Wittenberg Baseball Set For Promising 2026 Campaign
After going 29-12 overall and 11-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) last season, Wittenberg Baseball is looking for big things again in 2026 under second-year head coach Mitchell Griffiths.
After two seasons as the program's recruiting coordinator and pitching coach, Griffiths took over as the team's interim head coach in January 2025 and led the Tigers to a 29-win campaign. The Tigers placed eight players on the All-NCAC honor roll, four of whom went on to earn all-region awards after the season as well. In the NCAC Tournament, the Tigers defeated Wabash in their first game before falling to the number one seed, Denison, on day two and coming up just short in a one-run loss to Wooster in the game to decide who would play in the championship. During the season, the Tigers had two separate win streaks of six and seven games to put them in that position by the end of the season. The Tigers captured the top spot in the conference in batting average, runs, doubles, and home runs, exhibiting their powerful offense.
Among the 2025 All-NCAC selections, three players are returning to the lineup: seniors Alex Nemunaitis (Perrysburg, OH / Ottawa Hills), Tommy Chilicki (Lewis Center, OH / Olentangy), and junior Xander Rodriguez (Salinas, PR / Franklin County).
Nemunaitis put together an outstanding season with 50 hits and 33 RBIs while batting .351. Chilicki recorded 58 hits in the season with 32 RBIs and a .379 batting average, while also recording a 1-1 record on the mound with an ERA of 5.87. Rodriguez had a great sophomore season with 54 hits and 39 RBI while batting .372.
Other returning seniors and graduate students who will play important roles in 2026 include outfielders Quintin Applegate (Delaware, OH / Olentangy Berlin), Jaelin Williams (Catonsville, MD / Western Tech), outfielder Ashton Newton (Medina, OH / Cloverleaf), and outfielder Daniel Gladden (Galena, OH / Olentangy Berlin), sure-handed starting shortstop James MacAuley (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI / Grosse Pointe North), catcher George Janzen (West Chester, OH / Roger Bacon), and pitchers Mikey Eickhoff (Akron, OH / St. Vincent-St. Mary), Andrew Rust (Dublin, OH / Coffman), and Zach Rust (Dublin, OH / Coffman). Other top returners to the pitching staff include Tommy Anthony (Toronto, Ontario / Humberside Collegiate Institute), Chris Dawson (Loveland, OH / Milford), and Wade Thewes (Parker, CO / Lutheran).
The Tigers will begin the season, which consists of 40 games, by playing Kalamazoo, Carroll, and Berea at Eastern Kentucky University on Feb. 20-21. Wittenberg begins NCAC play on March 28 by hosting DePauw in a doubleheader at noon and 3 p.m.
Written By: Cindy Holbrook
Graphic By: Olivia Witman