NORTH DIVISION PREVIEW

Beloit Buccaneers –  11-21 (7-9 MWC North)

Head Coach: Dave DeGeorge, 24th season, 335-407-1 (143-206 MWC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 17/6
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 5/4
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 2/2
Returning All-MWC:  None

Beloit Head Coach Dave DeGeorge enters the season only 15 wins away from 350, all of which have come at Beloit…2013 marked the first time in the last six seasons that the Bucs finished with less than 18 wins…Designated hitter Alex Lawrence is the top returning hitter after hitting .320/.371/.371 last season with five doubles…Beloit returns the left side of its infield with shortstop Matt Meade (.229/.293/.265) and third baseman Sean Little (.248/.349/.284) coming back…Ryan Kaveney led the team with a 3.56 ERA and held hitters to a team-best .261 batting average…Joe Loftus threw 27.2 innings and picked up a pair of wins in six starts as the Bucs try to overcome the losses of Andrew Edwards and Dalton Deckert who combined for 15 starts last season…Beloit finished third in the league in runners picked off (eight) and fourth in fewest walks allowed (107)…

Carroll Pioneers – 16-20 (5-11 MWC North)

Head Coach: Stein Rear, 1st season, 0-0 (0-0 MWC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  16/7
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost:  5/4
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost:  4/0
Returning All-MWC:  Joe Klubokowski, first base (First Team)

Pioneers Head Coach Stein Rear takes over the program after serving as the head coach of Northland College in Ashland, Wis…Carroll finished last season in the top-three in the MWC in on base percentage (.411, first), batting average (.313, second), slugging percentage (.417, third), runs (255, third), and RBI (225, third)…All-MWC performer Joe Klobukowski hit .376/.467/.574 where he finished in the top-six in all those categories…Tyler Schovanec hit .313//.350/.359 as a freshman and had four outfield assists…The Pioneers return their top-four starters headlined by Tyler Roberts who earned four wins and struck out 49 batters (third in MWC), 17 of them looking (fourth in MWC)…Carol Formento also had four wins and held hitters to a .271 average in 47.2 innings…

Lawrence Vikings – 11-24 (2-14 MWC North)

Head Coach: Jason Anderson, 6th season, 47-126 (15-65)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 17/14
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 4/4
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 3/2
Returning All-MWC: None

Jason Anderson is back for his sixth season as the Lawrence skipper and is in search of the Vikings first trip to the MWC Tournament since 1990…The Vikings have to replace the top two hitters in their lineup last season in Davide Harris and Gabe Henriques who combined for 18 extra base hits…Aaron Benz returns after hitting .294/.364/.365 with six doubles and a home run…Davis Ogilvie led the team with three home runs and added two doubles while hitting .312/.337/.430 in 101 plate appearances…Andrew Doares leads the rotation after making nine starts in 2013 with a 3.93 ERA and holding opposing hitters to a .279 average…Phil Clark is the top arm out of the pen as he appeared in 12 games and threw 24.2 innings…

Ripon Red Hawks – 24-16 (14-2 MWC North)

Head Coach: Eric Cruise, 2nd season, 24-16 (14-2 MWC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 17/10
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 4/5
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 5/3
Returning All-MWC:  Tom Sawyer, outfield (First Team)…Patrick Van Daalwyk, pitcher (First Team)

In only his first season Ripon Head Coach Eric Cruise helped guide the Red Hawks to their 20th MWC Championship and the third in the last four years…Offensively Ripon led the league in hits (430), home runs (25), and total bases (601) while finishing second in runs (282), RBI (250), doubles (76), and triples (10)…All-MWC awardee Tom Sawyer is the top returning hitters after a .362/.426/.523 slash line and is tied for third in school history in career triples (eight) and tied for seventh in career stolen bases (25)…Dakotah Kirchenwitz joins Sawyer in the outfield after hitting .292/.331/.425 last season…Tom Fish finished second in the league with a 2.71 ERA and allowed only a .259 opposing batting average…Patrick Van Daalwyk gives Ripon a strong one-two punch after posting a 3.55 ERA  and striking out 47 batters (fourth in MWC) in 66 innings…

St. Norbert Green Knights – 27-13 (12-4 MWC North)

Head Coach: Tom Winske, 16th season, 326-208-1 (185-64 MWC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 20/8
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 8/1
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 4/0
Returning All-MWC: Travis Mason, first base (First Team), Troy Rottier, third base (First Team), Alex Larsen, outfield (First Team), Brett Nohr, pitcher, (First Team), Kevin Nutley, pitcher (First Team)

In 2013 Tom Winske led the Green Knights to the MWC Tournament for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons including two trips to the NCAA Tournament in his tenure…Offensively St. Norbert led the league in runs scored (294), doubles (77), and walks (176) while finishing second in hits (402) and home runs (20)…All-MWC outfielder Alex Larsen led the team with a .356 average and co-led the MWC with six home runs…Travis Mason (.327/.413/.538) and Troy Rottier (.327/.432/.455) were also 2013 All-MWC performer that return…Mason finished third in the league with 13 doubles while Rottier had 11 and the duo combined for 35 extra base hits and 50 walks…2013 North Division Pitcher of the Year Brett Nohr leads the pitching staff after finishing fourth in the MWC with a 2.79 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. All-MWC pitcher Kevin Nutley threw 74 innings (most in MWC) and allowed hitters to a league-low batting average of .225 with 59 strikeouts and allowed only seven extra base hits.

SOUTH DIVISION PREVIEW

Cornell Rams – 12-22 (7-8 MWC South)

Head Coach: Seth Wing, 3rd season, 20-54 (7-8 MWC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 19/12
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 5/4
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 4/0
Returning All-MWC: None

Under Seth Wing the Rams are looking for postseason berth for the first time since the 2004 season and its first winning season since 2003…11 of the 22 losses in 2013 were by two runs or less…Last season Cornell led the league with a .320 batting average while finishing second with a .406 on base percentage and a .424 slugging percentage…Second baseman Beriah Quick is the top returnee after hitting .364/.452/.404 with only 11 strikeouts in 118 plate appearances…Jake Lehman hit .333/.411/.444 and finished tied for fifth in the league with 12 doubles…Kyle Stennes headlines the rotation winning a team-best four games last season while posting a 4.50 ERA and tossing a pair of complete games in seven starts…Kevin Stahmer will see a larger role this season after throwing 25 innings and starting three games last season where he struck out 17 hitters with a 3.60 ERA…

Grinnell Pioneers – 13-21 (8-8 MWC South)

Head Coach: Tim Hollibaugh, 20th season, 263-357 (113-126 MWC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/6
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 8/2
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 6/1
Returning All-MWC: Kainoa Inafuku, third base (First Team), Walker Bell, first base (First Team)

Under Tim Hollibaugh the Pioneers have qualified for the MWC Tournament each of the last six seasons and is in search of the school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament…As a team in 2013 Grinnell posted the third-lowest ERA (4.05) and allowed only 127 earned runs which was second-best in the league…Will Pahos headlines the rotation after a 4.26 ERA last season in 50.2 innings which was tops on the team…Andrew Kelly appearned in 16 games last season and saved three contests while striking out over a batter per inning (35.2 IP, 38 SO)…Offensively All-MWC third baseman Kainoa Inafuku hit for a .344/.406/.384 line with five doubles to lead Grinnell…Walker Bell, the Pioneers All-MWC winning first baseman, hit .331/.422/.460 with 10 doubles and a pair of home runs…

Illinois Col. Blueboys – 13-19 (7-9 MWC South)

Head Coach: Jay Eckhouse, 13th season, 180-201-1 (61-87 MWC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 18/16
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 6/3
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 3/5
Returning All-MWC: Matthew Pardo, shortstop (First Team)

Jay Eckhouse leads the Blueboys for the 13th season and aims to get them back to the MWC Tournament for the first time since 2010…Illinois Col. posted the league’s best ERA (3.87) while striking out 68 hitters (best in MWC) while holding opposing hitters to a .280 average…Nick Visconti returns after making three starts and striking out 14 hitters in 14 innings…D.J. Davis (two starts, 3.00 ERA) aims to pick up the slack as the Blueboys have to replace five pitches with starting experience…All-MWC shortstop Matthew Pardo leads the Blueboys offense after hitting .374/.398/.576 with 10 doubles, two doubles, and two triples…Nick Dalfonso headlines the outfield returning after a 2013 season where he hit .309/.414/.409 with a team-best 16 walks in 137 plate appearances…

Knox Prairie Fire – 22-13 (13-3 MWC South)

Head Coach: Jami Isaacson, 15th season, 156-291 (72-100 MWC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 20/10
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 5/5
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 3/1
Returning All-MWC: Paul Mills, pitcher (First Team), Phil Tallman, second base (First Team), Erik Smoy, outfield (First Team)

Jami Isaacson will head the Knox baseball program for the 15th season after winning the 2013 MWC South Division Coach of the Year award…The Prairie Fire captured the top seed in the South Division last season for the first time since 2008…All-MWC outfielder Erik Smoy leads the offense after hitting .364/.419/.447 with five doubles and a pair of home runs…Fellow All-MWC winner Phil Tallman will hold the second base position after hitting .316/.399/.346 in 2013 while stealing a team-best 12 bases…Outfielder Jackson White returns 11 doubles and a .346/.418/.493 line to round out a strong trio of offensive performers…All-MWC pitcher Paul Mills posted a 4.08 ERA in six starts and held hitters to only a .239 average which was second-best in the MWC…Peter Marquardt had a team-low ERA of 3.83 and struck out 35 hitters in 47 innings…

Monmouth Fighting Scots – 8-25 (4-11 MWC South)

Head Coach: Roger Sander, 21st season, 337-331-1 (162-92 MWC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/8
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 6/2
Pitcher with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 0/6
Returning All-MWC: Ryan Crandall, second base (First Team)

Roger Sander is back for his 21st season at the helm of the Fighting Scots and returns four of his five top hitters from a year ago while also brining back two of his top three pitchers…All-MWC second baseman Ryan Crandall hit .414/.459/.593 last season with 13 doubles, two trickles and three home runs…Crandall finished third in the league in batting average, second in slugging percentage, and seventh in on base percentage while striking out only nine times in 159 plate appearances…Matt Glenn strengthens the infield from his third base position as he hit .317/.416/.439 with 12 doubles…Alex Temple walked 18 times last season in only 98 plate appearances to set the table for the top of the lineup…Logan VanDeWostine appeared in 16 games, all in relief, and had a 4.54 ERA in 33.2 innings…