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| Fans of No. 3 LaGrange should have plenty to cheer about as the Panthers look to return to the final D-III World Series to be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. d3photography photo by David Malamut |
By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com
Last year the South had three teams in the top 10 spots in the final Top 25 of the year and all three teams are poised to repeat this feat. Salisbury will be moving to Region 5 with other Mid-Atlantic teams so count them out but there are plenty of teams that are eying not only a top 10 ranking but a spot in the final D3 College World Series held in Cedar Rapids.
No. 3 LaGrange fell twice to the eventual champion in their bracket last June but gained a lot of experience. A second straight shot at a National Championship is a top expectation for the Panthers. No. 4 Birmingham-Southern have another strong team this year and we can see a second Panther team at Perfect Game Field in Cedar Rapids.
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The BSC Panthers will play their first four games against a |
No. 16 Lynchburg and No. 21 Shenandoah are the class of a strong ODAC field this year but there are more teams in the ODAC that can avoid the sting of these pairs of Hornets. LaGrange was the dominant team out of the USA South but the conference split into two and soon auto bids will be available for both. N.C. Wesleyan has their core back and are an easy pick to be the USA South champion. The staffs at Christopher Newport and Emory are looking to reemerge from the dark ages into the glory of yesteryear.
New Faces
This year, all the coaches in Region 6 are back.
Key Games
LaGrange at Birmingham Southern, February 18th: No early contest gets bigger than this as two top 10 teams meet. BSC will be coming back from a three game series at Trinity (Texas) and a 4-0 start against the best teams in the nation could be all that is needed to vault the Birmingham school to the top spot in the first regular season Top 25. A strong start for LaGrange will give this team just that much more confidence.
Marietta at Roanoke, March 5th: The Maroons will be ending an nine game homestand when they welcome the Pioneers to the spacious confines of Carilion Clinic Field and face their toughest test of the season. A win will be key as Roanoke will play five of their next seven games against teams receiving votes in the Top 25.
Salisbury at Christopher Newport, April 8th: The Captains will face the top ranked team on Easter weekend as they open an abbreviated Coast 2 Coast season with Salisbury. Big wins last year gave CNU an at-large playoff bid.
Lynchburg at Shenandoah, April 22nd: This doubleheader on the Shenadoah campus will give one of the Hornet teams a leg up in the ODAC race if either team can sweep the day.
LaGrange at Emory, April 25th: The Panthers will be nearing the end of their season and is taking a break from the CCS conference slate with a trip to Emory. The Eagles will be ending their season and one more win to impress the committee for a playoff bid will be key.
Conference Previews
Collegiate Conference of the South: It was inevitable. Last year the USA South had fifteen members and one bid to the NCAA Playoff round. By spinning the western half of the conference into the CCS, there will be two playoff bids for the same set of schools. If an auto bid is not available right away for the CCS, the top team will be a solid contender for the Pool B bid. The dominant team in the USA South was LaGrange (44-9) and they will dominate the CCS. The Panther's third baseman, Joe Ruth (.441, 10 HR, 83 RBI) will be chasing 300 hits for his D-III career as he finishes up at LaGrange before packing his bags for a final year at Kansas State in 2024. Fellow senior, Baley Coleman (11-1, 3.50 ERA, 96 K) will top a rotation that includes juniors Dalton Brooks (6-2, 4.60 ERA, 88 K) and Ethan Fry (3-1, 5.85 ERA, 32 K). The experience of a D-III World Series appearance last year that fell just short of a spot in the final two team series will be fuel for this team as they make another run at the National Championship.
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| Righthanded starting pitcher Brett Sanchez was named a D3baseball.com Preseason All-American prior to the start of the 2023 season. Belhaven athletics photo |
Belhaven (28-16) will face east for their chances of a conference title instead of west, moving from the ASC to the CCS. The Blazers will feature the present and the future on their offense with a mix of seniors/grad students and sophomores stepping to the plate. Sophomore Matthew Charbonnet (.349, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 12 SB) and graduate student Nathan Herron (.323, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 13 SB) are the top hitters In the line-up. Once a player gets on base, they will have thievery on their minds as the team stole twice the number of bases as their opponents last season (99 versus 49). The strength of the team will be their senior-led pitching with 2023 Preseason All-American Brett Sanchez (8-1, 2.01 ERA, 84 K) getting the ball every weekend. The future is also present on the mound with a sophomore bullpen that will get better as the season progresses.
Huntingdon (26-15) will be battling Belhaven for second place in the conference and a possible top finish if LaGrange falters. Senior Daniel Phillips (.378, 5 HR, 37 RBI) will anchor the Hawks' O with half of the returning hitters coming off .300 or better seasons. Eddie Patterson (11-2, 3.01 ERA, 70 K) was Huntingdon's top pitcher in 2022 and will be the ace again this season. Covenant (22-19), Maryville (Tenn.) (22-16), Piedmont (18-22-1), and Berea (05-33) round out the rest of the conference. Berea will have to make up a lot of ground if they want to see playoff action. Look for Piedmont to separate themselves from this quartet. Carter Ballstadt (.382, 12 HR, 56 RBI, 1-1, 2.19 ERA, 6 saves) is back for another year and is a conference Player of the Year candidate. As the best player to ever don a Lions' jersey, he will be adding to his batting and pitching records all season and potentially earn another Gold Glove for his defense.
FAVORITE: LaGrange
Old Dominion Athletic Conference: The last time an ODAC team made it to the D-III World Series was Roanoke in 2017 but don't think that in the last four years, there were no teams capable of the feat. In fact a trio starting with Shenandoah (37-12-1) fell just short of a trip to Cedar Rapids. The Hornets will have seven players swinging a bat that have played significant roles in a .319 batting team in 2022. Key will be the return of an eighth in Colby Martin (.482, 8 HR, 55 RBI, 25 SB, 3 saves in 2021) from injury. The All-American second baseman will be expected to be in the designated hitter role and on the mound as well. A draft prospect, Martin will want to prove to the scouts that he is back. Senior ace Jacob Faivre (9-1, 4.31 ERA, 62 K) lead an all senior rotation, knowing the time to win is this season.
While the Hornets in Winchester are eyeing a conference title, they will have plenty of competition in the Hornets of Lynchburg (36-12). A trip to Lynchburg's Fox Field will be a tough win for whomever is welcomed to their home field. The Hornets will continue to be a tough win on the road as well. Pitching has been a strength of the program and Brandon Pond (3-0, 1.06 ERA, 19 K) will be returning from a mid-season injury and is expected to be back in the form that earned him ODAC Pitcher of the Year honors in 2021. He will join Nick Mattfield (9-1, 3.18 ERA, 64 K) and Zack Potts (8-4, 5.77 ERA, 63 K) to form one of the toughest rotations in the nation. Seven upper classmen will be back at the plate with D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Avery Neaves (.419, 16 HR, 65 RBI, 15 SB) getting the most attention. While Pond opened his season with six perfect innings, it took a couple at-bats for Neaves to get going and he never stopped hitting. Expect to see the same production from both Neaves and Pond as both should be contenders for the conference's top awards at the end of the season.
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| The Virginia Sports Information Directors tabbed Evan Blair a first team All-State selection following the 2022 season. Washington and Lee athletics photo |
Bridgewater (Va.) (26-17), Roanoke (26-16) and Randolph-Macon (26-12) all made the conference tournament. Bridgewater will be led by the reigning ODAC Pitcher of the Year in Reid Long (11-2, 2.36 ERA, 67 K) and will need for him to repeat his success in 2022 in this season as no other Eagles pitcher had more than three wins. Randolph-Macon is still trying to recapture the success they had before Covid so keep your eye on the Yellow Jackets. Roanoke had the best season of this trio as they played the toughest schedule among ODAC teams and the seventh hardest in the nation while battling injuries. The toughness earned over the season allowed them to get as far as the ODAC Championship game, losing to Shenandoah. The team returns intact and heathy. Caleb Lingenfelter (2-1, 2.83 ERA, 48 K) will bring a 90+ fastball and wipeout slider to the mound and a pair of senior leaders in Owen Lawn (.342, 11 HR, 36 RBI) and Connor Butler (.356, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 12 SB) will be providing the offense.
Hampden-Sydney (20-19), Washington and Lee (20-16) and Eastern Mennonite (12-24) all made the eight team conference tournament but never got out of the opening round. The best prospects to returning and making it to the four team double elimination conference tournament round lies with the Generals of Washington and Lee. Despite not having a superstar, W&L is a talented team with many high end contributors. Key will be Evan Blair (4-3, 1 save, 2.41 ERA, 51 K) and the rest of the bullpen, backing up the starting pitching. Senior Mitchell Salvino (.348, 5 HR, 30 RBI) is the top power prospect so the offense will have to maximize their chances when players are in scoring position.
Out of the conference tournament were Virginia Wesleyan (16-19-1), Ferrum (15-25) and Guilford (11-22). Joining the ODAC in 2023 will be Averett (14-26). The Cougars will need to correct the number of bad innings that led to losses in 2022. To make their transition to the ODAC a success, they will need shortstop Brandt Brophy (.299, 4 HR, 18 RBI) to play like he did at the end of the season. Guilford will return a large portion of their offensive lineup and their top three starting pitchers. Keep an eye on Bryce Vestal (.388, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 11 SB) as he takes advantage of the extra year of eligibility while working on his graduate degree.
FAVORITE: Lynchburg
Southern Athletic Association: Last year's regular season and tournament champion Birmingham-Southern (41-10) is expected to repeat. The Panthers return six of their top seven offensive players from one of top offenses in the country last year. Although Cole Steadman is out of eligibility, the Steadman family will have his brother, outfielder Eli Steadman to watch in the outfield of Striplin Field. D3baseball.com Preseason All-American shortstop Noah Best (.371, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 29 SB) is a dynamic player and will be joined fellow honoree DH Ian Hancock (.356, 16 HR, 62 RBI). Joey White (8-0, 3.76 ERA, 50 K) will be joined by Josh Lessersen (4-1, 7.04 ERA, 69 K) who struggled in 2022 but was the Pitcher of Year in Prospect League this summer.
Hendrix (29-15) will be celebrating their 30th year since the school brought back the program. Jack Hodgins (8-2, 3.48 ERA, 85 K) will lead a veteran group of arms that will welcome some new pitching talent as well. Offensively the Warriors will be young and must show marked improvement throughout the season to earn a high spot in the standings. Leading this young group will be Rally Miller (.480, 0 HR, 31 RBI, 10 SB) and Zach Marriott (.340, 5 HR, 32 RBI). Millsaps (24-21) was a surprise winner in the opening bracket of the 2022 SAA tournament but was overmatched by BSC in the final series. The Majors return a good mix of experience and youth with the bat. They will be led by Chris Hart (.333, 7 HR, 29 RBI) and Sam Pitre (.342, 7 HR, 39 RBI, 13 SB). Wil Wood (10-3, 4.20 ERA, 65 K) returns to anchor the starting rotation.
Berry (25-17) Rhodes (26-18-1) and Oglethorpe (19-21) were seeded just behind the regular season Panthers but only Rhodes won a game in the SAA tournament, making it as far as the Pod championship, falling to Millsaps. It will be hard for any of these three teams to challenge Birmingham Southern in 2023 but can build towards a top result in 2024. Both Centre (17-25) and Sewanee (05-36) were upset winners in their opening games in the SAA Tournament but neither was able to sustain the momentum and each were out before the championship game. Look for Centre and Sewanee still trying to find the winning formula.
FAVORITE: Birmingham Southern
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| Second baseman Davie Morgan batted .407 in 2022, earning D3baseball.com All-American honors. N.C. Wesleyan photo by Carl Lewis |
USA South Conference: The good news is that North Carolina Wesleyan (28-17) will not have to face LaGrange in the conference tournament as the teams in the USA South West formed a new conference. The Battlin' Bishops return 2023 D3baseball.com Preseason All-American second baseman Davie Morgan (.407, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 11 SB). Morgan will be part of a veteran double play duo with shortstop Tyson Bass (.314, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 15 SB) also back in 2023. Add second team All-Conference outfielder Drifton Padgett (.368, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 19 SB) and you have an offensive core for success at the plate and on the bases as well. NCW had a lock on the Rookie Pitcher of the Year award recently and Hunter Hill (2-0, 2.57 ERA, 18 K) is the second consecutive Battling Bishop to be named and is ready for an increase role. The 2021 honoree Daniel Thompson (5-2, 3.97 ERA, 87 K) will also be part of the starting rotation.
Methodist (26-16) rode their senior class to a third place finish in the USA South last year with four members of that class honored on the All-USA South teams. To keep pace with NCW, they will have to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted due to the Covid emergency. Apart from the senior class, their best batters in 2022 were Justin Blunt (.282, 026 RBI) and Stancil Bowles (.270, 25 RBI), both juniors in 2023. The story is the same with the pitching staff with senior leadership in 2023. Good news is that five freshmen got at least one start in 2022 and they will be asked to shoulder more of the load in 2023.
William Peace (23-20), Brevard (21-15) and Pfeiffer (18-20) made solid gains in 2022 and if any of these three teams continue to improve as a program, they can find themselves in contention for the conference title. Brevard brings a mixture of young and old talent who have had success and is hungry for more. Junior outfielder Logan Clark (.336, 37 R, 26 RBI, 26 SB) has been a table setter for the Tornados since he stepped on campus. He has played every game since his career started and as an upperclassmen he will be the guiding force for the lineup as the clean-up hitter. Setting the plate will be seniors Zach Allison (.317, 39 R) and Blake Burchett (.383, 43 R, 36 SB). Pitching will have to improve with the best of the starting staff returns with four or less wins in 2022. Greensboro (15-21), Southern Virginia (10-22), and Mary Baldwin (07-33) round out the rest of the conference and all have work to do to be contenders for a conference title. Only Greensboro placed a player on the All-Conference squad and Josh Pittman graduated following a season that saw him hit above .400.
FAVORITE: North Carolina Wesleyan
Independent: Christopher Newport (27-14) will enter 2023 as the most complete team head coach John Harvell has had in his 23 years at the helm of the Captains. To get Harvell the 10 wins he needs for the 600 win mark, outfielder Justin Bowers (.364, 13 HR, 42 RBI), starting pitcher Jay Cassady (6-4, 4.17 ERA, 95 K) and second baseman/reliever Daniel Elliot (.336, 8 HR, 26 RBI, 4-0, 8 saves, 2.20 ERA, 61 K) will need to produce as they had in 2022. Lefty Cassady will be looking for more marquee wins like his masterful pitching performance in giving the Marietta super-team a season opening loss in 2022.
Emory (25-13) finished atop the UAA standings but without a conference bid to the playoffs. Their name was never called when at-large bids were awarded and a return to the NCAA playoffs was delayed another year. The Eagles graduated five all-conference players and the goal of a NCAA playoff berth will fall upon a veteran group returning in 2023. This includes a pair of sophomore infielders in Brok Lui (.322, 2 HR, 15 RBI) and Jack Halloran (.309, 3 HR, 20 RBI). tops on the mound is fifth-year Joey Bock (4-1, 5.92 ERA, 41 K)
Mary Washington (17-23) welcomes 17 new players to their team to add to the 28 players returning from the 2022 roster. Pitching will be a need among the newcomers but a solid offensive core is back with Ty Lowe (.327, 2 HR, 39 RBI) and Noah Roots (.280, 4 HR, 24 RBI) providing the punch in the lineup.