With 6 of his 8 position players returning, a talented incoming class, and an improved pitching staff, eighth-year Ohio Wesleyan head coach Tyler Mott looks for the Battling Bishops to rebound from last year's 13-26 season to make a run at the North Coast Athletic Conference championship.
"Everyone in our program knows what our expectations are," Mott said. "Our goal is to put ourselves in a position to do special things come May."
The Bishops return their top 6 hitters from last year and will look to pick up where they left off.
Junior Aaron Caputo (Strongsville) heads back behind the plate this season. Caputo was an All-NCAC selection as a catcher in 2013, but spent the 2014 season at first base and designated hitter.
Also back are senior Collin Finn (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) and junior Colin Pratt (Vandalia/Vandalia-Butler), who shared the starting duties at catcher last year.
Senior J.J. Buckey (Toledo/Ottawa Hills) takes over at first base this season, with junior A.J. Barnhardt (Dublin/Scioto) and sophomores Devin Van Winkle (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) and Trey Gluth (Port Clinton) looking to fill in when Buckey takes the mound.
Junior Dalton Martz (Lima/Elida) and sophomore Aaron Strasbaugh (Dublin/Scioto) return at second base.
Junior Tyler Flaherty (Dublin/Scioto), who split time at the hot corner last season, looks to take over on a full-time basis this year. Freshmen Matthew Messick (Dublin/Scioto) and freshman Conner Brown (Tampa, Fla./Bayshore Christian), both all-conference picks in high school, will vie for playing time.
Junior Justin Dages (Green/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) returns at shortstop after ranking second in the NCAC in on-base percentage in 2014. Freshman Colin Stolly (Lima/Central Catholic), an all-state selection in high school, will look to make an impact.
Junior Steven Moore (Hamilton) is back for his third season as a starter in leftfield. Freshman Mitchell Johnson (Columbus/Hamilton Township), an all-district choice in high school, also will get a chance to contribute.
Freshman Michael Blatchford (Shaker Heights), a first-team all-conference pick in high school, could win the centerfield spot. Junior Corey Van De Velde (Westerville/Central) and freshman Griffin Peyton (Cincinnati/Anderson), an all-district choice in high school, also are in the picture.
Junior C.J. Tosino (Hudson) returns in rightfield, along with sophomore Doug Sanders (Lima/Bath).
On the mound, senior lefthander Charles Cooper (Columbus/Upper Arlington) looks to return to the top of the rotation. Cooper was an All-NCAC selection in 2012 and 2013.
Freshman righthander Kevin Zullo (Hudson), named conference Player and Pitcher of the Year in high school, will compete for a Saturday spot in the rotation.
Junior righthander Pete Munger (Perrysburg), Buckey, and senior righthander Blake Adkins (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) also are back from last year's rotation.
Sophomore righthander Will Clyne (Norwalk, Conn./Notre Dame), sophomore righthander Brett Kiser (Avon Lake), and freshman lefthander Patrick Faley (Orange, Calif./Servite) are slated to open the season in long relief.
Short relievers include senior righthander Ryan Ossenbeck (Cincinnati/Anderson), freshman lefthander Trevor Ray (Strongsville/Walsh Jesuit), Stolly, Blatchford, freshman righthander Colin Pietron (Plymouth, Mich./Salem), and junior righthander Jake Wright (Delaware/Hayes), a transfer from Walsh University.
Junior lefthander Ryan Moss (Beachwood) seeks to bounce back from a season-ending elbow injury, and freshman righthander Patrick Puracchio (Lexington, Ky./Dunbar) will miss the season because of injury.
Ohio Wesleyan opens its season with a doubleheader against regional foes Capital and Wilmington before their spring trip to Port Charlotte, Fla., in which the Bishops face Baldwin Wallace, which made the Division III World Series in 2014, along with 2 more 2014 playoff teams in Moravian and Marietta.
Two more 2014 playoff teams dot the schedule in John Carroll and Heidelberg, along with regional opponents Otterbein, Muskingum, and Ohio Northern, along with NCAA Division II entity Ohio Dominican.
The NCAC schedule kicks off on March 28 against Wabash, and the NCAC tournament begins with a crossover weekend May 2-3 at home sites before the remaining 4 teams head to Chillicothe for the traditional double-elimination event May 7-9.
