Northern AC Preview

By Ricky Nelson, D3sports.com

The Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) has expanded its postseason tournament from four to six teams for the 2012 season. Two NAC teams are expected to battle for supremacy in the conference and maybe the region, but an upset isn’t out of the question. Benedictine and Edgewood are balanced and have pitchers who can beat anyone while Rockford appears to have a team that should score a lot of runs. But a conference title from a team not named Aurora or Concordia Chicago would be a surprise, and Aurora is our pick.

Aurora (30-14, 18-4 NAC) may not just be, with Concordia Chicago, one of the best teams in the conference. The Spartans may be the one of best teams in the Midwest Region, making them a legitimate contender for the national title. Stay with us here.

Some other Midwest programs may get more publicity, but this team has the makings of a deep tournament run. For the uninitiated, Aurora withstood the spring rains, an opening-round 16-inning marathon game and Concordia Chicago to win the 2011 NAC Tournament; made its 19th regional appearance as the sixth seed last season; gave top-seeded UW-Stevens Point all it could handle for 10 innings, but went two-and-out in its quest for a seventh trip to the D-III World Series. Those are not the ingredients for the traditional national contender. But the Spartans’ style of play, their loaded roster of returning veteran stars, and an influx of heralded recruits could have Aurora back at Fox Cities Stadium once again in 2012.

The Aurora style of play is not a secret – apply pressure on the base paths nearly everywhere in the lineup, deploy a deep pitching staff fronted by a bona fide ace, play the best defense in the conference and see who crosses home plate more often. It’s an effective style. Some Midwest teams compare favorably to Aurora in terms of national statistical rankings, but none play the game quite like the Spartans.

Aurora ranked in the top 20 nationally with 8.9 runs per game (5th), 142 stolen bases (5th), 541 hits (6th), 393 runs scored (8th), a .339 batting average (11th), 28 sacrifice flies (14th), and 41 double plays turned (19th). Most of the players who contributed to those rankings are back for more, and reinforcements are in place to help offset the graduation losses.

All-NAC sparkplug second baseman Anthony Amedei (.325 AVG, 90 TB, 33 SB) and right fielder Joe Singraber (.329 AVG, 43 R, 40 RBI) are the only losses on offense. Big losses by any measure, but returning are two D3baseball.com Third Team All-Americans: senior outfielder Josh Davidson (.429 AVG, 48 R, .489 OBP, 39 SB) and junior designated hitter Mike Foley (.362 AVG, 57 RBI, 14 2B, .595 SLG). Joining the All-Americans on offense are two All-NAC seniors: outfielder Ryan Adams (.369 AVG, 54 R, .480 OBP, 17 SB) and third baseman Tim Mackey (.357 AVG, 44 R, 22 SB). Returning seniors are back to man shortstop and first base while a junior college transfer could do the catching.

It’s a veteran, accomplished and established group that doesn’t have many peers around the region. If that isn’t impressive enough, 11-year head coach Shaun Neitzel added transfer Cory Walden, an All-America junior college designated hitter from Waubonsee who was second in the nation with 12 home runs and 67 runs batted in. Walden is also expected to fill a slot in the Spartan rotation. The offense is why Aurora is a serious contender. Heads up, Midwest Region, the Spartans can also pitch a little too.

The Spartan offense gets most of the headlines, and that’s well deserved. But junior Drew Gay and the pitching staff are no slouches. Gay (7-3, 2.84 ERA, 12 GS) was named the Co-Pitcher of the Year of the NAC in his first season after transferring into the Aurora program. Senior honorable mention pitcher Steve Sitterly (5-3, 3.64 ERA, 8 GS), 2011 NAC All-Freshman selection Brad Warnecke (4-1, 4.22 ERA, 7 GS), Walden and an all-state freshman from Illinois figure to follow Gay in the rotation.

It’s hard to say that this team is better than any of the World Series teams Aurora has fielded, but it has the potential to rank among the best. That potential makes has Aurora on the preseason short list for the top Midwest Region team. The Spartans get the season started in Florida in early March. 

Concordia Chicago (35-10, 20-2 NAC) had one of the best statistical seasons of any team in the country in 2011 under first-year head coach Adam Smith. The Cougar offense batted .344 to rank fifth in the nation, scored 8.8 runs per game to rank eighth and a 3.24 earned run average to place 24th. The 35 wins were a program record. The 20 conference wins were an NAC record. But in the end Concordia Chicago didn’t play at regionals. Thanks to May Illinois rains and a loss in the NAC Tournament opener, Concordia Chicago played its third game of the day in the NAC final, where it lost to Aurora. It was the Cougars’ third loss to Aurora in four games last season.

The Cougars didn’t win the biggest game of the year after entering the NAC postseason as the No. 1 seed, but they are up for the challenge Aurora and the rest of the conference pose in 2012.

“This is the hungriest team that I have seen in 11 years of coaching,” Smith said. “They have outworked any team I’ve had, and they are ready for the season.”

That hunger is backed by proven returning talent. Catcher Nick Skala (.390 AVG, 10 HR, 63 RBI, 120 TB) was named the NAC Position Player of the Year and highlights eight Cougars who garnered all-conference distinction last season. A returning senior in 2012, Skala was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 37th round but didn’t sign.

Also back for an offensive machine that led the NAC in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage are Second Team D3baseball.com All-America outfielder Cam Stephens (.453 AVG, 34 R, 45 RBI, .533 OBP), first team All-NAC outfielder Dan Eichholzer (.353 AVG, 35 R, 29 RBI, 13 SB) and NAC All-Freshman Team third baseman Thomas Gier (.403 AVG, 24 R, 25 RBI, .494 OBP). A total of eight returning players are projected to comprise the everyday lineup after the senior departures of honorable mention All-NAC shortstop Eric Ignatowski (.304 AVG, 42 R, 38 RBI) and starting second baseman Steve Brown (.366 AVG, 28 R, 12 SB).

While the offense should be a reliable commodity, the pitching staff is being remodeled. The Cougars led the NAC in earned run average by nearly a run but loses first team All-NAC departing seniors Micah Buss (5-1, 2.57 ERA, 63 IP) and Anthony Collaro (7-2, 2.73 ERA, 56 IP), and perhaps 2011 NAC Freshman of the Year Brenden Schulz (7-1, 2.83 ERA, 60.1 IP), who was not listed in materials submitted by the school. Schulz was also a key cog in the offense, batting .377 with 42 runs and a .504 on-base percentage.

Replacing three pitchers who accounted for 19 total wins with sub-3.00 earned run averages would be a tall order, but Concordia Chicago has several experienced arms ready for promotions. Sophomores Steve Cox (3-1, 2.68 ERA, 43.2 IP) and Dan Kluss (3-0, 4.01 ERA, 42.2 IP), and Bobby Beelen, a junior transfer from Harper College, are projected to head the revamped staff.  A freshman and Ryan Thorsen, returning after missing 2011 with an injury, are expected to be in the rotation mix.

The program’s successes filtered into Smith’s dugout. Assistant Jim Paduch, a 2003 12th-round draft pick but outside of affiliated ball since 2006, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays and reached Triple-A as a starting pitcher at the age of 29. Smith welcomes assistant Mark Ramos to his staff to work with the hitters and infielders in 2012.

Last season the Cougars played on the road for all four games against fellow NAC top contender Aurora. This year the regular season doubleheader with the Spartans will be at Cougar Field, where Concordia Chicago was 14-0 in 2011. The Cougars get going in Arizona, where they’ll play Coe, UW-La Crosse and Macalester after an opener against Benedictine Springfield on March 4.

Concordia Wisconsin (18-23, 14-8 NAC) lost a heartbreaker to Aurora, 12-11 in 16 innings, in the opening game of the NAC Tournament last season. The Falcons held two extra-inning leads, but a two-run bottom of the 16th ended the longest game in NAC annuls and propelled Aurora to the winners bracket. It was that kind of year for the streaky Falcons, who had trouble keeping opponents in check. Concordia Wisconsin beat Aurora in the regular season but also lost three games when it scored 11 or more runs. All told, the Falcons roller coaster had five winning streaks to go along with seven losing skids.

The offense was near the top of the NAC class in nearly every category and scored in double digits 14 times. Their 7.1 runs per game last year ranked among the top 17 percent in the country. Head coach Val Keiper loses the services of graduated first team All-NAC outfielder Dan Shea (.377 AVG, 8 HR, 46 RBI) and a few other position players. But Keiper has two other All-NAC players – honorable mention senior catcher Adam Martz (.308 AVG, 27 R, 36 RBI) and All-Freshman utility Harry Steldt (.358 AVG, 21 RBI, .511 OBP) – back to lead his lineup.

The pitching staff had a 6.96 earned run average last season, and that was with departing senior NAC Co-Pitcher of the Year Derrick Pankow (6-4, 4.02 ERA, 78.1 IP, 83 K) atop the rotation. Pankow led the NAC in strikeouts and batted cleanup (.340, 27 R) even when he pitched. Pankow’s departure leaves sophomores Matt Scasny (2-1, 3.23 ERA, 30.2 IP) and reliever Austin Baglow (3-3, 6.03 ERA, 37.1 IP), and senior reliever Glen Meyerhofer (1-0, 4.50 ERA, 24 IP) as the top returning pitchers statistically.

The Falcons move into their new multimillion dollar stadium, Kapco Park, this season. Not only will Kapco be the site of the 2012 NAC Tournament, it will also be the home of the Lakeshore Chinooks, the newest team in the Northwoods League.

Concordia Wisconsin, looking for its third consecutive NAC Tournament berth, will begin 2012 with a mid-March trip to Arizona before opening Kapco Park on March 26 against Trinity International.

Benedictine (24-18, 13-9 NAC) returns seven players to the lineup and five pitchers to the rotation in hopes of making the NAC Tournament for the fourth time in six seasons. The Eagles were eliminated in two games as the No. 4 seed at last year’s tournament.

Head coach John Ostrowski begins his 39th season at Benedictine 12 wins shy of 900. Ostrowski would become the seventh active D-III coach to reach the milestone. His 888 career wins rank 10th all-time in D-III.

With the wealth of experience returning to his roster, Ostrowski shouldn’t have to sweat the 12 wins. Junior all-region outfielder Kevin Hendricks (.386 AVG, 44 RBI, .468 OBP) returns to lead an offense that batted .301, scored in double figures 11 times and averaged more than six runs per game last season. The Eagles also welcome back five other starters who hit better than .300 and another who hit .289 in the cleanup spot. Benedictine loses two bats in the outfield, but two impact transfers and a freshman should help fill the offensive voids.

Eagle pitchers led the conference with seven strikeouts per nine innings and were third in the NAC with a 4.23 earned run average. That shouldn’t change since 11 pitchers are back from that staff, including honorable mention All-NAC starter Kevin Crowley (4-0, 3.49 ERA, 38.2 IP, 37 K). The staff loses Jake Thompson (1-6, 4.82 ERA, 7 GS) but returns frontline starter David Nowaczyk (4-2, 3.20 ERA, 50.2 IP) and three others who logged more than 30 innings last year. The projected rotation made 29 total starts in 2011, went 15-9 with a 4.02 earned run average and had 165 strikeouts in 208 innings.

If the offense that returns seven bats can approach its six runs per of last season and the returning five-man rotation duplicates its four earned runs per game, that should take Ostrowski well past the 900 win mark and quite probably into the NAC Tournament. The Eagles get 2012 started when they travel to Missouri in early March before heading to Florida in the middle of the month.

Rockford (17-20, 12-10 NAC) missed the NAC Tournament for the first time in 2011 after being one of the top two seeds every year since 2007 and winning titles in 2007-08. The Regents’ up-and-down year began with a 4-7 record in March followed by a 12-6 April. But it was a 1-8 May record that dashed any hopes of earning their fifth straight NAC tourney bid. Rockford lost its last four NAC contests and finished one game outside the top four.

Sixth-year head coach Bob Koopmann’s had won at least 27 games every year until last season, which ended with two home losses to Benedictine on the final day in a matchup for the NAC’s No. 4 seed. The 2012 Regent offense should be among the NAC’s best. Their pitching is to be determined.

Rockford finished in the middle of the NAC pack with a .291 batting average and a 5.78 earned run average, but the offense returns two All-NAC players in first team senior shortstop Jimmy Dercks (.345 AVG, 23 RBI, 11 2B) and honorable mention senior outfielder Ryne Billesbach (.372 AVG, 29 R, 25 RBI). Also back are five other lineup regulars who hit .275 or better last season. Eight returning batters accounted for 75 percent of the team’s runs, so the Regent offense should be in line for a rebound season.

Opponents outscored Rockford last season, which saw nine Regent pitchers make two or more starts and only two completed games. Just two of the nine multiple-start pitchers are on the 2012 squad: sophomore Kaleb Rich (2-0, 5.24 ERA, 22.1 IP) and junior Justin Moore (1-1, 4.98 ERA, 21.2 IP). Senior Jake Nicholson (3-2, 4.57 ERA, 5 SV) also returns after appearing in a team-high 14 games a year ago.

Rockford hits the field during a trip to Arizona where it will play Coe, St. John’s and Bethany Lutheran among others after its opener against Simpson on March 3.

Edgewood (18-22, 12-10 NAC) saw its seven year streak of 20-win seasons snapped last season, failed to make the NAC Tournament after earning the top seed in 2010, and produced its first losing season since 2003. Despite the down season overall by its standards, Edgewood missed the NAC Tournament by just one game after getting shut out in both ends of a season-ending doubleheader at Lakeland.

After starting 2011 with a 5-1 record, Edgewood was 11-17 in mid-April against a schedule that included UW-Stevens Point, UW-Whitewater, Aurora, Concordia Chicago, Bowdoin, D-I Illinois-Chicago and D-II UW-Parkside. In addition to the difficult early schedule, not helping matters was the fact that Eagle pitchers hit a D-III record 82 batters over the course of the season.

Edgewood has two junior honorable mention All-NAC players back to help lead the team back to the tournament. Outfielder Jake Zadra (.387 AVG, 26 R, 9 SB, .488 OBP) is returning to spark the offense, and starting pitcher Blake O’Brien (3-2, 2.43 ERA, 59.1 IP, 55 K, .215 OBA) will once again head the pitching staff. Zadra is on pace to break the school’s record for on-base percentage. O’Brien led the NAC in earned run average while ranking in the top five in opponents’ batting average and strikeouts.

Edgewood loses departing senior Glenn Nowell (4-2, 2.86 ERA, .191 OBA) on the mound, but sophomore Trevor Kuehn (3-3, 4.28 ERA, .229 OBA) returns to a staff that ranked fourth in the NAC in earned run average (4.76) and opponents’ batting average (.276). The rotation will once again be backed up by junior closer Connor Lenz, whose next save, his sixth, will set a new Edgewood career mark.

The Eagles were held to three runs or fewer 14 times last year and averaged five runs per game, more than a run below the conference average. With another year in the program, the young offense – Edgewood is projected to start at least three sophomores – has some budding stars. Returning with Zadra in effort to improve the offensive production that ranked ninth in the NAC with a .282 average are 2011 All-NAC Freshman Team first baseman Alex Jaskulski (.404 AVG, .467 OBP, 7 SB) and third baseman Ryan O’Dell (.287 AVG, 22 RBI). Senior designated hitter Mike Selvaggi, one of six returning offensive starters, is also back after leading the team in runs batted in.

Thirteen-year head coach Al Brisack added former Eagles infielder Steve Binder and former Lakeland head coach Chris Thousand to his 2012 staff. Brisack’s Eagles begin their quest for a return trip to the NAC Tournament on March 3 at the Metrodome before heading to Florida in mid-March.

Lakeland (16-19, 11-11 NAC) ended 2011 on a high note in 2011 with two shutout wins on the final day of the season. The Muskies will begin 2012 with many of the same players but with a new skipper who’s looking for his first career win. Mike Bachar was promoted to the Lakeland head coach position in early July after nine seasons in a Muskie uniform as a player and assistant coach. Bachar takes over for Chris Thousand, who moved to Madison, Wis., and is now an assistant coach at NAC rival Edgewood, the team Lakeland defeated at the end of 2011 with two shutouts and denied a berth in the NAC Tournament.

Lakeland has not made the NAC Tournament since its inception in 2007, but with the event expanding to six teams in 2012, the Muskies are definite contenders to finally break through. They hit a meager .262 to rank 11th in the 12-team NAC and scored fewer than five runs per game. But the Muskies ended 2011 on a tear, winning eight of their last nine games with the only loss going to a ranked Carthage team. That positive streak was on the heels of a 20-game stretch when the team went 3-17.

Consistency will be the key to Lakeland’s 2012 season, and six position players and two starting pitchers are back to provide that stability. Gone are the two and three hitters in the lineup, honorable mention All-NAC outfielder Andrew Schartner (.323 AVG, 29 R, 23 SB) and catcher David Novak (.292 AVG, 30 RBI). But the team’s top hitter and top pitcher are both back in the form of honorable mention All-NAC utility Mike Ruzek. Ruzek was in the NAC top five in batting average (.402) and strikeouts per game (8.15).

Joining Ruzek on the mound and in the lineup is utility Andy Chitwood (3-4, 4.43 ERA; .254 AVG). A transfer from Upper Iowa and a freshman from Michigan are in the mix to round out the rotation.

No returning hitter besides Ruzek hit north of .300 last season, but they didn’t need high averages to finish .500 in conference. Only two Muskies reached .300 in 2011, and that figures to improve in 2012. If they can get anything going on offense, Lakeland could be dangerous. The Muskies get their season underway with a mid-March trip to Florida.

Marian (15-21, 11-11 NAC) had a shot at the NAC postseason until a 1-5 end to the conference schedule left the Sabres two games short of the NAC Tournament. But that was just the tail end of a year that could have been. Surprisingly, Marian’s skid began after it beat Aurora. The Sabres went 6-14 after that potentially momentous game on April 10.

Twelfth-year head coach Jason Bartelt loses just three seniors from last season, but one of them was his leading run producer, outfielder Ryan Hiller (.283 AVG, 31 RBI),  and another his top pitcher, Dustin Andrus (5-3, 3.02 ERA).

Two All-NAC players could possibly return to lead the offense in senior first team catcher Anthony Collaro (.410 AVG, 35 R, .538 OBP) and All-Freshman designated hitter Beau Burgert (.271 AVG, 11 RBI). Those are two of the numerous potential returning batters and pitchers from a club that was third in the NAC with a .302 batting average and third in strikeouts per inning pitched.

Senior pitcher Cory Martin (2-2, 2.32 ERA, 31 IP) is eligible to return after leading the staff with 12 appearances. The Sabres could return as many as 29 of last year’s 36 starts on the mound.

Marian will take a March trip to Arizona before its home opener against Finlandia on March 23.

Wisconsin Lutheran (19-21, 10-12 NAC) tied a school record for wins in 2011, nearly matching its 23 combined victories from 2009-10. The Warriors won in large part behind an amped up running game, stealing 104 bases in 120 attempts to rank 20th in the country last year after pilfering 49 bags in 2010, when Wisconsin Lutheran went just 11-26. A seven-game NAC losing streak near the end of the season cost the Warriors a chance to play in their first NAC Tournament.

Seven Warriors stole 11 or more bases last year, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll deploy the same running game since four of the top thieves have graduated. No longer testing opponent batteries are honorable mention All-NAC shortstop Justin Barkhurst (.346 AVG, 33 R, 32 RBI, 11 SB), infielder Josh Ferrell (.333 AVG, 30 RBI, 16 SB) and outfielders Ryan Pollesch (.314 AVG, 32 R, 17 SB) and Ethan Geis (.298 AVG, 23 RBI, 12 SB). Add the senior loss of utility Matt Lang (.295 AVG; 5-4, 62.1 IP) and Wisconsin Lutheran must fill five holes in the lineup that accounted for 650 at-bats.

The Warriors figure to be led on offense by sophomore Garrick Day (.298 AVG, 35 R, 17 SB) and junior outfielder Tyler Schoen (.327 AVG, 35 RBI, 13 SB). Three other projected starters are new to Wisconsin Lutheran offense, which ranked fifth in the NAC at 6.2 runs per game.

Fourth-year head coach Dave Reinemann lost his top innings eater in Lang, but he welcomes back an ace-in-the-making in sophomore Alex Raver (4-4, 5.43 ERA, 58 IP, 56 K), who tossed two shutouts in his first three starts and was named to the NAC All-Freshman squad his rookie year. Slotting behind Raver are junior Josh Smith (2-2, 3.57 ERA, 45.1 IP) and two pitchers who didn’t log an inning for the Warriors last year. Senior Steve Gustafson (1-1, 1 SV, 4.23 ERA, 11 G) is back as the closer.

If Wisconsin Lutheran is to have its first winning season since 2002 and third in school history, production will have to come from a vastly different personnel grouping. The new-look Warriors will debut in Florida in mid-March, starting a schedule that includes a game against D-I UW-Milwaukee in April.

Dominican (9-31, 6-16 NAC) named former North Park assistant Steve Hardman its new coach in late June. Hardman takes over a program that has won a combined 10 NAC games the last two seasons but one that also picked up an upset win over Rockford late last year.

The Stars were one of two NAC teams to not have an all-conference performer in 2011, only 31 teams in the nation gave up more than their 13.05 hits allowed per game and 30 percent of last year’s team was comprised of seniors, all of whom played major roles.

The good news is that the Stars’ leading hitter, senior infielder Chris Kemp (.338 AVG, 30 RBI), is eligible to return as are two of the other four starters who hit better than .300 last year. Three starting pitchers depart, taking away seven of last season’s wins from a group that ceded a .342 opponents’ batting average. But senior No. 1 pitcher Zach Roszak (73.1 IP, 10 GS) is one of the quality arms eligible to return.

Dominican opens with Fontbonne on Feb. 25, followed by an early March trip to Florida.

MSOE (9-28, 5-17) upset Edgewood and Lakeland and played several top teams close in 2011, but the Raiders finished in the NAC’s bottom three for the fourth consecutive season.

The offense scored 4.7 runs per game while the pitchers held a 7.44 earned run average, but sixth-year head coach Troy Doering has a returning All-NAC player to lead the offense in senior honorable mention third baseman Mike Ricciardi (.330 AVG, 22 RBI).

MSOE opens 2012 against Hanover in Florida on Feb. 26.

Maranatha (2-25, 0-22 NAC) went winless in the NAC for the third straight year but secured its only D-III win over North Central (Minn.). The Crusaders ranked last in the NAC with a 9.97 earned run average, and the offense scored 80 runs on the year.

Third-year head coach Gary Garrison welcomes back his son and leading hitter, senior infielder Jason Garrison (.321 AVG, .462 OBP, 12 SB), to help improve Maranatha’s total of two NAC wins since 2007.

The Crusaders start the season at Lincoln Christian on March 16.