A year after the Wittenberg University baseball team posted a 20-win season and earned a berth in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament, Head Coach Jay Lewis welcomes 15 letterwinners, including four 2011 All-NCAC honorees, back into the fold.
Three of the returning all-conference players batted .333 or better a year ago, forming a core of outstanding position players in the line-up for the 2012 campaign. Senior Matt Hampp (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson), who earned first-team All-NCAC honors after batting .399 with team-bests of five home runs, 34 runs scored, 11 doubles and 26 runs batted in last year while primarily playing first base, figures to again lead the charge.
Junior shortstop Grant Goodwin (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) has done the job with the bat as well, hitting .333 in 2011 after posting a .352 average in his first collegiate season. He has earned second-team All-NCAC honors each of the last two years. Goodwin figures to be joined in the middle of the diamond again in 2012 by junior second baseman Graham Wolff (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest), who batted .338 and ranked third on the team with 45 runs scored in 2011 to earn a first-team all-conference nod.
A potentially outstanding infield is rounded out by sophomore third baseman David Moore (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe), who started 33 games in his inaugural collegiate campaign, batting .311 while scoring 18 runs and driving in 18 more, and sophomore catcher Alex Lochard (Sidney, Ohio/Sidney), who played behind all-conference honoree Jason Haunty a year ago. Senior Tim Little (Broadview, Ill./Kenwood Academy) is also vying for playing time at the corner infield and catcher positions.
The outfield is an open competition, with sophomores Brandon Jordan (Ithaca, NY/Ithaca) and Matt Powell (Troy, Ohio/Troy), who appeared in a combined 26 games a year ago, leading the pack. Freshmen Brandon Reaman (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) and Zac Wilson (Eaton, Ohio/Eaton) and junior Zack Finke (Maineville, Ohio/St. Xavier) are also likely to see action.
Finke also is the Tigers' top returning starter after posting a 3-0 record in eight appearances (six starts). Junior Kevin Tolle (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) also made six starts in 2011, finishing with a 2-2 record, while junior Jonathan Long (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) made eight starts a year ago but will miss the 2012 season due to injury.
Senior Matt Rupert (Evanston, Ill./Evanston) picked up an all-conference award in 2011 after appearing in a team-high 19 games and threatening the program's saves record with eight. He posted a 3-1 record and a 3.41 earned run average in 29 innings of work. He was joined in the bullpen a year ago by seniors Ted Skalla (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier), Brad Prewitt (Westerville, Ohio/South) and Andy Sharek (Sewickley, Pa./Sewickley Academy), who appeared in at least nine games each a year ago, and sophomore Tyler Grau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller), who is back after making eight appearances (two starts) in 2011.
Several members of a strong recruiting class also will have opportunities to face opposing batters, led by freshmen Stu Haley (Chicago, Ill./New Trier) and Mike Burgher (Birmingham, Mich./Seaholm).
Written By: Ryan Maurer
Photos By: Erin Pence