Schedule
Lake Erie (3-24, 1-15 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (14-21, 7-13 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Friday, April 15 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, MI
Lake Erie (3-24, 1-15 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (14-21, 7-13 G-MAC) | 4 p.m. ET Friday, April 15 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, MI
Lake Erie (3-24, 1-15 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (14-21, 7-13 G-MAC) | 12 p.m. ET Saturday, April 16 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, MI
Lake Erie (3-24, 1-15 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (14-21, 7-13 G-MAC) | 3 p.m. ET Saturday, April 16 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, MI
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Lake Erie Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Lake Erie Stats | Live Stats | Video
Preview
With just three conference series left to play, the Hillsdale College baseball team is in a precarious position in the G-MAC standings at eighth with a 7-13 record, two spots out of a spot in the G-MAC Tournament in May.
But with all three remaining series at home, Hillsdale still has a path to make the tournament with a strong finish to the 2022 season.
The path begins with making the most of a matchup against visiting Lake Erie this Friday and Saturday. The Storm are currently in last place in the G-MAC at 1-15, and 3-24 overall, and taking at least three and preferably all four is a must for Hillsdale's tournament hopes.
It's been a struggle offensively and defensively this year for the Storm, who are playing their entire schedule on the road this season. Lake Erie is hitting .219 with just 94 runs scored in 27 games. One bright spot has been the play of freshman infielder Graham Solak, who's hitting .312 with eight extra-base hits and is tied for the lead in team RBI with 12. Sophomore outfielder Mason Eicher is also hitting a solid .274 with 12 RBIs, and part-time position player Robert Helt has four extra-base hits for 12 RBIs as well.
On the mound, Lake Erie has had a rough go of things as well, with a team ERA of 12.72. The Storm's top two starters are Helt and junior John Poppy, who have started seven games and are a combined 0-10 on the year. Junior Anthony Berrios has been the teams most effective starting pitcher by the numbers, with a 1-3 record, an 11.84 ERA and a team-high 31 strikeouts, while seniors Zach Saffell and Alvin Resner have also started four games apiece.
Lake Erie's top reliever is senior Nick Taylor, who has closed out all three of the Storm's wins for saves, and has 13 strikeouts to nine walks in 11.1 innings pitched.
While the Storm have been down this season, they're still dangerous, having taken a game off one of the top teams in the G-MAC in Findlay, and nearly upsetting defending G-MAC champion Trevecca Nazarene last weekend. The Chargers will have to be at their best to ensure they get they results they need this weekend.
Hillsdale has been solid offensively on the year despite tough competition to date, hitting .291 as a team, led by sophomore outfielder Lewis Beals, who has a .371 batting average, seven doubles, three triples, and leads the team with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs, as well as an .765 slugging percentage. Beals accomplished a rare feat earlier this year by hitting for the cycle against McKendree, and his 13 home runs are also in the top 10 all-time at Hillsdale for a single season with at least 14 games left in the year.
The Chargers have several other standout hitters so far. Sophomore shortstop Aidan Brewer has broken out in his second full year, hitting .394 with a team-high 12 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, and 39 RBIs, while sophomore first baseman Jeff Landis is batting .303 with 16 extra-base hits and 26 RBIs as well. Sophomore outfielders Danny Passinault and Joe Hardenbergh are also off to strong starts at the plate, with Passinault hitting .315 with nine extra-base hits and 23 RBIs, and Hardenbergh hitting .291 with 11 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs.
On the mound, Hillsdale returned just one career start this season among healthy pitchers at the beginning of 2022, but have found a quality top-end starter in junior Will Gifford, who's 4-3 in nine starts with 57 strikeouts to 21 walks and a 4.62 ERA. Sophomore Paul Brophy, who became the first pitcher this season to shut out Trevecca Nazarene and has a 5.84 ERA and 30 strikeouts in eight starts, and redshirt freshman Tommy MacLean, who's 2-1 in nine starts with a 5.65 ERA and 35 strikeouts as well, are showing promise.
Sophomore Drew Olssen, freshman Devin Murray, sophomore Nate Waligora and junior Dillon Manion also have started at times for Hillsdale as the Chargers look to build depth in the starting rotation. In the bullpen, sophomore Zane Barnhart has pitched well for Hillsdale with a 3.14 ERA and three saves so far, as has fellow sophomore Brenden Pochmara, sophomore Logan Simon, junior Caleb Biedenharn and senior James Krick.
Hillsdale last played Lake Erie in 2019, splitting a four game series with the Storm with two wins and two losses. The Chargers are 3-4 against Lake Erie since joining the G-MAC at the start of the 2017-18 school year.