Schedule
Hillsdale College (3-8) at Indiana (PA) (2-3) | 11:00 a.m. ET Monday, March 11 | Point Stadium – Johnstown, PA
Hillsdale College (3-8) at Indiana (PA) (2-3) | 12 p.m. ET Tuesday, March 12 | Owen J. Dougherty Field – Indiana, PA
Hillsdale College (3-8) at Indiana (PA) (2-3) | 3 p.m. ET Tuesday, March 12 | Owen J. Dougherty Field – Indiana, PA
Hillsdale College (3-8) at Saginaw Valley St. (10-3) | 3 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 13 | SVSU Baseball Complex – University Center, MI
Links
Hillsdale Roster | IUP Roster | SVSU Roster | 2024 Hillsdale Stats | 2024 IUP Stats | 2024 SVSU Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
Preview
The Hillsdale College baseball team is looking to rebound this weekend after a rough trip to St. Louis that saw the Chargers drop all four games against tough competition. Now the Chargers head back to Pennsylvania to take on Indiana (PA) in a three game set, just two weeks after taking two of three from IUP's conference rival, California (PA). They'll follow that up with a trip up to Saginaw Valley State on Wednesday to play the Cardinals in a single-game midweek contest in their final tune-up before G-MAC competition begins next week.
Entering the third year under head coach Tom Vessella, Hillsdale is coming off a season that saw them post the most conference wins in program history with 20, as well as a top four finish in the G-MAC regular season standings and a G-MAC Tournament appearance and victory.
The Crimson Hawks are in year three of a rebuild by former big league pitcher and coach Steve Kline, who played 11 years for the San Francisco Giants and coached in the Giants system for another 15 years. Kline took over an IUP program that had bottomed out in 2021 with a 2-35 record and has led them to back-to-back 25-plus win seasons. Now, in 2024, the Crimson Hawks are off to a 2-3 start and looking to take the next step as a program.
At the plate, IUP graduated its top hitter from 2023, Markus Cestra, but returns first-team All-PSAC West infielder Harrison Pontoli, who hit .337 with nine doubles, five home runs and 40 RBIs in 2023. Junior Davin Landers is off to a hot start for the Crimson Hawks, batting .400 so far, while sophomore David Kessler is hitting .313 and catcher and Peru State transfer Ricardo Aponte is tied with Pontoli for the team lead with four RBIs.
On the mound, IUP also has to replace its top arm but returns its other three weekend starters from 2023 in senior Mark Edeburn (who has a 4.38 ERA in two starts), sophomore Derrick Shields and junior Jimmy Tooley. JuCo transfer Jake Black also figures to be a part of the rotation for the Crimson Hawks. IUP is also looking for a new closer, with Tooley as an option out of the bullpen and Sebastian Rosado-Guindin and Cooper Baxter also showing promise.
SVSU was a solid 27-24 last season in the GLIAC, but are off to a phenomenal 10-3 start in 2024 that includes a 7-2 record against G-MAC opponents. The Cardinals bring back a prolific and experienced lineup led by returning All-Region honoree Colin Cornwell, who hit .342 with 46 RBIs and 16 doubles last season. All-GLIAC hitters Jaccar Watkins and Austin Schweiger also return, with both Schweiger and Cornwell off to great starts, along with infielder Hayden Jatczak, who's hitting .458 with 10 extra base hits and 15 RBIs, and outfielder Reed Raymond, who's hitting .468 with a team-high 16 RBIs.
On the mound, the Cardinals return ace and 2023 All-Region honoree Tyler McLaren, who's 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in three starts in 2024, as well as senior right-hander Steven Hecht, another returning starter from last season. Redshirt freshman Chase Raymond has won all three starts for SVSU with a 3.18 ERA as well, and Jatczak has a no-hitter on his resume and a 0.82 ERA in two starts as well. Out of the bullpen, closer Reed Raymond returns in 2024, while JJ Arbini, Nick Bastian, Ben Kochany and Ryan Adams also get frequent work for SVSU.
The Chargers enter 2024 with significant holes to fill in the lineup, but return many of their best hitters from 2023, led by returning All-Region first baseman Will Shannon, who hit .388 with 15 doubles and 13 home runs last season. Shannon played for the first time this past weekend after missing the first two series with injuries. Hillsdale also returns two of the top three home run hitters in program history in seniors Jeff Landis and Joe Hardenbergh, both of whom are off to strong starts, as well as two additional rock-solid four-year starters in centerfielder Danny Passinault and catcher Jaekob Sallee. Sallee recently earned G-MAC Player of the Week for his performance in the Cal (PA) series.
Nate Waligora and Zak Kent also performed well in part-time roles in 2023 and should get more playing time this year, while a mix of returning players and a strong freshman class will compete for playing time. Already, freshmen Tyler Turner, Rocco Tenuta, and Aaron Jasiak have become lineup regulars.
On the mound, the Chargers must replace ace Will Gifford and top closer Zane Barnhart, a 2023 MLB Draft pick, but do have experienced returning starters to lean on in seniors Tommy MacLean and Daly Skees, both of whom were solid for Hillsdale in 2023, as well as two other players with starting experience in Paul Brophy and Drew Olssen.
In the bullpen, replacing Barnhart will be a huge challenge. Hillsdale does have veterans who will contend for bigger roles, including seniors Chad Stevens, Brendan Pochmara and Devin Murray, and junior Brandon Scott, among others.
An X-factor for the Chargers as they look to assemble the best pitching staff possible is a talented freshman class that includes six right-handed arms who will compete for playing time both in the starting rotation and out of the bullpen, and could play a large role in the season to come depending on development. Already, freshmen Daniel Higdon and Luke Miller have recorded starts for the Chargers, while converted position player Andrew George has looked like a strong closer prospect in his third season with Hillsdale.
Photo by Steve George