2012 Midwest preview

By Ricky Nelson, D3sports.com

St. Scholastica's Kyle Moody is expected to lead the Saints to a first time appearance in the Championship round. St. Scholastica athletics photo

Last season the collapse of the Metrodome roof had teams scrambling to fill their schedules. With the Dome back in effect for 2012, it’s business as usual in the Midwest. It was business as usual in many respects last season, when UW-Whitewater won the regional title over frequent contenders St. Scholastica, UW-Stevens Point and St. Thomas. While the same song may play out again this season, time will tell for some of the Midwest powerhouses that are undergoing renovations. However, our top four contenders for the Midwest Regional title are all repeats from the 2011 regional: St. Scholastica, St. Thomas, UW-Stevens Point and Aurora. In what may be deemed a surprise, the St. Scholastica Saints are D3baseball.com’s pick to advance to the World Series for the first time in program history.

New Faces

Mike Bachar, Lakeland: Bachar was promoted to the Lakeland head coach position in July after nine seasons in a Muskie uniform as a player and assistant coach.

Jesse Eikum, Presentation: Eikum, a former UW-Whitewater and St. Thomas assistant, was named the head coach in August.

Toby Gardenhire, UW-Stout. Gardenhire was named the head coach in January after a seven-year playing career in the Minnesota Twins minor league system. 

Mike Gmetro, Crown: Gmetro, a former New Mexico State player, was named the head coach in November.

Steve Hardman, Dominican: Hardman was named the Stars head coach in June after spending the past five seasons as the top assistant at North Park.

Brian Raabe, Bethel: Raabe, the 1996 Triple-A batting champion, was named the Royals head coach in August. Raabe was most recently the head coach at Forest Lake (Minn.) High School.

Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC): The MIAC has been the domain of St. Thomas more often than not since the mid-1990s. The Tommies have won 13 of the last 16 MIAC regular season titles, and they’re the favorites to do it again despite losing several seniors. Many teams are expected to contend for the role of MIAC spoiler, but a predicted title for St. Thomas is becoming as regular as the sun’s rising.

Senior third baseman Charles Bruchu is one of three All-MIAC players returning for the Tommies in 2012. St Thomas athletics photo by Mike Ekern

St. Thomas had 10 seniors last season, including MIAC Most Valuable Player Taylor Rahm, leading hitter Drew Cremisino and All-MIAC pitcher Kris Edwards. However, the Tommies are still the MIAC favorites despite their significant losses; as usual, St. Thomas has plenty of stars eligible to return. The Tommies welcome back the production of three All-MIAC players: senior third baseman Charles Bruchu, senior pitcher Bryce Gapinski and sophomore catcher J.D. Dorgan.

Hamline created a big splash on the national stage with the program’s first NCAA berth, first MIAC Playoff championship and a school-record 29 wins. But the Pipers’ success wasn’t out of the blue. Hamline had several 20+ win seasons and MIAC playoff appearances in recent years before breaking through in 2011. It was more of a progression than a one-off blockbuster. A pair of junior transfers, a lefty and a righty from Des Moines Area CC, are projected to join holdover Matt Mullendore atop the Piper rotation. All 10 relief pitchers are back for a staff that led the MIAC in walks per 9 and was fourth in the conference with a 4.33 earned run average.

Macalester tied for the MIAC lead with a 3.72 earned run average. But Macalester will be without departing senior All-MIAC aces Alex Ingram and Eric Robinson. Factoring one other senior loss to the staff and another not on the roster and Macalester must replace 21 of last year’s wins.

Andy Powell led Hamline to a playoff berth in 2011. Hamline athletics photo

St. John’s will have to replace six starters on offense. Junior All-MIAC outfielder Alex Powell and an intra-conference transfer from Saint Mary’s, sophomore All-MIAC third baseman Luke Larson are expected to lead the revamped, youthful offense.

St. Olaf loses just three regulars but will head into 2012 without senior-to-be starting pitcher Ben Hughes, who signed with the Colorado Rockies after being taken in the 10th round of the first-year player draft. Hughes, the MIAC Pitcher of the Year, was the first D-III player taken in last year’s draft. St. Olaf struggled to win close games late last season and despite the significant loss of Hughes, could return to its traditional place in the MIAC’s upper crust if it can get back to winning those close games.

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC): The WIAC features a mix of teams in transition, the status quo and teams on the rise. The traditional contending trio of UW-Stevens Point, UW-Whitewater and UW Oshkosh should contend again this season. But an intriguing team of veterans at UW-La Crosse could play its way to the three-team WIAC Tournament in May. The Pointers, Warhawks and Titans have all made the WIAC Tournament every year but two since its inception in 1998. This year could mark the third time, but UW-Stevens Point is our WIAC preseason favorite.

D3baseball.com preseason All-American Luke Westphal will be the ace of the UW-Oshkosh pitching staff. UWO athletics photo

UW-Whitewater are going to have a new look this season. Gone are D3baseball.com Second Team All-America utility Jeff Donovan, former D3baseball.com All-America pitcher Riley Tincher and D3baseball.com Second Team All-America outfielder Daniel Putnam. Four regular starters return to the lineup, none of whom made the all-conference team. However, outfielders Dylan Friend and Matt Beyer were named to the 2011 All-Tournament team at regionals. The rest of the projected lineup is expected be filled by returning players in expanded roles, although the Warhawks have four incoming transfers, including one apiece from Division-I and Division-II.

UW-Stevens Point’s player losses will be difficult to replace. Senior-to-be D3baseball.com Second Team All-America utility Cody Koback won’t be back after being the second D-III player selected of the 2011 Major League Draft. Honorable mention D3baseball.com All-America pitcher Scott Williams signed a free agent deal with the Washington Nationals in July. Honorable mention D3baseball.com All-America junior second baseman Dan Douglas highlights the returning bats that include first team All-WIAC third baseman Justin Jirschele and junior first team All-WIAC first baseman Sean Gerber.  A new era on the mound will begin with three sophomores leading the staff: Zach Wendorf, Max Frederick and Brad Stroik. Senior first team All-WIAC closer Ryan Iverson returns on the back end.

UW Oshkosh will be without departing senior outfielder Nolan Fadness but he was one of just three seniors on the 2011 roster. Potential returning batters are junior first team All-WIAC second baseman Tyler Kamps and honorable mention senior third baseman Kyle Van Abel. Pitching was the major strength for the Titans last season, and it figures to be in 2012 as well. Senior Luke Westphal was named the WIAC Pitcher of the Year and a second team D3baseball.com All-American. Westphal allowed one run in six of his eight starts and allowed just six extra-base hits all season. The potential returning pitchers combined for 22 of UW Oshkosh’s 25 wins.

UW-La Crosse returns a bounty of starting position players (eight) and pitchers (four of five starters) that has no equal in the WIAC. Of the returning batters, two were All-WIAC: first team junior designated Adam Cordova and honorable mention junior outfielder Brooks Braga. While the offense should be solid once again, four hard-throwing upperclassmen are back from a team that held opponents to a .256 average.

Aurora's Drew Gay was named the Northern AC Co-Pitcher of the Year last season. Aurora athletics photo

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.

Returning to Aurora are two D3baseball.com Third Team All-Americans: senior outfielder Josh Davidson and junior designated hitter Mike Foley. Joining the All-Americans on offense are two All-NAC seniors: outfielder Ryan Adams and third baseman Tim Mackey. Returning seniors are back to man shortstop and first base while a junior college transfer could do the catching. An All-American junior college transfer is expected to fill a spot in the lineup and the rotation. The Spartan offense gets most of the headlines, but a pitching staff with junior Drew Gay, Co-Pitcher of the Year of the NAC in 2011, is no handicap.

Concordia (Ill.) catcher Nick Skala turned down a pro contract to return for his senior year. Concordia (Ill.) athletics photo

Concordia (Ill.) 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. Senior catcher Nick Skala was named the NAC Position Player of the Year and highlights eight Cougars who garnered all-conference distinction last season. Skala was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 37th round but returned to school instead of signing a pro contract. Also back on offense are Second Team D3baseball.com All-America outfielder Cam Stephens and first team All-NAC outfielder Dan Eichholzer. The pitching staff is being remodeled. Sophomores Steve Cox and Dan Kluss, and a junior transfer are projected to head the revamped staff.

Concordia Wisconsin loses the services of graduated first team All-NAC outfielder Dan Shea, but the Falcons have two other All-NAC players – honorable mention senior catcher Adam Martz and All-Freshman utility Harry Steldt – back to lead the lineup. NAC Co-Pitcher of the Year Derrick Pankow is no longer atop the rotation. His departure leaves sophomores Matt Scasny and reliever Austin Baglow and senior reliever Glen Meyerhofer as the top returning pitchers statistically. The Falcons move into their new multimillion dollar stadium, Kapco Park, this season.

Benedictine 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. 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.

Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC): The UMAC Tournament featured an automatic bid for the first time last year. Top seed St. Scholastica secured the conference’s first Pool A bid in convincing fashion, routing a depleted pitching staff from No. 2 Bethany Lutheran, 26-2, in the title game. St. Scholastica made it to the regional final for the second time in program history but fell to host UW-Whitewater, 6-3. With the graduation hits at Bethany Lutheran, St. Scholastica, winner of 15 consecutive UMAC regular season and UMAC Tournament titles, appears to be the prohibitive favorite to win a 16th in 2012.

Andy Davis is the top pitcher on a young pitching staff for St. Scholastica. St. Scholastica athletics photo by Larry Radloff

St. Scholastica has a pedigree unlike any other team in the region and possibly the nation. The Saints are 300-55-1 (.844) since 2004 and had 11 players on the 2011 all-conference teams, including nine of the 20 first-teamers. It’s doubtful another program can match that. The bad news for the Saints – and good news for regional teams looking to play catch-up – is that they lose five All-UMAC players and a regular infielder. The inverse of that is St. Scholastica returns six All-UMAC players, promotes several potential stars to full-time status, adds a sophomore D-II transfer to man second base and welcomes the second largest recruiting class – 18 players – in program history. There’s plenty in reserve on a team that led the nation by scoring 9.3 runs per game and was fourth in the country with a 2.60 earned run average. The six returning All-UMAC players are senior catcher Kyle Moody, senior first baseman Brandon Peterson, junior outfielder Kyle Flagstad, junior utility Kyle Jensen, junior outfielder David Vogelgesang and junior shortstop Jake Casareto. Sophomore pitcher Andy Davis is projected to be the No. 1 starter, followed by Jensen and capped off by junior closer Jake Nystrom.

Bethany Lutheran had arguably its best season in program history but enters 2012 without four graduated first team All-UMAC players, three of whom were all-region, in addition to its starting third baseman and left fielder. The Vikings will be without departing senior first-team All-UMAC and all-region pitchers Cody Hallahan, Justin Kohls and utility Darin Hendley. Senior honorable mention All-UMAC pitcher Aaron Siefken and junior pitcher Garrett Benson pitched in the Northwoods League during the offseason and are at the top of the pitching rotation. Back to lead the offense are junior first team All-UMAC outfielder Dylan Gass and senior honorable mention All-UMAC designated hitter Casey Woodside. An all-state freshman from Minnesota and transfers are in competition to round out the lineup.

Independent: North Central (Minn.) could see the return of two NCCAA D-II All-Americans: junior shortstop Joe Robinson (.400 AVG, 30 R, .515 OBP, 17:1 BB:K ratio, 16 SB) and sophomore third baseman Isaac Gross (.381 AVG, 27 RBI, .505 OBP, 14 SB).