Ohio Wesleyan head coach Tyler Mott looks for the 2020 Battling Bishop baseball team to challenge for the North Coast Athletic Conference championship and return to the NCAC tournament.
"We have an older team this year with quite a bit of experience," Mott said. "A lot of guys played in the best summer leagues and we've had a great offseason. Our expectation for this spring is to uphold the strong tradition of competing for a conference championship and advancing to the postseason."
The Bishop lineup returns almost intact.
Senior Canyon McWilliams (Shaker Heights), a second-team All-NCAC pick who ranked among the conference leaders in batting last season, returns at first base.
Sophomore Luigi Russo (Kelowna, B.C./Rutland Senior), who saw action in the outfield and at designated hitter last season, moves to first base this year, and freshman Pat Sullivan (North Olmsted/Parma Heights Holy Name), an honorable mention all-conference pick in high school, also will contribute.
Junior Austin Harper (Sycamore/Mohawk) is back at second base, with freshman D.J. Neff (Grove City) also in the mix.
Senior C.J. Colson (Beachwood) returns at shortstop. Senior Carter Franklin (Wooster/Canton Central Catholic) also returns, and freshman Reece Trowbridge (Thornville/Sheridan), an honorable mention all-state selection in high school, looks to make his mark.
Sophomore Colin Spranger (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) is back at third after splitting time at the hot corner last year. Freshman Jacob Fox (London), an honorable mention all-state selection in high school, also should be heard from.
Senior Jon Erhard (Newark/Newark Catholic), who saw limited time in 2019, looks to return to the starting spot in leftfield. Freshman Max Pershin (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech College Prep), who helped his high school team win a pair of regional titles, also should see time there.
Junior Cole Antle (Grove City), who started games in both centerfield and rightfield last year, takes over in center. Sophomore Nick Malenda (Cleveland/Lyndhurst Brush) and senior Frank Brown (Cincinnati/Walnut Hills) also return.
Sophomore Davis Graham (Canton/Massillon Jackson), who led the team in triples last year, returns in right. Sophomore Connor Shields (Columbus/West Jefferson) is back, and freshman Craig Roch (Chagrin Falls/Kenston), an all-conference pick in high school, will battle for playing time.
Junior Izaiah Withrow (Carroll/Bloom-Carroll), a transfer from La Roche, gives the Bishops another lefthanded bat in the lineup and could see time at designated hitter, first base, or the outfield.
Behind the plate, junior Zack Stiteler (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) is back. Sophomore Lucas Stetter (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain), a transfer from Centenary (La.) College who helped his high school team win a state championship, and sophomore Ralph Good (Marble, Colo./Roaring Fork), a transfer from Wake Forest, also look to contribute.
Ohio Wesleyan's top 3 starting pitchers from last year return in senior righthander Justin Grubb (Pickerington/North), senior righthander Chris Punka (Tallmadge/Cuyahoga Valley Christian), and senior righthander Seth Pritchett (Centerville). Punka and Pritchett shared the team lead with 3 wins apiece in 2019. Punka led the team in strikeouts with 44.
Junior righthander Ethan Soderna (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep), who led the Bishops with a 5.21 earned run average last season; sophomore righthander Charlie Neel (Shaker Heights), who made 3 starts last year; sophomore righthander Linden Hoover (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek), who made 3 starts in 2019; and sophomore righthander Colin Kennedy (Chagrin Falls), who made 2 starts last season; will look to win the remaining spots in the rotation, along with freshman lefthander Ryan Ebeling (Dublin/Coffman), an all-conference selection in high school.
Junior righthander Joey Watts (Marysville), who made 11 appearances last season; junior lefthander Xavier Sarver (Waynesburg/Sandy Valley); Withrow; and junior righthander Matt Poole (Powell/Olentangy Orange), who made 11 appearances in 2019; are penciled in as short relievers, along with McWilliams, who led the team with 2 saves and shared the team lead with 3 wins last year.
Situational relievers include sophomore Gavin Pulliam (Franklin, Tenn.), who made 10 appearances last season; freshman lefthander Joey DeRusso (Sagamore Hills/Nordonia), freshman righthander Michael Lipscomb (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial), and Sullivan.
Ohio Wesleyan opens its season by facing regional foes Bluffton, Calvin, and Capital. The Bishops' spring trip includes games against Swarthmore, Bridgewater State, La Roche, Kean, and Heidelberg. Regional opponents John Carroll, Ohio Northern, Manchester, Baldwin Wallace, Otterbein, Wilmington, Muskingum, and Marietta further highlight the non-conference slate.
The NCAC schedule opens on March 28 at 2019 tournament champion Denison. Defending NCAC champion Wooster and 2019 NCAC tournament team Allegheny are among the teams scheduled to visit Littick Field this season, while the Bishops visit 2019 NCAC tournament team Wabash on April 14. The NCAC tournament is scheduled to be played in Chillicothe May 7-9.
