Schedule
Cedarville (11-16, 5-6 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (13-18, 6-10 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Friday, April 8 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, MI
Cedarville (11-16, 5-6 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (13-18, 6-10 G-MAC) | 4 p.m. ET Friday, April 8 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, MI
Cedarville (11-16, 5-6 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (13-18, 6-10 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, April 9 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, MI
Cedarville (11-16, 5-6 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (13-18, 6-10 G-MAC) | 4 p.m. ET Saturday, April 9 | Simpson Field – Hillsdale, MI
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Cedarville Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Cedarville Stats | Live Stats | Video
Preview
At the halfway point in the G-MAC season, the Hillsdale College baseball team sits at 6-10 and eighth in conference play, two spots out of the final berth in the G-MAC Tournament.
But a closer look at the schedule reveals that the Chargers have played a tough slate – four series against each of the top four teams currently in the conference standings, with three of those series on the road.
On paper, the schedule eases up the rest of the way, and all four of Hillsdale's remaining weekend G-MAC series will be in the friendly confines of Simpson Field, giving the Chargers an opening to make a run if they can put everything together.
First up is the team currently just ahead of Hillsdale in seventh, Cedarville, who visits this weekend for four games. The Yellow Jackets are 5-6 in three G-MAC series to date, splitting with Kentucky Wesleyan and Malone and going 1-2 against Walsh.
Cedarville has been solid offensively, hitting .300 so far this season with an .841 OPS. Junior outfielder Lucas Rotello is the Yellow Jackets' top offensive threat, hitting .382 with 12 extra base hits and a team-high 32 RBIs, while shortstop Payton Eeles and first baseman Blais Hale are also off to strong starts. Eeles is hitting .385 with 10 doubles and 17 RBIs, and Hale is hitting .347 with 12 extra base hits and 28 RBIs. Catcher and DI grad transfer Sam Punzi is the team's top power hitter, leading Cedarville in both extra base hits (13) and home runs (6).
On the mound, Cedarville leans on ace Tanner Gillis, who's 3-1 with a 4.78 ERA and 45 strikeouts to 13 walks, but has gotten a boost from freshman starter Wyatt Fisher, who is 2-1 with a 3.81 ERA and 28 strikeouts in seven appearances. Ethan Milburn and Noah Cline are also commonly-used starters for the Yellow Jackets. Cedarville's top relief pitcher is closer Reid Hale, who has three saves in nine appearances, and Kevin Zhang and Wyatt Petek are also commonly-deployed relievers.
Hillsdale continues to stand out offensively on the year despite tough competition to date, hitting .299 as a team, led by sophomore outfielder Lewis Beals, who's looking like a G-MAC player of the year contender with a .390 batting average, seven doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 36 RBIs, as well as an .805 slugging percentage. Beals accomplished a rare feat earlier this year by hitting for the cycle against McKendree, and his 12 home runs are also in the top 10 all-time at Hillsdale for a single season with at least 20 games left in the year.
The Chargers have several other standout hitters so far. Sophomore shortstop Aidan Brewer has broken out in his second full year, hitting .398 with 10 doubles, a triple, seven home runs, and 33 RBIs, while sophomore first baseman Jeff Landis is batting .321 with 13 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs as well. Sophomore outfielders Danny Passinault and Joe Hardenbergh are also off to strong starts at the plate, with Passinault hitting .323 with nine extra-base hits and 21 RBIs, and Hardenbergh hitting .280 with 10 extra-base hits and 23 RBIs.
On the mound, Hillsdale returned just one career start this season among healthy pitchers at the beginning of 2022, but have found a quality top-end starter in junior Will Gifford, who's 4-2 in eight starts with 47 strikeouts to 20 walks and a 4.54 ERA. Sophomore Paul Brophy, who became the first pitcher this season to shut out Trevecca Nazarene and has a 6.16 ERA and 25 strikeouts in seven starts, and redshirt freshman Tommy MacLean, who's 1-1 in eight starts with a 5.94 ERA and 31 strikeouts as well, are showing promise.
Sophomore Drew Olssen, freshman Devin Murray, sophomore Nate Waligora and junior Dillon Manion also have started at times for Hillsdale as the Chargers look to build depth in the starting rotation. In the bullpen, sophomore Zane Barnhart has pitched well for Hillsdale with a 2.57 ERA and three saves so far, as has fellow sophomore Brenden Pochmara, sophomore Logan Simon, junior Caleb Biedenharn and senior James Krick.
Hillsdale went 1-3 against Cedarville last season, losing the first three games of a weekend series in late April but pulling out the final game in a 14-4 victory that helped propel the Chargers into the G-MAC Tourney. The Chargers are 3-3 against the Yellow Jackets since joining the G-MAC prior to the 2018 season.