Schedule
Hillsdale College (4-2) vs Wayne St. (0-0) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 25 | Smokies Stadium – Kodak, TN
Hillsdale College (4-2) vs Wayne St. (0-0) | 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 25 | Smokies Stadium – Kodak, TN
Hillsdale College (4-2) vs Wayne St. (0-0) | 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 26 | Smokies Stadium – Kodak, TN
Hillsdale College (4-2) vs Wayne St. (0-0) | 4 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 26 | Smokies Stadium – Kodak, TN
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Wayne St. Roster | Hillsdale Stats | 2022 Wayne St. Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
Preview
Hillsdale is off to its strongest start in seven years through two weekends of the season, but faces arguably its toughest test yet against a loaded Wayne St. team that's seeking to win a GLIAC title and return to the NCAA DII Tournament in 2023.
Entering the second year under head coach Tom Vessella, Hillsdale is coming off a season that saw them just miss the G-MAC Tournament, but the Chargers will aim high this season with eight of their nine every-day hitters, their four starting pitchers and top reliever all returning from 2022.
The Warriors return almost intact from a 37-19 campaign in 2022 that saw Wayne State host an NCAA Regional and reach the final round, falling two wins short of the Super Regional.
Seven of Wayne State's top 10 hitters return for the Warriors in 2023, led by All-Midwest Region honorees Hunter DeLanoy (.341, 11 HR, 56 RBIs in 2022) in the outfield and Chris Tanderys (.338, 4 HR, 44 RBIs) at third base. Fellow outfielders Ryan Foley and Rudy Ramirez also return, as does second baseman Noah Miller, to bolster a loaded lineup.
On the mound, the Warriors are well-stocked with experienced and decorated veterans. Ace Ryan Korolden returns after posting an 8-1 record with a 2.14 ERA and earning All-American honors last season, as does top-end starter Karter Fitzpatrick, a consensus All-Region player who went 9-1 with a 2.65 ERA as well last season. Another weekend starter, Seth Marano, is also returning and Wayne St. will also look to a loaded bullpen to find a fourth starter, with 2022 spot starters Kaden Stively and Jimmy Love in the mix.
In the bullpen, the Warriors return top closer Chad Sommers, who posted five saves last year, as well as setup men David Thurman, Brennan Cox and Joey Muzljakovich.
The Chargers also have a lot of continuity to build on offensively. Hillsdale returns both a consensus All-American in junior shortstop Aidan Brewer, who hit .435 with 19 doubles, 11 home runs and 50 RBIs last year, and an Academic All-American in outfielder Lewis Beals, who hit .378 with nine doubles, 14 home runs and 44 RBIs despite missing 10 games with an injury.
Also back are power-hitting first baseman Jeff Landis, who put up eight home runs and 43 RBIs last season, as well as hard-hitting outfielder Joe Hardenbergh and leadoff hitter and third baseman Cody Kanclerz.
Hillsdale also has a defensive wizard in the outfield back in Danny Passinault, as well as second baseman Nick Stepke, who is entering his third season as a starter. The Chargers bring back both halves of their catcher platoon in Sean Nemetz and Jaekob Sallee, and are hoping for breakout sophomore seasons for Zak Kent and Will Shannon, who showed promise in part-time roles last year.
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. Hillsdale also brings back Paul Brophy, Tommy MacLean and Drew Olssen, all of whom are coming off potential-laden first seasons as starting pitchers in 2022, and who will be looking to break out with a year of experience under their belts.
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, to head an experienced bullpen staff looking to make big improvements from 2022. Barnhart looks like one of the best relief pitchers in the country so far, earning a win and two saves in three appearances with a strikeouts per nine innings rate of 16.88, 11th best in the at the NCAA DII level currently.
The Chargers have faced tough competition on the mound in their first two weekend series, getting off to a slower start than usual offensively as a result, but Hillsdale exploded for 13 runs in the final game against Davenport on Feb. 12 and may be ready for a full-fledged breakout in the next couple of weeks.
While Wayne State had a great season last year, they had trouble with Hillsdale, losing to the Chargers twice in a two-game home-and-home series. Those were midweek contests, which meant neither squad saw either opponents' typical starting pitchers, so this weekend will be a different test of best vs best on the mound for both squads.