Ohio Wesleyan head coach Tyler Mott looks for the 2023 Battling Bishop baseball team to return to the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament.

"We were picked to finish last, but we don't think that's going to happen," Mott said.  "We have some good returning players combined with a really good freshman class, and the guys have been working hard preparing to get this program back to where we expect it to be.  They are hungry and motivated to make a statement this spring."

Mott and the Bishops have veterans returning in the corner outfield positions.  

Junior Edrick Padilla (Salinas, P.R./Perkiomen (Pa.) School) returns in right, with freshman Matt Spencer (Hilliard/Darby), an honorable mention all-conference pick in high school, and junior Liam Nash (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) also slated to see time there.

Senior Max Pershin (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech College Prep) will be in left, along with junior Ryan Stefancin (Cleveland/North Ridgeville).  Freshman Dylan Wells-Kottman (Grove City), who helped his high school team advance to the state championship game, also looks to make his mark.

In center, sophomore Sammy Stoner (Dublin/Jerome) takes over after earning increased playing time late in the season and batting .462 in 11 games.  Freshman Colton Moone (South Vienna/Northeastern), an all-state honoree in high school, should be in center should Stoner be called on to pitch.

The corners also represent stability in the Bishop infield.

Sophomore Noah Brazytis (Euclid/Cleveland St. Ignatius) played a team-best 22 games at the hot corner in 2022.  Freshman Blake Pettit (Hilliard/Davidson), a second-team all-conference choice in high school, also is in the mix.

Junior Dillon Ysseldyke (Hilliard/Bradley) saw action in 14 games at first base last year, second on the team.  Junior Mason Timko (Pittsburgh, Pa./West Allegheny), junior Alex Casper (Green), sophomore Corey Strazek (Hudson), and freshman Andrew Vance (Cincinnati/Cincinnati Country Day), a 2-time honorable mention all-conference pick in high school, also will battle for playing time.

Senior D.J. Neff (Grove City), who led the Bishops in RBI and shared the team lead in home runs last season, moves from second base to shortstop.  Freshman Jack Bates (Westerville/South), a 2-time second-team all-conference honoree in high school, is in the picture as well.

At second base, junior Blake Farley (Hudson) and sophomore Ryan Duckworth (Hilliard/Bradley) look to win the starting nod.

Competition will be keen behind the plate, with junior Tyler Monaco (Centerville/South Mecklenburg (N.C.)) the incumbent after winning the job last season.  Freshman Alex Snyder (Massillon/Jackson), an honorable mention all-league selection in high school; freshman Zane Vitense (Maple Grove, Minn.), a 2-time all-section pick in high school; freshman Jack Young (Peterborough, Ontario/Christ (N.C.) School); and freshman Carson Fox (Van Wert/Lincolnview), a second-team All-Ohio choice in high school, all will be vying for playing time.

On the mound, 3 of the Bishops' top starters from last year return in junior righthander Jason Monos (Amherst/Steele), who led Bishop starters in earned run average last season; sophomore righthander Andy Anthony (Delaware/Buckeye Valley), whose 8 starts ranked third on the team; and sophomore righthander Josh Ferreira (Raynham, Mass./Portsmouth Abbey (R.I.)), whose 10 starts led the Bishops a year ago.

Freshman righthander Parker Tomlin (Atlanta, Ga./Westerville (Ohio) Central), freshman righthander Hank Holman (Twinsburg), and sophomore righthander Joe Liss (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) are penciled in as spot starters.

In long relief, sophomore lefthander Michael Franckhauser (Delaware/Buckeye Valley), sophomore righthander Joe Tepper (Centerburg) return, with freshman Mikey Olivieri (Jackson Township/Jackson), who helped his high school team win a league championship, also looking to pick up some innings.

Timko, junior righthander Heath Manson (Massillon/Washington), and sophomore righthander Nolan Gantrish (Hanover, N.H.) are slated for short relief duty, along with Vitense.

Situational relievers include junior lefthander Brandon Frankel (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson), junior lefthander Dom Smith (Marysville), Casper, and senior lefthander Joey DeRusso (Sagamore Hills/Nordonia).

Ohio Wesleyan opens its season on March 1 against Bluffton before playing Mount St. Joseph and Wilmington during a weekend trip to Cincinnati and then heading south for a run of 5 games in as many days.  Regional contests against Otterbein, Marietta, Capital, Adrian, and Heidelberg highlight the remainder of the March schedule.

The NCAC schedule begins on April 1 against Kenyon and wraps up with a twinbill against Oberlin on May 6.  The NCAC tournament is scheduled for May 11-13 in Chillicothe, Ohio.