Bryan Burke

Lance Dill

The Tiger baseball team gave it a good shot but came up empty at the College of Wooster in the NCAC Tournament Semifinals last weekend, concluding the season with losses of 9-2 and 13-7 in a Saturday doubleheader. The Scots, ranked first in the nation in NCAA Division III and owners of a 9-7 win over Big Ten leader Ohio State earlier this year, advanced to the title series later this week against Ohio Wesleyan, which tied Wittenberg for first place in the NCAC West Division at 10-2.

Both games were essentially decided in the first inning as the visiting Tigers were pounded for six unearned runs in the first game and then seven earned tallies in the second. In the opener, the score for the rest of the innings was 3-2 in favor of Wooster, while in the nightcap, the Tigers actually outscored Wooster 7-6 the rest of the way. But, of course, the damage had long since been done.

In the first game, freshman Ryan Goldschmidt (Ft. Loramie, Ohio/Ft. Loramie) and senior Brad Cerovac (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) combined to allow just three earned runs. Offensively, Wittenberg collected eight hits against one of the best pitchers in the Midwest Region, but just two runs crossed the plate. Freshman Matt Foster (Granville, Ohio/Granville) had three hits and an RBI, while junior Ryan Born (Marion, Ohio/Pleasant) and senior Nate Williams (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) each collected two hits.

In the nightcap, Wittenberg scattered 11 hits and seven runs, but it wasn't enough against the barrage of Scots' hits. Junior Trent West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) had three hits, senior Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork) chipped in with two hits, including a home run, and two RBI, and senior Bryan Burke (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) also finished with a pair of base knocks.

Wittenberg wound up tied for third in the final NCAC standings, joining Allegheny, the runner-up in the East Division, in that position. The baseball All-NCAC team will be announced next week, and a press release will follow shortly thereafter.

Bryan Burke

Lance Dill

The Tiger baseball team came very close to winning an outright North Coast Athletic Conference West Division title. As tantalizing as it was, however, Wittenberg was beaten twice on Sunday by 12th-ranked Ohio Wesleyan to fall into a first-place tie with the Bishops and wind up with the No. 2 seed in the upcoming NCAC Tournament.

Last week was an incredibly busy one for the Tigers as they played six NCAC West games, winning the first four to clinch a share of the title. But on Sunday, Wittenberg and OWU resumed a game suspended from Saturday due to rain and the Bishops scored four unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning to claim an 11-7 victory. In the final game of a three-game set, OWU quickly grabbed a 10-1 lead and coasted to a 15-5 victory.

It was certainly a case of wondering what might have been. The Tigers started things off last week by defeating Denison on Tuesday by a 23-5 count, wrapping up a rain-interrupted three-game sweep of the Big Red. Then came a rescheduled doubleheader against Wabash, also a result of rain earlier in the season, and another sweep, this time by scores of 9-4 and 4-0. The latter game was shortened to five innings due to rain.

In the win over Denison, almost every Wittenberg player jumped into the offensive fray. Senior centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork) had four hits and four runs, senior shortstop Bryan Burke (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) collected five hits, scored three runs and drove in three, junior first baseman Ryan Born (Marion, Ohio/Pleasant) went 4-for-4 with four runs and four RBI and junior designated hitter Trent West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) finished with three hits and five RBI.

Against Wabash, Burke continued his torrid pace, finishing 4-for-4 with two runs and four RBI in Game 1. In the nightcap, Born and Burke each had two hits, with Born driving in three runs. On the mount, senior pitcher Nick Allen (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) tossed his best game of the year, going all five innings and yielding just four hits and no walks.

Combined with an earlier sweep of Earlham, the Tigers headed into a three-game homestand against the Bishops brimming with confidence and owners of a one-game advantage in the race for the regular season division crown. In the first game, the Tigers rallied from an early 4-1 deficit to score 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth and cruise to a 14-5 victory. But then came the aforementioned Sunday losses and the end result.

In the opener, freshman pitcher Ryan Goldschmidt (Ft. Loramie, Ohio/Ft. Loramie) pitched well enough for the win and freshman outfielder Matt Foster (Granville, Ohio/Granville) went 3-for-3 to spearhead an offensive attack in which five players had multi-hit games.

As disappointing as the losses were, the bright side is that the Tigers claimed their first NCAC title of any kind since 1996 and topped the 20-win plateau for the seventh time since 1994 and 14th time since 1986. It also qualified Wittenberg for the NCAC Tournament again, starting with a Saturday afternoon doubleheader at No. 1 ranked Wooster, the East Division champion, at 1 p.m.

In addition, Burke was named NCAC Player of the Week for his outstanding performance. He hit safely, scored at least one run and had at least one RBI in all six games last week, finishing 17-for-27 with 12 runs, 13 RBI and four home runs.

Bryan Burke

Ryan Goldschmidt

The Tiger baseball team may be catching fire at just the right time, heading into the biggest week of the season winners of seven of their last eight games. Last week, Wittenberg won five straight North Coast Athletic Conference games against Earlham and Denison, sandwiched around a road defeat at Mt. St. Joseph last Tuesday.

After watching the rain fall for a weekend, the Tigers started off their week on a strong note, sweeping a pair of NCAC West Division games at Earlham on Monday, 6-4 and 4-1. In the opener, senior shortstop Bryan Burke (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) went 4-for-4 with three runs scored to power the Tigers to a 6-4 win. Freshman Ryan Goldschmidt (Ft. Loramie, Ohio/Ft. Loramie) and junior Brian Robinson (Columbus, Ohio/Centennial) teamed up to handle the pitching duties. In the nightcap, junior Adam Abraham (Granville, Ohio/Granville) had his best outing of the season, yielding just three hits and one earned run while walking no Earlham batters and striking out four. The Tigers got an offensive boost from senior centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork), who had two hits and two RBI.

Following a 5-2 defeat at Mt. St. Joseph, the Tigers rallied for another win over Earlham on Thursday, this time by a 12-2 count. Dill, who had four hits and three runs scored, and junior first baseman Ryan Born (Marion, Ohio/Pleasant), who had two hits, three runs and five RBI, were the offensive catalysts. Sophomore Kurt Hartfelder (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and freshman Wayne Massie (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) teamed up to shut the Quakers down on the mound.

Saturday brought warm, pleasant weather and an important doubleheader sweep against visiting Denison, 6-4, and 8-1. In the opener, senior second baseman Karl Friedhoff (Sunman, Ind./Central) and senior Scott Hirsch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) both had timely two-out RBI hits to spark the offense and freshman Ryan Goldschmidt (Ft. Loramie, Ohio/Ft. Loramie) tossed a complete-game to get the pitching victory. In the nightcap, senior Brad Cerovac (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) turned in one of his best performances, going the distance on the mound. Offensively, the Tigers spread things around, getting base hits from eight of the nine hitters in the batting order and RBIs from five different players.

This week, the Tigers are exclusively in NCAC West action thanks to earlier rainouts. Currently situated atop the standings, percentage points ahead of 8-1 Ohio Wesleyan, the Tigers host Denison Tuesday, travel to Wabash for a doubleheader on Thursday and then host the nationally ranked defending conference champion Bishops for three games over the weekend.

One Tiger win clinches a spot in the NCAC tournament, which includes the top two teams in each division. The tourney is slated for May 4-5 at the sites of the two division champions. The championship series will take place the following weekend. Wittenberg has never won the NCAC tournament.

Ryan Born

The Tiger baseball team are heating up along with the weather. With seven NCAC West Division games on the docket for the next 13 days, the timing couldn't be better.

Last week was a slow one for the Tigers as they had to cancel a nonconference game against Kenyon, defeated Division I rival University of Dayton 14-10 on Thursday and then watched the rain fall all weekend at NCAC West foe Earlham. When things finally cleared on Monday, the Tigers topped the Quakers 6-4 and 4-1 to sweep a doubleheader and take sole possession of first place. The wins ran the Tigers' modest win streak to four straight heading into a road game at Mt. St. Joseph on Tuesday, another rescheduled game opposite Earlham on Thursday and then a huge three-game series against Denison at home on Saturday and Sunday.

Against Dayton, the Tigers jumped out to a 12-0 lead before the Flyers rallied for eight runs in fifth and sixth innings to put the pressure on. Junior Brian Robinson (Columbus, Ohio/Centennial) and sophomore Tom Fox (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) combined to shut the Flyers down in the final three innings, however, to preserve the win. Junior first baseman Ryan Born (Marion, Ohio/Pleasant) had a huge game, going 5-for-6 with two home runs, four runs scored, five RBI and 15 putouts in the field, a performance that earned him NCAC Player of the Week honors. He was joined in the offensive barrage by senior outfielder Scott Hirsch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain), who went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI, senior catcher Nate Williams (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana), who went 3-for-6 with three runs batted in, and freshman infielder Brandon Godzik (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia Butler), who also collected a trio of base knocks. Hirsch's strong day at the plate moved him up to fourth in the latest NCAC statistics with a .456 batting average.

After a frustrating weekend of heavy rains and aborted attempts to travel to Richmond, Ind. to play neighboring league rival Earlham, the Tigers finally got back on the field on Monday and swept an important doubleheader. In the opener, senior shortstop Bryan Burke (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) went 4-for-4 with three runs scored to power the Tigers to a 6-4 win. Freshman Ryan Goldschmidt (Ft. Loramie, Ohio/Ft. Loramie) and Robinson teamed up to handle the pitching duties. In the nightcap, junior Adam Abraham (Granville, Ohio/Granville) had his best outing of the season, yielding just three hits and one earned run while walking no Earlham batters and striking out four. The Tigers got an offensive boost from senior centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork), who had two hits and two RBI.

Ryan Goldschmidt

Trent West

Despite sometimes inclement weather and harsh temperatures, the Tiger baseball team played five games in a busy week, losing to nationally ranked Marietta and Wooster and defeating Cedarville and Ohio Northern to finish the week 2-3.

Things don't get any easier this week as the Tigers are off until heading to Division I Dayton on Thursday for a 3 p.m. match-up. Then NCAC West Division play will be back on the Tigers' plate for the weekend as Earlham hosts Wittenberg for three games.Against Marietta, which was 14-2-1 after an 11-3 win over the Tigers last Tuesday, the Wittenberg highlights were almost solely provided by junior outfielder Trent West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian), who went 4-for-4. He is currently second on the team in batting average at .413.

Against Cedarville on Thursday, sophomore righthanded pitcher Kurt Hartfelder (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) went eight strong innings for the win. He was supported offensively by senior outfielder Scott Hirsch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) and freshman outfielder Matt Foster (Granville, Ohio/Granville), who had identical lines of three hits in four at-bats, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Hirsch is the team's leading hitter with a .459 batting average.

Against Wooster, freshman Ryan Goldschmidt (Ft. Loramie, Ohio/Ft. Loramie) pitched well in the opener, but the Tigers managed just two hits in a 2-0 loss to the third-ranked team in the nation. In the nightcap, the Scots got the best of things again by a 12-5 count. Senior centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork) had a 3-for-4 day offensively and freshman Jon Komperda (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay) was 2-for-2 off the bench, but it wasn't enough.

The Tigers rounded the week out with a Sunday afternoon affair opposite Ohio Northern. In a 14-12 slugfest, Wittenberg got the best of things as five players put together multiple-hit games, led by West with four hits and three runs scored, and junior first baseman Ryan Born (Marion, Ohio/Pleasant), who had three hits and three RBI.

Bryan Burke

Scott Hirsch

It could be that the harsh weather of the last week was a blessing in disguise for the Tiger diamondmen, giving the pitching staff some much-needed rest. The individual results were mixed on Saturday when the Tigers finally managed to get one of the three scheduled games against NCAC West opponent Wabash in as they won 10-7 on the strength of two home runs and six runs batted in by senior shortstop Bryan Burke (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick)

On the mound, senior Brad Cerovac (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) was solid, giving up just two earned runs in collecting his second victory. He was followed by two relievers who didn't pitch quite as well but did manage to protect the lead.

Senior Scott Hirsch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) is the only Tiger player to rank among the league leaders in any statistical category currently. His .455 batting average places him seventh in the NCAC.

The Tigers have a busy week with a road game at Ohio Athletic Conference powerhouse Marietta on Tuesday and non-conference home dates opposite Cedarville on Thursday and Wooster on Saturday. The latter is a doubleheader against the Scots, who are the preseason NCAC favorite and one of the top-ranked Division III teams in the nation.

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Hirsch Dill Robinson

It has been a rather uneven start for the Tigers, but the hope is that as the weather finally warms up so will the arms and bats that carried the team to a 22-12-1 record in 2001.  The Tigers opened the season with four straight wins, sweeping doubleheaders from Carroll and Central (Iowa) and outscoring their foes 40-12. Even as Wittenberg lost four of its last six while in the warm and sunny climes of Ft. Myers, Fla., the Tigers continued to bash the baseball, putting up 12 runs in the second game of a doubleheader against Calvin and 15 in the first game against Westfield State.  Since returning to Ohio and the accompanying 40-degree temperatures, Wittenberg has cooled off a bit and has posted a 2-3 mark. Last week, Wilmington and Ohio Dominican both posted wins over the Tigers before Wittenberg swept a doubleheader against Muskingum on Saturday and then fell 6-4 to Urbana on Sunday.  The offensive onslaught has been led by senior utilityman Scott Hirsch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain), who has started all 15 games this season while alternating between the outfield and second base and has posted a.480 batting average. He has collected two home runs, 17 runs scored, 11 runs batted in and six stolen bases while batting primarily in the leadoff position.  Also batting above .400 this year are senior catcher Nate Williams (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana), who is hitting .453 and leads the team in RBI with 15 and doubles with seven, senior centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville,Ohio/Clear Fork), who has 12 RBI and team-bests of 18 runs and nine stolen bases, freshman outfielder Matt Foster (Granville, Ohio/Granville),who is hitting .429 in 10 games, and senior shortstop Bryan Burke (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick), who has been slowed by a hamstring injury but raised his batting average to .400 with a pair of home runs against Urbana.  The Tigers' most significant question mark entering the season - pitching - remains unanswered. Junior Brian Robinson (Columbus, Ohio/Centennial) has been the team's best out of the bullpen, compiling a 1.04 earned runaverage in six appearances.

The Tigers open NCAC West Division action this weekend with three gamesat Wabash, a single game on Thursday and a doubleheader on Saturday. Wittenberg was runner-up in the division a year ago to Ohio Wesleyan, and the Tigers have been projected to finish fourth overall in the conference this year behind the Bishops, the College of Wooster and Allegheny.

Next:
3/28 & 30 @ Wabash (3 games)

Although the Tiger baseball program lost three outstanding seniors, they do not appear to have lost a step and expect to challenge the top teams NCAC. Wittenberg was selected fourth in a preseason coaches poll, behind perennial national powers Allegheny, Ohio Wesleyan and Wooster.
 

Wittenberg returns a strong nucleus of upperclassmen to lead the way in 2002. The driving force will again be the Tigers' explosive offense. The team's .349 batting average in 2001 set a school record, and much of the talent from that lineup returns in 2002. Leading the way will be first-team All-NCAC senior shortstop Bryan Burke (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) and second-team All-NCAC senior centerfielder Lance Dill (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork). Burke batted a scorching .418 a year ago, while Dill hit at a .394 clip in 2001 and was second on the team in RBI. Joining them in the lineup will be senior Scott Hirsch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain), back after posting a .389 batting average and a .509 on-base percentage, senior catcher Nate Williams (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana), a stellar defensive performer who batted

Burke

Dill

.304 last year, senior third baseman/catcher Jeff Buelow (Oakland, Mich./Rochester), coming off a season in which he hit .333 and ranked third on the team in RBI, junior second baseman Shane Thomas (Columbus, Ohio/South), who came on strong in the late-going of the 2001 season to post a batting average of .337 and lead the squad in steals, and sophomore outfielder Shawn Jarecki (Parma Heights, Ohio/Valley Forge), who hit .314 and was perfect in steal attempts in 2001.

Senior righthander Brad Cerovac (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick), who led the team with three complete games in 2001, anchors the pitching staff. He is joined as a starter in 2002 by senior Nick Allen (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia Butler), junior Adam Abraham (Granville, Ohio/Granville), who led the team a year ago with an impressive 1.71 earned run average, sophomore Tom Fox (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) and sophomore Kurt Hartfelder (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), who was tops on the staff in victories last season and was named Honorable Mention All-NCAC.

The Tigers get things started with five doubleheaders scheduled for next week in Ft. Myers, Fla. The home opener is Tuesday, March 19 against Wilmington.

Next:
3/10 vs. Carroll @ Ft. Myers, Fla.