February 8
Defiance College Baseball Preview 2005
DEFIANCE, Ohio-- Okay…So last year’s Defiance College Baseball team accomplished what no other team in school history had, earning a trip to the Heartland Conference Championship Tournament. The 2005 Yellow Jackets will sit back, relax and remember the late-season success of one year ago, right…wrong, the DC Baseball squad is set on ‘earning respect’ and building on the success of which 18 returning letterwinners were a part.
Chad Donsbach, entering his fourth season as the Jackets’ skipper, views last season’s run into the tournament as a stepping stone for the potential success of the ’05 squad. “It is now an expectation to make the conference tournament. We don’t practice at 5:30 a.m. everyday to finish second,” said Donsbach. “Our players got a taste of success last season and are now hungry for greater success in the HCAC and possibly in the NCAA Tournament.”
Leading the way for Donsbach and the Jackets are senior catcher Richard Trick and junior centerfielder/pitcher James Yenser. Each was selected as first-team All-Heartland Conference in 2004, making themselves the basis for all talk surrounding the current Defiance line-up. Trick ended last season with a .354 batting average, second on the team, while also starting at catcher and accumulating 165 put outs and a fielding percentage of .975. The Lowville, New York native drove in a team-high 25 runs and will be an offensive focal point of opposing teams.
“Trick is the emotional and physical leader of this team. Each opposing team is going to look to shut him down as he is the most powerful bat in our line up. He enjoys that pressure and it is up to all of us (including him) to make sure that he gets opportunities to be productive at the plate,” Donsbach commented. On defense, the 6-4, 215 lb. senior is responsible for directing the Jacket alignment as the squad’s catcher. Trick was able to throw out 19 runners attempting to steal and turned two double plays in 2004.
Yenser, a northwest Ohio product and graduate of Ayersville High School, is the DC starting centerfielder and has earned accolades for his performance in the field, at the plate and on the mound. “James is simply the best athlete I have seen at the Division III level in my career. Aside from that he is one of the best people off the field you will meet,” continued Donsbach. “He makes it his responsibility to do all of the little things both in practice and games.”
The 5-10, 175 lb. switch hitter takes advantage of any mistakes that opposing pitchers make. He did so to the tune of a .252 batting average and a .341 slugging percentage with two homeruns last season. His .967 fielding percentage included his time in centerfield and on the mound, while totaling 102 put outs and 14 assists. Hurling as a southpaw, Yenser won two games and appeared in 13 contests, striking out 27 batters.
The Defiance pitching staff, headlined by returners Tyler Stork and Russ Lupica, has the opportunity to be a threat to opposing team’s batting averages. Stork, a 5-11, 190 lb. right-hander from Paulding, Ohio is the squad’s pre-season ace after posting a 4-5 record in 13 appearances in ’04, earning honorable-mention all-conference honors.
“Stork is a fierce competitor that will be looked upon to start the all-important second game of each series,” said Donsbach. “He is ready for that challenge and has assumed the role of a leader by both example and voice among our entire rotation.” Stork has the capability to be a shut-down dealer as he was against Bluffton University last season, going all seven innings in a two-hit shut out of the Beavers in a 9-0 Jacket win on April 10th.
Lupica has all of the tools to be just as reliable. The 6-1 230 lb. right-hander from Marion, Ohio appeared in 10 games last season, holding the opposition to a .273 batting average. “Russ has the best stuff on our staff as far as varying speeds and location of pitches. The challenge for him, and us as coaches, is to be more consistent in each appearance.”
Lupica showed that ability against at Hanover College last season, going a team season-high 8.1 innings and allowing just one run, while inducing 16 ground outs by the Panthers.
This season’s rotation is deeper than any previous year under Donsbach. “Our depth is obviously a plus. We need our leaders to step up and perform and keep some of our young arms out of pressure situations.”
Defensively, the Jackets have made strides in their attitude and preparation. The maturation of the infield and a crop of experienced outfielders provide the base for a air-tight defense. “Leading up to the season, in the fall we showed that we are capable of being unaffected by the uncontrollable. What I have seen out of this group is that they are technically sound and, when something does go wrong, they will huddle up and focus on getting the next out.”
Junior second baseman Eric Tipton, a co-captain, and sophomore shortstop Jeremy Hawkins anchor the Jacket infield. The 6-0, 165 lb. Tipton, from a graduate of Paulding High School, is the consummate team player in both the field and at the plate. “Eric does everything by the book. He has great ‘baseball smarts’ and gives himself and his statistics up for the good of his teammates,” said Donsbach. Tipton had a .930 fielding percentage at second base and hit .273 as a sophomore. He led the Jackets in sacrifice hits with nine, more than triple any other Jacket batter.
Hawkins, a 6-1, 175 lb. honorable-mention All-HCAC performer, had an outstanding rookie year at DC in 2004, hitting .327 and had a .394 slugging percentage. His fielding at shortstop improved and the Lexington, Ohio native is ready to combine his existing offense skills with an improved glove in the field.
Co-captains Cris Newcomb and Matt Tycast lead the DC outfield along with Yenser. Newcomb is the first two-year captain under Donsbach and leads by example on and off the field. Starting 22 games last season, the 5-10, 185 lb. senior was a terror on the basepaths, leading DC with 10 stolen bases. Newcomb also serves as somewhat of a DC Baseball ambassador. He is a resident assistant in the Defiance College dormitories, while also serving as campus service leader in community service.
Tycast is designated as the team’s vocal leader everyday. In the weightroom, the 6-1, 205 lb. rightfielder has motivated the entire team to improve strength and speed. “Tycast is someone the younger players can look up to as he is always working hard and going at 100%,” said Donsbach.
“Our goal on defense is simple; we want to get 21 or 27 outs quicker than the opponent while not allowing extra outs in the form of errors and walks,” Donsbach said, referring to the DC defensive team goals.
To win games you must score runs. The Jacket offense is centered around situational hitting. Using each athlete’s strengths in the situation that best fits them, maturity is a term Donsbach returned to when describing the ’05 Jacket batters.
“We have better maturity in that our players know when and why we do the things we do. To be successful we must hit to the gaps when we need to, sacrifice when we need to and hit behind runners when we need to. Each hitter must know their role in the lineup and come through by utilizing their strengths.”
Several others Jackets return after gaining experience in 2004. At the plate, Mike Hill, a 6-0, 190 lb. sophomore leftfielder from Ashland, Ohio returns after an honorable-mention All-HCAC season a year ago. Hill hit .340, behind only Trick in returning bats. Eric Schawb, a 5-9, 155 lb. junior has a knack for getting the clutch hit, while also providing a solid glove at second base. Tim Yenser, a 5-9, 215 lb. third baseman is slated as the starter at the hot corner and has pop at the plate, evident by his .326 slugging percentage in 2004.
Senior Mike Mirabelli, a 5-9, 180 lb. right-hander from Munster, Indiana is a possible x-factor in the DC rotation after going 3-0 in ’04. Mirabelli threw 4.1 innings in DC’s 7-8 loss at Division I Bowling Green State University last season, surrendering just one hit and one earned run.
Junior Jeremy Vance and sophomore Phil Kosier will each see time at first base. Vance is a 6-1, 210 lb. product of Metamore, Ohio that had a .966 fielding percentage in ’04, while Kosier, a 6-2, 195 lb. native of Bradford, Ohio, causes problems for the opposition with his left-handed bat.
James Roberson, a 6-2, 220 lb. right-handed senior from Miamisburg, Ohio can provide valuable pitches in middle-relief or to close out a game in the late innings. Roberson struck out 17 batters in 19.2 innings of action last season.
Looking at the DC schedule, several stages jump to the surface. The Florida trip, beginning with a March 13th match-up with Dickinson College in Clearwater, Florida kicks off the DC season. Seven games in six day will help the Jackets discover their identity and lineup coming into the start of the HCAC season on March 25th at Franklin College, the preseason #3 pick in the HCAC. Manchester College is next as the Jackets face two of the conference’s best in the first two weekends. “We will definitely know where we stand by the end of the Manchester series,” said Donsbach. “We could be in the driver’s seat or looking up from the bottom with some work to do.”
As far as the Heartland Conference goes, Manchester is clearly the team to beat, returning nearly all of the pitching staff from a squad that went 35-12 in ’04 and advanced to NCAA Division III World Series. Transylvania returns an outstanding group of sophomores that went 28-11 as freshmen last season. After the Spartans and Pioneers, the final two tournament spots are up for grabs between Franklin, Mount St. Joseph, Anderson, Bluffton and Defiance with each weekend critical in that race.
The Jackets have two goals entering the ’05 season. If the Jackets can advance to the HCAC Tournament and finish with a winning record each of the Yellow Jackets can go away knowing that they used their strengths to ‘earn respect’ in the HCAC.
