Schedule
#5 Findlay (29-20, 20-12 G-MAC) at #4 Hillsdale College (25-24, 20-12 G-MAC) | 2:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, May 10 | Legacy Field, Prasco Park – Mason, Ohio
For a full bracket and schedule of games in the 2023 G-MAC Tournament, please visit the Championship Central page.
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Findlay Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Findlay Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
Preview
After a year spent on the outside looking in, the Hillsdale College baseball team returns to the G-MAC Tournament this week, sporting its highest seed, fourth, since joining the G-MAC in 2018, and the largest number of conference wins, 20, in program history.
That means, while Hillsdale is not arriving at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio this week as the top contender for the title, the Chargers are very much in the mix and a dangerous team for opponents to play against.
Hillsdale will be making its third-ever G-MAC Tournament appearance this weekend, and in both previous trips, the Chargers made deep runs, claiming the tourney title in 2018 and reaching the last game on Friday in 2021 before falling just short of playing in the championship game on Saturday. All told, the Chargers have an all-time record of 6-3 in G-MAC Tourney games.
Hillsdale kicks things off with a matchup in the 4-5 game on Wednesday against Findlay. Both teams finished with an identical 20-12 record in the regular season, but never played each other, as Hillsdale resides in the G-MAC North Division, Findlay in the South, and they didn't draw each other in the crossover.
The Oilers, like the Chargers, have had a solid bounce-back season and one of their better years as a program after missing the G-MAC Tournament in 2022. While not spectacular in any one area, the Oilers have been rock solid in all aspects of the game to make the tournament, finishing in the upper-middle of the pack in the G-MAC in both batting average and ERA.
At the plate, Findlay has a standout hitter in senior catcher Aiden Lao, who's batting .359 with 18 doubles, six home runs and 41 RBIs. Backing lao up at the plate is senior infielder Cam Farrar, who bring power to Findlay's lineup with a team-high 14 home runs and 57 RBIs. Seniors Cole Kwiatkowski and Nate Brooks and freshman Casey Maruniak are also strong hitters for the Oilers.
On the mound, senior Anthony Kyle has been a big part of Findlay's success with a 6-2 record in 11 starts, 66 strikeouts and a solid 2.96 ERA, and will almost certainly be the man on the mound for Findlay on Wednesday. Findlay's top bullpen arms include senior Gavin Bailey, who's 4-1 with four saves and a 3.86 ERA, as well as senior Sebastian Jones, sophomore Jacob Flaherty and freshman Carson Mellott.
If Hillsdale advances, the Chargers would play the winner of top-seeded Northwood and eight-seed Kentucky Wesleyan at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, and if Hillsdale loses, they would play the loser of that game in an elimination matchup earlier in the day.
The Timberwolves were dominant in their first season in the G-MAC in 2023, winning the G-MAC crown by a full five games over Ashland and Trevecca Nazarene. Northwood has the G-MAC's best offense, hitting .335 in G-MAC play, led by seniors Jacob Rybicki and Rhett Evans and juniors Blake Salamon and Matt Magno, and also the conference's best pitching staff, headed by ace Derek Clark and fellow standout arms Jayden Dentler, Kendall Anthes and Zach Abbey.
Kentucky Wesleyan, meanwhile, snagged the last spot in the tourney with a final-weekend sweep of Ohio Dominican, and enter the tournament with some momentum. Power hitter Zach Curtis's 13 home runs leads the Panthers at the plate, along with Brandon Valdez and Kyle Werries, and on the mound KWC looks to starters Evan Oakley, Isaac Rose, Nick Judd and Seth Wright.
On the other side of the bracket, Trevecca Nazarene comes in as the two seed after taking the G-MAC South Division title. The Trojans have a strong pitching staff led by the impressive starting trio of Jack Keele, Elijah Pleasants and Caleb Marks, and a solid team at the plate, headlined by juniors Josh Griffin and Joey Parliament.
Seventh-seeded Ohio Dominican plays Trevecca in the opening round and is looking to bounce back after a late-season swoon saw the Panthers lose seven of their final eight games. Jack Mathey has been hufe for the Panthers at the plate, hitting .410 with 16 doubles, 14 home runs and 47 RBIs, while Lane Marshall and Alex Brill also have been key players. On the mound, ODU leans on starters Michael Lesiecki, Max Whitesell and Marshall Flynn.
The final first-day matchup includes third-seeded Ashland, who was in a close race for the title with Northwood up until a rough final weekend. The Eagles have several solid hitters at the plate, led by Chris Franks, Collin Overholt and Ben Peltz, and a solid staff, led by G-MAC Pitcher of the Year Brendan Beaver and including starters Josh Meyer, Marshall Leishman and Cam Scott.
Ashland will play sixth-seeded Walsh, who finished just a game out of fourth place in a tight race. The Cavaliers have plenty of power in the lineup with Cam Hollobaugh, Jax Miller, Matt McGrath and Benny Hymes IV, but Walsh's real strength is its pitching staff, led by ace Asher Soltis and also including Nick Lallathin, Brody Ware and Alex Beyerle.
Hillsdale enters the tournament on a hot streak and boasting a potent offense as the fourth seed. Against G-MAC foes, five lineup regulars are hitting above .340 for Hillsdale, led by breakthrough sophomore Will Shannon, who's hitting .397 with 20 extra-base hits and 19 RBIs, and red-hot junior outfielder Joe Hardenbergh, who's batting .347 with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 28 RBIs in conference play.
Hardenbergh is one of three active Hillsdale players who are among the five in Chargers history with over 30 home runs, joining Jeff Landis, who is hitting .427 with 10 home runs in 22 conference games this year after returning from injury, and Aidan Brewer, who's hitting .306 with nine home runs and a team-high 31 RBIs in conference play. Landis was named the G-MAC North Division Offensive Player of the Week for the past week after a huge series at Ashland. Junior outfielder Danny Passinault has also been a top performer, hitting .340 with 12 doubles in the G-MAC.
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 Drew Olssen also has significant starting experience for the Chargers. Fellow junior Daly Skees has impressed in four G-MAC starts and looks to have locked down a starting position as well for Hillsdale.
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, in 2022 to head an experienced bullpen staff. Barnhart looks like one of the best relief pitchers in the G-MAC so far, earning four wins and six saves in 18 appearances with a 1.94 ERA, and 60 strikeouts to 10 walks.