Schedule
Walsh (19-14, 13-5 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (17-19, 12-8 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Sunday, April 23 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, Michigan
Walsh (19-14, 13-5 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (17-19, 12-8 G-MAC) | 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday, April 23 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, Michigan
Walsh (19-14, 13-5 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (17-19, 12-8 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Monday, April 24 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, Michigan
Walsh (19-14, 13-5 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (17-19, 12-8 G-MAC) | 4 p.m. ET Monday, April 24 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, Michigan
Hillsdale College (17-19, 12-8 G-MAC) at #7 Wayne State (27-7, 14-3 GLIAC) | 3 p.m. ET Tuesday, April 25 | Harwell Field – Detroit, Michigan
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Walsh Roster | Wayne St. Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Walsh Stats | Wayne St. Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
Preview
After taking four from Lake Erie at home last weekend, the Hillsdale College baseball team has put itself in a strong position to make the G-MAC Tournament – and can now think about seeding possibilities.
The Chargers are currently in fifth place overall in the G-MAC, and the team ahead of them – in third place in the North Division and fourth place overall – comes to Simpson Field this weekend to take on Hillsdale in Walsh for a Sunday/Monday series that was pushed back due to expected bad weather on Saturday. Sunday is also Senior Day for the Chargers, as Hillsdale salutes its nine graduating seniors on their final home weekend of the 2023 campaign – Sean Nemetz, Cody Kanclerz, Aidan Brewer, Lewis Beals, Dillon Manion, Caleb Biedenharn, Nick Stepke, Will Gifford and Logan Simon.
Hillsdale faces off against a Walsh squad that's reloaded quickly from graduation losses after making the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2022, and, at 19-14 overall and 13-5 in the G-MAC, is looking to prove they're a year-in, year-out power in the G-MAC with another strong season.
Walsh has been getting it done with fundamental, error-free baseball and balanced hitting at the plate – seven players in the order are hitting between .356 and .277 this season. Infielder Matt McGrath has been a standout for the Cavaliers so far, hitting .304 with a team high 10 doubles and six home runs, as well as 18 RBIs, while sophomore Cam Hollobaugh and freshman Brodey Acres have been swinging heavy bats as well – Hollobaugh hitting .356 with 12 extra base hits and 24 RBIs, and Acres batting .328 with seven doubles and a team-leading 26 RBIs.
Much like the offense, Walsh's pitching staff hasn't been spectacular, but it's both deep and extremely effective so far this season. Ace Asher Soltis is 3-1 in six starts with an impressive 2.92 ERA, and juniors Brody Ware and Alex Beyerle both have ERAs under five and have been solid as well. The Cavaliers have done a good job of getting the ball to a strong staff of relievers with the game in a winnable position – closer Cole Brogan, a senior, is 5-0 with three saves in 12 appearances as well for Walsh.
After wrapping things up with Walsh on Monday, Hillsdale travels the next day to Detroit to finish the last game of a four-game series against the top ranked team in the Midwest and a top 10 team in the nation, Wayne State, on Tuesday. Hillsdale and the Warriors played three games in Tennessee in the final weekend of February, with the Chargers handing Wayne State one of just seven losses this season, but the final game of the series was rained out and rescheduled for a midweek at the end of the year.
Hillsdale is fully familiar with the danger posed by Wayne State's lineup, which has six players hitting above .300 entering the weekend. Chris Tanderys, a senior, has been rocketing the ball to the outfield for the Warriors, hitting .366 with 11 doubles, six home runs and a team-leading 46 RBIs, while outfielder Rudy Ramirez is hitting .381 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 36 RBIs, and Hunter DeLanoy leads the team in OPS and has 13 doubles, four home runs and 29 RBIs.
On the mound, the Warriors have two of the top pitchers in the region in Ryan Korolden and Karter Fitzpatrick, but Hillsdale is unlikely to see either of them in a midweek. Wayne State has several other talented arms it could spot-start, including Kaden Stively, Ashton Potts, Brennan Cox and Chad Sommers.
Hillsdale's offense has been hot and cold at times this season, but when they're hot, the Chargers are as good as anyone, as evidenced by the 63 runs scored this past weekend in the sweep of Lake Erie. Returning all-Conference outfielder Lewis Beals has a .345 batting average, 14 extra base hits and 28 RBIs, while sophomore Will Shannon has emerged as a force in his first full season as a starter, leading Hillsdale in batting average at .363 with seven doubles, 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. Junior Joe Hardenbergh also is swinging a heavy bat entering the weekend, hitting .297 with seven doubles, 10 home runs and 25 RBIs as well for the Chargers.
That's not even mentioning Hillsdale's returning All-American shortstop, Aidan Brewer, who broke out against the Storm, earning G-MAC North Division Player of the Week honors and who now has 11 extra-base hits, 27 RBIs and a team-high 14 stolen bases, or outfielder Danny Passinault, who's hitting .321 with a team high 11 doubles.
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. Injured starter Drew Olssen pitched solid innings in his first healthy appearance in weeks against Central Michigan and could be a part of the plan over the next week.
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 G-MAC so far, earning four wins and three saves in 12 appearances with a 1.34 ERA, and 48 strikeouts to eight walks.