Ohio Wesleyan head coach Tyler Mott and the 2019 Battling Bishop baseball team look to make a run at the North Coast Athletic Conference championship and a return to the NCAC tournament.
"We have some key returnees back, and we expect to see some talented new faces," Mott said. "We have a very tough schedule this year to get us prepared for a challenging conference schedule. 'Our goal every year is to put ourselves in position to compete for championships in May."
The Bishops return veterans across the outfield. Junior Jon Erhard (Newark/Newark Catholic), who batted .325 last year, returns in left and sophomore Cole Antle (Grove City), who was second on the team with 35 RBI, is back in right. They flank senior Mitchell Johnson (Columbus/Hamilton Township), who returns in center after missing the 2018 season.
Freshman Connor Shields (Columbus/West Jefferson), an all-state honorable mention pick in high school, and freshman Luigi Russo (Kelowna, B.C./Rutland Senior) should see time in leftfield. Freshman Nick Malenda (Cleveland/Lyndhurst Brush) should contribute in center, along with junior Frank Brown (Cincinnati/Walnut Hills).
Junior Canyon McWilliams (Shaker Heights), a third-team all-region and second-team All-NCAC pick who ranked third in the conference in batting last season, returns at first base.
Freshman Davis Graham (Canton/Massillon Jackson), who helped his high school team win a state championship, should see time at first when McWilliams is pitching, with rightfield and designated hitter also possibilities. Freshman Jared Warner (Grove City) also looks to see time at first base.
Junior Carter Franklin (Wooster/Canton Central Catholic) and sophomore Austin Harper (Sycamore/Mohawk) return in the middle infield, with both players seeing time at both second base and shortstop in 2018.
Junior C.J. Colson (Beachwood), a transfer from Sinclair Community College, will challenge for a starting spot, with senior Jared Mitchell (Lebanon) also in the picture.
At the hot corner, senior Anthony Crow (Morrow/Bishop Fenwick) returns after missing the 2018 season. Freshman Colin Spranger (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) also looks to contribute.
Behind the plate, sophomore Zack Stiteler (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) is back. Freshman Gavin Pulliam (Franklin, Tenn.), freshman Eric Edman (Parkersburg, W.Va./Westerville (Ohio) South), and sophomore Ethan Douglas (Windsor, Conn.) also are vying for playing time.
Four of the Bishops' top 5 starting pitchers from last season return in junior righthander Chris Punka (Tallmadge/Cuyahoga Valley Christian), senior righthander Jackson Brownstein (Houston, Texas/Bellaire), junior righthander Seth Pritchett (Centerville), and junior righthander Justin Grubb (Pickerington/North). Punka compiled a 4.19 earned run average last year, Brownstein's 4 wins in 2018 is tops among the Bishops' returning pitchers, Pritchett's mark of 8.37 strikeouts per 9 innings ranked second on the team last year, and Grubb led the Bishops and ranked in the top 20 in the NCAC with a 4.11 earned run average a year ago.
Freshman righthander Charlie Neel (Shaker Heights) could emerge as a midweek starter.
In short relief, McWilliams is back after sharing the team lead with 2 saves in 2018. Along with southpaw McWilliams, sophomore righthander Joey Watts (Marysville) and sophomore righthander Ethan Soderna (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) give Mott some flexibility in creating situational matchups, as will sophomore lefthander Xavier Sarver (Waynesburg/Sandy Valley), sophomore lefthander Jacob Paxson (Fremont/Ross), and righthanders Warner and Pulliam.
Long relievers include freshman righthander Colin Kennedy (Chagrin Falls), who helped his high school team win a regional championship; freshman righthander Linden Hoover (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek), a 2-time all-region selection in high school; and sophomore righthander Matt Poole (Powell/Olentangy Orange).
Ohio Wesleyan opens its season by facing regional foes Thomas More and Capital. The Bishops' spring trip includes games against SUNY-Canton, Arcadia, Scranton, La Roche, Swarthmore, Babson, and Mount St. Mary. Regional opponents Otterbein, John Carroll, Manchester, Baldwin Wallace, Defiance, Muskingum, Heidelberg, and Marietta further highlight the non-conference slate.
The NCAC schedule opens on March 30 against Oberlin. NCAC runner-up Denison and 2018 tournament champion Wabash are among the teams scheduled to visit Littick Field this season, while the Bishops visit defending champion Wooster on April 6. The NCAC tournament is scheduled to be played in Chillicothe May 9-10.
