Though it may not feel like it with snow on the ground in Michigan, the 2023 NCAA DII baseball season is just around the corner – and organizations around the country are beginning to release their preseason projections.
This afternoon, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference followed suit, announcing the results of its 2023 Preseason Coaches Poll.
New this season in the G-MAC is a return to divisions with the addition of Northwood bringing the number of baseball teams in the conference back to 12. Hillsdale will be in the six-team North Division for the 2023 season, and was projected to finish fourth this campaign in a tough group that includes three NCAA Tournament squads from last season in Ashland, Northwood and Walsh.
Although the Chargers are projected in fourth, Hillsdale could be a team that surprises in 2023, with an extremely veteran squad that now got a full season with second-year head coach Tom Vessella under their belt.
Nearly the entire roster of every-day players returns for the Chargers from last year's 22-26 squad – including eight of the nine most-used players in the lineup, all four starting pitchers, and Hillsdale's top reliever from 2022.
Leading the way for the Chargers are two players looking to author an impressive encore to two historic individual seasons in 2022.
Shortstop Aidan Brewer became Hillsdale's second-ever consensus All-American at the NCAA DII level, earning recognition from both the Division II Conference Commissioners Association and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association for a special offensive performance, including finishing in the top 15 in the country in batting average (.435), on-base percentage (.500) and total hits (81) while leading the G-MAC in doubles as well (19).
He might have been joined as an All-American by teammate and outfielder Lewis Beals if not for a season-ending injury to the junior with 10 games to play in the year. Beals himself was a consensus All-Midwest region player who led the Chargers in home runs (14) and slugging percentage (.776) despite playing in just 38 of Hillsdale's 48 games on the year.
Those two players are the core of what could be a loaded lineup for the Chargers this year, including big-time power hitter Jeff Landis, who has 23 career home runs, as well as veterans Danny Passinault, Joe Hardenbergh, Cody Kanclerz, Nick Stepke and Jaekob Sallee, who've all performed at a high level before.
On the mound, the Chargers return one of the top closers in the league in All-G-MAC honoree Zane Barnhart, who posted the team's best ERA in five or more innings pitched with 2.21 and recorded six saves, tied for the fourth most in a single season in Hillsdale history.
Hillsdale also brings back great starting pitching experience, led by senior ace Will Gifford, whose 67 strikeouts in 2022 were in the top 10 all-time for a single season by a Charger pitcher. Gifford's performance helped the Chargers set a program record for most strikeouts in a single season with 343, and along with Gifford, Hillsdale other three main starters, Tommy MacLean, Paul Brophy and Drew Olssen, are all back for another season as well.
While Hillsdale had a losing record in 2022, the Chargers lost 14 games by two runs or less, putting them much closer to being in the upper echelons of the conference and the region than that record might suggest. More experience should help Hillsdale turn more of those close losses into wins.
A big focus for the Chargers is continued improvement defensively. The Chargers made big strides last season to post a .949 fielding percentage, one of the top 10 best marks in modern program history, but still far short of the marks posted by the best teams at the NCAA DII level. With several athletic players in the field and another year under their belts, Hillsdale will take aim at another big leap in that stat, which should pay dividends in those close contests that didn't go the Chargers' way in 2022.
The Chargers open the 2023 season down in Tennessee against Lee, with a three-game series on Feb. 4-5. Conference play in the G-MAC opens on March 17 and 18 with a home series against Trevecca Nazarene. Hillsdale will host nine home dates in 2023 – eight doubleheaders and a single game against Grand Valley State on March 22. You can find the full schedule here.
2023 G-MAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
North Division
Ashland (6) 56
Northwood (4) 52
Walsh (2) 45
Hillsdale 29
Malone 20
Lake Erie 14
South Division
Trevecca (9) 59
Tiffin (3) 50
Ky. Wesleyan 43
ODU 32
Findlay 20
Cedarville 12