With plenty of veteran leadership in the outfield and at the top of the pitching rotation, seventh-year head coach Tyler Mott looks for the Battling Bishops to rebound from last year's 18-19 season to make another run at the North Coast Athletic Conference championship.
"Our expectations aren't going to change," Mott said. "We want to win the division title, go on to win the league championship, and make a run in the region. This is a hungry group ready to prove itself this spring."
The Bishops will be strong at the top of the rotation with junior lefthander Charles Cooper (Columbus/Upper Arlington) and sophomore righthander Pete Munger (Perrysburg).
Cooper was a second-team All-NCAC selection for the second straight season. He ranked third in the league in opponent batting average and eighth in earned run average. Munger moved into the rotation down the stretch and ranked second on the team and 15th in the league in earned run average.
Junior righthander J.J. Buckey (Toledo/Ottawa Hills), who tied for second in the NCAC in saves last year, moves to the starting rotation for 2014.
Junior righthander Blake Adkins (Worthington/Thomas Worthington), who started 6 games last year, and sophomore lefthander Ryan Moss (Beachwood), who missed the 2013 season, also look to nail down starting spots.
Senior righthander Greg Hock (Lewis Center/Bishop Watterson), sophomore righthander Justin Seffernick (Rocky River), and freshman righthander Brett Kiser (Avon Lake), an all-conference pick in high school, are slated to open the season in long relief.
Short relievers include sophomore righthanders Daniel Kasian (Strongsville), C.J. Tosino (Hudson), and Spencer Offredo (Westlake), junior righthander Ryan Ossenbeck (Cincinnati/Anderson), and sophomore lefthander Dylan Kelly (Grand Island, N.Y.). Freshman righthander Will Clyne (Norwalk, Conn./Notre Dame) and junior righthander Patrick Cain (Baltimore, Md./Howard) look to work as situational relievers.
On the other end of the Bishop battery, sophomore Aaron Caputo (Strongsville) won honorable mention all-conference laurels last season after ranking third on the team in batting and RBI. Junior Collin Finn (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) and sophomore Colin Pratt (Vandalia/Vandalia-Butler) also return.
With the exception of third base, this year's Bishop infield will look much different than that of last season.
At the hot corner, Hock and sophomore Tyler Flaherty (Dublin/Scioto) combined for 25 of the team's 37 games last season.
Sophomore Justin Dages (Green/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary), who played most at second base last year, takes over at shortstop. Sophomore Will Sulcebarger (Westerville/North) and freshman Mike Gaydos (Strongsville) also seek to contribute.
Flaherty also is in the hunt for the starting spot at second base, along with sophomore Dalton Martz (Lima/Elida) and freshman Aaron Strausbaugh (Dublin/Scioto), both all-district selections in high school. Sophomore Brandon Henderson (Gaithersburg, Md./Glenelg Country School) also is in the mix.
Buckey, who saw time in left field, right field, and third base last year, will play some first base when he is not pitching. Seffernick also will see time at first base, with sophomore A.J. Barnhardt (Dublin/Scioto) and freshmen Devin Van Winkle (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) and Trey Gluth (Port Clinton), the latter an all-district pick in high school, also looking to make an impact.
The Bishop outfield returns virtually intact.
Sophomore Steven Moore (Hamilton), who ranked second on the team in batting and RBI last season, is back in leftfield.
Senior Sean Vollenweider (Westerville/St. Francis DeSales), a first-team All-NCAC choice after ranking eighth in the league in batting, returns in centerfield.
Both Buckey and Tosino saw considerable time in rightfield last season and look to do so again in 2014.
Freshman Doug Sanders (Lima/Bath) will battle for playing time in left, with classmate Corey Van De Velde (Westerville/Central), an all-district pick in high school, doing the same in center and freshman Conner Green (Medina) in right.
Ohio Wesleyan opens its season with a doubleheader against Ohio Christian on March 1. A contest against regional foe Otterbein precedes a 5-game trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Games against regional opponents Heidelberg, Case Reserve, Muskingum, John Carroll, Marietta, and Ohio Northern lead into the NCAC schedule, which opens on April 5 against DePauw. Capital, Otterbein, and Muskingum comprise the remainder of the non-conference schedule. The NCAC tournament begins with a crossover weekend May 3-4 at home sites before the remaining 4 teams head to Chillicothe for the traditional double-elimination event May 8-10.
