Schedule
Findlay (6-8) at Hillsdale College (4-9) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, March 16 | TFO Partners Field at Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium – Hillsdale, MI
Findlay (6-8) at Hillsdale College (4-9) | 4 p.m. ET Saturday, March 16 | TFO Partners Field at Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium – Hillsdale, MI
Findlay (6-8) at Hillsdale College (4-9) | 1 p.m. ET Sunday, March 17 | TFO Partners Field at Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium – Hillsdale, MI
Findlay (6-8) at Hillsdale College (4-9) | 4 p.m. ET Sunday, March 17 | TFO Partners Field at Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium – Hillsdale, MI
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Findlay Roster | 2024 Hillsdale Stats | 2024 Findlay Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
Preview
A midweek split with a strong Saginaw Valley State team has Hillsdale at 4-9 entering conference play this weekend. The Chargers will host Findlay in a four game series, playing for the first time on the brand new TFO Partners Field at Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium, which just finished construction earlier this month.
The new stadium includes lights for evening play, a full synthetic turf field to better cope with Michigan spring weather, a full press box with concession stands and bathrooms, a brand-new video board and covered chair-back seating. Admission is free for this weekend's games and there are giveaways planned for Saturday's doubleheader.
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.
Findlay is a program whose success has tracked closely with the Chargers over the last few years. Three seasons ago, it was a series victory over Findlay in the final weekend of the regular season that saw Hillsdale make the G-MAC Tourney at the Oilers' expense. Last year, Hillsdale finished fourth and Findlay finished fifth in the G-MAC in the regular season, meeting in the first round of the G-MAC Tourney in a memorable 7-6 contest decided by a walk-off hit by the Chargers.
This season, the two teams are tracking pretty closely again so far, with Findlay entering the weekend with a similar 6-8 record, setting up what should be a tight and competitive series this weekend.
At the plate, Findlay has significant returning talent, led by first-team All-G-MAC honoree Cam Farrar, who enters the weekend hitting .412 with a team-leading seven extra-base hits and 16 RBIs. Fellow All-G-MAC honoree and sophomore Casey Maruniak also returns in 2024, while veteran infielder Nate Brooks and sophomore outfielders Andrew Williams and Keelan Daniel are also off to strong starts. Similar to Hillsdale, Findlay's lineup has explosive potential but has struggled with consistency early on.
On the mound, Findlay is rebuilding after the departure of all of their front-line starters, led by ace Anthony Kyle. Two midweek starters in 2023, Logan Bragg and Carson Mellott, have been Findlay's top two most deployed starters so far in 2024, while Findlay is still piecing together its other two weekend starters from a group that includes Aidan Kiessling, Ethan Mohr, David Jimenez, and Dylan Rouse. In the bullpen, Sebastian Jones is the Oilers' closer with six appearances and two saves, while Connor Evanich, Aiden Weiland and Colin Becker are all frequently deployed relievers.
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 and has continued to hit with power so far.
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, while junior Kaden Nowak has also carved out a significant role in the infield.
On the mound, Hillsdale is looking for more consistency from a young group that showed promise early but has struggled in the last two weeks to keep opposing lineups in check. Returning starters Tommy MacLean and Daly Skees have been joined by freshmen Daniel Higdon and Luke Miller to form a weekend starting corps, but continued improvement will be necessary to accomplish
In the bullpen, Hillsdale may have found a closer in junior Andrew George, who has two saves, a win and a 0.00 ERA in five appearances this season. Former starter Drew Olssen has also looked strong this season after moving to the bullpen. Brandon Scott, Chad Stevens and Devin Murray are also frequently deployed bullpen arms for the Chargers.
Hillsdale has won six of its last nine contests against Findlay, including the G-MAC Tournament victory last season. The Oilers were picked to finish fifth in the G-MAC in the 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll, while Hillsdale was close behind in a tie for sixth place.