2012 William Penn Baseball Preview‏

William Penn Baseball in action against Viterbo March 3rd, 2011

2011 record: 22-23 (6-18 MCC, 8th)
Starters returning/lost: 3/6 fielders; 6/5 pitchers
Letterwinners returning/lost: 13/14

Notable returners:
Evelio Ahumada, Sr., Hacienda Heights, Calif.
(.244 BA, 17 R, 11 RBI)
Brad Chin, Sr., San Rafael, Calif.
(.246 BA, 14 RBI, 9 RBI)
Jonathan Davis, Sr., San Diego, Calif.
(2-3, 4.94 ERA, 20 K)
Steve Enriquez, Sr., Castro Valley, Calif.
(6-0, 4.69 ERA, 29 K)
Aaron Laird, Sr., Oskaloosa, Iowa
(.186 BA, 9 R, 7 RBI)
Devin Lange, Sr., Tucson, Ariz.
(2-3, 3.48 ERA, 27 K)

Notable losses:
Chris Freedman
(All-conference)
Darren Gay
(All-conference)
Jerry Hernandez
(Two-time all-conference)
Kyle Humphrey
(Two-time all-conference)

Notable newcomers:
Randall Packard, Sr., Forestville, Calif.
Danny Erece, Jr., Chula Vista, Calif.
Michael Crandell, Jr., Napa, Calif.
Jayme Mueller, Jr., Mundelein, Ill.

The William Penn baseball team will be looking to rebound from one of the most trying seasons in recent history as it enters the 2012 campaign.

The Statesmen, under the direction of Head Coach Mike Laird, experienced its first losing year since 2001 last season, finishing 22-23 (6-18 MCC). The navy and gold were hit hardest in one-run games, struggling to a 3-9 mark in those contests.

“For all practical purposes, 2011 was pretty disappointing,” Laird said. “We lost a lot of one-run ball games, mostly dropping them late when we did not execute properly. At times, we did not make a commitment to getting runners in scoring position and therefore we could not score when needed.”

“We have a really good group of seniors back who are high-character guys,” Laird added. “They should provide a solid nucleus from which we can build. We have really good team chemistry and we will probably be forced to play very close to the belt. I anticipate that we will again have a lot of close games that will come down to execution.”

Pitchers

The Statesmen are a bit thin in the pitching staff, but Laird hopes that some experienced throwers will step up to the challenge.

Leading that charge will be a foursome of seniors, including Steve Enriquez (Sr., Castro Valley, Calif., Laney CC), who was a perfect 6-0 with a 4.69 Earned Run Average last year.

“Steve, like most of our returners, needs to lower his ERA from last year to produce like we need,” Laird said.

David Ness (Sr., Purceville, Va., Frederick CC) led William Penn in starts and will be in the mix for a starting job once again, while Jonathan Davis (Sr., San Diego, Calif., Southwestern CC) and Devin Lange (Sr., Tucson, Ariz., Paradise Valley CC) have the inside track to toss extensive innings out of the bullpen.

Ness was 2-4 with a 7.25 ERA, while Lange (3.48 ERA) and Davis (4.94 ERA) were both 2-3.

With two years of collegiate competition under his belt in the navy and gold, Jorge Quezada (Jr., San Ysidro, Calif., Castle Park HS) is coming off a 2011 season where he guided William Penn in strikeout-per-inning ratio (30 K in 25 2/3 IP).

Brad McGuire (Jr., Covina, Calif., Citrus CC) and Nick Minot (So., Winnetka, Calif., Montclair Prep HS) also return to bolster the squad. McGuire was 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 2011.

Danny Erece (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Southwestern CC) headlines the list of new pitchers, while Keaton Leisinger (Fr., Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln HS), Korbin Taylor (Fr., Mount Pleasant, Mount Pleasant HS), Ryan Pinegar (Fr., Moravia, Moravia HS), and Dante Archuleta (Fr., Brighton, Colo., Brighton HS) may also see time on the mound.

“Danny has looked very promising in our preseason and will likely fill one of our starting slots,” Laird said.

Due to the lack of depth, the Statesmen may be forced to go to their infielders for some innings. Projected starting shortstop Evelio Ahumada (Sr., Hacienda Heights, Calif., Citrus CC) and possible third base starter Jayme Mueller (Jr., Mundelein, Ill., College of Lake County CC) have already begun working out with the pitchers in anticipation of being called in for throwing duty.

“Evelio has looked really good in the preseason and could be utilized as our closer, while Jayme did some pitching at his junior college,” Laird said.

Rafael Villafana (So., Sylmar, Calif., LA Mission CC) is currently battling injuries, but if he becomes healthy, he will add another arm.

Catcher

On the other end of the battery, newcomers Michael Crandell (Jr., Napa, Calif., Napa CC) and Tony Alvarez (Jr., Spring Valley, Calif., Southwestern CC) will be fighting for the starting nod at catcher.

“Michael, who is a strong batter from the left side, may have a bit of an edge,” Laird said. “Tony is very quick behind the dish, but either way we go, we should be much improved at this position.”

2011 redshirt Julio Riojas (Jr., Hampton, Ill., Carl Sandburg CC) and returner Mike Myers (So., Yelm, Wash., Rainier HS) will serve as backups.

First Base

Randall Packard (Sr., Forestville, Calif., Cal State-Monterey) will only be a part of the Statesmen crew for one year, but has the pop to still make quite an impact on the program.

“Randall has the most power on our squad and will likely hit cleanup for us,” Laird said.

Returner Garrett Ramsey (Sr., Eureka, Kan., Highland CC) will take on newbie Colton Covington (Fr., Washington, Washington HS) for the back-up position.

Ramsey played in six games last year (.333 BA), all off the bench.

Second Base

Brad Chin (Sr., San Rafael, Calif., San Rafael HS) is projected to once again man second base, while fellow returner Nick Kirby (Jr., Palmdale, Calif., Antelope Valley CC) and newcomer Ricky Alvarez (Jr., Sylmar, Calif., LA Valley CC) expect to give him a battle.

“Brad is ahead of the pack and can make a lot of good plays as a middle infielder,” Laird said. “Ricky was drafted out of high school and is fundamentally strong.”

Shortstop

A member of last year’s Midwest Collegiate Conference Gold Glove Team (second base), Ahumada will be asked to be the glue of the William Penn defense.

Ahumada hit .244 and committed just nine errors in 201 fielding chances last season.

“Evelio is a great defensive player,” Laird said. “If he can improve at the dish, he will have a great senior year.”

In the event that Ahumada finds himself on the mound, Chin will move to shortstop in his stead.

“With Brad and Evelio, among others, we have good versatility on defense so we have the opportunity to move players around,” Laird said.

Chris Redfern (Jr., Stratford, Ontario, College of Lake County CC) is new to the team and will add depth to the spot.

Third Base

Laird expects newcomers Mueller and Nathan Wood (Jr., Tucson, Ariz., Arizona Western CC) to be in a tight battle at the hot corner.

“Both Jayme and Nathan are very good defensively, so the deciding factor will likely be something else,” Laird said. “Jayme is a solid stick and will probably be placed in the middle of the order. Nathan runs well and can cover a lot of ground, so it is possible he could see innings in left field as well.”

While Tony Mancuso (Sr., Covina, Calif., Citrus CC) is a more likely fit at designated hitter, it is also possible he might win time at third base.

Chris Bartmann (Fr., Washington, Washington HS) will be in the mix.

Left Field

Daniel Wehr (Sr., Sigourney, Sigourney HS), another student-athlete in his fourth year of diamond play, is looking to take his game to the next level.

The senior played in 33 contests in 2011 (11 starts) and hit .200 with 11 runs and two RBIs last year.

As aforementioned, Wood’s speed may earn him time in left.

Center Field

Stanley Muller (Sr., Tucson, Ariz., Cochise CC) got the job done in center field last spring, so projecting him as the starter this spring is a no-brainer.

Muller hit .253 with one home run, 12 RBIs, and a returner-high 25 runs scored. He committed only two errors in 69 chances.

Taylor will back him up in his freshman campaign.

Right Field

Aaron Laird (Sr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) rounds out an experience outfield as he is slotted to start in right.

Laird owned a .186 batting average in 34 games (29 starts). He produced seven RBIs and scored nine times. His backup will likely be Pinegar.

“We have loads of experience in the outfield, so we feel good about that area,” Laird said.

Designated Hitter

With several positions currently undecided, Laird said the designated hitter position is up in the air and will likely be filled by whoever is hottest at the time.

Schedule

The 2012 slate begins with a four-game clash against Great Plains Athletic Conference power Northwestern in the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn.

“This is going to be a tough non-conference schedule, especially coming right out of the blocks against Northwestern,” Laird said.

William Penn will take a break from recent tradition as it goes to the southwestern part of the country to play its spring break games in Tucson, Ariz. The Statesmen will face several NCAA Division II squads in addition to some strong NAIA competition.

“We are really excited about going to Arizona this year,” Laird said. “It should be a great chance for the parents of our west coast kids to see us in action and should be great for recruiting as well. It will be great to have a change of scenery.”

Conference

Defending MCC champion Iowa Wesleyan is projected to be in a good fight with perennial powerhouse Grand View for the 2012 league crown. Laird also sees the likes of Viterbo, Mount Mercy, and Clarke as teams that will battle at the top.

“Like always, it should be a competitive season and we will have to play a full game to win,” Laird said.

“This group has great chemistry and is a lot of fun to be around,” Laird added. “I expect that to equate to more wins and more success in close games.”