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| Baldwin-Wallace was one of two teams from the OAC to make the 2022 D-III World Series. d3photography photo by David Malamut |
By Shawn Spence
for D3baseball.com
Region 7 showed its strength in 2022, as Marietta and Baldwin Wallace both won super regionals and competed at the national championship tournament. Wooster and Denison showed every capability of doing the same, but were both given the unfortunate task of playing defending national champions and eventual 2022 runner-up Salisbury in the earlier rounds of the bracket. Washington and Jefferson continued to dominate the PAC and is looking for the magic in their World Series year.
Region 7 also boasts the returning D3baseball.com national freshman of the year – Mount Aloysius now-sophomore Tyler Quade. Several all-American pitchers return as well – Marietta’s Trent Valentine, Grove City’s Tate Ostrowski, and Case Western closer Tyler Horvath.
A whole lot of players that could have been back to their previous schools – aren't.
This preview is about who *is* at a Division III baseball program, not who isn’t. To cover everyone that has transferred would be almost a preview unto itself, and inevitably some would be missed – as will likely happen anyway, preseason information being what it is.
Clearly, there’s still plenty of talent on offer in the region, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another team – or two – in the national championship round again.
New Faces
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| Jake Krupar will return to Muskingum as their new head coach. Muskingum athletics photo |
Jake Krupar, Muskingum: Krupar arrives in New Concord – again. Krupar was an assistant coach at Muskingum previously and now is back with the Muskies as the big fish. Krupar, a 2017 Toledo grad, has packed experiences at Baldwin Wallace, Wofford and Butler into an impressive and rapidly-built resume.
Santiago Mendez, Olivet: After conducting a national search, Olivet officials found a familiar face to lead the baseball program. An assistant coach for the last three seasons, Santiago Mendez has been promoted to head coach. During his three seasons as an assistant coach for the Comets, Mendez worked with the pitching staff and team defense. He also served as the third base coach.
Johnathan Ray, Oberlin: Oberlin officials announced the appointment of Ray as head baseball coach. Ray spent 2022 as acting head coach of the Yeomen during a time of transition while playing a full season of competition for the first time since 2019. Ray has been on staff since January of 2021, coaching with the Yeomen last year during their 10-game season. Prior to his arrival, he spent seven seasons as the lead assistant coach at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio.
Key Games
Wabash vs. Augustana at Memphis, Tenn., February 17th: The lid-lifter: the first known D3 game involving a Region 7 (apologies if we missed an earlier one) in the season! These two join hosts Rhodes and relative D3 baseball noob Wisconsin-Eau Claire, now in its third season since restarting the program. A fast start would give the Little Giants hope that they can compete for an NCAC Tournament berth after a rough 2022.
Marietta vs. SUNY-Cortland at Lexington, S.C., March 9-11: A rare treat on a Marietta schedule: a 3-game set. The Pioneers punted their Florida trip this year and instead are barnstorming Virginia and the Carolinas, with three games in 3 days against the Red Dragons arguably the highlight.
Case Western vs. SUNY-Cortland at Lexington, S.C., March 12-14: Never ones to pass up a tough test, Cortland hangs around for 3 more against the Spartans. Case and coach Matt Englander have become notable for an unfortunate reason: being passed over (some might say snubbed) by the NCAA selection committee despite having the #1 strength of schedule in the country. Case has responded by changing absolutely nothing, which ought to be commended. This series kicks off a 7-day stretch that adds Adrian, Baldwin Wallace and Denison to the list of opponents. And Case plays Marietta and Washington & Jefferson earlier in March.
Wittenberg at LaGrange, March 6: Along with the Baltimore Invitational, this matchup against super regional champions LaGrange is a chance for the Tigers to measure themselves in preparation for the in-region battles to come. Wittenberg has been building a talent base over the last several years, and this could be an early sign of whether they can pay it off big in 2023.
Denison vs. Arcadia in Port Charlotte, Fla., March 12: The Big Red’s Florida trip will actually be their third road trip of the season, following trips to North Carolina and Kentucky. But the matchup against Arcadia is a clash of two teams that combined for 75 wins in 2022, yet neither got out of regionals on their home field. It’s the fourth game in 3 days in Florida for both teams, so pitching depth will likely be put to a stern test as well.
Conference Previews
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| Tyler Quade was one reason that Mount Aloysius had the most wins in a season in the last dozen years. Mount Aloysius athletics photo |
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference: Tyler freaking Quade. Mount Aloysius (27-15) megafrosh Quade was simply the D3baseball.com national freshman of the year. He also led the AMCC in hitting as a freshman, and led the AMCC in innings pitched, and earned run average. Think of him as the Shohei Ohtani of the AMCC.
Quade (.427, 14 2B, 31 RBI; 7-2, 2.72 ERA, 76 IP, 63 SO, 22 BB) was the headliner, but it was the Mount Aloysius offense that powered the Mounties to the AMCC tournament championship via the loser’s bracket. The Mounties took a hard-luck 2-and-out in the Marietta regional, falling in 10 innings in each game.
Mounties coach Kevin Kime has several experienced hitters back to lead the Mounties in 2023. Senior Aidan Bell (.336, 6 HR, 40 RBI) and a pair of 5th-year seniors -- Tyler Suder (.324, 15 SB) and Joshua Brown (.324, 10 2B, 11 SB) should provide plenty of run production for Quade and the rest of the Mounties pitching staff, which includes senior Chris Haase (3-2, 3.45 ERA, 28.2 IP, 34 SO, 11 BB).
Everything was set up for Penn-State Behrend (27-15) in 2022. The Lions roared through the AMCC regular season, and had four of the top 10 pitchers in earned run average in the conference. They even beat Quade in the first round of the AMCC tournament. But it just didn’t come together on championship day.
Senior Isaac Stouffer (.366, 9 HR, 12 2B, 41 RBI) was a constant threat in the middle of the order and returns to lead the Lions. Fellow seniors Zac Bogats (.388) and John Berger (.397) and sophomore Mac Ciocco (.367) should get on base plenty to support him.
Much of the Lions’ vaunted 2022 pitching staff has departed, but one of the best remains in junior Jeff Zick (3-3, 2.83 ERA, 54 IP, 56 K, 18 BB). Zick will likely see an even bigger workload for Behrend to make up for the production that graduated. Behrend has a history of developing strong pitching, so he likely won’t be alone.
Alfred State (21-22) finished tied for second in the AMCC regular season and will have hopes of topping the league this time around. Senior Nick Serce (.374, 11 2B, 9 HR, 35 RBI) is the main power threat while junior Jack Curabba (.346) will also get on base frequently.
Serce (43.1 IP, 4 8H, 31 BB, 50 K) was also one of Alfred State’s top pitchers, but sophomore Jack Josephson (6-2, 4.0 8ERA, 70.2 IP, 19 BB, 63 K) is the returning innings leader and had a standout freshman season, showing unusual control for a young D3 pitcher.
The AMCC was tightly bunched in the middle in 2022, with four schools finishing within a game of each other between 4th and 7th. Penn State Altoona nudged its way to the front of that pack.
Altoona (17-21) returns most of its 2022 contributors, including junior utility man Jake Hilliard (.370, 7 HR, 14 2B, 46 RBI), 5th year returnee Richard Carey (.393, 3 HR, 10 RBI) and senior Tim Richard (.365, 1 HR, 10 2B, 18 RBI, 1 SB). The entire pitching staff returns, and many of them were underclassmen in 2022. None of them had an ERA below 5 though, so significant improvement will be needed if PS-A is to challenge the top tier.
LaRoche (15-20) has endured some turmoil and awkward circumstances in recent years. Senior Kyle Weitzel (.360, 16 XBH) and Nathan Stutz (.310, 6 HR) will try to lead the RedHawks to a resurgence.
Stutz is the RedHawks’ spiritual leaders as well. He helped organize practices in fall of 2021 while LaRoche conducted the search that ended with Adam Dukate being named head coach. Dukate will try to rekindle the success that LaRoche enjoyed before losing its way.
Hilbert (16-20) is led by senior Thomas Evans (.387, 10 2B, 17 SB) and senior Patrick Whelan (.357, 32 RBI), while junior John Riviere Vejas (.350 BA, 8 2B, 29 SB) was one of the nation’s best in two categories – stolen bases per game, and he was one of the toughest in the nation to strike out, whiffing just 4 times in 2022.
Senior Michael Contini (4-5, 4.53) heads up the Hawks pitching staff.
Pitt-Greensburg (7-23) had a senior-laden lineup in 2022, but Michael Sullivan Jr. (.343, 3 HR) decided to return for a 5th year.
Pitt-Bradford (12-23) junior catcher Evan Fragela (.367, 10 2B) is one of few 2022 top contributors that was not a senior last year.
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| Hope begins its quest to repeat as MIAA champions as the preseason favorite. The Flying Dutchmen topped the league's preseason coaches poll with 46 points and five of eight possible first-place votes. Hope athletics photo by Lynne Powe |
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association: It had just about become a reflex to put Adrian (21-20) at the top of the MIAA, but it didn’t happen in 2022.
Bulldogs coach Craig Rainey had a team of solid contact hitters, but a combination of lacking power hitting and an uncharacteristic struggle to find top-end starting pitching saw Adrian struggle to top .500 overall, and finish third in the MIAA. The injury bug biting the pitching staff didn’t help either.
Seniors Don Goodes and A.J. Miranda should anchor another solid lineup. Goodes (.374, 17 2B, 5 3B, 22 SB), an outfielder, led the team in hitting, doubles, and stolen bases in his first year after transferring from NAIA.
Miranda (.326, 12 2B, 7 HR, 39 RBI), an infielder, was the Bulldogs’ top power threat in 2022. Junior Easton Rogers (.318, 5 HR) and sophomore Ryan Davis (.301, 5 HR) also showed impressive power as underclassmen.
A pair of seniors also are among the likely candidates to improve the Bulldogs’ pitching staff. Michael Swanson (4.35 ERA, 41.1 IP, 32 H, 14 BB, 33 K) and Joe Toth (4.25 ERA, 36 IP, 33 H, 17 BB, 31 K) were called on as both starters and relievers with regularity in 2022. Swanson was second on the staff in starts and led with 2 complete games (MIAA conference games are 7 innings), while Toth got 11 of his 15 appearances in relief.
Kalamazoo (27-13) had a banner year in 2022, finishing second in the conference regular season before winning the MIAA tournament, then going to the regionals in Marietta and went a highly entertaining 1-2, scoring 20 runs and giving the highly-touted hosts a wild battle in the first round.
Repeating that success will be a challenge for the Hornets, who wave goodbye to six lineup regulars, including both .400 hitters. Catcher Harrison Poeszat (.312, 10 2B, 4 HR, 36 RBI) was often the cleanup hitter last year and he does return.
Junior infielder Cooper Mills (.319) has a knack for making contact and getting on base, and his outfielder classmate Lukas Bolton (.307, 12 2B, 3 HR, 11 SB) did a little bit of everything – bit of power hitting, decent number of walks, and swiped some bases as well. He could be one to make a big step up.
The Hornets might have made even more noise last year with improved pitching, and most of the principal arms return. Junior Joe Wade (5-2, 3.55 ERA, 45.2 IP, 41 H, 21 BB, 32 K) tied for the team lead in wins and pitched in relief in every game for Kalamazoo in the Marietta regional. He will either be a regular starter or a frequent reliever in 2023.
Junior Braden Mussat (3-0, 2.36 ERA, 26.2 IP, 25 H, 14 BB, 28 K) could see a heavier workload. He was quite effective in spot starts and short relief stints in 2022.
Hope (28-10) had a senior-laden team in 2022 finish first in the conference regular season standings, but fall short of postseason honors. Outfielder Spencer Cable (.359, 17 XBH, 43 RBI, .503 OBP, 13 SB) returned for a fifth year. Flying Dutchmen coach Stu Fritz will likely lean heavily on him.
Sophomore Al Money was a regular starter on the infield as a freshman and could figure prominently as well. Junior outfielder Robbie Stuursma (.483 OBP, 28 SB) was productive in some unconventional ways in 2022. Stuursma led the team in stolen bases, and drawing 35 walks put his on-base percentage at nearly double his batting average.
Hope loses just one pitcher with more than 20 innings, but it is their 9-0 ace, so big shoes to fill. Owen Krizan (5-2, 46.1 IP, 55 H, 13 BB, 33 K) could get the first crack at that.
Calvin (19-18) in 2022 had a pitching staff that included three freshmen, and generally performed okay. None were that bad, but few stood out. Junior Ian Doyle (4.15 ERA, 52 IP, 41 H, 24 BB, 39 K) led the team in innings. Improved control and improvement in getting out of jams could see him go from useful to outstanding.
Senior outfielder Carson Warners (.330) is the only returning .300 hitter from Calvin’s fourth place finish in 2022, while senior infielder Caden Penn is the most likely power source (.298, 15 2B).
Albion (15-24) does not return anyone that hit .300 or better in 2022, but does return an entire pitching staff that generally pitched better than you would expect for a struggling team.
Even better, six that got 15 or more innings were freshmen, including top starter Sean Cooper (4.88 ERA, 59 IP, 56 H, 34 BB, 40 K) and all-purpose man Brayden Raither (51.2 IP, 64 H, 20 BB, 49 K), who led the team in both wins and saves.
Coach Scott Carden could have the start of something in that still-young but promising-looking pitching staff, but the Britons must find some people to hit the ball.
Alma (11-28) had a tough 2022, but should have hopes for a better 2023, as most of the team is back, including senior infielder Avery Carnicorn (.304, 6 HR, 45 RBI).
The Scots’ top 4 pitchers last year were all freshmen, so several had their ups and downs. But Tyler Johnson (4.12 ERA, 59 IP, 64 H, 23 BB, 52 K) emerged as the staff ace and will likely be expected to be so again.
Trine (14-23) returns most of its 2022 pitching staff, with junior Josh Hoogewerf the innings leader and #1 starter. Hoogewerf had just one win, so tops on his Christmas list this past year was probably run support. Trine has not yet posted a 2023 roster, so we’re just assuming he’ll be back, along with senior Adam Stefanelli (.317, 3 HR).
Olivet (9-26) will need another big year out of junior infielder Gabriel Kirck (.352, 11 2B, 6 HR, 36 RBI), because he’s the only one of the top 5 batters that return for the Comets. Olivet had a number of senior pitchers in 2022 also, which means opportunities abound for improvement on generally uninspiring performances.
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| Charlie Glennon checks one of the boxes that is often seen for a team who has a championship season: senior catcher. Denison athletics photo |
North Coast Athletic Conference: Denison (35-11) has built a strong reputation around Region 7 in the last several years as coach Mike Deegan continues to build the program. But a trip to the national championship tournament has thus far eluded them and surely remains the next big milestone for the Big Red. In both 2021 and 2022, one of the title game participants was thrown in front of Denison in the regional, and the Big Red won once but not twice.
If they are to get there this year, they’ll need to recoup losses from three top pitchers that combined for a 20-2 record in 30 starts in 2022 on a Denison staff that led the NCAC in earned run average.
In the field, Denison brings back plenty of talent. Eric Colaco (.359, 14 2B, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 32 SB) showed the whole package from the top of the order as a freshman – speed, power, patience, and most unusual for a freshman, consistency. He had a 17-game hit streak before running into Salisbury in the regionals.
Senior Charlie Fleming (5-3, 4.37 ERA, 59.2 IP, 13 BB, 51 K) gave the Big Red innings last year and with good control, but needs to reduce the number of hits against him. Lefty junior George Viebrock (3.00 ERA, 36 IP, 35 H, 6 BB, 32 K) is an intriguing prospect who showed great control and kept bats quiet in mostly middle innings duty in 2022, but could be in line for either a starting or closing role this year.
Fellow outfielder Jiri Welsch (.360, 14 2B, 38 RBI) and senior infielder Ari Fierer (.361, 17 2B, 44 RBI) return with formidable resumes as well.
Last year’s surprise package – to some, anyway – was Wittenberg (27-12). They’ll sneak up on no one this year, and have plenty of talent back to make a repeat run and aim to make the NCAA Tournament. They could also easily be a co-favorite in the NCAC with the talent the Tigers have back.
Wittenberg returns its top NINE pitchers by innings pitched from a staff that finished 2nd in the NCAC in team ERA, and practically a whole lineup worth of experienced bats.
Junior Austin Luther (5-1, 2.79 ERA, 67.2 IP, 48 H, 26 BB, 63 K), returns as the incumbent starting ace. Senior Justin Maynard (8-1, 3 saves, 31.1 IP, 29 H, 8 BB, 33 K) did not start a game all year, but was in the game when it mattered, racking up the most wins and saves on the team.
Senior Nick Cunningham (37.2IP, 38H, 6BB, 24K) and sophomore Charlie Schafer (4-0, 2 saves, 2.25 ERA; 28 IP, 25 H, 8 BB, 20 K) also were reliable long men in relief and occasional starters.
Senior infielder Chase Whisner (.367, 4 HR, 33 RBI) and junior utility man Conor O’Malley (.344, 10 2B, 5 HR, 38 RBI) are among the throng of incumbents in the field. Not all of them were starters in 2022, but 9 got plenty of experience and at least 75 plate appearances.
Wooster (35-17) had a topsy-turvy 2022, finishing tied for 3rd in the NCAC before winning its NCAA regional and giving runners-up Salisbury a heckuva series in the super regional.
Part of the reason for the late success is that coach Barry Craddock found some reliable pitching. Good news, most of them are back. Bad news, their two All-American bats aren’t.
Junior Eli Westrick (.373, 17 XBH, 43 RBI; 5-1, 3.68 ERA, 51 IP, 7 BB, 40 K) is a two-way player who will be critical to the Fighting Scots as both an infielder and hitter, and the incumbent pitching staff ace. As a pitcher, Westrick isn’t overpowering but has great control in and out of the strike zone. As a hitter, he’s aggressive and showed flashes of power that should be more frequent this year.
One man whose power is ever-evident is senior first baseman Dane Camphausen (12 HR, 57 RBI). Camphausen is a home run threat every at-bat, but could stand to be more consistent.
Senior Owen Barnard (3-0, 2.91 ERA, 34 IP, 34 H, 12 BB, 28 K) played his best baseball at the end of the year and should be a featured arm this time around.
DePauw (22-17) righted the ship after a slow start to 2022 with an 11-game winning streak before running into Denison and Wooster in the NCAC Tournament.
A big reason was the pitching of junior Michael Vallone (10-1, 2.22 ERA, 69 IP, 46 H, 17 BB, 91 K), who returns as the most formidable returning pitcher in the conference and among the best in the region. Unfortunately, Vallone could only manage 1 relief appearance and no starts in the 3 NCAC Tournament games, torpedoing the Tigers’ hopes for a surprise championship.
The Tigers will need to replace 5 of 7 .300+ hitters from 2022, and the next three hurlers by innings pitched after Vallone. Junior Cameron Macon (.377, 14 2B, 5 HR, 38 RBI) will be a nice piece around which to rebuild the lineup.
Kenyon (22-17) had a 14-game winning streak in a 23-win season, and need to replace some big contributors to that record if they’re to repeat that success.
The Owls will be led in the field by juniors Malcolm Gaynor (.329, 11 2B) and Luke Meister (.325, 5 HR) while efforts to replace last year’s ace will be centered around sophomore Frank Lynch (36 IP, 36 H, 13 BB, 30 K) and junior Noah Rosenberg (31 IP, 23 H, 11 BB, 29 K).
The remaining teams in the NCAC have a lot of work to do to catch the top 5, as each finished at least 5 games back of Kenyon in the conference standings.
Wabash (20-19) returns 5 .300+ hitters, led by juniors Kamden Earley (.363, 14 XBH, 40 RBI) and A.J. Reid (.361, 15 2B, 40 RBI). The Little Giants’ leading returner in innings pitched is senior lefty Jacob Bishop (50 IP, 39 H, 34 BB, 53 K). Bishop could step up into an ace role, particularly if he can improve control-wise.
Hiram (17-23) returns a couple of solid hurlers in sophomore starter Jack Conley (3.56 ERA, 48 IP, 43 H, 9 BB, 34 K) and all-purpose reliever Jacob Kocuba (5-3, 2.70 ERA, 5 saves, 40 IP, 51 H, 7 BB, 39 K) and sophomore Hal Walker Jr. (.363, 9 2B) stood out after cracking the lineup midseason.
Oberlin (7-29) outfielder Jake Blozy (.379, 12 SB) had a standout freshman campaign, while senior Max Anastasio (.333, 5 HR) is the top returning power hitter. They are two of five regulars who batted at least .300 in 2022. Junior Vince Dolcemaschio (3.94 ERA, 61.2 IP, 71 H, 21 BB, 47 K) is the incument ace pitcher for the Yeomen.
Senior infielder D.J. Neff (.287, 11 2B, 6 HR) is the standout returner for Ohio Wesleyan (10-28), but he’s the only of their top 5 in plate appearances to return. The pitching staff was youthful last year, and the hope for the Battling Bishops will be that with maturity comes improvement.
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| Marietta will return their ace in Trent Valentine and will need him more than ever with much of their offensive receiving degrees. Marietta athletics photo |
Ohio Athletic Conference: Marietta (44-7) lost most of their spectacular 2022 batting order, but the one thing the Etta Express does have coming back is most of its top starting pitching – and in D3, experienced and effective pitching is not to be underestimated.
The undisputed ace starter is D3baseball.com preseason All-American Trent Valentine (14-1, 1.96 ERA, 91.2 IP, 73 H, 25 BB, 74 K). Valentine consistently delivered quality 5-to-7+ inning starts and put the Pioneers in a position to win in 2022.
Outfielder/pitcher Brett Carson (.423, 10 HR, 48 RBI) does return for a grad year and was one of the Etta Express’s top bats in 2022, leading the team in slugging, second in batting average, and second in home runs. He has the highest batting average of any returning regular in the OAC.
Carson (6-3, 4.42 ERA, 57 IP, 63 H, 31 BB, 55 K) will also be counted on heavily for pitching. He and fellow grad student returnee Geno Sabatine (7-1, 5.09; 58.1 IP, 62 H, 25 BB, 45 K) were also the second and third starters last season. They have experience, but the Pios would like to see those ERAs come down a bit, and pitching deeper into games would be valuable without All-American Sam Mathews anchoring the bullpen.
Carson will usually be the first name on the lineup card, and second baseman Alex Richter hit .352 as a freshman. Beyond that, who knows? Carson and Richter are the only returners of the Pios’ top 9 hitters in 2022, when Etta broke a school record with a .378 batting average.
Baldwin-Wallace's (37-13) appearance in Cedar Rapids made two OAC teams in the NCAA Championships, and the Yellow Jackets have become a perennial contender in the conference.
Coach Brian Harrison has a trio of seniors to anchor his team. Center fielder Vincent Capolupo was a highly effective and consistent anchor in 2022, batting .392 and swiping 18 bases.
The other two seniors were even more spectacular, but less consistent. Luke Vonderhaar (.340, 19 HR, 70 RBI) led the OAC in home runs and was second in RBIs, and while there’s nothing wrong with .340, improvement in that area could vault him into national player of the year territory.
Dawson Gabe (4-4, 75.2 IP, 48 BB, 89 K) could be unhittable at times on the mound, but his own worst enemy at others. Like Vonderhaar, he’s already good, but more consistency would make him a true ace at the level a program aspiring to a national championship would like to have. Nik Baldis (3-1, 2.25 ERA) will likely figure into the pitching staff as a starter, reliever, or both.
Junior Ryan Guggenheim (.372, 48 RBI) is another consistent bat, and rest assured, Harrison has others waiting to make a name for themselves.
BW graduated All-American shortstop Alex Ludwick and 2-way utility supremo Drew Wilson, but under Harrison has become an outstanding program, and you just expect them to fill gaps and find new stars.
The ongoing project at Wilmington (21-19) continues to be one of the most intriguing stories in D3 baseball. Longtime Dayton head coach Tony Vittorio is now in his 5th year with the Quakers after he inherited a program that finished 10th in the 10-team OAC for 7 straight years.
Last year, the project took significant steps forward. Wilmington had a winning record for the first time since 2005. The Quakers’ .342 batting average ranked 2nd in the OAC.
Infielder Caleb Scott (.403, 6 HR, 53 RBI, 14 2B) bought into Vittorio’s first recruiting effort and has been a cornerstone to it. He’s back for a 5th year, and is one of just two returning .400 hitters in the OAC. And he’s not alone. Infielder Jared Lammert (.397, 12 XBH) and outfielder Dominic Depa (.353, 10 2B, 38 RBI) stood out as freshmen.
The Quakers must pitch better to take the next step. Junior Aaron Boster (72 IP, 80 H, 49 BB, 73 K) could stand to be more consistent, but was a winner over BW and Otterbein last year, so the talent is there. He leads seven returning Quakers with 25+ innings last year. Vittorio will hope for some to break out. If they do, they just may find themselves in the OAC Tournament.
Ohio Northern (19-21) suffered uncharacteristic pitching troubles in 2022, but senior Tim Knapschaefer (3.83 ERA, 54IP, 46H, 69K) is one of the best returning arms in the conference. He will be pivotal to a return to normally-stingy pitching form under head coach and former MLB pitcher Gene Stechschulte.
The Polar Bears also return the meat of their order, in seniors Jacob Wenning (.352, 6 HR, 15 2B), Corey McMann (.340, 14 2B), and Nate Webb (.311, 10 HR, 12 2B). McMann is back for a 5th year, while Wenning and Webb are conventional seniors.
Northern also returns several young hurlers who had varying levels of success as underclassmen to support Knapschaefer. Stechschulte will hope some of those now-experienced arms level up under his tutelage.
Mount Union (23-19) finished 4th in the OAC in 2022 after returning most of a runner-up 2021 team. In 2023, they’ll be much changed, but OAC coaching dean Paul Hesse can lean on senior Zack Mazza (.342, 9 HR, 11 SB).
Mazza’s numbers were off a little in 2022 but he remains one of the most formidable combinations of power and speed on any roster in the conference. Eric Schilling (.315, 42 RBI) joins him in the outfield and those two will likely be at the core of any Purple Raiders success.
The pitching staff is going to be almost a total rebuild, as the top four in innings pitched last year all depart. Junior Chuck Hawley (21 IP, 18 H, 22 K) is the most effective returner, but he pitched in only 6 games.
John Carroll (18-20) rode an experienced team to a winning record and just a shade away from the OAC tournament in 2022. Six of the Blue Streaks top 7 in at-bats depart, but the one that doesn’t is the best of the bunch – junior infielder Joe Olsavsky (.377, 7HR, 16 2B, 24 SB), a likely all-region if not all-America candidate.
The Streaks waved goodbye to their top 2 pitchers as well. There’s no Olsavsky-type waiting there. Senior Matthew Aukerman (41IP, 41K) showed ability, but struggled to pitch out of jams in 2022.
Heidelberg (17-22) had 5 5th year seniors in 2022, but disappointed with a 7th place finish in the OAC. The Student Princes are much less experienced this year, but could be a hungrier, more motivated bunch with a lot to prove in a program unaccustomed to sub-.500 finishes.
Junior Cam Farley (.320, 9 HR) will be at the heart of the Student Princes’ lineup, while senior reliever Ridge Clark (2-0, 3.79 ERA, 5 SV) rarely starts a game, but is usually on the mound when it matters most for Heidelberg.
Otterbein (27-15) had not posted a 2023 roster as of this writing, so covid-year returners among last year’s seniors is anyone’s guess. Regardless, the Cardinals likely have a rebuilding job at hand after last year’s experienced team finished second in the OAC regular season.
Two talented juniors that were expected to return are infielders Brayden Quincel (.361, 5 HR, 32 RBI) and Jamie Perebzak (.300, 33 RBI). The top likely returning pitcher is senior Jackson Peloquin (30.2 IP, 32 H).
Muskingum (15-23) will be looking for a turnaround under Krupar, but starting a building project is rarely easy. Senior infielder Dominic Gorence (.363, 12 2B) is likely the cornerstone.
The Muskies return several pitchers that were underclassmen in 2022, with reliever Liam Carey (26 IP, 32 H, 9 BB, 23 K) arguably the most effective among them.
Capital (10-29) coach Scott Manahan can attest to the challenge of getting a project off the ground, as his first year with the Comets (props on not picking a bird name like most renamings) ended with a 10th place finish.
Logan White was a bright spot (.363, 42 RBI) and the senior infielder will be central to the hopes of improvement in 2023. But there is still a lot of work to be done in Bexley.
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| Tyler Horvat's loss in 2022 was his first of his career for the Presidents. Horvat is 18-1 in the three years he has pitched for W&J. Washington and Jefferson athletics photo |
Presidents’ Athletic Conference: Despite the name of the conference, the only school with any presidents in its name is the one with two – Washington & Jefferson (37-10). W&J under coach Jeff Mountain has also become the dominant force in the PAC, and they look strong again in 2023.
Start with all-American Tyler Horvat (.445, 12 2B, 21 SB; 8-1, 2.13 ERA; 67.2 IP, 52 H, 11 BB, 48K), the PAC batting champ and one of the league’s most effective pitchers in the same player.
Mountain has lost a couple of top pitchers but he will have Shane Fox (2.38 ERA; 34IP, 32H, 9BB, 25K) and Dante DiMatteo (10 SV; 30.1 IP, 18 H, 22 BB, 38 K) among others to choose from for replacements.
Senior outfielder Evan Sante (.350, 10 HR, 48 RBI) also returns, and all he did was lead the league in home runs and RBIs in 2022.
Grove City (28-14) has been a building program in the last few years, and 2023 could be the Wolverines’ best yet. They will certainly have the pitching to battle with the Presidents, as the Wolverines have the last two years. Grove City has lost 8 out of 9 games against W&J, but NONE of them have been by more than two runs.
All-American senior pitcher Tate Ostrowski (8-1, 1.63 ERA, 1 save, 88.1 IP, 93 K, 24 BB, 58 H) leads a trio of pitchers that figure to keep the Wolverines a threat again. Ostrowski is joined by junior Nick Guidas (6-3, 3.38 ERA, 64.0 IP, 74 K, 13 BB, 63 H) and left sophomore Evan Umland (6-5, 2.72 ERA, 6 SV, 79.1 IP, 88 K, 17 BB, 77 H) to form a pitching trident as good as any in the conference. Any of the three will pitch as both a start or in relief.
The Wolverines were young in the batting order last year, and so many of those players are back this year as well. They only need to do just a bit more to make a big difference in the won-lost column.
Senior catcher C.J. Saylor (.341, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 13 2B) will be a four-year starter and lead the team in the field and managing the talented pitching staff. Sophomore infielders Luke Vittone (.309, 4 HR, 14 2B) and Mally Kilbane (.362, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 12 2B) had impressive rookie campaigns and took ECAC honors for their exploits. Yet another sophomore, outfielder Nico Rodriguez (.321, 36 RBI, 18 2B) was a reliable source of extra-base hits as a freshman.
Allegheny (24-15) makes the move to the PAC from the NCAC, in a move that frankly, just makes sense from a geographical perspective.
Freshman outfielder Tyson Bryant-Dawson (.389, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 15 SB) may have been the Gators’ best player in his rookie year, and there’s no reason to think he won’t bring an array of talents again. But coach Brandon Crum will need to find other sources of run production to go with Bryant-Dawson.
Senior outfielder Jake Stotsky (.349) junior outfielder Ryan Dougherty (.339, 16 XBH), and senior catcher Brayden Cartwright (.333) got plenty of hits but none drove in more than 27 runs.
On the mound, Allegheny has a trio of reliable returners with lots of experience. Seniors Conor Deasy (6-5, 4.48 ERA, 60.1 IP, 73 K, 23 BB), Bobby Kusinsky (7-1, 3.45 ERA, 60 IP, 59 K, 23 BB) and Dan Morgano (4-4, 1 save, 4.61 ERA, 56.2 IP, 61 K, 26 BB) all have shown plenty of ability in their Gators’ careers and will look to make their senior years pay off big.
St. Vincent (24-14) played its best baseball in conference in 2022, finishing second in the PAC behind only W&J. Their secret formula was winning 1-run ballgames – going 7-2 in tight ones.
Junior Billy Perroz (.395, 4 HR) anchored the lineup that mastered the “score one more” approach. Grad student Casey Jones ( .333, 3 2B, 15 RBI, 2 SB; 5-5, 67.1 IP, 52 SO, 27 BB) who will be critical to the Bearcats. Senior Jordan Sabol (.328, 12 2B, 12 SB) offers a mix of extra-base power and speed at the top of the order.
Jones logged the most innings of returning Bearcat pitchers, but Jeremy Kreuzweiser (3-2, 4.20 ERA, 55.2 IP, 49 SO, 29 BB) and Aaron Stephan (3-1, 4.05 ERA, 40.0 IP, 22 SO, 20 BB) are a pair of juniors that will get plenty of mound time and figure heavily in St. Vincent’s hopes of making a repeat visit to the top tier of the PAC.
Franciscan (17-22) returns one of the best hitters in the conference in senior Brendan Burke (.417, 5 HR, 12 2B, 46 RBI) and its most experienced pitcher from 2022 in senior Jacob Watson (5-6, 3.24 ERA, 72.1 IP, 54 H)
Westminster (Pa.) (25-19) finished fourth in the PAC in 2022, but it was a tight group between 2nd and 4th, and the Titans will have every reason to expect they can compete at the top of the league.
The Titans are led by returning covid-year senior Seth Schrader (.338, 43 RBI) and junior Logan Murgenovich (.323, 15 2B) at the plate and sophomore Ryan Gibbons (5-2, 3.19 ERA, 48 IP, 39 H, 20 BB, 47 K) on the mound. Fellow sophomore Jake Vitale (4-3, 3.35 ERA; 51 IP, 50 H, 16 BB, 41 K) and junior Logan Exler (3-0, 4.17 ERA; 45.1 IP, 52 H, 17 BB) form a solid base for efforts in 2023.
The rest of the PAC has a lot of catching up to do to reach that top tier, as all of them finished at least 4 games back of fourth place.
Bethany (16-23) returns four upperclassmen and a sophomore to anchor the pitching staff. Four of them had ERAs in the 4 and 5s, but there is nary a Bison returning to the batting order who batted .300 or better.
Senior Zach Nolf (1.57 ERA, 6 saves, 28.2 IP, 27 H, 9 BB, 23 K) was a standout reliever, but the Bison need to either get more leads to him, or give him more innings earlier in the game. Junior Zach Pressnell (59.1 IP, 48 H, 28 BB, 59 K) showed impressive swing-and-miss ability and improved control would help him develop into a bona fide ace.
Thiel (16-22) was middle of the pack in the PAC last year, but has not yet posted a 2023 roster. Nick Jacobs (.321, 11 2B) is a junior (we assume) that, depending on covid-year returnees, could be the leading returning stick for the Tomcats, while junior Travis Harvey (5-5, 3.77 ERA; 74 IP, 84 H, 23 BB, 48 K) is the incumbent pitching staff ace.
Waynesburg’s (14-25) hopes are led by a pair of sophomores – Bryce Bedilion (.327) in the batting order, and Alec Engelmore (5-4, 3.80 ERA; 42.2 IP, 49 H, 17 BB) on the pitching mound.
Geneva (12-27) returns a trio of .300+ hitters. David Toruno (.363), Zack Sackett (.348), and Gabriel Morales (.306) hit consistently in 2022, but more power from any or all of them would be helpful, as would more bases on balls to boost the on-base percentage.
Chatham (12-37) sophomore Drew Schreck had a solid freshman year pitching mainly out of the bullpen, and a bigger workload might well benefit the Cougars’ efforts. A pair of outfielders, junior Frankie DeLuca (.309) and grad student Nico Cuello (.300, 10 XBH) top the batting-order returners.
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| Tyler Horvath will not be a welcome sight at the end of the game for the Case Western opponents. Case Western athletics photo |
Independent: UAA's Case Western Reserve (23-17) has a strong regional reputation as a program that will play – and challenge – anyone in the region. Unfortunately, the national selection committee has yet to glom onto the Spartans, consistently snubbing them despite outstanding strength of schedule ratings, regularly #1 in the country and often by a wide margin.
The Spartans could have one of their best teams this season, with many of its 2022 best back.
Pitcher Evan Faxon (6-0, 4.16 ERA; 62.2 IP, 60 H, 23 R, 80 K) is back for a grad year after arriving as a grad transfer in 2022. Wait, what? Yes, apparently so. He could get a grad degree from Case before he completes his eligibility. #whyd3 *wink*.
Faxon also happens to be a heckuva pitcher, giving coach Matt Englander a tough, experienced, and driven ace of the staff.
Case’s stout schedule means that one should interpret their statistics differently than most programs. When your average opponent is nearly NCAA tournament caliber, .400 hitters and 1.xx ERAs are very tough to come by.
Which means that two-way junior Zach Carinici ought to be seen as one of the region’s very best. Carinici led the Spartans with in batting average and RBIs, and chipped in 11 relief appearances, helping to get the game to the region’s best returning closer.
Sophomore Nick Harms (.295, 9 HR) accounted for more than half of Spartans’ 2022 home runs. Englander would probably rather get him some help than have that be the case again, but Harms will still probably be the Spartans’ top power threat. Senior Jack Anderson (.335, 14 XBH, 15 SB) will handle the catching duties and also led the Spartans in stolen bases in 2022.
Finally, we’ll close as Case often will, with preseason All-American Tyler Horvath (3-1, 1.50 ERA; 36 IP, 16 H, 15 BB, 48 K). The junior was practically unhittable in 2022, and the more leads that get to him, more than likely the more success the Spartans will have.