Schedule
Hillsdale College (19-22, 14-10 G-MAC) at Malone (21-20, 9-15 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, April 29 | Skeeles Field – Akron, Ohio
Hillsdale College (19-22, 14-10 G-MAC) at Malone (21-20, 9-15 G-MAC) | 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, April 29 | Skeeles Field – Akron, Ohio
Hillsdale College (19-22, 14-10 G-MAC) at Malone (21-20, 9-15 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Sunday, April 30 | Thurman Munson Stadium – Canton, Ohio
Hillsdale College (19-22, 14-10 G-MAC) at Malone (21-20, 9-15 G-MAC) | 4 p.m. ET Sunday, April 30 | Thurman Munson Stadium – Canton, Ohio
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Malone Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Malone Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
Preview
Hillsdale's split with Walsh in its final home series of the season last weekend helped move the Chargers closer to locking up a spot in the G-MAC Tournament field, and has Hillsdale aiming to improve its seed with two weekends left in the regular season.
The Chargers take on Malone on the road this weekend looking to move up from sixth in the current G-MAC standings overall by taking three or more from the Pioneers.
That won't necessarily be easy against a Malone squad that enters on a high note, having swept Lake Erie last weekend, and a team that is also desperate for a strong finish as it currently sits on the outside of the G-MAC Tourney field.
Although fourth in all games in batting average among G-MAC teams, Malone has gone somewhat cold in conference play, hitting .268 against G-MAC foes for the ninth-best mark offensively. The Pioneers have a weapon at the top of the lineup in senior Tyson Gingerich, whose batting average of .448 and OBP of .545 ranks second among all G-MAC hitters. Senior first baseman Evan Balzano is hitting .348 with a team-high 36 RBIs and sophomore catcher Anthony Ryan is hitting .318 with 33 RBIs as well to lead the Pioneers.
Malone has two high-end starters on the mound, junior Mitch Maurer, who's 5-3 in 11 appearances with a 3.02 ERA, and sophomore Devin Norton, who's also 5-3 in 10 appearances with a 4.44 ERA, but have had trouble nailing down consistent third and fourth weekend starters, with five additional players making multiple starts, and none with an ERA below 6.84. Jackson Phelps, Michael Cook, Ayden Hall and Jacob Rollyson are all likely to be deployed in some combination during the weekend series.
Malone's closer is Danny Miller, who's 4-0 with four saves and a 2.70 ERA in 14 appearances, and Cooper Davies also sees frequent action out of the bullpen late in games, with a 2-3 record and two saves in 13 appearances.
Hillsdale's offense started slowly but has heated up as conference play has worn on, and the Chargers now look like one of the more dangerous teams in the G-MAC. Against G-MAC foes, five lineup regulars are hitting above .350 for Hillsdale, led by breakthrough sophomore Will Shannon, who's hitting .364 with 14 extra-base hits and 17 RBIs, and returning 2022 All-American Aidan Brewer, who is hitting .362 with 12 extra base hits and a team-high 29 RBIs in conference games.
Outfielders Joe Hardenbergh (.359, nine home runs, 22 RBIs) and Danny Passinault (.351, 10 doubles, 19 RBIs) are red-hot as well for the Chargers, and the hottest bat in Hillsdale's lineup right now might be junior Jeff Landis, who's returned from injury to hit .412 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 14 G-MAC contests.
On the mound, ace Will Gifford returns for the Chargers after going 6-4 with a 4.24 ERA and an impressive 67 strikeouts last season. Gifford was named G-MAC North Division Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 27 for his play in the Wayne St. series. Sophomore Tommy MacLean is a consistent first day starter as well and is off to a solid start for Hillsdale, while junior Paul Brophy also has significant starting experience for the Chargers. Fellow junior Daly Skees has impressed in three G-MAC starts and looks to have locked down a starting position as well for Hillsdale.
In the bullpen, Hillsdale has one of the G-MAC's top closers in Zane Barnhart, who recorded six saves and a team-leading 2.21 ERA while posting 14.16 strikeouts per nine innings, in 2022 to head an experienced bullpen staff. Barnhart looks like one of the best relief pitchers in the G-MAC so far, earning four wins and four saves in 14 appearances with a 1.23 ERA, and 55 strikeouts to nine walks.