Schedule
Hillsdale College (4-6) at McKendree (2-5) | 12 p.m. ET Friday, March 4 | Hypes Field – Lebanon, IL
Hillsdale College (4-6) at McKendree (2-5) | 3 p.m. ET Friday, March 4 | Hypes Field – Lebanon, IL
Hillsdale College (4-6) at McKendree (2-5) | 12 p.m. ET Saturday, March 5 | Hypes Field – Lebanon, IL
Hillsdale College (4-6) at McKendree (2-5) | 3 p.m. ET Saturday, March 5 | Hypes Field – Lebanon, IL
Links
Hillsdale Roster | McKendree Roster | Hillsdale Stats | McKendree Stats
Preview
The Chargers had a tight series with host Maryville this past weekend, going 1-2 but coming very close to taking the series, with a 4-3 loss to the Saints in extra innings on Saturday serving as the decisive game.
Now 4-6 overall, the Chargers look to build momentum heading into conference play with four games on deck against host McKendree, another GLVC program, this weekend in Lebanon, Illinois.
The Bearcats sit at 2-5 overall after a three game series with Purdue Northwest was cancelled this past weekend due to weather and travel issues. McKendree opened the year by going 1-2 against Harding University on Feb. 11-12, then went 1-3 in a four series against Northeastern State University on Feb. 18-20.
McKendree is led by returning GLVC second-teamer Ryan Hutchinson at the plate, though he's had a relatively slow start to the season so far. The Bearcats have four hitters batting above .300 through seven games, with senior Alex Steinbach hitting .333 with a team-high four extra base hits, and freshman Gavin Arsenau leading the team in RBIs with nine and batting .346. McKendree's offense has been consistently solid so far, scoring at least five runs in six of their seven games played to date.
The Bearcats' starting pitching has struggled this season, though it's early in the year and there's a small sample size to draw conclusions from. Junior Logan Boente and sophomore Nik Millsap are both 0-1 in two starts, with ERAs above 16 and a combined five strikeouts against nine walks. Among starters, sophomore Ryan Drayer has been the most effective for McKendree, going five innings with a 3.60 ERA and seven strikeouts in the team's 10-5 win over Harding.
McKendree's top reliever is sophomore Mark Branz, who has a 2.70 ERA and already has posted a save in three appearances this season. Evan Spears and Andrew Yancik are also regulars out of the bullpen.
Hillsdale is looking to continue to grow offensively after a solid start. The Chargers have four players batting .300 or better, led by sophomore outfielder Lewis Beals, who's hitting .371 with three doubles, a triple and six RBIs. Sophomore shortstop Aidan Brewer and outfielder Joe Hardenbergh each lead the team in RBIs with seven, while sophomore first baseman Jeff Landis has a team-high five extra base hits, including four doubles.
On the mound, Hillsdale returned just one career start this season among healthy pitchers at the beginning of 2022, but have found two quality starters in Will Gifford, who's 2-0 in three starts with 22 strikeouts to five walks and a 4.20 ERA, and Tommy MacLean, who's 1-0 in three starts with a 5.27 ERA.
The Chargers are still looking to develop two more regular starters to pair with Gifford and MacLean. Paul Brophy and Devin Murray have also made starts and are among several pitchers likely to get an opportunity to lock down a spot in the rotation in the next couple of weeks.
In the bullpen, sophomores Zane Barnhart and Brenden Pochmara have pitched well so far for Hillsdale, as has senior James Krick.
The Chargers are 3-4 all-time against McKendree, last playing the Bearcats in a 3-game series in 2020. McKendree took the first two games in that series before the Chargers won a wild 16-12 game on Sunday to prevent the sweep.