC honors went to seniors with sophomores Alex Ludwick (.214, 43 R, 45 RBI) and Nick Smith (2.57 ERA, 4-1, 1 SV, 46K) numbering among the returnees. John Carroll (23-15) will be young but with good depth, especially on the mound. Senior shortstop Aaron Zawadzki (.342, 27 R, 41 RBI) and sophomore Mitch Midea (2.33, ERA,5-2, 50K) are the top returnees. John Carroll will play a series with Baldwin Wallace at the end of the season that should dictate the seeding for the OAC tournament.
Otterbein (26-18-1) finished behind Heidelberg in the regular standings, finishing fourth to the 'Berg's second, but was tops in the OAC tournament, where the Cards won the title game over their rival. Third baseman Conner Brett won OAC Tournament MVP honors last year saving the best for last and is lost to graduation. The Cardinals will have two All-OAC performers in Collin Hoffmann (2.49, ERA, 4-1, 41K) and Luke Barber (.320, 36R, 35 RBI). Ohio Northern (23-18) with a sweep of Otterbein in OAC competition, the Polar Bears won the tie breaker with Otterbein for a third seeded spot in the OAC tournament and could be back again in 2020.
Mount Union (22-14) has a young but capable squad but will need some players to step up in a competitive league. Top on the mound is righthander Carson Davis (3.88 ERA, 5-1, 50 K) with seniors Ryan Boyd (.400, 8 R, 10 RBI) and Travis Wood (.324, 4 R, 9 RBI) are joined by junior Corey White (.366, 11 R, 15 RBI). Playing on an upgraded field will be the Marietta Pioneers (18-21) as they seek to get back into the OAC title conversation.
Capital (11-25), Muskingum (11-26), and Wilmington (8-29) finished at the end of the standings. Wilmington would like to see nearly a couple dozen new recruits to change the tide of the Quakers fortunes, putting green and white at the top of the standings.
Favorite: Heidelberg
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| Nick Drake started 10 games for the Washington and Jefferson Presidents in 2019. Photo by Washington and Jefferson athletics |
Presidents' Athletic Conference: No. 20 Washington and Jefferson (38-13) will have to replace 15 seniors from the 2017 CWS team. As always, the goal is to win the conference and build from there as the season progresses. The Presidents return the top two starting pitchers in Ben Marsico (3.27 ERA, 11-2, 56K) and Nick Drake (3.14 ERA, 5-2, 34K) with plenty of experience in the bullpen. Head coach Jeff Mountain enters the 2020 season with 493 career wins and should pass the 500-win mark early in the season.
Grove City (28-16) finished well behind the Presidents as six members of the Grove City team earned All-PAC honors. Two-thirds graduated with Lake Pry (3.19, 7-2, 48K) the only returnee who earned first team honors. He will be joined by All-PAC Honorable Mention shortstop Bobby Abbott (.287,3 3 R, 28 RBI). With Washington and Jefferson needing to rebuild, it opens the door for another team to take the top spot,
Waynesburg (21-19) was boosted by strong upperclassmen leadership and the breakout campaign of Mason Miller (8-2, 97K) to make the PAC tournament for the first time since 2015. Many returners that have not seen a lot of varsity action will need to step up to fill the holes left by all of these departures if the tournament is in the cards for the Yellow Jackets.
Bethany (27-16) made the tournament a game ahead of Thiel (17-22) and the rest of the conference. Westminster (Pa.) (15-21) will return seven regulars and four pitchers who saw significant action in 2019. Look past the senior class and you see a sophomore core that if a playoff spot is not attainable in 2020, it might be the following year. Dawson Porter (.484, 15 R 10 RBI) is the top second year player.
Favorite: Washington and Jefferson
Independent: Case Western (24-15) received votes in the opening Top 25 but are expected to finished well behind Washington Univ. in the UAA. The Spartans traditionally play a tough schedule that has factored in their At-large bids in the last few years. Top at the plate is Jake Ryan (.345, 33 R, 39 RBI) and Samuel Neal (.292, 31 R, 22 RBI, 10 SB) with Nick Denove (1.99 ERA, 7-2, 47K) and Matt Levine (2.69 ERA, 6-3, 36K) as the top two starting pitchers.