GREENWOOD, Ind. – Opening day for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference is coming quick with Salem International throwing out the first ceremonial pitch on Saturday in Georgia.
With the results of the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll finalized, the quest begins for all seven teams to make their impression in order to make a run at the coveted conference championship.
Rosters have been retooled with some players arriving and some players leaving. The target will once again be on Trevecca Nazarene’s back as reigning two-time G-MAC champions.
G-MAC Team Capsules
Trevecca Nazarene (2014 record: 43-14, 20-4 G-MAC)
The Trojans are on the national radar with numerous media outlets ranking the two-time G-MAC champions not only in the Midwest Region rankings, but also in the conversation among the top 25 in the country. A lot of eyes are on the Trojans, who would be looking to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Cary, N.C., as an at-large selection in their first year of full Division II membership.
TNU fashioned a 27-6 record in Nashville and forged through the conference schedule with a 20-4 record. Despite a few omissions from the lineup, most notably sluggers Nick Howell (.399, 85 H, 19 2B, 13 3B, 44 RBI) and Luke Fennell (.368, 7 HR, 61 RBI, 17 2B), TNU’s offensive arsenal is still loaded with talent for third-year head coach Ryan Schmalz.
All-conference infielders Hunter Newman (.353, 73 H, 61 R, 8 HR, 54 RBI) and Tyler Tichenor (.427, 93 H, 12 2B, 57 R) are forces to be reckoned with at the top of the lineup. TNU hit .332 as a team last year, which would have put the Trojans tied for eighth best in the country had their stats counted in the Division II national leaders. Tichenor would have been ranked 11th nationally in batting average.
Anchoring the rotation is Mike Purcell, who reeled off a 10-1 record in 84 innings pitched. He struck out over a batter per inning and had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 5:1. Talented righties John Bolton and Austin Sisk combined for a dozen wins the staff ERA for the entire year was a G-MAC best 4.30.
Kentucky Wesleyan (2014 record: 31-16, 17-7 G-MAC)
Three of Kentucky Wesleyan’s four 2014 all-conference performers (Noah Boswell, Mark Hagedorn, Lucas Ray) were seniors as the Panthers attempt to build on last year’s considerable success that featured a 31-16 overall record. KWC was red hot in April last year, winning 13 straight, and was as a thorn in the side of two-time G-MAC champ Trevecca Nazarene, splitting the four-game series against the Trojans in Nashville.
Longtime head coach Todd Lillpop returns a several offensive weapons in the form of all-conference standout Jonathan Eberhardt (.444, 38 RBI, 3 HR, 60 H), second-team all-league selection Kyle Emig (.363, 4 HR, 23 RBI) and middle infielder Dennon Kolziol (.324). The Panthers hit an impressive .304 as a team and reversed their fortunes in a big way from 2013’s 16-33 overall record.
Boswell recorded 10 saves in the closer role while Ray earned the winning decision seven times in nine starts. KWC exited the G-MAC Championship earlier than it would have liked after blanking Salem International in the opening round. After being picked second in this year’s preseason poll by the league’s coaches, KWC should be in contention for the regular-season crown once again.
Cedarville (2014 record: 31-27, 11-13 G-MAC)
In 2014, Cedarville was able to give Trevecca Nazarene a run for its money in the G-MAC Championship as the underdog No. 5 seed before going on to win three straight games in the NCCAA National Tournament in additional postseason play. As the fifth seed, the Yellow Jackets clawed their way through the bracket with four wins before reaching the championship final.
Toolsy outfielder David Lenhardt burst on the scene as a freshman with a .364 batting average and will only get better as his career progresses. Cedarville also showcased five everyday starters (Sam Summerlin, David Bancroft, Drew Johnson, Nathan Bancroft, Cam McWilliams) with averages of .300 or better and presumably all will be back with the exception of the departed senior McWilliams. McWilliams was just one of two seniors on last year’s young roster and another year of development will do wonders for this group under the leadership of head coach Mike Manes.
Sean Larkin was the workhorse of the Yellow Jackets’ staff, finishing with over 73 innings pitched. Tyler Hurt put together the team’s best ERA at 2.45, mainly in a relief role, while Jordan Adams led the rotation with six wins and a pair of shutouts. On paper, all of the Cedarville pitchers should be in the mix this spring as returning letterwinners.
Alderson Broaddus (2014 record: 29-20, 13-9 G-MAC)
A strong 29-20 record (matched the best regular season in school history) for the Battlers in 2014 and a nail-biting exit in the G-MAC Championship are just a few reasons why head coach Luke Harrigan and his roster should be in contention once again when the postseason rolls around. A decisive run in the top of the ninth versus eventual champ Trevecca Nazarene may be a tough pill to swallow to end the year, but AB will be eager to showcase the program’s continued rise this spring.
Dual threat and departed senior G-MAC Pitcher of the Year Jeff Conley leaves a considerable void as a prolific hitter (.345, 38 RBI) and as the Battlers’ ace in the rotation (7 W, 1.96 ERA, 89 K, 4 SV). But with a total of seven all-conference selections in 2014, AB should still feature a potent punch in the lineup. Marquis Collier (.308, 39 RBI) solidifies one of the corner infield spots and Dan Essian is a returning first-team all-conference catcher. At the hot corner, Travis Hurley (.324, 55 H, 11 2B, 3 HR, 43 RBI) flourished as a second team all-conference pick and joins Jordan Martin (.330) as the team’s top returning hitters.
Emerging right-handed hurler Randy Dobnak carved opponents to the tune of a 2.02 ERA as a freshman and racked up six wins as a rookie. Another sophomore, Koby Overstreet, could also look to fill an elevated role in the staff after starting seven games last spring, including the finale against TNU.
Davis & Elkins (2014 record: 25-25, 12-12 G-MAC)
Last spring, the Senators finished an even .500 overall and in the conference as well. This season Davis & Elkins transitions into a new year reloaded with six returning positional starters. Junior all-conference shortstop Travis Phelps (.360, 12 2B, 4 HR, 34 RBI) will be the ringleader and centerpiece for the offensive lineup constructed by first-year head coach Charlie Goens.
The Senators finished the regular season strong, winning three of four in series against Ohio Valley and Kentucky Wesleyan while later beating the Panthers in the postseason. D&E began the season with five wins in its first six games and assembled an eight-game win streak in the middle of April.
D&E owned the third-best team ERA last year and clubbed 19 homers, second in the conference. Rising sophomores Tyler Honeycutt and Noah Jarboe anchor a young albeit experienced and talented pitching rotation. Senior lefty Jake Smith hurled 25 innings in a relief role to help stabilize the pen.
Ohio Valley (2014 record: 19-31, 6-19 G-MAC)
Similar to the outlook of Salem International (see below), the name of the game will be continuous improvement under the leadership of seventh-year skipper Bob Crawford. Crawford’s offensive core will be intact with toolsy Miami shortstop Marlon Bellmas (.314, 9 2B, 15 SB, 28 RBI) up the middle and an experienced catcher with pop in Cody Morris.
The Fighting Scots hit .266 as a team last year with Morris belting four home runs. Crawford’s win totals increased by nine from the previous year, a trend he is looking to continue this spring. OVU has significant returning upperclassman talent, offensively and pitching wise, to exceed sixth-place expectations in the G-MAC preseason poll.
As a freshman, southpaw Cole Yoder emerged as the anchor of the rotation, toeing the rubber for 62.2 innings and four wins with a team-leading 2.73 ERA. Yoder went the distance in five of his 10 starts, including a shutout. His best start was an eight-strikeout complete-game gem against Hillsdale in his second start of the season. The trio of Tucker Hughes, Eric Schweitzer and J.R. Davis, all return -- they each had ERA’s under 4.00 and combined for over 150 innings pitched.
Salem International (2014 record: 10-41, 3-21 G-MAC)
Unfortunate prolonged struggles last spring have turned over a new leaf for fourth-year head coach Shawn Pynn and his Tigers. Pynn has navigated SIU to back-to-back 10-win campaigns since taking over in 2012 and will look to add another chapter of improvement to the program’s archives this spring.
The team’s top two hitters from 2014, Dayan Lopez and Peyton Newsom, combined for over 100 hits and hit over .320, but are not on this year’s roster. SIU’s top returning hitter is Emilio Lollio (.288, 3 HR, 2 B, 25), who played in 50 of a possible 51 games last year.
One area SIU will attempt to shore up is the pitching depth following a 7.52 team ERA and an opponent .348 batting average recorded last year. Junior Charles Atherton (3 W, 11 GS) tossed a team-high 67 innings and returns to the mix as a key part of the rotation.