Schedule
Hillsdale College (0-0) vs Davenport (0-0) | 1 p.m. ET Friday, Feb. 11 | Hoover Met Stadium – Hoover, AL
Hillsdale College (0-0) vs Davenport (0-0) | 4 p.m. ET Friday, Feb. 11 | Hoover Met Stadium – Hoover, AL
Hillsdale College (0-0) vs Davenport (0-0) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 12 | Hoover Met Stadium – Hoover, AL
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Davenport Roster
Preview
The Hillsdale College baseball team kicks off a season of intrigue this weekend with a three-game neutral site series against Midwest Regional opponent Davenport in Hoover, Alabama.
The Chargers return many pieces from a team that made a surprise run in the G-MAC Tournament and will be looking to improve on a 6th place finish in the conference standings last season.
They'll do so under new leadership, as first year head coach Tom Vessella takes over the reins from former skipper Eric Theisen, who left to take a Minor League coaching job.
Hillsdale has a tough first opponent in the Panthers, who enter the 2022 season ranked 15th in DII in the Collegiate Baseball Top 25, and 18th in the NCBWA poll. Davenport went 33-16 last season, won the GLIAC title and made the Midwest Regional championship game.
The Panthers return four of their top five hitters from a powerhouse offense last season, led by preseason first team All-Americans Noah Marcoux, a first baseman, and Nolan Anspaugh, a centerfielder. The duo posted batting averages north of .370 and OPS above 1.110 last season, combining for 67 extra base hits, 26 home runs and 116 RBIs. All-American utility player Carson Eby and outfielder Christian Petre also return after stellar seasons in 2021.
One of the top offenses in the country is backed by a solid pitching rotation, led by starter James Kohl, a lefthander who went 8-2 last season with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP as Davenport's No. 2 starter. Davenport has to replace ace James Rodgers and regular starter Duncan Gillett, but returns commonly-used starters Evan Maize, Derrick Edington, Dalton O'Boyle and Ricky Clark to build out the rotation as well. The Panthers also have to find a new closer with the graduation of reliever Cal Djuraskovic.
The Chargers also have a lot of continuity to build on offensively. Hillsdale returns three players who hit double-digit home runs last season in first baseman Jeff Landis, shortstop Aidan Brewer and outfielder Joe Hardenbergh, as well as leadoff man Cody Kanclerz, who posted the top returning OBP among the Chargers who played in 2021.
Hillsdale also has a defensive wizard in the outfield back in Danny Passinault, as well as second baseman Nick Stepke, who had a breakout season at the plate in 2021. The Chargers are hoping that better health will allow outfielders Steven Strachan III, Lewis Beals and Cooper Peterson to play a bigger role, and that Sean Nemetz, who missed all of last season with an injury, will team with Jaekob Sallee and Tyler Harris to provide stability at catcher.
There's holes to fill on the pitching staff with the graduation of Andrew Verbrugge and Sawyer Allen, but the Chargers have a strong building block heading the rotation in righthander David Toth, who threw the team's first no-hitter in three decades and set Hillsdale's single-season strikeouts record last season.
Hillsdale is hoping the healthy return of Drew Olssen, who was slated to be a starter last year but made just two appearances after an injury, will help bolster the rotation. The bullpen should be a strength for the Chargers, who return every player of who pitched in relief from last season, including promising relievers Logan Simon, Paul Brophy and Brendan Pochmara, among others.
The Chargers last played Davenport in a three-game series in 2020, losing all three games to the Panthers.