School: Baldwin Wallace
Location: Berea, Ohio
Head Coach: Bob Fisher
2009 Record: 19-19, 8-10 OAC
Returning Starters: 2B Matt Rollins, 3B Scott Nealon, OF Ted Cowling, OF Ben Stoper, SS Jim Martin, C Ryan Nordquist, SP Justin Novak, SP Scott Luthman
Long time Head Coach Bob Fisher has some serious holes to fill in Berea as we head into winter practice, but the cupboard is far from bare as the Jackets look to improve on their 19-19 effort in 2009.
For as long as I can remember Baldwin Wallace has been firmly entrenched in the second tier of the Ohio Athletic Conference. Joining programs like John Carroll, Mount Union and Muskingum in that group of teams that can literally beat anyone on any given day. We’re going to take a look at not only what the Yellow Jackets have coming back, but also what needs to happen to have them take that next step.
One of the first things on Bob Fisher’s to do list this spring is finding a suitable replacement for graduated All-Region clean-up hitter Riley Kreisher. While it won’t be easy to replace his raw power (10 HR) in the middle of the order, Fisher has a couple promising options. It will be important for Scott Nealon and Matt Rollins to grow into heart of the lineup guys quickly because in the OAC one bad weekend can literally make or break your season.
Rollins, a senior second baseman, hit .367 in 2009 placing him second only to All-OAC outfielder Cody Kidd for the team lead in batting average. Following closely behind Rollins was the aforementioned Nealon at .360. While neither started more than 25 games, it is clear that both will be key pieces of the Jackets’ 2010 lineup.
While it’s not an absolute necessity to hit the long ball, it’s certain a nice luxury to have the capabilities. We’ve already mentioned the gaping hole that Kreisher’s matriculation creates in the power department, but the development of some power hitters is a big question mark. The 2009 seniors accounted for nearly 70% of the round trippers. In fact, no returning player hit more than two home runs in 2009.
Another question mark exists behind the plate. Junior Ryan Nordquist (19 starts) and senior Matt Bush (17 starts) split the catching duties in 2009. Can one of them step up and grab the full-time starting job? Or will it be a newcomer? One possibility is John Ulanski, a transfer from Ashland University. Ulanski saw limited action at the DII school appearing in seven games and going 5 for 8. He begins his career at BW as a junior this year. At this point it’s anyone’s guess, but with three veteran collegiate players we can be sure whoever starts will be ready.
Overall the Jackets lineup returns some solid pieces. Throw in Ted Cowling who hit .316 last year with Nealon and Rollins. Ben Stoper and Jim Martin both hovered just below the .300 mark. That basically gives BW five returning starters who have proven they can be .300 hitters in the OAC. Chris Nealon also provided a solid bat when he got the call in 2009 (.381). In my mind the biggest question is who, if anyone, emerges as the stars of this team. The Jackets may need power, but they definitely need a star or two to carry the middle of the lineup.
From a pitching standpoint there’s good news and there’s bad news. The bad news is that Brandon Frederick and Jim Jaskowak are gone. The two accounted for more starts, wins and innings pitched than any other pitchers on the staff. The good news is that seniors Scott Luthman and Justin Novak return. The duo were arguably the Jackets most effective starters last season posting the best ERA of all the starters.
Coach Fisher has some young, but experienced arms returning in his bullpen in 2010. Sophomores Collin Wright and Josh Scott made a combined 17 appearances as freshmen and will likely be leaned on even more in the coming season. The pen also gets a lift from the return of dual threat senior first baseman/reliever Brian Boevington. He posted a 1.59 ERA and notched a couple saves last season in limited action.
Once the OAC season gets into full swing coaches have no choice but to use four starters in conference games. As a result, the biggest key for the pitching staff is finding not one, but two solid starters to replace Frederick and Jaskowak. Perhaps the answer is Wright or Scott (or both), but in that case the question obviously becomes the bullpen. Long story short the Jackets need a couple new faces to step up and pitch well. Until that happens there will be immense pressure on Luthman and Novak to throw well every time out.
While there are absolutely reasons to be optimistic in Berea, it’s hard to accurately gauge the 2010 team right now. There are a lot of holes and question marks. The safe bet would be to predict another .500 finish for the Jackets. Somewhere in the middle of the pack again. On paper that’s the smart answer. But is that where we slotted them? You’ll have to check back at week’s end and see.
Filed under: Division III
