Schedule
Hillsdale College (5-4) at Missouri S&T (4-3) | 2 p.m. ET Saturday, March 4 | Ballpark at S&T – Rolla, MO
Hillsdale College (5-4) at Missouri S&T (4-3) | 1 p.m. ET Sunday, March 5 | Ballpark at S&T – Rolla, MO
Hillsdale College (5-4) at Missouri S&T (4-3) | 4 p.m. ET Saturday, March 4 | Ballpark at S&T – Rolla, MO
Hillsdale College (5-4) at Missouri S&T (4-3) | 2 p.m. ET Sunday, March 5 | Ballpark at S&T – Rolla, MO
Links
Hillsdale Roster | S&T Roster | Hillsdale Stats | S&T Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
Preview
The Hillsdale College baseball team weathered a tough first month of the season well, entering March with a winning record despite nine games against three teams that played in the NCAA DII Tournament in 2022.
Entering the second year under head coach Tom Vessella, Hillsdale is coming off a season that saw it 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.
Hillsdale travels to Missouri S&T this weekend to play a Miners team that's also off to a decent 4-3 start after a 20-25 campaign in 2022. S&T was picked to finish seventh in the GLVC this season and will be an interesting in-region test for the Chargers.
The Miners return 31 players from its 2022 squad, led by senior shortstop Doug Wood, who hit .352 while leading the team in hits, home runs and RBIs in 2022, while fellow seniors Garrett Weiner and Brady Voss both hit above .300 last season and also return. So far, Wood has a team-high 11 RBIs in seven games this season for the Miners, and senior outfielder Dakota Sill is hitting .500 as well for S&T.
On the mound, S&T returns two starters in sophomore Ethan Morrow and junior Dylan Mollett. Mollett is 1-0 in two starts with an 8.64 ERA, while Morrow is 0-2 with 12 strikeouts and a 4.50 ERA in two starts for the Miners. Estin McBroom has been the top starter so far for the Miners, with a 3.86 ERA and a 1-1 record.
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. Gifford was named G-MAC North Division Pitcher of the Week on Monday for his play in the Wayne St. series. 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 four appearances with a 0.00 ERA and a strikeouts per nine innings rate of 15.68, tied for 13th best in the at the NCAA DII level currently.
The Chargers have faced tough competition on the mound in their first three 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 11 in the first game against Wayne St. last weekend, and may be ready for a full-fledged breakout in the next couple of weeks.
Hillsdale and Missouri S&T last met in 2018, with the Miners taking a 5-3 victory on Feb. 26 in a single contest as part of the Dunn Hospitality Classic in Evansville, Indiana. The two teams also played on March 5, 2005, with Hillsdale taking an 8-3 victory over S&T.
Photo Courtesy of Steve George