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| No. 20 North Central (Ill.) was left out of the NCAA Playoffs in 2021 despite having the second most wins last year among all D-III teams. This will be motivation to winning the CCIW and making the NCAA tournament. North Central (Ill.) athletics photo by Steve Woltmann |
By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com
Last year, we tabbed Washington University, North Central and Webster as the top teams and they proved us right. They are the cream of the region again in 2022. Gone is the Central Region and in its place Region 8. Most of the conferences in the Central find themselves in Region 8 with the American Rivers Conference exiled to Region 9 and replaced by the Northern Athletic Conference and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Had this been the previous decade, Concordia-Chicago would be in the top ranks but we are in a new decade where the likes of Aurora and Benedictine are the NACC kings. Rose-Hulman with their high profile coaching change and 2021 conference leader Transylvania are getting some love in the early polls and it would not be surprising to see either team catching fire and making a serious run at the D-III World Series trophy.
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| Tim Van Kirk (2) takes a break with Collin Kahal (11) in Washington University's first appearance in the D-III College World Series last year. d3photography.com photo by Larry Radloff |
New Faces
Rose Hulman: Rose-Hulman named Adam Rosen as its next head baseball coach. Rosen replaces Jeff Jenkins, who served 32 years in the role before announcing his retirement as athletic director and head coach following the 2021 season. Rosen comes to Rose-Hulman after spending the past six seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis. "I am very humbled and excited to be the new head baseball coach at Rose-Hulman. It is an honor to succeed Jeff Jenkins, who has been one of the most respected and successful coaches in Division III Baseball. I look forward to building on the baseball program's rich tradition and working to provide our players with a memorable student-athlete experience," said Rosen
Key Games
Aurora at Webster: On the last weekend in February, Aurora opens their season at Webster with a three game set as we get an early clash between Top 25 teams. Both teams will be rooting for the other the rest of the season as these game should boost each team's strength of schedule, a key statistic if either team cannot win their conference tournament.
North Central Spring Training: Between March 12-17, the Cardinals will play Webster, Marietta, Denison and Wooster in the Snowbird Baseball Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida. A four game sweep will pay dividends if North Central needs to look for an at-large bid in May.
New York University at Washington Univ.: The last time Washington played another UAA team was back in 2019. Playing an independent schedule last year worked out well for the Bears but both NYU and WashU will welcome some normality on March 25-27.
Maranatha Baptist at Lincoln Christian: No foolin' as the Crusaders open a visit on April 1st. Maranatha Baptist's last win was a 17-5 victory over Lincoln Christian in 2019 and we will look for them to get into the win column before the weekend ends.
Rose Hulman at Transylvania: Transylvania should be 6-0 when the Engineers come to town for an HCAC doubleheader on April 16th. Rose-Hulman has a tougher start to their season but our crystal ball sees a showdown between HCAC front runners.
Spalding at Greenville: Webster has a lock on the top seed in one division but in the other, this three game SLIAC set on April 22-23 will leave the overall winner tops in their division.
Conference Previews
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin: It was a shocker last year to see No. 20 North Central (Ill.) (38-9) left out of the playoffs. Our prediction had them in but the committee chose to leave them out. This should fuel the team motivation as they return just seven offensive starters and pitchers. Don't feel sorry as the starting pitching is extremely good with two All-Americans and another All-Region pitcher back. D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Luke Lamm (11-0, 2.16 ERA, 92K) earned All American and CCIW pitcher of the Year honors in 2021 and Charlie Klemm (2019 stats: 9-0, 2.20 ERA, 84K) did the same in 2019. Add in Ryan Behling (6-0, 1.67 ERA, 69K) and you have one of the most dominate pitching staffs we have seen in some time. Oh and they are throwing to D3baseball.com Preseason All-American catcher Rob Marinec (.363, 7 HR, 52 RBI). Add in three more All-CCIW batters and it looks like another title for the Cardinals.
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| A first team All-CCIW selection in 2021, Matt Ozanic played in 42 games for Augustana. Augustana athletics photo |
Augustana (35-9) reached the 30 win mark in their last two full seasons but have not translated that into playoff success with their last playoff appearance in 2016. The season starts on the road with an early test when they play Webster in their second game in the Rhodes Classic. With their best pitcher and hitter gone after their senior years, they will need another All-CCIW season from Matt Ozanic (.326, 4 HR, 46 RBI). Head coach Greg Wallace has always found a solution and there is time to develop with a schedule that gets tougher as the season progresses.
Millikin (31-16) earned the only playoff bid out of the CCIW, defeating the conference champions 4-3 in the tournament finale. They could not find the same magic in the regional despite playing on their home field, ending their season with a 0-2 record in the Regional. Look for Millikin to be back in the mix in 2022 but will be young and more athletic. Frank Bryan (.356, 9 HR, 45 RBI) was the hitting star for the Big Blue in 2021 and returns to his outfield position this year. Caleb Buerhle (6-4, 2.12 ERA, 85K) will be toeing the rubber when Millikin needs a win.
Carroll (22-22), North Park (18-23) and Elmhurst (18-25) were off the pace in the conference standings and in the CCIW tourney managed a combined 2-6 record. All three will have to fill holes this year but none harder than North Park's shortstop Jake Reinhardt who earned All-American honors and the CCIW Player of the Year award in 2021. Elmhurt's Trey Romay (.333, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 9 SB) is the top returning player.
It is not often you see the likes of Illinois Wesleyan (17-25), Carthage (16-25) and Wheaton (Ill.) (16-27) in the cellar of the CCIW. All three have had considerable success in the past with Carthage in multiple World Series' and Illinos Wesleyan winning it all in 2010. All three will have to find a gem or two in their recuiting class if they want to rise up the standings.
FAVORITE: North Centra (Ill.)
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference: Transylvania (32-12) took both the regular season and tournament title in 2021, making a big leap from a .500 conference record in 2019. They will need to replace a few pieces but still return six hitters and a pitching staff that has a chance to be a difference maker. The starting staff starts with fifth year senior and reigning HCAC Pitcher of the Year Jake Schmidt (8-1, 2.63 ERA, 93K) but will need to replace two seniors that made 17 starts in 2021 but there are pitchers that are ready to step up. Trent Youngblood (.422, 31 RBI, 17 SB), the 2021 Newcomer of the Year, can play nearly any place in the field and made eight relief appearances on the mound (3-3, 3.37 ERA, 35K) in 2021. Nick Wade (.346, 39 RBI) will lend some leadership as a fifth-year senior as he handles the catching duties for the Pioneers.
Franklin (25-14) finished first or second in the HCAC over the last four years but that was the Ryan Bixler era. The record setting outfielder has his degree and the Grizzlies will be without the two time All-American and HCAC Player of Year for the first time since 2018. Better than half of last year's starters are back on the 2022 roster with the best offensive player catcher/designated hitter Tysen Lipscomb (.386, 48 RBI, 15 SB). A total of 29 of 39 starts are represented by returning pitchers with Nick McClanahan (6-1, 5.37 ERA, 65K) and Mitch Merica (3-4, 6.90 ERA, 39K) getting the majority of the starting assignments in 2021. A 6.42 team ERA in 2021 needed a strong offense but with three of four .300 qualified hitter gone in 2022, the ERA must improve if Franklin is to continue with their recent success.
Rose-Hulman (23-14) needed a new head coach and made one of the best hires in Adam Rosen. How better to replace a long-time head coach with the promise that the future can be brighter still. It will take a year or two for Rosen to put his stamp on the program but he has been left a good nucleus to start with. Outfielder Adam Taylor (.355, 18 RBI) is just one of three .350 hitters to return with fellow seniors Josh Mesenbrink (.371, 16 RBI) and Brett Tuttle (.352, 8 2B, 11 RBI) at the dish. All-HCAC pitcher Matthew Rouse (2-1, 1.99 ERA, 35K) is back with sophomores Brett Borcherding (3-1, 2 saves, 4.91 ERA, 47K) and Josh Erpenbeck (2-5, 6.53 ERA, 27K) filling out the starting three. Engineer fans should expect another good year in 2022 and beyond.
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| T.J Price's 18 stolen bases ranked third on the team. Anderson stole 132 bases in 2021 which was second among all D-III teams. Anderson athletics photo |
Anderson (23-19) will be young at the plate in 2022 and a veteran pitching staff will be key in winning early in the season. Kasey Henderson (6-2, 3.77 ERA, 60K), Walker Stull (5-2, 6.56 ERA, 66K) and Jose Olivo (1-3, 8.00 ERA, 29K) are the top three starting pitchers with Evan Doan (3-3, 1 save, 8.16 ERA, 37 K) as the top returning reliever. At the plate. shortstop Justin Reed (.370, 21 2B, 44 RBI, 23 SB) is a 5-tool player and leads the returning Ravens.
Earlham (25-20) finished fourth in the 2021 standings but made a late charge, losing to Transylvania in the HCAC tourney final. Top returning offensive players are Max Fries (.302, 3 HR, 17 RBI) and Christian Lancianese (.289, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 9 SB) and as sophomores, should be making significant contributions for the next three years. These future stars will have to offset the loss of All-American DH Danny Dopp. With the loss of Doop, the team will have a little less pop but team speed will allow the head coach to be more aggressive on the base paths. Sophomore Justin Dillhoff (2-5, 6.93 ERA, 31K) is expected to improve on his numbers in 2022 with a variety of pitches that could make him an all conference pitcher. A HCAC title might not be in the cards this year but with such talent coming off their freshman seasons, a title in future years is not out of reach.
Hanover (20-20), Manchester (19-22), Bluffton (20-24), Mount St. Joseph (12-28) and Defiance (6-33) have work to do to move up the conference standings. Transylvania's turnaround from a .500 team to conference champs is a lesson that these teams should take to heart as it can happen to them.
FAVORITE: Transylvania
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference: Of the surprises in the NACC, No. 8 Aurora (38-8) was not one. A steady improvement in the program over several years found themselves with the regular season crown. D3baseball.com Preseason All-American outfielder Corey Vondra (.410, 65 Runs, 8 HR, 56 RBI) was a huge part of the Spartan's success last season and he will be a catalyst in 2022. With Dylan White (.363, 60 Runs, 6 HR, 53 RBI) and Jacob Ambuel (.355, 42 Runs, 6 HR, 43 RBI) you have one of the best outfields in D-III. The bounty for the Spartans are not just on offense but on the pitching staff as well. 2021 NACC South Pitcher of the Year Nick Malmberg (9-1, 2.24 ERA, 48K) will be toeing the rubber in 2022. Improvement in 2022 means more than conference supremacy but success in the NCAA Playoffs.
It is difficult to replace the middle of your defense and stay at the top of the conference. Benedictine (29-13) will have to do that with their starting catcher, shortstop and centerfielder graduating in 2021, and it was a well decorated trio who departed. We think that Benedictine can do just that as other key pieces from the 2021 squad are back. Top for the O is D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Kevin Bushnell (.342, 17 HR, 57 RBI) with more power coming from Damen Castillo (.347, 9 HR, 51 RBI). Seniors Justin Sosa (6-0, 3.78 ERA, 39K) and Robbie Dudzinski (3-0, 1.46 ERA, 26K) were undefeated on the bump in 2021 and will get the ball in nearly half of Benedictine's games
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| Marian senior pitcher Jonah Landowski is 4-4 over three season with 10 strikeouts per nine innings. Marian athletics photo |
Marian (20-23) finished first in the North Division of the NACC in 2021 but the power clearly was in the South and this should be the case again in 2022. While we do not see Marian challenging the best of the region, they should contend for the top of the NACC North again. All-NACC pitchers Jonah Landowski (2-1, 3.69 ERA, 44K) and Taylor Middaugh (6-2, 3.18 ERA, 48K) should be back in 2022 and will be throwing to their catcher, Sean Meyer (.409, 14 2B, 40 RBI, 12 SB), the North Position Player of the Year. Looking to upset the Saber's plans will be Milwaukee Engineering (18-16) and Concordia (Wis.) (25-17). Concordia returns the majority of their offense and should hit the ball well, especially with D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Sam Beers (.442, 7 HR, 46 RBI) in the lineup. The CUW pitching staff on the other hand is still developing
Illinois Tech (19-10) finished strong in 2021 with a 9-2 record going into the conference tournament. They opened the tournament with a win over Benedictine but lost their last two, ending their season. Just two pieces are left from their All-NACC infield, Brandon Bennitt (.417, 5 HR, 30 RBI) and Connor Blake (.375, 7 HR, 31 RBI) but these two represent more than a third of the power numbers. Austin Richardson (4-0, 4.87 ERA, 47K) was their best pitcher with Blake (1-1, 7.66 ERA, 25K) as a dual threat player getting five starts. Look for another shot at the NACC tournament but the top of the conference should prove too strong this year for the Scarlet Hawks to top.
A big fish in a small pond described the Green Knights. It will be decided in 2022 how St. Norbert (17-16) will do in a more competitive conference as the Green Knights has left the Midwest Conference for the NACC. We look for them, as they feel their way through the 2022 season, ending in the middle of the standings. A bright spot for St. Norbert was the play of then first year infielder Adam Cootway (.380, 24 RBI). Batting .303 as team with a team ERA of 6.09 is not the recipe for success and both numbers need to improve if we will see the Green Knights climb the conference ladder.
Lakeland (14-20), Wisconsin Lutheran (14-25), Edgewood (12-25) all had double digit losses in the North Division of the conference. Edgewood could move up in 2022 with plenty of experience returning. A 12 member recruiting class will provide depth to both pitching and the offense. The performance of Co-Freshman of the Year North, Kyle Sagan (.357, 33 RBI) shows that the Eagles are starting to have success bringing quality to their roster. Co-Freshman of the Year North Andrew Muffler (3-0, 3.02 ERA, 38K) at Wisconsin Lutheran is a player to watch.
Joining Rockford (15-25) and Dominican (10-27) at the bottom of the conference standings was Concordia Chicago (11-25) which leaves us one question. What happened to to the Cougars? They were settling in as perennial champs in the NACC but fell like a stone in 2021, falling to the bottom of the conference. While we were use to seeing the Cougars get off to a rocky start, the coaching staff would right the ship before the conference season but this turnaround never materialized. It could be that Mike Stawski took the winning formula with him when he moved to Texas.
FAVORITE: Aurora
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| Third baseman Ben Swords has started every game for the No. 14 Webster Gorloks over the past four years, starting in 156 games going into 2022. Swords is within reach of Marietta's Roger Thompson's record of 213 games. Webster athletics photo |
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: No. 14 Webster (37-8) has missed the playoffs just once in the last ten years and we do not see them sitting home this year. You cannot ignore that the D3baseball.com Pitcher of the Year Matt Mulhearn or All-American first baseman Kyler Kent graduated but the Gorloks are as deep and experienced in 2022 as they were last year. Whether it is Ben Swords (.346, 42 Runs, 56 RBI), RJ LaRocco (.331, 35 Runs, 45 RBI) or any one of six more senior level players, there is someone in the lineup that can carry the team. Webster is not just an offensive juggernaut but solid on the mound. Junior Jordan Smevoll (9-1, 2.08 ERA, 66K) did not get the press like Mulhearn but is ready to be the ace of the pitching staff. Add in sophomore JT Miller (2-2, 2.56 ERA, 31K) and you have two pitchers ready for more important roles this season. With so much experience swinging the bats and a talented but developing pitching staff, this looks very much like the kind of team that ends up celebrating on Perfect Game Field at the end of the D-III baseball season.
Spalding (29-15) has flirted with success on the diamond ever since joining the SLIAC posting multiple 30-win seasons but are still looking for their first playoff appearance. Despite appearing at the top of their division it is someone else that walks way with the conference bid to the NCAA playoffs. D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Peyton Hood (7-2, 1.27 ERA, 64K) is one reason Spalding might be in the playoffs in 2022. Caleb Collins (7-2, 2.21 ERA, 76K) will join Hood in the rotation for duo that rivals the best in the SLIAC. While pitching is the strength of the program, the offense needs a few stars in the lineup, especially since All-American shortstop Eric Meyer has finally ended his eligibility.
The chances for winning the conference drops off significantly after the top two. The rest of the SLIAC teams will need to fight for a spot in the tournament and then hope that the cards fall just right. Westminster (Mo.) (19-21) and Greenville (10-30) have taken this path to the NCAA playoffs, winning tickets to the regional round in 2015-17 (Westminister in 2016, Greenville in 2015, 2017). maybe it is time Fontbonne (24-18) to do the same. The rest of the SLIAC, Blackburn (8-24), Principia (0-0), Iowa Wesleyan (9-21) and Eureka (6-28) have work to do to if they want to escape the cellar in 2022.
One team that could upset the balance of power in the SLIAC is Mississippi University for Women (23-11). The Owls were 3-2 in the 2021 USCAA Small College World Series ending their season with a loss to the Series runner up Cincinnati-Clermont. They are playing an independent schedule this year before joining the SLIAC in 2023.
FAVORITE: Webster
Independent: The two teams without an affiliated regional conference are like night and day. No. 9 Washington Univ. (34-6) is a threat to challenge the best of the classification while Maranatha Baptist (0-18) has only won twice since a seven win season in 2017. Washington is coming off a season with a third place finish in the D-III World Series. Head coach Pat Bloom saw eleven seniors leave with degrees and their starting shortstop head off to the Atlanta Braves organization via the MLB draft but standards do not change with the flipping of calendar pages. Getting the Bears back to the end of the season eight starts with infielder Tim Van Kirk (.397, 35 RBI, 23 SB). The D3baseball.com Preseason All-American is back in the leadoff spot and will switch to shortstop. Taking his spot in the defense is sophomore Clayton Miller (.325, 2 HR, 22 RBI) and penciled in as the cleanup hitter. The biggest hit came to the pitching ranks but Miller (3-0, 0.66 ERA, 11K) will get his turns on the mound and senior Matt Lopes returns from an injury with Kyle Coats (1-1, 1 save, 2.42 ERA, 24K) shoring up the bullpen.