Kyle Wolf is a key senior leader for the Tigers in 2004.
The Tiger baseball team enters the 2004 campaign with high hopes
of returning to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference West
Division, which Wittenberg last won in 2002. With the opening of
the Carleton-Davidson Stadium, the return of 14 letterwinners and
an influx of exciting new talent this spring, the Tigers hope to
improve upon last season's 17-22-1 record.
The key words for the Tigers in 2004 will be versatility and
depth. A number of players are expected to get significant playing
time at multiple positions this season. Leading the charge is
junior outfielder/catcher Matt Foster (Granville,
Ohio/Granville), an honorable mention All-NCAC selection
last season who was second on the team with seven home runs and
fourth with a .351 batting average. Seniors Kyle Wolf
(Hamilton, Ohio/Middletown Fenwick) and Tom Fox
(Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) are also expected to be key
contributors in the outfield. Wolf, a two-year letterwinner, looks
to solidify the centerfield position, while sophomore Matt
Berry (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) waits in the
wings. Junior Shawn Jarecki (Brookpark, Ohio/Valley
Forge), a two-year letterwinner, looks to rebound from
off-season shoulder surgery and will round out this solid group of
outfielders.
The strength of the Tigers may lie in the talented young infield,
led by sophomore shortstop K.R. Schlievert (Findlay,
Ohio/Findlay). Schlievert, honorable mention All-NCAC and
Tiger Newcomer of the Year in 2003, started all 40 games for the
Tigers while batting .389 and leading the Tigers in hits. Junior
second baseman Jon Komperda (Bay Village,
Ohio/Bay) also returns after a breakout 2003 campaign in
which he batted .333. A pair of talented sophomores, Justin
McCulla (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham ) and Colby Albert
(Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern), are expected to see
playing time at both middle infield positions as well as third base
and outfield. Junior Tom Pickering (Newark,
Ohio/Catholic), who started 38 games at third base in
2003, is the incumbent at the position after providing strong
offense to the middle of the Tigers' lineup. The Tigers are loaded
once again this year at first base, with as many as five players
competing for the position: juniors Ryan Goldschmidt (Fort
Loramie, Ohio/Fort Loramie) and Shawn Rudegeair
(Yellow Springs, Ohio/Yellow Springs), sophomores
Bret Wiseman (New Richmond, Ohio/New Richmond) and
Brian Hampp (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) and freshman
Andrew Wellman (Huntington, W.Va./Huntington).
The Tigers feature a deep pitching staff this year and return
three starters from last year's rotation: Fox, Goldschmidt and
sophomore Steve Less (Sheffield, Ohio/Elyria
Catholic). Fox, a lefthanded starter, was second on the
team in strikeouts in 2003 and tied for second in starts with
eight. Goldschmidt led the Tiger staff in strikeouts and was tied
with Less for the team lead in wins. Senior Jason Flick
(Hamilton, Ohio/Middletown Fenwick), who led the Tigers in
appearances last season, will also be counted on this season,
either out of the bullpen again or in the starting rotation. Junior
Kurt Hartfelder (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington)
is returning from off-season Tommy John surgery, and a return to
his 2001, All-NCAC award-winning form will be important to the
team's fortunes. A host of other pitchers are vying for
opportunities this season, including junior Wayne Massie
(New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), sophmores Pat Rice
(Lancaster, Ohio/Fisher Catholic), Tyler Jacobs
(St. Paris, Ohio/Graham), Jason Holmberg
(Miamisburg, Ohio/Kettering Alter), Graham Ketcham
(Norwalk, Ohio/St. Paul), Alberts and McCulla and freshmen
Brandon Deford (Westerville, Ohio/North) and
Chris Leaver (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee). Five
players will be battling for time at catcher, including Foster,
senior Matt Oberdorfer (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Gates Mills
Hawken), sophomores Brad Koopman (Pleasant Hill,
Ohio/Newton) and Adam Keller (Mechanicsburg,
Ohio/Mechanicsburg) and freshman Jason Hutson
(Piqua, Ohio/Piqua).
The Tigers begin the season with the annual Spring Break trip to
Florida, March 5-14, and then return to play one of the toughest
schedules in the nation, featuring national and regional powers
Ohio Wesleyan, Wooster, Marietta, Thomas More and NCAA Division I
foe Dayton.