Tigers Prepare for the Season with Fourteen Returning Letterwinners

The Wittenberg University baseball team enters the 2004 campaign with high hopes of returning to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference West Division, which Wittenberg last won in 2002.

March 5, 2004
Matt Foster

Matt Foster

The Wittenberg University baseball team enters the 2004 campaign with high hopes of returning to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference West Division, which Wittenberg last won in 2002. With the opening of the Carleton-Davidson Stadium and the return of 14 letterwinners and an influx of new talent this spring, the Tigers hope to improve upon last season's 17-22-1 record.

The key words for the Tigers in 2004 will be versatility and depth. A number of players are expected to get significant playing time at multiple positions this season. Topping the list is junior outfielder/catcher Matt Foster (Granville, Ohio/Granville), an honorable mention All-NCAC selection last season who was second on the team with seven home runs and fourth with a .351 batting average. Seniors Kyle Wolf (Hamilton, Ohio/Middletown Fenwick) and Tom Fox (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) are also expected to be key contributors in the outfield, possibly backed by sophomore Matt Berry (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) and junior Shawn Jarecki (Brookpark, Ohio/Valley Forge), a two-year letterwinner who has battled injuries in his collegiate career.

The Tigers' greatest strength may lie in a talented young infield, led by sophomore shortstop K.R. Schlievert (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay). Schlievert, honorable mention All-NCAC and Tiger Newcomer of the Year in 2003, started all 40 games for the Tigers while batting .389 and leading the Tigers in hits. Junior second basemanJon Komperda (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay) also returns after a breakout 2003 campaign in which he batted .333. Sophomore Justin McCulla (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) is expected to see playing time at both middle infield positions as well as third base and outfield. Junior Tom Pickering (Newark, Ohio/Catholic)started 38 games at third base in 2003. And as many as five players are competing for time at first base, including juniors Ryan Goldschmidt (Fort Loramie, Ohio/Fort Loramie) and Shawn Rudegeair (Yellow Springs, Ohio/Yellow Springs), sophomores Bret Wiseman (New Richmond, Ohio/New Richmond) and Brian Hampp (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) and freshman Andrew Wellman (Huntington, W.Va./Huntington).

The Tigers feature a deep pitching staff, led by three returning starters: Fox, Goldschmidt and sophomore Steve Less (Sheffield, Ohio/Elyria Catholic). SeniorJason Flick (Hamilton, Ohio/Middletown Fenwick), who led the Tigers in appearances last season, will also be counted on this season, either out of the bullpen again or in the starting rotation. Junior Kurt Hartfelder (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) is returning from off-season Tommy John surgery, and a return to his 2001, All-NCAC form will be important to the team's fortunes. A host of other pitchers are vying for opportunities this season, including junior Wayne Massie (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), sophmores Pat Rice (Lancaster, Ohio/Fisher Catholic), Tyler Jacobs (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham), Jason Holmberg (Miamisburg, Ohio/Kettering Alter), Graham Ketcham (Norwalk, Ohio/St. Paul)and McCulla and freshmen Brandon Deford (Westerville, Ohio/North) and Chris Leaver (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee). Five players will battle for time at catcher: Foster, senior Matt Oberdorfer (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Gates Mills Hawken), sophomores Brad Koopman (Pleasant Hill, Ohio/Newton) and Adam Keller (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg) and freshman Jason Hutson (Piqua, Ohio/Piqua).

The Tigers begin the season with the annual Spring Break trip to Florida next week, and then return to play one of the toughest schedules in the nation, featuring national and regional powers Ohio Wesleyan, Wooster, Marietta, Thomas More and NCAA Division I foe Dayton.