The Wittenberg baseball team enters the 2005 season with the goal of returning to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference West Division. Wittenberg's last championship was in 2002, but as the Tigers enter their first full year at Carleton Davidson Stadium, one of the finest facilities in all of small college athletics with 22 returning letterwinners, the Tigers have high expectations.
Leading the way are sluggers Jon Komperda (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay), a second baseman, Matt Foster (Granville, Ohio, Granville), an outfielder/catcher, and K.R. Schlievert (Findlay, Ohio/ Findlay), a shortstop. Komperda (.441 average, 32 runs) and Foster (.327 average, 31 runs) posted excellent numbers at the plate while leading off and batting third respectively a year ago. Schlievert, the two-hole hitter who was among the team leaders in batting average as a freshman, overcame a slow start to post solid offensive numbers again in 2004, and he was also sterling in the field with a .936 fielding percentage and 143 assists while starting every game.
The Tiger pitching staff looks to be strong in 2005 with many of last year's top performers returning. Fifth-year senior Kurt Hartfelder (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) has recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2002, and he returns for his medical red-shirt season with hopes of getting back to all-conference form. Joining Hartfelder, who made five appearances and one start in 2004, in a likely starting rotation are senior Ryan Goldschmidt (Ft. Loramie, Ohio/ Ft. Loramie) and juniorsSteve Less (Sheffield, Ohio/Elyria Catholic) and Justin McCulla (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham). These three pitchers combined for 22 starts, 11 wins and 120 innings pitched in 2004.
McCulla and senior Tom Pickering (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) will share duties at third base after for the second straight year. Junior Colby Albert (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) and freshman Tyler Christillo (Eaton, Ohio/Eaton) should see playing time in the utility role, backing up the middle infield positions, third base and the outfield. Rounding out the infield, junior Brian Hampp (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) is the returning starter at first base, but plenty of depth is available as sophomore Andrew Wellman (Huntington, W.Va./Huntington), who hit .333 and did not commit an error in 20 starts in right field a year ago, and junior Bret Wiseman (New Richmond, Ohio/New Richmond) will also compete for playing time.
Junior Matt Berry (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington), Foster and Wellman all return to the outfield, but a strong group of freshmen are in the mix as well.
Multiple players will see time at catcher, including Foster, junior Brad Koopman (Pleasant Hill, Ohio/Newton) and freshman Joey Spano (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe). Koopman has the most experience behind the plate after making six starts and 11 appearances a year ago.
The Tigers begin the season with eight Spring Break games in Port Charlotte, Fla., starting with a doubleheader against perennial powerhouse Lakeland on Sunday. They return to play a very tough schedule, featuring national and regional powers Ohio Wesleyan, Wooster, Marietta, Thomas More and NAIA foe Cedarville. Playing a majority of the dates at home figures to be an advantage, however, as the Tigers have just four planned road dates.