Coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2023, the Hillsdale College baseball team looks to use the momentum it's built to springboard their way into title contention in years to come.
Key to sustaining that momentum is replenishing the roster with the next generation of Hillsdale College stars through recruiting, and the Chargers did just that with its incoming freshman class this fall, adding a big group of players from across the nation filled with standout talent.
The 10-player class is heavy on pitchers and infielders and will help the Chargers reload at those critical positions with players who have the skill to contribute early on in their college careers.
Winston Delp (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) a right-handed pitcher, is the son of former Chargers baseball player Cleves Delp and the most recent of five siblings to play a sport at Hillsdale College. At Toledo Central Catholic, he was a three-sport athlete, playing a role on the Fighting Irish's 2022 OHSAA DII state championship football team while also helping Central Catholic win district titles in his main sport of baseball and in men's basketball as well. For the Fighting Irish baseball team, Delp was a team captain and All-Three Rivers honorable mention honoree.
Delp, who played travel ball for the Black Swamp Raiders, also is an impressive student, finishing high school fourth in his graduating class and earning membership in the National Honor Society.
Daniel Higdon (Paducah, Kentucky/McCracken County) is a talented right-handed pitcher prospect and a three-year varsity letterwinner for a McCracken squad that's one of the top teams in the state of Kentucky on a yearly basis. During his career, Higdon played an important role in the Mustangs' KHSAA playoff success, helping McCracken to three straight district and regional titles, a state semifinal appearance in 2022 and a runner-up finish in 2021.
An excellent student who earned first team Academic All-State honors as well as the AP Scholar distinction, Higdon also excelled on the travel ball circuit with Kentucky Prospects.
Hayden Hoffpauir (Shreveport, Louisiana/C.E. Byrd) is also a right-handed pitching prospect and at 6-foot-4 has all the measurables you look for in a potential college star. Hoffpauir was a key contributor for a C.E. Byrd team that regularly makes deep runs in the top high school classification in Louisiana, as he was a part of Yellow Jackets squads that made the quarterfinals of the D1 state tournament three consecutive years and finished runner-up in the state of Louisiana in 2021.
The 2023 All-District honoree also is a strong student, graduating with honors and earning membership in the National Honor Society in high school.
Aaron Jasiak (Kalamazoo, Michigan/Parchment) is a talented infield prospect who also has potential as a pitcher out of the bullpen at the next level. A three-sport athlete at Parchment, Jasiak excelled on the baseball field, earning All-State honors from the MHSBCA for three consecutive seasons, as well as a spot on the MHSBCA Dream Team and All-Star Game rosters for 2023. Jasiak hit .477 with 41 RBIs and a school record 60 stolen bases as a senior in 2023, and was a perfect 26-0 for his high school career on the mound, with a 0.86 ERA.
Jasiak, who also excelled in travel ball with the Kalamazoo Maroons, was a standout student at Parchment, earning Academic All-State honors in three sports, membership in the National Honor Society, and graduating in the top five in his class.
Will Millard (O'Fallon, Illinois/O'Fallon Twp.) is an impressive catcher prospect from O'Fallon, a decorated prep baseball program in Southern Illinois, just across the border from St. Louis. At O'Fallon, Millard was a two-time team MVP and three-time All-Southwestern Conference honoree who helped lead the Panthers to a third-place finish in the Class 4A state championship as a sophomore in 2021, and another 4A regional championship as a senior in 2023. For his career, Millard hit .386 with an impressive OBP of .508.
A travel ball standout as well with Extreme Elite National, Millard also made his mark in the classroom, earning membership in both the National Honor Society and the Rho Kappa Honor Society.
Luke Miller (Florence, South Carolina/Homeschooled, South Florence) is a power right-handed pitching prospect with great size and skill. A three-time first-team All-Region player and 2023 SCBCA All-State honoree, as well as 2023 South Carolina North-South All-Star Game selection, Miller finished his career by helping lead South Florence to the Class 4A Final Four in the SCHSL in 2023, finishing his career with 126 strikeouts and a 1.60 ERA in 98 innings pitched while hitting .404 with 59 RBIs as well.
Miller also played for Post 1 American Legion in travel ball, and is an outstanding student, earning Summa Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam in ninth grade and excelling in debate, with a variety of regional and national awards won.
Josh Novak (Andover, Minnesota/Andover) is another promising right-handed arm with great potential out of the state of Minnesota. A three-year varsity player, Novak earned All-Conference honors for three consecutive seasons at Andover, helping the Huskies to a third place finish in the MSHSL 4A state championships in 2021 and another 4A state tournament appearance in 2022 as a junior. Novak finished his high school career with a 19-4 record and 175 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched.
A standout on the travel scene with the Minnesota Icemen, Novak also had an impressive showing in the classroom during his time at Andover, including earning membership in the National Honor Society among other honors.
Jacob Pallo (Grand Rapids, Michigan/Forest Hills Eastern) is another right handed pitching prospect and an in-state standout fresh off an impressive prep career. A two-time first-team all-state player to the MHSBCA, Pallo was the Hawks' ace during the program's run to its first-ever MHSAA state title in Division 2 in 2022, and he helped Forest Hills Eastern return to the D2 semifinal round in 2023. Over his final two seasons, Pallo went 20-1 on the mound and finished his career with 198 strikeouts in 159 innings pitched. He also was named to the MHSBCA All-Star game in 2023 and played with Jasiak on the West All-Stars squad.
Pallo also made his mark in travel ball with USA Prime Michigan and Metric Lab, and is an excellent student, earning membership in the National Honor Society and multi-year Academic All-State honors in baseball.
Rocco Tenuta (Bartlett, Illinois/St. Francis) is a gifted infield prospect who looks to be a potential standout in the middle of the field at the next level. A four-year varsity starter at St. Francis in Wheaton, Illinois, Tenuta was a big part of St. Francis' IHSA 3A Super-Sectional appearance in 2021 as a sophomore, and also helped the Spartans to a regional title in 2022 and Metro Suburban – Blue Conference titles in both 2021 and 2023. A three-time IHSBCA first-team All-State honoree, Tenuta hit over .400 in every season of high school and also put up big numbers on the mound as a pitcher for St. Francis.
A travel baseball star with Canes Illinois Baseball Club, Tenuta also is a gifted student who was named an Illinois State Scholar in 2023 and earned membership in the National Honor Society.
Last, but certainly not least, Hillsdale is adding a collegiate transfer who will arrive on campus this fall with immediate eligibility and four years to play in infielder Tyler Turner (Potomac Falls, Virginia/Potomac Falls). Turner spent his first collegiate season at NCAA Division I Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, where he redshirted, before entering the transfer portal and choosing to join the Chargers this summer.
A four-year varsity player at Potomac Falls, Turner was an Academic All-American in High School who hit .450 or better in every season with the Panthers, and hit .460 with 20 runs scored and just three strikeouts in 2021. Also a standout on the travel baseball scene, Turner helped the Ashburn Rebels to a 15-5 record in 2021 and an ABTA Tournament title.
Hillsdale College heads into the spring 2024 season looking to build off a promising 2023 campaign that saw the Chargers finish in the top four in the G-MAC standings for the first time in six seasons in the league, and also win 20 conference games for the first time in program history.
Photo: Members of the 2023-24 incoming Hillsdale College baseball class. From left: Jacob Pallo, Josh Novak, Rocco Tenuta, Will Millard and Winston Delp. All photos are courtesy of the athletes.