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| No. 1 Johns Hopkins opens the 2024 season as the favorite to give long time head coach Bob Babb his first national championship. d3photography photo by Steve Frommell |
Catholic made their first appearance in the D-III World Series a couple years ago and is expected to be the third best team in Region 5. Looking past the Cardinals, it is two more Landmark schools that are at the top of the class of the region. Elizabethtown and Susquehanna will give Catholic some tough competition and it would surprise nobody if the Landmark gets two teams in to the NCAA Playoffs for the third straight year.
Immaculata is also getting some preseason love. In our poll of coaches, they are the fifth best team in the regional. There is one more team to note and that is the Diplomats of Franklin and Marshall. F&M has two roadblocks to get through, one is that the preseason favorite in their conference is the national favorite and the other is their 3-7 record in February over the last four years.
New Faces
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| Region 5 has two of the longest tenured head coaches in the game today. Catholic's Ross Natoli enters his 39th season while the dean of coaches, Bob Babb is in his 45th year at Johns Hopkins. d3photography.com photo by David Malamut |
Matt Righter, Stevenson - Stevenson lured Righter from Vassar to become the new head coach for the Mustang program. In his time with Vassar, he has built the program into a contender. This past season, the Brewers finished with a program record 20 wins and ranked among the Division III leaders in batting average, OPS and stolen bases. "I am confident that the baseball team is uniquely positioned to compete for championships and am thrilled to reconnect with old friends and family in Maryland," said Righter. "The growth of the department and school over the past 25 years has truly been remarkable making now a truly exciting time to join the team." Prior to his time in Poughkeepsie, Righter was the head coach at SUNY New Paltz from 2013-2016. He led the Hawks to 20 wins in 2016, after finishing with just seven wins the year before.
Neil Herman, Valley Forge - Valley Forge made Herman their choice to lead the Patriot program. Herman comes to UVF after most recently serving as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Chestnut Hill. Prior to his time at Chestnut Hill, Herman spent 2015-2019 as the head coach at Phoenixville High School leading them to state tournament appearances 2016-2018. Upon being named the head coach, Herman commented: "I am very thankful for this opportunity. My son Nolan and I are extremely happy to be a part of the UVF family. I am excited to get started with the mission of building Christ-centered athletes and winning!"
Mike Guy, Wilkes - Guy was hired as the Colonels new head coach. Guy becomes the 17th head coach for the program as it heads into its 79th season during the 2023-24 academic year. "I am eager and excited to be the new head baseball coach at Wilkes University," Guy said. "On the field, Wilkes has a long tradition of winning with a vast amount of local players while still offering players from outside the area a fantastic education and four-year experience. The local connection to the players, alumni, and families really makes Wilkes one of the cornerstones in the greater Northeastern-Pennsylvania area." Guy joins Wilkes from Scranton where he served as an assistant coach for 11 seasons.
Key games
Salisbury at Greensboro Tournament: Salisbury will travel to Greensboro, N.C., for a four team tournament with No. 6 Lynchburg, No. 8 Marietta and No. 16 Denison. At the end of the tournament, Salisbury will have played five of six games against teams in the Top 25. Nobody has a tougher schedule to open their season. After the tournament, The Sea Gulls keep it going with a game against No. 14 Rowan.
Salisbury at Johns Hopkins: Salisbury journeys to Johns Hopkins on March 10th for a game that was expected in the 2023 World Series with both teams seeded 1-2 entering the 2023 Series. The teams once again are ranked 1-2 in the 2024 Preseason D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 and with a short fence, expect the ball to be flying out of Stromberg Stadium.
Catholic at Johns Hopkins: Catholic takes a break from the Landmark schedule with a contest at Johns Hopkins. This contest should increase both teams' SOS and a win will be a feather in their cap if either team fails to win its conference tournament and needs an at-large invitation to the NCAA Playoffs.
Elizabethtown at Catholic: The final game in the three games against each other is on April 16. Each team will have two more Landmark series left to play but winning at least two games against their Landmark opponent is expected to hand one the top seed in the Landmark tournament.
Immaculata at Elizabethtown: Immaculata will visit Elizabethtown on April 13. The Blue Jays might be keeping their top pitcher out for impending contest with Catholic but the stakes are as high as they can get between these two regional contenders.
Alvernia at York (Pa.): Alvernia and York end their conference season with a three game set, one at York on April 26 and a doubleheader at Alvernia the next day. The top regional teams are all in other conferences so look for this to be a one bid conference. With this in mind, the better your seeding in the tournament following, the better your chances to play on the national stage.
Conference previews
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| Catcher Josh Crowding joined Jason Hughes on the 2024 D3baseball.com Preseason All-American list released in January. Immaculata athletic photo by Hunter Martin |
Atlantic East Conference: Immaculata (29-13) made it two regional playoff bids in a row and a third one is in reach. The 2024 version of the Mighty Macs have a solid nucleus returning from last year's regional tournament run and have the addition of some talented newcomers. Jason Hughes (9-2, 1.97 ERA, 101K) is the top arm and Josh Crowding (.415, 5 HR, 56 RBI) the top position player. They have both work hard in the classroom and on the field, becoming great role models and leaders for the program. Crowding is not the only fourth/fifth year player that will come to the plate. Steven Thiesen (.353, 1 HR, 27 RBI), Joey Wright (.369, 1 HR, 35, RBI), Joey Sacco (.350, 1 HR, 11, 27 RBI, 14 SB) and Jay Lawrence (.284, 19 RBI) are all seniors and will be part of the starting nine. The same experience can be seen on the mound with Stephen DiBattista (5-2, 2.88 ERA, 52K) and Derek Andrada (2-0, 4.62 ERA, 21K) as part of the rotation. Expect Immaculata to be at the top of the standings once again.
Cabrini (26-16) will have their swan song in 2024 as the school will be closing their doors this year. It will be a experienced offense and defense for the Cavaliers but without the depth due to a small recruiting class composed of only students seeking a graduate degree. It is a bittersweet ending to an program that has enjoyed sustained success since 2017. A roster of only 20 players will look to bring home an AEC tournament championship and NCAA Regional bid in their final season. Centerfielder Dustin Sutton (.353, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 14 SB) will be the team's catalyst and leadoff hitter with outstanding power and speed.
Marymount (22-19) features a mixture of returners with experience, young talent, and top transfers from other programs. Bryce Smith, who jumped at a D1 opportunity, is the only piece of the starting nine missing this year. Since their first season in 2014, the Saints have shown continual improvement until a shake-up in the coaching staff stalled further improvement. Signs are showing that better times ahead are here. Joining a trio of seniors are experienced players who have excelled in junior college or other D-III programs. Key new faces include NJCAA Division II All-American Jonathan McMcmath (Montgomery CC: .379, 19 HR, 62 RBI), Kevin Knoess (Montgomery: .344, 32 RBI) and Alec Reilly (CNU, .300, 6 HR, 46 RBI).
Neumann (19-23) was the final seed in the 2023 tournament, going 1-2. The Knights' only representation on the All-AEC list were seniors and if they cannot be convinced to use the extra year of eligibility, it could be a long season for Neumann. The rest of the league stayed home from the tournament. Centenary (17-23) returns Zach Gehman (4-3, 3.78 ERA, 44 K) and Marywood (17-23) brings back Max Slusser (.378, 3 HR, 30 RBI) from last year's all-star squad. Joining Slusser will be Christian Michak (.333, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 30 SB) 2023 Rookie of the Year. Of the trio that missed out on the end of the season tournament, Gwynedd Mercy (19-18) has the best chance to play for a tournament berth. The Griffins return a pair of first team pitchers in Cooper Root (.395, 27 RBI; 4-1, 3.59 ERA, 24K) and Mitchell Bramsway (3-3, 3.86 ERA, 48K, 5 Saves). Root will get some starts and Bramsway will be waiting in the pen. Joining Root with a bat is outfielder Sam Junker (.358, 30 RBI).
FAVORITE: Immaculata
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| Franklin & Marshall is one of 162 Division III institutions to receive a Team Academic Award for their work in the classroom. They received this designation for the seventh straight year. Franklin and Marshall athletics photo |
Centennial Conference: It was the youth movement that propelled Johns Hopkins (49-8) to a second place national finish in 2023 and this can be the year that Bob Babb gets that elusive national title. The pieces are in place with one of the best returning offensive teams in the nation, good good pitching depth, and a challenging schedule that will prepare the Blue Jays for a hopeful return to the College World Series. The starting nine features a trio of .400 hitters with plenty of punch. Sophomore Alex Shane (.432, 3 HR 29 RBI), grad student Matthew Cooper (.405, 25 HR, 71 RBI) and junior Shawn Steuerer (.402, 16 HR, 70 RBI) were major contributors both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Had not Shane suffered an injury early in the World Series, we might have been talking about a repeat Championship for the Blue Jays. With all key pitchers returning, Matt Savedoff (10-0, 3.00 ERA, 70K) and Kieren Collins (6-1, 3.25 ERA, 48K) will highlight the starting rotation.
Franklin and Marshall (26-17) might want to skip the pre-conference schedule this year. In the last two years, the Diplomats have not gotten out of the blocks as quickly as they might hope but once the conference schedule starts, F&M is hard to beat. It might take a month to find a pitcher who can fill the shoes of super-star pitcher Kyle Roche and starter Greg Nieskens who graduated in 2023. Dan Galef (6-1, 3.79 ERA, 52K) and Bijan Anvar (5-2, 4.64 ERA, 40K) are ready to head the rotation with plenty of experience in the bullpen. The 2023 freshman class got into the lineup last year and are ready to contribute. Top returning hitters are Andrew Filippelli (.306, 1 HR, 29 RBI), Spencer Berson (.274, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 14 SB) and Drew Butera (.353, 3 HR, 38 RBI).
Dickinson (15-18-1), Haverford (20-21) and Swarthmore (20-18-1) were in the second tier of the CC in 2023 and each could make some noise and get to the top of the standings. Haverford gained valuable experience last year with a challenging schedule. The Fords will have improved pitching depth as they expect to contend for another Centennial Conference title. With the bat, the consensus leaders of the team are Harry Genth (.346, 7 HR, 46 R, 17 SB) and Kyle Beach (.330, 4 HR, 24 RBI). They top a junior heavy lineup so if this is not their year, 2025 could be. Swarthmore had their lowest win total in a full season in the last six years in 2023 and almost half of the 38 games won in 2018. While the Garnet is heading the wrong direction in the standings, there is hop with 2024 Preseason All-American Liam Alpern (4-0, 1.50 ERA, 63K) taking the mound every fourth game. Aiden Sulivan (.392, 8 HR, 40 RBI) is the future with those wielding a bat. Only a sophomore, his impact on offense will be evident through 2026.
Muhlenberg (16-22-1) and Ursinus (16-24) fell short of playing for a conference tournament title in 2023 and of the two, Muhlenberg brings back the most talent. Heading the offense are senior centerfielder Jack Kent (.316, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 16 SB) and junior first baseman Brendan Hughes (.349, 3 HR, 35 RBI) who were All-CC selections in 2023. The defense also returns gold glove shortstop Jonathan Toth (.263, 2 HR, 24 RBI) who registered a .959 fielding percentage in 39 games. The news is not as positive on the mound as the best hurler, Jayden Barroqueiro jumped to D1 James Madison over the summer for his final two years of eligibility.
Gettysburg (19-21), McDaniel and Washington College finished well off the pace. The Gettysburg Bullets will be an exciting, young team with a lot to prove. Half the team are newcomers, head coach Cory Beddick's first recruiting class, so look for the team to take on the identity of the coaching staff. Jack Pistner (.411, 3 HR, 31 RBI) a second team All-CC shortstop last year and David Preziuso (.407, 22 RBI, 19 SB), are primed for big years. McDaniel (19-17-1) starts the season with a balanced offensive as they blend the returning and new players. Highlighting the starting nine is Joe Hubinger (.364, 2 HR, 27 RB), who needs 59 hits for a program career record, and Shane Daly (2022 Stats: .374, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 12 SB) who returns from an injury last year. They will have more pitching depth than in past and this is the phase of the game that could see the Green Terror at the top of the standings. The Shoremen of Washington College (12-27) struggled last year, playing mostly freshman and new faces in the lineup/rotation. They are all back with the experience of playing together as a team for a season and expect a large jump forward in the results on the field. Seniors Logan Yi (.331, 5 HR, 24 RBI), Cole McGee (.278, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 15 SB) and Izaiah Santiago (3-6, 5.33 ERA, 38K) will be leaned on for their leadership skills since over 80% of roster is still in their first or second year. For the Shoremen, the future is exciting and bright.
FAVORITE: Johns Hopkins
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| The Landmark Conference is looking like a contest between the squads from Elizabethtown and Catholic. Elizabethtown athletics photo |
Landmark Conference: Elizabethtown (31-13) made its fifth NCAA Regional in the last 15 years in 2023. With a veteran group on the mound, they will give the Blue Jays a chance to win every game. Nick Orgeta (6-1, 4.28 ERA, 49K) is the old man in the rotation and is joined by juniors Kyle Mulville (8-1 3.69 ERA, 43K) and Greg Zerbe (6-1 3.40 ERA, 43K). Offensively it is a different story as the team will seek their identity as the team opens the 2024 season. In the starting nine, Quinten Perilli (.383, 11 HR, 51 RBI; 1-0, 3.12 ERA, 11 K) is a game changer in what he brings to the lineup. He had an amazing freshman year and more is expected with a year of competition under his belt. David Woolley (.394, 48 RBI, 10 SB) is a dynamic players and plays an elite level shortstop for the Blue Jays.
Ross Natoli, the head coach for Catholic (26-11), expects the offense will carry a young pitching staff that is bolstered by a couple key returning veterans in Cam Mounts (4-1, 3.12 ERA, 56K), Danny Fitzgerald (3-2, 5.07 ERA, 42K), and Cormac Terry (1-0, 6.95 ERA, 20K, 2 Saves). Most of the offensive stars can still remember the ride in 2022 that took them to a D-III World Series appearance. Zach Burton (.284, 5 HR, 21 RBI) and Dante Pozzi (.232, 6 HR, 33 RBI) were in the lineup back in 2022 and will need more hitters to follow them in the starting nine. Juniors Joe Marini (.396, 8 HR, 38 RBI) and Mitchel Johnson (.373, 7 HR, 21 RBI) will fit right in and the Cards will be competing for the conference title and if lightning strikes again, more.
Scranton (26-16) and Susquehanna (28-20) might not have topped the Landmark standings but both eliminated their higher seeded competition and faced each other in the Landmark championship series with Susquehanna taking the title and the ticket to the regional playoffs. Scranton's time to win is now with mostly seniors and graduate students in their lineup and pitching rotation. Nick Reposa (.376, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 16 SB) is the old man on the offense with fellow grad students Daniel Johnson ( 4-0, 5.12 ERA, 48K) and Hunter Ralston (4-2, 5.96 ERA, 35K, 1 Save) on the mound.
Lycoming (12-23) and Wilkes (17-24) are new to the Landmark having moved over from the Mid Atlantic Freedom Conference. Lycoming won 12 games in their first season since restarting their baseball program and expect some improvement with every position starter, minus the starting shortstop, back in 2024. With a sophomore dominated squad, the Warriors should be looking for a Landmark tournament this or the next year. Keep an eye on sophomore Nick Reeder (.342, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 11 SB) with the bat and senior Zac Zaller (3-1, 6.06 ERA, 20K) on the bump. Wilkes was five games better than Lycoming and like the Warriors will have new conference rivals. The best of the Colonels are Michael Show (.346, 2 HR, 29 RBI; 2-3, 8.31 ERA, 13K, 5 saves) and Hunter Lawall (3-1, 5,82 ERA, 33K).
Drew (15-22), Juniata (10-30) and Moravian (13-26) have combined for seven winning seasons over the last ten years with Moravian being the most successful. All three will have to find some talent in the incoming class to contend with the top teams in the confernce. Only Juniata has a returning All-Landmark performer in Michael Warren (.409, 6 HR, 43 RBI) and Corey Daniels (.361, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 15 SB). Both are seniors with Warren taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility.
FAVORITE: Catholic
Mid Atlantic Centennial Conference: Alvernia (28-20) is picked by conference coaches to remain at the top of the MACC standings. The reason for this is that only one of their league leading All-MACF players was a senior in 2023. Three of these conference all-stars - Zach Rogacki (.395, 8 HR, 44 RBI), Jason Lind (.371, 2 HR, 20 RBI) and Connor Friedel (.360, 2 HR, 17 RBI) hit better than .350 in 2023. Sophomore Evan Wood (7-2, 3.12 ERA, 46K) will top the starting rotation. If he gets in trouble Josh Kreider (1-0, 1.03 ERA, 24K) and Matt Mays (3-2, 2.95 ERA, 20K, 4 Saves) will be available in the bullpen.
Widener (22-20) is picked to finish fourth in the MACC. Like Alvernia, they dominated the conference honors list but unlike the Wolves, their representatives were at the end of their college career. Back for another year are starting pitcher Sean Curran (6-3, 3.92 ERA, 47K) and catcher Nick Barenz (.301, 1 HR, 16 RBI). Widener head coach Kevin Burdick said the team is excited and ready for to the challenging schedule. "The team is a good balance of returners and young guys eager for an opportunity," Burdick said. "We believe we will be playing our best baseball late in the season."
York and Messiah (19-20-1) were the final teams to qualify for the conference tournament but neither played on the final weekend of the two week event. Messiah has much of their 2023 starters back for another try. Senior starting pitcher Nathan Stein (5-3, 5.85 ERA, 50K) and junior reliever, Noah Barrall (5-1, 2.86 ERA, 23K, 2 Saves) are the top returning pitchers. At the plate, senior Joshua Ammons (.372, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 11 SB) and junior Evan Wagaman (.315, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 12 SB) are the top offensive threats. With the youngest roster in the league last season (started seven freshman and sophomores in the conference semi finals), 2024 should see further improvement. Infielder Lucas Prendergast (.352, 1 HR, 14 RBI) and relief pitcher Ethan Kennedy (4-2, 5.02 ERA, 31K) were part of the youth movement. If this is not the York (Pa.) (2-20) Spartan's year, they should be one of the best MACC teams in 2025. Fifth-year centerfielder Rob Elzinga (.396, 3 HR, 26 RBI) has a chance to be three-time All-Region and could post All American numbers this season.
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| Danny Sheeler will be looking to lead the Sea Gulls to a fourth consecutive appearance in the D-III World Series in 2024. d3photography.com photo by Steve Frommell |
Stevenson and Hood (18-20) were picked to finish fifth and sixth in the conference, outside the cut for the end of the season tourney. Hood brings back all four of their All-MACC performers and nobody is as important as Joe Alexander (6-3, 3.09 ERA, 51K). Alexander will start his graduate program as well as take the mound as the Blazer's ace. Aaron Heller (2-0, 3.47 ERA, 25K, 2 Saves) was second in innings pitched to Alexander as a part time starter and will be part of a pitching staff that five of six pitchers with 20 innings pitched in 2023 return. With the pitching staff intact from last year, they will rely on Ty Schwarzman (.342, 22 RBI, 24 SB) and Austin Rhue .310, 15 RBI, 11 SB) to lead the offense. Like Hood, Stevenson (21-17) also had four selections to the All-MACC list but all but one were grad students. The lone senior in this group is Amani Jones (.352, 1 HR, 25 RBI) who returns to the shortstop position. Dylan Young (.419, 13 RBI; 2-1, 3.60 ERA, 11K, 2 Saves) is a name on the Mustang's roster to keep an eye on. With 22 of 38 games played as a hitter and eight appearances as a pitcher, expect more if he plays a full season with a bat or on the mound.
Albright (9-29) and Eastern (10-30). have a history that baseball is not where they succeed as they have combined for just one .500 season since 2011, the first year of D3baseball.com. Eastern will bring back two members of the All-MACC squad in seniors John Beck (4-4, 3.90 ERA, 51 K) and Evan Barks (.419, 8 RBI). Both are their top pitcher and hitter but more is needed to change their fortunes. Albright's starting catcher, Nick Barton (.354, 1 HR, 16 RBI) is back for his senior season. 2023 conference mate Lebanon Valley will play in the MAC Freedom in the 2024 season.
FAVORITE: York (Pa.)
Independents: Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference member Salisbury (36-8) will once again be in Pool B but should not have any problem in maintaining one of the longest regional playoff appearances streak, second only to Cortland. They missed out in a third straight finish in the Championship Series but will be a favorite to get back to the three game set that will determine the national champion. It will be an unfamiliar year now that the core of the previous championship teams have finally moved on. Although there is a lot of new faces, expectations are high. As always, pitching and defense will rule the roost and tops on the staff are Tyler Villa (3-0, 2.78 ERA, 21K, 1 Save) and Benji Thalheimer (4-0, 4.15 ERA, 35K, 2 Saves). Head coach Troy Brohawns will need to find some starters but with a stocked bullpen and plenty of new talent, look for someone to step forward. As for an offense that saw five of the starting nine depart the bats will be led by Danny Sheeler (.393, 14 HR, 55 RBI, 13 SB).